Overview
Joyglitch, an indie husband-and-wife studio in Portugal, built a wildly addictive word-puzzle game for iOS & Android. After two intense years of updates and community building, the couple was ready to shift their focus to new projects without being tied to daily LiveOps. They came to OEB Digital looking for a partner who could both maximize their sale price and protect their free time.
“Invent options for mutual gain.” — Roger Fisher & William Ury, Getting to Yes
Snapshot
- Founders: 2 (married)
- Price Uplift vs. Goal: + ≈ 70 %
- Post-Sale Workload: Cut by ≈ 50 % from buyer’s ask
Challenge
Joyglitch’s founders knew how to build and run LiveOps, yet scaling user acquisition felt like pushing against a brick wall. They wanted:
- Maximum value without endless back-and-forth.
- Minimal hands-on obligations after closing.
- A discreet, buyer-ready process that wouldn’t derail development.
Common marketplace listings wouldn’t cut it, they needed qualified buyers who valued both the game’s cash flow and its potential.
As Joana Oliveira Marques recalls:
“We’re a small team. We’d hit a point where scaling required deep UA expertise we didn’t have. We had no idea how to find a buyer, negotiate fair value, or navigate the legal maze.”
“Yes is nothing without how.” — Chris Voss, Never Split the Difference
- Premium Positioning – We packaged the title as a “plug-and-profit” asset, spotlighting its 80 %+ margins and loyal player base. The public list price: 50 % above the founders’ goal.
- Targeted Outreach – Leveraged our C-suite network across top gaming studios – no mass blast, only curated conversations.
- Competitive Tension – Within two weeks, two global publishers began a bidding duel. Our staged counter-offers nudged the first bidder to a final figure roughly seventy percent higher, all cash.
- Term Optimization – The second bidder hit a 50% above expectations, but demanded a 12-month earn-out. We trimmed that to 6 months, then used it as leverage to push the first bidder even higher.
- Deal Shielding – Guided the founders through diligence, smoothed every snag, and kept all numbers on track – so confidence (and price) never dipped.
Outcome
- Cash at Close: Entire consideration paid upfront—no holdbacks, no earn-outs.
- Workload Freedom: Only half-year light advisory, freeing the team to chase new ideas.
- Founders’ Verdict:
“The whole process was completely seamless! OEB brought multiple offers, handled every conversation, and protected us at every step. We drew maximum value without losing sleep.”
Joana Oliveira Marques
Joyglitch handed Wordling to a leading French publisher, walked away with a life-changing payout, and gained the head-space to craft their next hit.
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