Skip to main content

 
 

 
 

What is Gbanga, Millform Inc?

Gbanga, Millform Inc is a studio that focuses on the development of mixed-reality games and playful experiences that operate at the boundary between reality and digital fiction. That is games that analyse the player’s current situation such as location, local weather and friends nearby to deliver a game experience that is more fun.

Our most renown games include Urban. Hunt., the world’s largest massive-multiplayer geo-game, Galaxy Invaders, a VR arcade game, Gbanga Famiglia, a mafia-themed game where players compete over real-world establishments like bars and restaurants and extend their territory on a shared global map.

When was Gbanga, Millform Inc founded?

Gbanga, Millform Inc was founded by Julio Perez and Matthias Sala, two computer scientists from Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich in 2007 in Switzerland. After working on mixed-reality games for the pre-smartphone area, we have started to create mixed-reality games for iOS, Android, HTML5, HTC Vive and other platforms.

What is the meaning of the name?

Our trademark Gbanga is based on a town in Liberia which is spelled GbaRnga. Because our mixed-reality games are often based around locations, we picked a name of a location far, far away.

The name of the Swiss registered company Millform Inc is based on the Italian words mille and forma and literally means thousands of designs. Millform Inc. owns the trademark Gbanga.

Who is behind Gbanga, Millform?

Gbanga, Millform consists of an interdisciplinary team of enthusiasts and experts with an international background and a divers track record.[/vc_column_text]

Who are the investors?

Gbanga Millform Inc is a founder- and partner-owned self-funded company. For some of our games, we have received seed funds from business angels.

Logo & photo download

You can download the Gbanga logo as PNG and as a vector-based EPS.

Milestones

2023

  • Gbanga releases «Kids Crunch», a web-based AR world for kids, for Swiss cereal company bio-familia (shortlisted for Best of Swiss Web 2023).
  • Gbanga’s game «Migros Merge» has been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times (downloads restricted to Switzerland) with high 4.5-star ratings, thanks to continuously releasing new in-game seasons and chapters

2022

  • Largest Swiss retailer launches «Migros Merge», a revolution in brick and mortar retailer marketing in the digital age, a game developed by Gbanga.
  • Mixed-reality design walk «Design Promenade XR – Zurich» has been released as part of Design Weeks Zurich 2022, in partnership with the design organisation Design Promenade.

2021

  • Gbanga scores a gold award in the category Innovation at Best of Swiss Web 2021 for their commissioned web card game Jass Fédéral.
  • Experience museum «Chocolarium» in Flawil gets a mixed-reality tour by Gbanga.
  • Gbanga designs the game «FairFinder» for Max Havelaar.

2020

  • Gbanga launches the strategic card game «Book of Beasts» for Android, iOS and Steam and gets nominated for the Pocket Gamer Award.

2019

  • Together with «kik AG Bildungswerkstatt» Gbanga redefines how effective learning materials are designed and launches the fully educational web-based 3D game Share Your Risk.ch in 8 interactive point-and-click adventure episodes in the first season.
  • Gbanga qualifies for the The European Game Showcase at the Game Developers Conference GDC 2019.
  • Innovetica Open Cup 2019 is the first eSports league welcoming not only professional athletes, but also amateurs.

2018

2017

  • Thousands of people discover post locations around them in a playful way with Postman.
  • Attendants of the Swiss lawyer congress learn about working together in the multiplayer virtual reality experience SLX Arena.
  • Gbanga celebrates its 10th anniversary.

2016

2015

  • More Space for you!, the playground atlas game for children is launched.
  • Thanks to the mixed-reality multiplayer game Gross. Stadt. Jagd.  thousands of players run through the city of Zurich.
  • Gbanga develops the HTML-based game EBL On Tour for EBL Elektra Baselland.

2014

2013

2012

  • Gbanga was nominated for the second time for the Swiss ICT Award in the category Newcomer
  • Beta HTML5 app is launched for Gbanga Famiglia
  • Gbanga’s Pilotifant game wins the App of the Year 2012 award.

2011

  • Various awards and nominations such as winner of AppCircus at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona; only European nominee at GamesBeat’s “Who’s got game competition” and; European finalist in the Top 100 Red Herring Europe
  • Mafia Dog is launched for Gbanga Famiglia
  • World Domination Satellite purchasable item is launched for Gbanga Famiglia, the most expensive in-game item at time price at $99 US. One is sold within 3 hours of going on sale.
  • Gbanga launches its API at the The Next Web Hackaton in Amsterdam
  • Gbanga launches the new Phonebooth side-quests for Gbanga Famiglia

2010

  • Gbanga was nominated for the Swiss ICT Award in the category Newcomer
  • Gbanga Famiglia, a mafia-themed location-based game is launched on the Gbanga platform. It is available world-wide (open beta)
  • Gbanga Ballenberg, a virtual scavenger hunt for tourism in cooperation with IMIUniversity Center Lucerne
  • Various award nominations such as IMGA International Mobile Game Award,Business Idea 2010, Best of Swiss Web Award Shortlist 2010

2009

  • Venture leader participation
  • Gbanga Zooh, an educational location-based campaign for Zurich Zoo is launched in the City of Zurich (closed alpha)
  • Coaching acceptance by Swiss Confederation’s Innovation Promotion AgencyCTI

2008

  • Gbanga Mr. X, a public transport racing game for Zurich
  • Millform Inc. is founded by Matthias Sala, Julio Perez and Werner Sala

2007

  • Paper prototype is created in a shared student flat in Zurich
  • Technical prototype is created

2006

  • Matthias Sala and Julio Perez, two Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) graduates, discuss the idea of a mixed-reality monopoly game during their research placements at Xerox PARC and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the US.

Press contact

You need more information? Please email press@gbanga.com or contact us at Militärstrasse 90, 8004 Zurich, Switzerland. We’re a very small team , so we apologize in advance if we’re not able to get back to you immediately. If you’re on deadline, please include the word “URGENT” and the date and time of your deadline in the subject line of your message, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.