Monsu developer Boomlagoon is growing and working on a new game

Monsu is one of the best games on the iOS App Store, according to Apple, and that success should lead to bigger things for its developer.

Apple revealed its top apps of 2014, and it included startup developer Boomlagoon’s card-collecting platformer Monsu on the list. Monsu has players controlling a monster who can use special abilities by collecting and playing cards to get past waves of angry villagers. Boomlagoon aimed from the beginning to introduce a game on mobile that wasn’t just a copycat of other successful releases, and this has helped the company grow and start development on a new game while the app find tons of players.

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“We’ve worked hard to make Monsu an awesome experience for our players, and it feels great to get recognized for what we’re doing,” Boomlagoon chief executive Antti Stén said.

That original style of gameplay combined with Monsu’s striking art and interesting-looking hero helped the game catch on with an audience in no time. After just its first five days on iOS, gamers downloaded Monsu more than 1 million times.

To help build more content for Monsu and help it continue to find new players, Boomlagoon has grown from a studio of six people to 14. In May, the company raised $3.6 million in funding, and it’s using that cash to help fill out its ranks.

With the larger team, Boomlagoon has spent the last few weeks working on a big update for Monsu. This patch will introduce new characters and powerups. The team expects to launch the update before the holidays, which is an important time of year for mobile apps as consumers get and give smartphones and tablets as gifts.

“In addition to Monsu, we’re working on a new game” Boomlagoon chief marketing officer Olli Laesvirta told GamesBeat. “It’s going to be awesome. Familiar Boomlagoon style, but something completely new.”