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Overview
Gardens Interactive is a remote video game studio that creates online multiplayer PC and console games. Its first project is an unannounced, evolving online PvPvE fantasy sandbox ARPG built with Unreal Engine 5, designed to blend cooperative play with competitive elements in a shared world. The game aims to offer new experiences with each playthrough, evolving over time through its community while rewarding players for helping others, yet allowing conflict and betrayal. The company differentiates itself through a founder-led focus on healthy, sustainable work practices (35-hour weeks and full benefits) and a team with past credits on titles like Journey, What Remains of Edith Finch, Sky: Children of the Light, Blaseball, and Dustforce. Gardens’ goal is to build lush, living online worlds that enable meaningful player relationships, supported by strong investor backing and a strategy centered on long-term, community-driven development.
About Gardens Interactive
Industries
Consumer Software
Entertainment
Gaming
Company Size
51-200
Company Stage
Series A
Total Funding
$48.1M
Headquarters
Los Angeles, California
Founded
2021
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Gardens launched a new website and blog in 2026, signaling active studio momentum.
- The 2024 Pragma partnership removes backend friction for online multiplayer ambitions.
- Careers page shows competitive pay, stock options, and robust benefits for hiring.
What critics are saying
- Gardens still has no shipped game; Project Gardens remains unannounced in 2026.
- Live-service PvPvE development needs backend scale; failure here can kill launch economics.
- A small team and only two open roles signal concentration risk if milestone slip extends.
What makes Gardens Interactive unique
- Chris Bell, Stephen Bell, and Lexie Dostal bring Journey, Edith Finch, Blaseball, and Dustforce pedigrees.
- Gardens runs a globally distributed remote studio with 35-hour weeks and full benefits.
- Pragma partnership and Unreal Engine 5 support a custom social PvPvE backend stack.
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Funding
Total Funding
$48.1M
Above
Industry Average
Funded Over
3 Rounds
Lightspeed Venture PartnersIndustry standards
Benefits
Stock Options
Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
Disability Insurance
Paid Parental Leave
Paid Vacation
Professional Development Budget
Remote Work Options
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 0%1 year growth
↓ -3%2 year growth
↑ 6%Pragma, a backend game engine for live-service games, has raised $12.75 million in strategic funding, bringing its total funds raised to over $50 million. The investment includes participation from top venture firms and Square Enix. Pragma's engine supports matchmaking, analytics, and more, allowing developers to focus on creativity. The funding will enhance Pragma's live-service tools and services, and follows its acquisition of the FirstLook player engagement platform.
Today, Gardens announced it is teaming up with Pragma, the backend game engine that built platforms for some of the biggest live-service games, to get the best online multiplayer support possible for their newest game.
Maria Park, Vice President and Head of Corporate Development at Krafton, and Moritz Baier-Lentz, Partner and Head of Gaming at Lightspeed Venture Partners, are joining Gardens’ board of directors.
Gardens, a gaming studio focused on online social play, raised $31.3 million in Series A funding, co-led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and Krafton.
Veterans from Lightspeed, Krafton, Nintendo, Blizzard, Oculus, Valorant, Microsoft, Sony, Tencent, TikTok, World of Warcraft, and others…
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About Gardens Interactive
Industries
Consumer Software
Entertainment
Gaming
Company Size
51-200
Company Stage
Series A
Total Funding
$48.1M
Headquarters
Los Angeles, California
Founded
2021
Gardens Interactive is Hiring for 1 Jobs on Simplify!
Find jobs on Simplify and start your career today