Kano Apps

Kano Apps (also known as Kano) is a Canadian independent gaming studio headquartered in Victoria, British Columbia. Founded in 2008 by technical founders with no prior gaming industry experience, the company was bootstrapped on personal savings and has never taken external funding. It began in the nascent social gaming space facilitated by platforms such as Facebook and Myspace, and was among the early pioneers of free-to-play social games. Its first title, Viking Clan, was released after two months of intense development and has been played by millions worldwide. Kano's portfolio includes long-running social games such as Mob Wars: La Cosa Nostra, Pirate Clan, Zombie Slayer, FUBAR: Just Give'r, Free Rider HD, and newer titles like Idle Sports Tycoon, Idle Distiller, and Monster Country Idle. The studio emphasizes building games meant to be played for months, years, or even decades, rather than hyper-casual experiences. It operates with small teams of highly talented people and has grown to over 30 employees located across Canada. Kano remains privately held and continues to focus on player-first development.

Kano Apps was founded in 2008 in Victoria, British Columbia, by technical founders who had no prior experience in the gaming industry. The company was bootstrapped on personal savings and has never taken external funding, a fact it highlights as central to its independence. At the time of its founding, the mobile free-to-play gaming space it now caters to did not yet exist; Kano got its start in the nascent social gaming space enabled by platforms like Facebook and Myspace, becoming one of the early pioneers of that emerging category. After two months of intense, caffeine-driven development, Kano released its first game, Viking Clan, which went on to be played by millions worldwide. The studio learned early on the importance of putting players first, engaging directly with them through support emails, forums, and Facebook comments, and using the web to release live changes and see immediate results. This player-first philosophy became a core principle: "if you put players first, players will last." From a handful of employees in a downtown Victoria office, Kano grew to over 30 employees located across Canada. Its portfolio expanded to include long-running social games such as Mob Wars: La Cosa Nostra, Pirate Clan, Zombie Slayer, FUBAR: Just Give'r, and Free Rider HD, as well as newer idle games like Idle Sports Tycoon, Idle Distiller, and Monster Country Idle. The company remains privately held and continues to operate as an independent studio.

• 2008

  Kano is bootstrapped in Victoria, B.C. by technical founders with no prior gaming industry experience.

• 2008

  After two months of development, Kano releases its first social game, Viking Clan.

• Kano grows from a handful of employees in downtown Victoria to over 30 employees across Canada.

Independent, bootstrapped studio focused on lasting social games with small teams and player-first development.

• Viking Clan

  First social game by Kano, released in 2008, played by millions worldwide.

• Mob Wars: La Cosa Nostra

  Long-running social game in Kano's portfolio.

• Pirate Clan

  Social game in Kano's portfolio.

• Zombie Slayer

  Social game in Kano's portfolio.

• FUBAR: Just Give'r

  Social game in Kano's portfolio.

• Free Rider HD

  Social game in Kano's portfolio.

• Idle Sports Tycoon

  Idle game in development or released by Kano.

• Idle Distiller

  Idle game in development or released by Kano.

• Monster Country Idle

  Idle game in development or released by Kano.

1. 1Kano | A Proudly Canadian Independent Gaming Studiokano.ca
2. 2Our Story × Kanokano.ca
3. 3Kano Apps - Wikidatawikidata.org