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Why was ProbablyMonsters betting on AAA games?
In a 2019 GamesBeat interview, founder and CEO Harold Ryan described ProbablyMonsters as a way to apply lessons from his games-industry career to building studios and creating original intellectual property. “The goal of Probably Monsters is to build new triple-A studios,” he said. The scale was the bet: rather than begin with one small team, the company set out to establish several studios capable of making large games.
Ryan’s case had two parts. On the business side, multiple projects could be at different stages and run on different schedules, so the company would not depend on one team’s development cycle. On the people side, he wanted a more stable environment for developers, with lasting teams and a culture of trust and respect. Those were the intended benefits of the model, not guarantees of job security or commercial success. GamesBeat’s interview with Ryan was published October 19, 2019, and updated June 20, 2025; the founding-era plans and figures discussed here refer to the 2019 interview.
Why build several studios instead of one large team?
Ryan’s proposal was to give each studio its own leadership and room to shape its working culture, while the parent company supported the studios and the wider business. Distinct projects could then progress on distinct schedules. In Ryan’s view, that structure could make development and relationships with publishers or other market partners more predictable than relying on a single project or a single management structure.
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- THE GAME: Not all trash card games are created equal. See why families choose Trash Monsters. Trash Monsters takes a modern spin on the classic card game "Garbage" with the most fun, most lovable monster twist. The goal is simple: line up all your Monster Cards from 1 to 10... but beware of sneaky Trash Pandas along the way!
- FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY: Up to 4 players can play, ages 3 and up. Kids, teens, parents, and grandparents all love it. Fast-paced rounds keep everyone engaged with no boring downtime. The kind of card game families pull out again and again on game night.
- SIMPLE AND FUN: Easy to learn in minutes, even for the youngest players. No confusing rulebook or complicated setup. Just shuffle, deal, and play. Includes instructions plus a step-by-step video tutorial so your family can start playing right away.
- VISUAL LEARNING WITH STUNNING ORIGINAL ARTWORK: Improves visual learning and counting skills. Count those monster eyes! Each card features unique monster illustrations with vibrant colors that kids go absolutely crazy for. These aren't generic characters; every monster has its own personality and unique design that kids love to collect and show off.
- PREMIUM QUALITY BUILT FOR KIDS: No cheap, flimsy cards that bend or tear after a few games. Trash Monsters is made with thick, durable cards that survive endless rounds of play. Bold, vibrant printing that won't fade or wear off. Fun monsters and gross trash cards in a sturdy, beautifully designed box built to last. When you open Trash Monsters, you can feel the difference in quality.
A separate GeekWire interview gives more detail about the parent-company role. Ryan said ProbablyMonsters would provide support for finance, recruiting, human resources, facilities, team development, intellectual property, and partner relationships while studios matured. The stated aim was for studios to become capable of operating independently, whether or not they ever separated from the parent company. That was the model Ryan described; the interview does not establish that every studio reached that point.
What did Ryan mean by AAA studio size?
Ryan offered a preferred size for an internal full-time studio, not a universal definition of AAA. In the GamesBeat interview, he said: “We think the right size for an internal, full-time studio is somewhere between 60 and 100, maybe 120 people.” In a separate 2019 GeekWire interview, he described 75 to 125 people as his “sweet spot” for a team. The ranges differ because they are Ryan’s estimates in two different interviews; they should not be combined into an industry standard.
Rank #2
- NO MORE BORING KIDS' GAMES: Monster Match is a family game designed to be simple enough for kids and exciting for grown-ups too. Toss the dice in the Monster Tower and race to find a monster card that matches. The person with the most cards wins! It's a matching game made with 4 year olds in mind.
- AN EDUCATIONAL GAME THAT'S A ROARING GOOD TIME: Help kids learn preschool skills like counting and pattern recognition with 50 cards full of silly monster parts, 2 Monster Dice, and 1 Monster Tower made for little hands.
- THE PERFECT GIFT FOR 4 YEAR OLDS: Looking for a kid gift, or the latest preschooler games? Look no further than Monster Match! It's also great for parties, playdates, playing at school, or enjoying as a 2 player game.
- OUR STORY: Kitten Games was created by Exploding Kittens to design games specifically for younger children. Games that foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork while ensuring lots of fun for everyone (even the grown-ups)!
GamesBeat reported that ProbablyMonsters had more than 70 employees across two studios at the time. It also reported a $18.8 million funding round that closed in July 2019, with Jerry Jones, John Goff, Luther King Capital Management affiliates, David Oxford, and other private investors among those named. These are historical snapshots from 2019—not current headcount, total lifetime funding, or a company valuation.
How did the strategy change?
Later comments indicate that ProbablyMonsters no longer treated a single AAA model as the answer for every project. In 2024, Ryan told The Game Business that the company was working across games of differing scope and duration as industry conditions shifted and publisher funding became harder to secure. He also framed developer stability as dependent on business viability: “I believe game developers deserve stability and respect, but our business model has to be sustainable, or it’s not a job.” The Game Business reported Ryan’s comments in 2024.
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Rank #3
- PUSH YOUR LUCK: Family-friendly board game with broad crossover appeal for kids adults and casual gamers.
- THE HOOK: Unique bag-building + push-your-luck system inspired by proven hits like Quacks of Quedlinburg.
- ON YOUR TURN: 70+ pun-filled hand illustrated monsters ensure hilarious reveals and endless replayability.
- GATHER THE GROUP: A good fit for 2 to 4 players, ages 10 and up.
- QUICK LOOK: Making Monsters is a board game from Sky Lion Games for 2 to 4 players, ages 10 and up.
In 2025, GamesRadar+ reported Ryan describing a mix of short-, mid-, and long-term projects. He also said live service was not a fit for every game: “I think that model is appropriate for some games, but I don’t think it’s appropriate for all games.” In other words, the later approach emphasized matching a project’s scope, schedule, and business model to the game and its audience rather than applying one template across the slate. GamesRadar+ reported those remarks in 2025.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the two approaches compare
| Dimension | 2019 founding-era plan | Later approach, as described in 2024–2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Project scale and duration | Build multiple AAA studios and original IP; Ryan emphasized full-time teams. | Work across projects with differing scopes and durations, including short-, mid-, and long-term projects. |
| Organization | Separate studios with their own leadership and cultures, supported by shared parent-company functions. | More flexible across projects; the later interviews describe a varied slate rather than one fixed studio or game template. |
| Publisher funding | Ryan presented partner relationships as part of the model and sought greater predictability. | Ryan said publisher funding had become harder to secure, contributing to the shift toward different scopes and durations. |
| Stability and sustainability | Multiple teams and schedules were intended to spread development risk and support more stable careers. | Ryan continued to emphasize respect and stability for developers, while stressing that the business model must be sustainable. |
The comparison reflects Ryan’s descriptions in interviews, not an independent evaluation of how well either approach performed.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Not your ordinary smash and grab!
- Press down on the eyeball to reveal which monster you're looking for
- Use the plastic smashers to catch the card that matches the correct combination of head, body, and feet
- Quick, easy-to-learn gameplay
- Includes 1 Monster Spinner, 27 Monster Cards, 4 Smashers, and Complete Instructions
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