Keeping pets at the office has become increasingly common in many game companies, but it’s rare for a company to be featured in international financial media for doing so. AviaGames is one such company; it was featured in *Fortune* for taking in two cats at its office.
The two cats, named Tangtang and Jiabao, were adopted by AviaGames from the cat rescue charity Baoshanyuan. Tangtang, the blue cat, was abused by her previous owner and lost one eye, while Jiabao, the tabby cat, had to have all her teeth removed due to stomatitis.
Headquartered in Silicon Valley, AviaGames operates wholly-owned subsidiaries in multiple regions around the world and has established a strong foothold in the U.S. market through its casual competitive games: several of its titles have consistently topped the U.S. App Store charts, with cumulative downloads exceeding 70 million, and the company has long been profitable. Its Pocket7Games platform is one of the most popular casual competitive gaming platforms in the U.S.
Few people realize that the core team behind this company, which has made a big splash overseas, consists largely of veterans of the Chinese gaming industry. Founder and CEO Vickie Chen previously served as General Manager of Global Publishing at Sohu Changyou, where she oversaw marketing and business development for the hit game *The Legend of the Condor Heroes* and other licensed titles. The core team members hail from well-known gaming companies such as NetEase and KONAMI.
To date, AviaGames has raised a total of $60 million in funding, attracting investment from several leading U.S. firms, including ACME Capital and Makers Fund.
The two cats that prompted *Fortune* to feature the company in a story have come to embody its values of kindness, inclusivity, and respect for life. In May 2024, AviaGames held a vote among all employees, and everyone unanimously decided to adopt them.
In an interview, Vickie said, “The two cats have greatly boosted the team’s enthusiasm and overall morale.”
And this kindness toward life has never been confined to the office. AviaGames has fully integrated it into its games and player communities, transforming it into heartwarming charitable initiatives and thoughtful gestures of care for users, ultimately fostering a warm and welcoming community atmosphere that is rare in the industry.
01
From a Silicon Valley garage to the global Top 40
Silicon Valley garages are the birthplace of many startup legends, and the story of AviaGames also begins in a garage in Mountain View, Silicon Valley.
In 2016, Vickie and her partners launched their startup out of a garage. Prior to that, Vickie had spent more than 13 years in the gaming industry. She joined the industry in 2003, initially working in the online gaming marketing department at Sohu, where she was responsible for developing marketing plans. She was later promoted to Director of Business Development and served as General Manager of Global Publishing at Changyou, where she oversaw the overseas expansion of the hit game *The Legend of the Condor Heroes*.
However, she doesn’t consider herself a hardcore gamer. “Most current mid-to-hardcore games are geared toward male or hardcore players,” she said. “Casual games are mostly designed for single-player experiences, so players can’t compete against each other, which lacks the thrill of competition. We’re committed to making skill-based games more accessible to a wider audience.”
She saw an overlooked market: there are plenty of casual gamers like her who prefer simple, easy-to-pick-up competitive games. They’re not just looking for entertainment; they also want a relaxed community where they can connect with other players.
In 2019, the integrated gaming platform Pocket7Games was launched.
This platform features over 10 unique game genres, including card games, action games, and puzzle games. Players can seamlessly switch between games using a single account and earn cash rewards through competitive play. More importantly, the platform uses an intelligent matchmaking system based on skill level to calculate players' skill ratings, ensuring a fair competitive environment.
Vickie was right. To date, Pocket7Games has hosted over 2.6 billion matches and distributed hundreds of millions of yuan in cash prizes.
Since then, AviaGames has accelerated its in-house game development efforts. In 2020, *Bingo Clash* was launched and immediately shot to the top 5 on the free charts. In 2021, AviaGames released eight new games. Among them, *Bingo Tour* surpassed 300,000 monthly downloads within six months of its launch and won the Gold Award in the Mobile Casual category at the NYX Games Awards in April 2022.*Solitaire Clash* surged to the top of the U.S. iOS free casino games chart and has consistently held the number one spot in that category since 2024, becoming the company’s flagship product.
With this product portfolio, AviaGames has seen its net revenue grow more than fivefold, expanded its business from the U.S. to global markets such as the U.K., ranked among the top 40 mobile game companies worldwide, and established official partnerships with international platforms such as Meta and PayPal.
What has underpinned all this commercial success has never been aggressive operations or cutthroat tactics, but rather a consistent philosophy: creating an inclusive gaming environment and prioritizing long-term player engagement.
Vickie’s vision has finally become a reality. She has also received a number of prestigious honors, including the Women of Influence Award from *Silicon Valley Business Magazine*, a spot on Forbes’ list of the Top 100 Global Chinese Elite, and the “Female CEO of the Year” award at the 2025 Stevie® Awards for Women in Business.
02
Turning Player Enthusiasm into Philanthropic Love
While the industry still treats philanthropy as a one-off marketing ploy, Avia Games has long made it a regular part of its community life. From the two kittens in the office to large-scale charitable initiatives involving tens of millions of players, the company has proven through its actions that games can be more than just entertainment—they can serve as a bridge for spreading kindness.
Starting August 18, 2025, the "Play For Paws" event will be available in *Solitaire Clash* and *Bingo Tour*.
It’s a simple yet heartfelt idea: What if games could help animals that truly need it?
AviaGames has partnered with the Nevada SPCA, a no-kill animal shelter that cares for a variety of rescue animals waiting for new homes. During the in-game event, players earn “food” items by completing missions, and for every in-game feeding action completed, AviaGames will donate $0.05 to the shelter.
All the animals featured in the event are real rescue animals, reminding players that behind every wagging tail and purr lies a living, breathing creature.
According to official statistics, the "Play For Paws" charity event livestream far exceeded industry benchmarks for concurrent viewers, with total social media engagement surpassing 220,000. The entire community was filled with a sense of warmth, pride, and emotion, and players unanimously agreed that the event made the game feel truly special.
On September 18, 2025, to mark AviaGames’ ninth anniversary, the event moved from online to in-person. Eight AviaGames staff members and 17 invited players gathered at the Nevada SPCA.
Although Las Vegas experienced a rare downpour that day, it did nothing to dampen the participants’ enthusiasm. Led by SPCA staff, the participants split into groups to tour the shelter’s dog, cat, and small animal areas. For many, it was their first time in such an environment, and seeing the animals still waiting for new homes brought a gentle smile to everyone’s faces.
Some rolled up their sleeves to tackle DIY projects, making necklaces and accessories to give to the animals; others helped clean the pet kitchen and stock up on daily care essentials; still others spent time grooming the cats and dogs and taking photos of them. Vickie also got involved herself, joining the team to make crafts and even helping to adjust a puppy’s collar.
At the conclusion of the event, AviaGames donated $222,100 to the Nevada SPCA through “Play for Paws.” Lori, the SPCA’s director, said, “Avia is one of the best partners we’ve ever worked with; they not only provide resources but also demonstrate genuine action and care.”
In October 2025, following the success of “Play for Paws,” AviaGames partnered with the nonprofit organization Foster Love to launch the “Wonderland Wishes” Christmas campaign during the holiday season. The five-week campaign aims to address the challenges faced by children in foster care, allowing players to provide tangible support to these children while participating in the game.
In the game’s external community, player-driven engagement took center stage. By combining weekly themes with the Christmas season, players were encouraged to share their wish lists, toy stories, artwork, dream mounts, ugly sweaters, Christmas outfits, and New Year’s resolutions. This authentic, emotionally resonant user-generated content transformed the charity initiative from an “official narrative” into a “story told collectively by players,” becoming a heartwarming part of the *Solitaire Clash* community.
By the end of the event, the *Solitaire Clash* community had raised $136,000 in charitable donations. AviaGames turned the players’ generosity into tangible gifts.
On February 4, 2026, “Wonderland Wishes” moved from online to in-person. *Solitaire Clash* players, sponsored students, and AviaGames staff gathered at the Foster Love venue in Brea, California, to craft, assemble bicycles, and share stories.
Leo, a TikTok creator with over 3 million followers, was also invited to the event. There, he spoke openly about his family’s story, how he and his mother overcame adversity, and his deep connection to the foster care community. The audience was deeply moved; they never imagined that, beyond gaming, warmth and strength could be shared in such a powerful way.
From stray animals to foster children, AviaGames’ charitable efforts are not merely one-off marketing campaigns, but a long-term commitment to creating value. This warm, caring culture within the company reinforces its “player-centric” approach, making philanthropy a bond that unites players and deepens trust in the brand.
03
The company that understands women best, the most welcoming community of gamers
While conflicts among players are frequent in most major gaming communities, where arguments and hostility have become the norm, the gaming community at AviaGames presents a warm and welcoming atmosphere—a phenomenon closely tied to the composition of AviaGames’ user base.
Data shows that over 70% of users on the Pocket7Games platform are women. Most of them have no experience with PC or console games. Burdened by demanding household chores, workplace burnout, and the daily demands of motherhood, they lack the time to focus on gaming but need an outlet for their emotions and a few moments of personal time.
Carrie knows this all too well. As a mother juggling work and family, she leaves home at 6:30 a.m. and doesn’t get back until 6:30 p.m. During the day, she devotes her time to her job; in the evenings, she divides her time between her 5-year-old son, making sure he’s well-fed and surrounded by love.
That was until *Solitaire Clash* came along and gave her a brief respite from her hectic life. This simple solitaire game only takes a few minutes to play, yet it manages to pull her away from her busy routine. She won the game, shot to the top of the leaderboard, and posted in the community: “I won a 5-minute solitaire game and earned real rewards.”
Sally, a mid-level marketing manager, came across Carrie’s post just as she was on the verge of a breakdown. Ten-hour workdays and countless household chores had completely consumed her time. It was late at night; she had just put the kids to bed, prepared breakfast for the next day, and wrapped up an online meeting that had lasted over an hour.
She followed the link in the post and clicked into this card game. The moment she entered the game, for the first time, she stopped thinking about her schedule and deadlines, and the anxiety that had been weighing on her all day vanished. All she had to do was focus on the few cards on her phone and play out her own game, win or lose.
“It helped me get through a slump,” she later told a friend. “Whether I won or lost, I always felt better.”
In 2022, AviaGames surveyed more than 33,000 American female gamers with children who are active on the Pocket7Games platform. The data shows that nearly 33% of mom gamers consider themselves hardcore mobile gamers, 60% view gaming as a regular form of entertainment, and 40% see it as a way to relieve stress. Nearly 70% of the moms surveyed are full-time or part-time workers.
AviaGames recognized the needs of this group of mothers. During Mother’s Day in August 2025, they launched a “Mother’s Week” event in *Solitaire Clash*. Throughout the seven-day event, players who logged in each day received exclusive Mother’s Day greetings and limited-edition in-game items.
“This is the first time a mobile game has made me feel like I’m celebrating a holiday,” many players who are mothers remarked.
The event also featured a "Wish List" campaign, inviting players to share their wishes. One mother was looking for a new helmet for her son, who competes in cross-country races using a wheelchair; another player wanted to buy meals or gift cards for the homeless.
During the event, Stacie, a mother, wrote down a simple wish: she hoped to spend a few quiet days with her family, resting and healing together in a clean environment.
A year ago, Stacie’s family was struggling with illness, and she found herself running around trying to help. During the hardest time of her life, she discovered *Solitaire Clash*. Her mother-in-law, who had passed away from COVID-19, had believed that Stacie needed this game to relax. So playing this solitaire game became part of her nightly routine, giving her a chance to catch her breath.
The "Wish List Campaign" received over 2,000 submissions, and AviaGames selected 30 wishes to grant, allowing Stacie’s story and strength to reach a wider audience of players.
As a female founder, Vickie once remarked, “Women can work hard and play hard, and mobile games are increasingly becoming an integral part of their daily lives. Regardless of gender or gaming experience, AviaGames connects players with similar skill levels for fair and friendly competition.”
This might explain why the community atmosphere at AviaGames is so different. While most gaming communities focus on stats, strategies, and meta-game discussions, players here share stories about their lives, encourage one another, and spread kindness.
From caring for two disabled cats to rescuing stray animals, and from supporting foster children to hosting special Mother’s Day events, AviaGames has demonstrated through its actions that games are not merely entertainment products—they can also serve as emotional bonds that connect people.
This warm and welcoming community atmosphere isn’t something that’s forced; rather, it’s a natural extension of the company’s values. When a company truly values players’ stories and focuses on emotional connections, a warm community culture will naturally flourish.
In the casual gaming sector, AviaGames has carved out a unique path: commercial success and social value are not mutually exclusive; warmth and competition can coexist; and the best gaming communities often emerge from companies that truly understand their players.
原创文章，作者：游茶妹儿，禁止转载：https://youxichaguan.com/en/archives/195658
