Tonk Tonk Games

Tonk Tonk Games was an independent mobile game development studio based in Austin, Texas. Founded in 2016 by Joon Kim, it focused on competitive, socially integrated games combining real-time multiplayer systems with proprietary interactive technology. Its development work brought together mobile combat design, personalized 3D characters and features intended to support competitive play and spectatorship.

The studio’s flagship project, uFighter, was a mobile fighting game developed for iOS and Android. Its combat combined real-time player-versus-player matchmaking with strategic deck-building elements and more than 55 unique action cards. Alongside individual competition, the game included collaborative clan tournaments and spectator broadcasting modes. These features reflected the studio’s esports-first approach to mobile game design.

A distinctive part of uFighter was its facial-mapping and animation pipeline. Players could scan their own faces to create personalized, expressive 3D avatars, incorporating customized celebratory emotes and combat animations. The studio’s technical capabilities included mobile software engineering and custom animation and timeline tools supporting this character pipeline.

In February 2019, Tonk Tonk Games announced a $2 million seed financing round led by BITKRAFT Esports Ventures, with participation from Modern Times Group MTG AB. The funding supported expansion of its development pipeline and production operations. The company operated independently; these organizations were investors rather than a parent company.

uFighter reached soft-launch and beta testing in 2019, but the studio did not proceed to commercial scaling. Active production ceased during 2021–2022, and its official website subsequently went offline. Texas regulatory records identify the company’s registration as inactive and its right to transact business in the state as forfeited.