Tark Games, a next-generation publisher focused on independent game developers, has raised $2.5 million in a funding round led by Ludus Ventures, with participation from APY Ventures and Maxis Ventures.
With this investment, Tark aims to shift the traditional publisher-developer dynamic by offering not only publishing support but also early-stage financial backing to talented indie teams, helping their games reach global success.
The founding team brings years of industry experience to this mission:
İbrahim Yıldırım, one of the first employees at Peak Games and the creator of indie titles like The First Men and Overfall, has partnered with İlker Ergen, former CEO of InGame Group, the studio behind Zula.
Together, they bring deep expertise in product development, marketing, and publishing across PC and console platforms, having led and contributed to globally successful projects on both creative and commercial fronts.
İlker Ergen explains Tark’s vision as follows:
“Developers in Turkiye have immense potential, but the lack of proper guidance and sustainable support can hold them back. We’ve built Tark to be a structure that unlocks this potential in the right way.”
İlker Ergen, Co-Founder of Tark Games
Turkiye’s indie scene has gone from hopeful to heavyweight in just two years: breakout titles such as Nokta Games’ Supermarket Simulator, Curve Animation’s bluff-fest Liar’s Bar, and Core Engage’s survival city-builder New Cycle showcase a clear leap in production value, design depth, and community engagement.
Local studios now refine art direction, narrative, and live-ops with a polish that rivals global peers—evidence that both the industry and the quality of its games are rising in lock-step.
What sets Tark apart from traditional publishers is its hands-on, end-to-end involvement — not just at the final stage of publishing, but across the entire production cycle: from product strategy and development to user feedback and platform partnerships, along with financial support throughout.
İbrahim Yıldırım adds:
“Small but visionary teams are behind some of the most exciting projects in the gaming industry. We’ve adopted an approach that provides early-stage funding, creative freedom, and direct support at every step for developers who know what they want to build — and who are committed to creating thoughtful, lasting games.”
İbrahim Yıldırım, Co-Founder of Tark Games
İsmet Gökşen, General Partner at Ludus Ventures, commented on the investment:
“Tark fills a key gap in Turkiye’s PC and console gaming ecosystem by offering not just publishing, but strategic guidance, production, and financial support, and global visibility to developers. With our experience in mobile publishing, we’re excited to be part of this vision.”
İsmet Gökşen, General Partner at Ludus Ventures
Mustafa Keçeli, Fund Manager at APY Ventures, evaluates the investment.
“Today, game development requires not only technical skills but also the right business models and sustainable support mechanisms. Tark understands these needs of independent teams and has built a comprehensive support structure. With its industry experience, the team aims to move beyond traditional publishing. We are delighted to contribute to this meaningful journey.
Mustafa Keçeli, Fund Manager at APY Ventures
Selami Düz, Coordinator at Maxis Ventures, shared the following remarks about the investment:
“We believe that Tark Games, with its focus on independent developers and a founding team with deep industry experience, will fill a significant gap in the Turkish gaming ecosystem. At Maxis, we are excited to support this visionary journey.”
Selami Düz, Coordinator at Maxis Ventures
