Ash Games Studio

Country: Saudi Arabia

Founded: 2022

Team Size: 18+ (international)

Platforms: PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and mobile

Status: Active

Website: https://www.ashgamesstudio.com/

Overview

Ash Games Studio is a Riyadh-born, remote-first indie studio founded in 2022 by Yaser Alahmadi, with Anas Bakhsh as CEO and co-founder. The team of 18 builds culturally rooted action-adventure games aimed at a global audience.

Its debut title, Azooma Escape, a stealth-comedy about escaping an overly hospitable Saudi family gathering, took 18 months to make with 37 people cycling through the project and a core team that never exceeded seven.

In August 2025 it became the first game by an Arabic indie team to hit Steam's global front page, crossing 20,000 wishlists pre-launch and placing third at Dubai's Very Big Indie Pitch. The studio is exploring console and mobile ports based on player demand, though nothing beyond the current PC (Steam) release is confirmed.

The studio's next title, Nomad, is an action-adventure roguelite built on the legend of Zarqa Al-Yamama, a warrior seeking her husband's killer in ancient Arabia, drawing comparisons to Hades and Elden Ring. It's slated for 2027 on Steam, PlayStation and Xbox, backed by NEOM, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Monsha'at, and the Human Resources Development Fund.

In December 2025, Ash Games signed an MoU with Korean playtesting platform Plithus to run more structured playtests ahead of launch.

Games

Intelligence

Ash Games Studio is building a portfolio of Saudi-inspired games for international audiences, using culturally specific settings and stories as a foundation for commercially accessible gameplay.

The studio is combining original IP development with structured playtesting and international partnerships, while using external funding to expand its team and develop larger projects.

Funding & Backing

Seed Funding: $1.5 million
Lead investors: Merak Capital and Impact46
Merak connection: Backed by Merak Gaming Fund
Capital stage: Seed
Funding purpose: Team expansion and development of Saudi-inspired games

Strategic Model

Platform direction: PC and console-focused development, with potential for additional platforms
Core genres: Action, adventure, narrative-driven games
Cultural strategy: Saudi and Arabian stories adapted into globally accessible gameplay
Development approach: Small core teams supported by external contributors and structured playtesting
Geographic focus: Saudi Arabia with international market ambitions
Positioning: Saudi-focused original IP developer targeting global audiences

Active & Upcoming Projects

Azooma Escape
Nomad: The Legend of Zarqa
Azooma Escape universe expansion

Performance Signals

Azooma Escape developed over approximately 18 months
37 people contributed across the game's development lifecycle
Core development team never exceeded seven people
Azooma Escape's performance contributed to team expansion
Partnership with Plithus for closed and open beta testing of upcoming PC projects
Exploring additional platforms and opportunities for the Azooma Escape IP

Key Person

Anas Bakhsh - CEO and co-founder