This article is part of a series presented in partnership with BC Tech, profiling the finalists for the 2026 Technology Impact Awards‘ Company of the Year – Startup category.
Word games have become a dependable daily habit for millions of players, but Simply Sweet Games CEO Tina Merry believes too much of the category’s recent innovation has focused on monetization rather than gameplay.
Osoyoos’ Simply Sweet Games is taking a different approach. The B.C. startup is creating premium word-puzzle experiences designed to respect players’ time and intelligence while offering the progression and replay value needed to keep them coming back.
“We saw an opportunity to create premium word games that respect players’ time and intelligence,” Merry says, “while still delivering the depth and replay value that keeps people coming back.”
Merry founded Simply Sweet Games with Carina Kom after both spent nearly two decades working in the games industry. They came together with a shared belief that globally competitive games did not necessarily require larger teams, bigger budgets, and greater risk.
Their first title, Criss Cross Castle, 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.
While players encounter a polished puzzle game, much of the company’s 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.
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.
“As our systems mature, new games can be developed faster, at lower cost and with stronger design foundations from day one,” Merry explains.
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’s understanding of its audience.
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.
“Our advantage is not one mechanic or one title,” Merry says. “It is the combination of premium player-first design, deep industry experience and systems that can scale across a portfolio.”
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.
For Merry, that improvement demonstrates the team’s ability to listen to players, identify shortcomings and make changes that measurably strengthen the game.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“That approach has not removed the challenge, but it has allowed us to keep moving, learn from the market and protect the long-term opportunity,” Merry says.
British Columbia’s games and technology ecosystem has played an important role in the company’s 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.
The company’s 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.
“Our market is global,” Merry says, “but B.C. is where we’re building the company.”
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—not only its place within the games industry.
“We are still early, but we have demonstrated that we can build, launch, learn and improve,” she says. “Our ambition is to build a global word-puzzle business from British Columbia.”
The post BC Tech Finalist Simply Sweet Games Is Putting Players First in Word Puzzles appeared first on Techcouver.com.
BC Tech Finalist Simply Sweet Games Is Putting Players First in Word Puzzles was first posted on August 4, 2026 at 5:00 am.
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