Seriously

Seriously was a mobile game developer and entertainment franchise creator founded in August 2013 by former Rovio executives Petri Järvilehto and Andrew Stalbow. Its work combined casual puzzle games, character development and animated storytelling, with the aim of building entertainment properties that could extend beyond mobile devices.

The company followed a transatlantic operating model: game development, engineering and creative production were based in Finland, while its California team handled marketing, licensing and business development. This structure connected mobile game production with the commercial development of character entertainment.

Games and character storytelling

Seriously launched Best Fiends in October 2014. Set in the fictional world of Minutia, the puzzle-adventure game introduced a cast of characters around which the company developed a wider franchise. Its approach combined free-to-play puzzle mechanics with original intellectual property, ongoing content updates and live game management.

The franchise expanded through Best Fiends Forever in 2016 and Best Fiends Stars in 2019. Alongside its games, Seriously developed animated narrative shorts that brought the characters into stories beyond gameplay. These productions featured voice performers including Mark Hamill and Kate Walsh, supporting the company's ambition to connect mobile entertainment with other media.

Acquisition and subsequent history

Playtika acquired Seriously in August 2019. Seriously initially continued developing the franchise within the group, but Playtika closed its Helsinki development studio in October 2022. Independent studio production subsequently ended, while maintenance, live operations and monetization of Best Fiends moved into Playtika's broader infrastructure. The Finnish legal entity remains registered, and the franchise continues under Playtika's management.