Big Time Studios

Big Time Studios is an independent game developer and Web3 gaming technology provider founded in April 2020 by Ari Meilich and Thor Alexander. Based in Los Angeles, it operates with a globally distributed, remote-first development team. Its work combines multiplayer PC games with infrastructure for player-owned digital assets, bringing game development and blockchain marketplace technology into the same business.

The studio develops Big Time, a free-to-play cooperative action RPG for Windows PC. The game combines third-person combat, time-travel settings and procedurally generated dungeon instances. Players explore together, collect items and develop their characters through a progression system built around multiple playable classes. Its distinctive Pocket Watch mechanic lets players switch character classes without resetting their overall progression.

Personal metaverses called SPACE form another part of the game. Its digital economy includes cosmetic NFT drops, crafting stations and the $BIGTIME utility token. These systems connect the action RPG to a marketplace for player-owned assets. The studio's approach seeks to reduce blockchain friction, including the need for players to manage external wallets or pay gas fees themselves.

Technology for other developers

Beyond its own game, Big Time Studios built Open Loot, a Web3 game distribution platform, marketplace and developer SDK. The platform supports partner studios with digital asset infrastructure, payments, fraud prevention and NFT marketplace functionality. This extends the company's work from producing a single game to supplying systems that other developers can integrate into their own releases.

Open Loot connects the studio's experience in game economies with third-party publishing and distribution services. Together, the game and platform reflect two connected areas of the business: creating multiplayer entertainment and providing the technology used to distribute and manage blockchain-enabled games.

The studio expanded Big Time's player-versus-player offering in late 2024, following its early access phase. Its development focus spans cooperative action gameplay, procedural content, character progression and digital asset economies, supported by a broader platform intended for multiple games.