A Decade of Mini Metro: Dinosaur Polo Club's Journey to Success

Some games leave a lasting impact on the industry with their simplicity. Mini Metro is a prime example, and its developer, Dinosaur Polo Club, is celebrating the game's tenth anniversary with a big crossover update. The studio's co-founders, Peter and Robert Curry, consider this milestone crucial as Mini Metro is the 'seed that formed the studio.' The game was conceptualized during the 2013 Ludum Dare game jam and has been consistently updated over the years, with a journey that took it from Steam Early Access in 2014 to Apple Arcade in 2021, and six million copies sold. The initial team consisted of the Curry brothers handling programming and design, joined by Jamie Churchman for art and Rich 'Disasterpeace' Vreeland for audio. The brothers recall that it was just the four of them working towards the Steam release in 2015 and the AppStore release in 2016. It wasn't until late 2016 that they realized the sustained success of Mini Metro and decided to build a studio around it. They were financially conservative at the time, and it took the AppStore launch for them to commit to hiring someone. The first hire happened in late 2016 or early 2017, marking the beginning of a slow and linear progression for the studio. Dinosaur Polo Club remained small, with around eight to ten employees, until the launch of Mini Motorways in 2019, after which the studio saw significant growth. Now with 26 employees, the studio is on a journey to structurize and grow, both with and beyond the Mini franchise. The brothers emphasize the importance of providing enough support for the team, and their CEO and COO visited various studios in Canada and the US to learn about the challenges of expansion and how to support the team. They aim to bring in people who can help run the studio smoothly, including producers, heads of departments, HR, and operation support. The studio is working on a new PC-first management simulation title outside of the Mini franchise and is prototyping another entry in the Mini series, with the brothers handing over the reins to the rest of the team. The Curry brothers reflect on the rise of minimalist games, citing titles like Islanders and Townscaper, and believe that this space has become more viable. They also discuss the emergence of experiences like Oddada, which serve no specific purpose beyond experimentation. The brothers consider how Mini Metro might have been different if it were released in today's market, and they appreciate the fact that the space for games that are essentially toys has opened up. Looking ahead, Peter and Robert are enthusiastic about the vibrant scene for indie game developers in New Zealand and are open to continuing their partnership with Apple. They value their supportive relationship with Apple and believe that it has contributed to the studio's success.