Self Aware Games

Self Aware Games is an American game development studio known for mobile and social casino games. Established in 2006 within the technology incubator Social Concepts, the studio developed multiplayer games built around social interaction, virtual economies and free-to-play purchases. Its work spans mobile and web platforms, combining game design, software engineering, technical art and ongoing live service operations.

Early projects included Word Ace, which combined word puzzles with Texas Hold’em mechanics, and Fleck, a location-based social virtual world later released on iOS as Fleck Touch. The team also created Card Ace: Casino, a multiplayer casino game that became central to its subsequent development history.

Social casino development

Big Fish Games acquired Self Aware Games and Social Concepts in March 2012, retaining the studio’s Oakland base as its San Francisco Bay Area development operation. Following the acquisition, Card Ace: Casino became Big Fish Casino. The studio also developed and operated Jackpot Magic Slots, Big Fish Bingo and Gambit!.

Its capabilities include designing slots, poker and table games; developing applications for iOS, Android and the web; building server infrastructure; and maintaining live game services. Virtual economy design, in-app purchases and LiveOps form an important part of its social casino work.

Subsequent history

Through Big Fish Games, the studio’s ownership history passed through Churchill Downs and then Aristocrat Leisure. During Aristocrat’s divestiture of Big Fish’s casual game assets in late 2025 and early 2026, the social casino portfolio was retained and aligned with Product Madness. Self Aware Games remains identified with the original development of these franchises, while the team shifted toward hybrid and remote operations following the departure from its dedicated Oakland premises.