Criss Cross Castle<\/a>, combines word puzzles with strategy, progression and a cozy adventure setting. It is also the first test of a broader business model built around a portfolio of premium word-puzzle experiences.<\/p>\nWhile players encounter a polished puzzle game, much of the company\u2019s technology operates behind the scenes. Simply Sweet Games is developing reusable puzzle, content and production systems that allow its team to create, test and refine experiences more efficiently.<\/p>\n
Player behaviour and word data help the company identify what is working and where the experience can improve. Lessons from one release can then be carried into future titles instead of each game beginning from scratch.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs our systems mature, new games can be developed faster, at lower cost and with stronger design foundations from day one,\u201d Merry explains.<\/p>\n
This approach is designed to give Simply Sweet Games a structural advantage. Each title contributes to a growing development platform, lowering the marginal cost of future games while improving the company\u2019s understanding of its audience.<\/p>\n
The same capabilities could also support publishers, brands and media companies seeking to transform existing intellectual property or content into interactive puzzle experiences that encourage repeat engagement.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur advantage is not one mechanic or one title,\u201d Merry says. \u201cIt is the combination of premium player-first design, deep industry experience and systems that can scale across a portfolio.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since entering soft launch, Criss Cross Castle has been downloaded by more than 25,000 players. During that period, its Net Promoter Score improved from -10 to +28, alongside consistently strong player ratings.<\/p>\n
For Merry, that improvement demonstrates the team\u2019s ability to listen to players, identify shortcomings and make changes that measurably strengthen the game.<\/p>\n
Simply Sweet Games has also expanded from its two co-founders into a small team covering game development, art, production and technical leadership. The company has secured a combination of private investment and non-dilutive funding while developing relationships with publishers, platform holders, brands and media partners.<\/p>\n
The studio is now expanding Criss Cross Castle, developing additional titles and continuing to build the systems required to support a wider portfolio. It has also been approved as a Nintendo developer and is exploring opportunities across mobile, PC, console and partner-led experiences.<\/p>\n
That progress has come during a difficult period for games industry financing. As access to capital tightened, startups were expected to demonstrate greater traction, stronger economics and clearer paths to scale.<\/p>\n
Simply Sweet Games responded by combining private investment with grants, tax credits, partnerships and external project work. It also kept its team intentionally small and concentrated spending on capabilities that could be reused across multiple products.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat approach has not removed the challenge, but it has allowed us to keep moving, learn from the market and protect the long-term opportunity,\u201d Merry says.<\/p>\n
British Columbia\u2019s games and technology ecosystem has played an important role in the company\u2019s development. Merry and Kom built much of their careers in the province, drawing on its experienced talent, educational institutions, industry organizations and early-stage support programs.<\/p>\n
The company\u2019s distributed B.C. team operates with an emphasis on trust, clear ownership and flexibility. Simply Sweet Games has also worked with DigiBC, the Centre for Digital Media, Capilano University, Okanagan College and IRAP YESS to provide students and early-career developers with experience on commercial projects.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur market is global,\u201d Merry says, \u201cbut B.C. is where we\u2019re building the company.\u201d<\/p>\n
Being named a BC Tech Startup of the Year finalist gives the team an opportunity to recognize the progress it has made with limited resources. Merry says the distinction is particularly meaningful because it recognizes the technology and business model behind the studio\u2014not only its place within the games industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are still early, but we have demonstrated that we can build, launch, learn and improve,\u201d she says. \u201cOur ambition is to build a global word-puzzle business from British Columbia.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This article is part of a series presented in partnership with BC Tech, profiling the finalists for the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":846523,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[294734,294735,49,48,294736,61],"class_list":["post-846522","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-2026-startup-finalist","tag-bc-tech-member","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-simply-sweet-games","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/846522","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=846522"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/846522\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/846523"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=846522"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=846522"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=846522"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}