Project M Studio

Project M Studio was an independent mobile game developer established in London in 2014. Its work combined casual free-to-play gameplay with physical rewards, focusing on puzzle mechanics, mobile software development, virtual economies and in-game monetization.

The studio’s principal release, Dig That Gold, was a narrative puzzle-adventure game set during the 1849 California Gold Rush. Players explored underground mines, solved puzzles and collected virtual gold nuggets. Its defining feature connected progress in the game to real-world prizes: banked virtual gold could be redeemed for certified physical 24-carat gold bars delivered to players’ homes.

Development covered iOS and Android, bringing together game concept design, application engineering and level design. The project first appeared in beta as Mine That Gold in May 2015, when the studio also joined the UK games industry trade association TIGA. The subsequent release developed that early concept into a mobile game built around gold mining, progression and reward fulfillment.

In March 2019, Project M Studio partnered with independent London publisher PlayStack to co-publish, market and expand Dig That Gold internationally. The collaboration supported a renewed release across both major mobile platforms.

The studio later ceased operations. Players reported server failures and difficulty accessing the game by late summer 2019. Its operating company, Project Miner Ltd, entered liquidation following winding-up proceedings in 2021 and was formally dissolved on 6 October 2023. The studio’s website and social accounts are now reported as inactive.