East Side Games
- Open roles
- 0
- Founded
- 2011
- Employees
- 51-200
- Offices
- 1
About East Side Games
East Side Games is a Canadian mobile game developer and publisher founded in Vancouver in 2011. Its work focuses on narrative-driven idle games and casual free-to-play experiences, particularly adaptations of television and pop-culture properties for iOS and Android.
The studio combines idle and tycoon mechanics with recognizable characters, comedic storytelling and ongoing game operations. Its capabilities span mobile game design, prototyping, production, publishing, economy balancing and community-driven live operations. Advertising, monetization and user acquisition also form part of its mobile publishing offering.
Games and licensed worlds
Its licensed releases include Trailer Park Boys: Grea$y Money, The Office: Somehow We Manage, RuPaul's Drag Race Superstar, Star Trek: Lower Decks – The Badgey Directive, Doctor Who: Lost in Time and It's Always Sunny: The Gang Goes Mobile. These projects reflect the studio's sustained focus on translating established entertainment properties into accessible mobile games.
The company's broader catalogue includes original games as well as licensed projects. Its publishing and development activities extend beyond internal production through work with external developers.
Technology and publishing
Alongside game creation, East Side Games developed IdleKit, proprietary middleware associated with the group's Game Kit framework. The modular software supports prototyping and live-operations infrastructure. Licensing this technology to third-party developers allows the studio to work as both a technology provider and co-publisher, connecting its development tools with its mobile publishing activities.
East Side Games became part of LEAF Mobile in a $159 million acquisition completed in February 2021. The parent subsequently adopted the East Side Games Group identity and changed its legal name in May 2022. East Side Games continues as an operating development and publishing studio within that group.
More about East Side Games
Founders and early development
- Josh Nilson, Jason Bailey and Galan Akin founded the studio. The report identifies their historical founding roles without establishing their current executive positions.
- The studio's name reflects its origins in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside / Gastown area.
- Early commercial traction from the Facebook and web game Pot Farm generated revenue that supported organic, self-funded expansion into narrative idle mobile games.
Operating model and collaboration
- The company describes its workforce model as remote-first, anchored by its Vancouver studio.
- Archer: Danger Phone was co-developed with Truly Social Games.
Notable credits
20 creditsOffices
Where East Side Games is based
- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver offices
HeadquartersAbout this office
**Office** Status: active Headquarters Address: Suite 3104 – 1055 Dunsmuir Street, Four Bentall Centre, Vancouver, BC V7X 1G4, Canada Phone: +1 (604) 568-5051 Current operating studio and overall headquarters. --- **Office** Status: inactive / historical Address: #200 - 116 W. Hastings St., Vancouver, BC V6B 1G8 Original Downtown Eastside / Gastown studio premises. --- **Office** Status: inactive / historical Address: 550-555 W 12th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 3X7 Historical premises listed as a terms-of-service notice address.
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