We sat down with Nordcurrent’s CMO, Ada at Gamesforum London, who revealed how the 23-year-old, family-owned, bootstrapped studio behind Cooking Fever built global success without outside funding.

Her formula: localisation and community. With Cooking Fever’s 47 localised versions and dedicated community managers, Nordcurrent speaks to every culture, not just translates.

“The real churn tool is our communities,” Ada said, explaining how engaged players now drive retention better than ads. Operating with her boss “next door,” she added, keeps marketing accountable and agile.

As user acquisition costs soar, Ada believes the future of mobile gaming belongs to player-led communities - where fans shape the brand as much as the studio does.