Instinct Games
- Open roles
- 0
- Founded
- 2011
- Employees
- 11-50
- Offices
- 1
About Instinct Games
Instinct Games is an independent Egyptian video game development and engineering co-development studio founded in 2011 by Mostafa Hafez. Based in Cairo, it focuses on PC and console games, with particular experience in action-adventure survival games, multiplayer sandboxes and massively multiplayer online role-playing games. Its work combines game production with the technical systems needed to support large, connected game worlds.
The studio provides full-cycle development, outsourcing and co-development services. Its capabilities include gameplay systems design, prototyping, multiplayer programming, network replication, client-server infrastructure and systems optimization. It also undertakes multi-platform production and porting, with engineering experience spanning PC and successive generations of Xbox and PlayStation hardware. The supplied research identifies Unreal Engine 4 and Unreal Engine 5 among its engine capabilities.
Co-development work
A central part of the studio’s history is its partnership with Studio Wildcard on ARK: Survival Evolved. Instinct Games contributed programming and development to the survival sandbox, which entered Steam Early Access in 2015 and officially launched in 2017. Its involvement continued through expansion content, including Scorched Earth, Aberration and Extinction, followed by technical contributions to the Genesis expansions.
Instinct Games also co-developed ATLAS with Grapeshot Games and Studio Wildcard. Released in Early Access in December 2018, the pirate adventure extended the studio’s experience with large multiplayer environments and shared-world systems. The report describes the project as supporting up to 40,000 players across a shared world grid.
The studio subsequently contributed to ARK: Survival Ascended, the Unreal Engine 5 remaster released in October 2023, alongside Studio Wildcard and Grove Street Games. Its later work includes engineering contributions to Bob’s Tall Tales. These projects illustrate an operating focus on sustained technical collaboration, spanning initial development, platform delivery, engine transitions and subsequent game content.
More about Instinct Games
Leadership
- Mostafa Hafez is Founder and Chief Executive Officer.
- Mohamed Seif is Development Manager.
- Muhammed Yusuf is Principal Programmer.
- Ossama Moussa is Senior Programmer.
Founder’s technical background
Hafez began his professional development career in 2002 and co-created Reality Engine, a proprietary 3D rendering and game engine subsequently acquired by Epic Games. Before establishing Instinct Games, he held leadership roles at Artificial Studios and Timeline Interactive. The latter closed amid the economic disruption surrounding Egypt’s 2011 revolution.
Operating model
The report describes a Cairo-based core team of senior programmers, systems engineers and technical leads, augmented by project-based technical contributors. The studio’s business model emphasizes engineering and systems architecture services at a competitive cost structure.
Industry recognition
PocketGamer.biz recognized Instinct Games as one of its Top 30 MENA Game Makers of 2022.
Notable credits
8 creditsOffices
Where Instinct Games is based
- 110 El Merghany St., Heliopolis, Cairo, 11341, EgyptCairo, Cairo Governorate, Egypt
Cairo Headquarters
HeadquartersThe company's sole physical development facility, located in the Heliopolis district of Cairo.
Open roles
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