Zynga’s Small Giant Games division is announcing an expansion to its popular Empires & Puzzle mobile game.
The expansion features significant updates to bases, including an increase of the stronghold’s max level from 20 to 21 as well as advanced versions of mines, farms, storage units, and houses. A brand new building, the Hunter’s Lodge, is also being introduced, allowing players to craft new battle items.
“Since the Small Giant team joined the Zynga family last year, we’ve been blown away by their continued ingenuity in innovating within Empires & Puzzles, a cornerstone of our portfolio of forever franchises,” said Bernard Kim, president of publishing at Zynga, in a statement. “Comprised of passionate gamers, this expansion shows the team’s commitment to creating the most fun experiences for the Empires & Puzzles community.”
Above: A hunter’s lodge in Empires & Puzzles.
San Francisco-based Zynga acquired 80% of Helsinki-based Small Giant in January for $560 million. Empires & Puzzles blends approachable match-3 battles with deeper gameplay elements like hero collection, base building, and social alliances.
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Since its debut in 2017, Empires & Puzzles has been downloaded more than 34 million times and has reached the No. 1 grossing position in 57 countries on the Apple App Store and 24 countries on Google Play. The hit title has also broken into the Top 10 Grossing Games charts globally in a combined 124 countries on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Empires & Puzzles’ latest expansion was primarily driven by one of its developers, Sofia Vanhanen. At 20 years old, Vanhanen is on the younger side of female developers working in the mobile gaming industry. As an avid player of Empires & Puzzles, she joined Small Giant upon completing her university career in computer science.
“It’s a dream come true to work on a game that you’re already so passionate about,” said Vanhanen, in a statement. “I’m able to bring my perspective as a dedicated fan to implement new ideas that our players will love. I can’t wait to see what everyone thinks of the new base updates.”
