

272. From Prototypes to Hits: Inside Rollic’s Playbook with CEO Burak Vardal
“The way we survive is built on being creative every day”
We sit down with Burak Vardal, CEO and co-founder of Rollic, to explore how the company skyrocketed in just a couple of years from a Turkish startup to one of the most successful mobile game publishers in the world.
Burak shares insights on:
- The early days of Rollic and its quick acquisition by Zynga for $168M
- How they consistently launch hit mobile games
- The shift from hyper-casual to hybrid-casual and how it changed their business model
- Why being a gamer-first company is key to their success
- What makes Turkey a global hub for mobile game development
- The future of Rollic under Take-Two Interactive
Download the FREE Hybrid Casual Playbook:
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00:00 Introduction and Background of Rollic
06:41 Türkiye as a Hub for Game Development
13:18 Business Model and Future Vision
25:54 Competition and Talent in the Turkish Gaming Industry
29:45 Creativity in Gaming: The Key to Success
31:54 The Importance of Ideation in Mobile Gaming
33:52 The Role of Testing in Game Development
36:32 Transitioning from Startup to Industry Leader
46:46 Advice for Aspiring Game Developers
52:47 Final Thoughts and Future Prospects