Magic Fuel Games
- Open roles
- 0
- Founded
- 2015
- Employees
- 11-50
- Offices
- 2
About Magic Fuel Games
Magic Fuel Games is an American game development studio founded in 2015, specializing in simulation and strategy games. Based in California’s San Francisco Bay Area, it develops city-building, colony-management and narrative simulation experiences across PC, mobile, Apple Arcade and mixed reality platforms. Its work combines interconnected simulation systems with resource management, economic balancing and player-directed development.
The studio’s capabilities span concept development, prototyping, production and launch. Its production work includes systems design, simulation mechanics, economic modeling, 2D and 3D art, character modeling and animation integration. Unity engineering and platform optimization support its development across touchscreen, desktop and spatial computing environments. These capabilities underpin games built around managing settlements, coordinating resources and responding to evolving challenges.
Simulation across platforms
The studio developed Cityscapes: Sim Builder, released on Apple Arcade in May 2023. The city-building game subsequently expanded to Apple Vision Pro in July 2024, extending the studio’s simulation work into native mixed reality. Its development portfolio also includes Fort Stars, a fantasy base-building and raiding strategy game, alongside mobile projects World War Bots and Love Cooking. The studio also developed the real-time zombie strategy alpha Swarm the City for PC.
In October 2026, Magic Fuel Games released Star Trek: Outposts Unknown on PC through Steam, with Playstack as publisher. The narrative-driven outpost and colony simulation brought its settlement-management focus to the Star Trek setting, marking another step in its work beyond mobile platforms.
Company development
Magic Fuel Games was established by developers with previous experience at Electronic Arts and Maxis. Their background informed the studio’s focus on simulation and strategy, while its stated founding approach emphasized games without disruptive advertising or aggressive paywalls. Playstack acquired the company in June 2022. Magic Fuel Games continues to operate as a development studio within the publisher, retaining its own studio identity and development portfolio.
More about Magic Fuel Games
Founders and leadership
- The report identifies co-founders Kevin Shrapnell as Chief Executive Officer, Rajan Tande as Chief Technology Officer, Kip Katsarelis as Chief Product Officer, and Chi Chan as Head of Art.
- In the 2022 acquisition, Shrapnell also became Playstack’s Chief Operating Officer while continuing to direct the studio’s development capabilities. The transaction reunited the founders with Playstack CEO Harvey Elliott, their former Electronic Arts general manager.
Early investment and working model
- Seasun Games, Kingsoft’s interactive entertainment subsidiary, provided an initial $2.4 million Series A investment in February 2016 to support hiring and title development.
- The report describes an agile, remote-friendly workflow anchored across the San Francisco Bay Area.
Recognition
Cityscapes: Sim Builder received the 2023 Apple Arcade Game of the Year award and earned an Apple Design Award nomination. These recognitions concern the game.
Notable credits
6 creditsOffices
Where Magic Fuel Games is based
- 1933 Davis Street, Suite 248, San Leandro, CA 94577-1267, USASan Leandro, California, United States
San Leandro office
HeadquartersRegistered headquarters and primary physical studio facility.
- San Francisco, California, United States
San Francisco office
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