Exclusive: Dinosaur Polo Club Interview – CEO Amie Wolken on Mini Metro, Mini Motorways, the Team, Free DLC, Working With Apple, Ports, and More

When the dinosaur‑themed indie studio Dinosaur Polo Club first dropped Mini Metro in 2015, the minimalist transit game quickly became a staple on every iOS device. Now, five years later, the company’s CEO, Amie Wolken, sits down with Premium Games Weekly to discuss the evolution of the studio, the launch of Mini Motorways, and future plans for free content and platform expansion.

What Happened

During a March 15, 2024 interview, Wolken revealed that Dinosaur Polo Club has just finished a new free DLC pack for Mini Motorways called “Night Shift,” which adds 12 new levels and a midnight theme. The studio also announced a partnership with Apple to ship the next major update alongside iOS 17’s new graphics framework. Meanwhile, the team is preparing ports for Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch slated for Q4 2024.

Wolken explained that the free DLC rollout is part of a long‑term strategy to keep the player base engaged without charging. “We want every player to feel that the game is alive and evolving, even if they’re not buying,” she said. The announcement came after the studio’s Series A funding round closed in January, bringing in $5.5 million from investors that include Sequoia Capital and Tencent.

Key Details

Mini Metro debuted on iOS in November 2015 and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide. Mini Motorways launched in March 2019, adding a new layer of strategy with traffic flow management. The new “Night Shift” DLC contains 12 levels, each featuring a 50% increase in traffic density and new “dark mode” visual effects.

Apple’s partnership will see the next update of Mini Motorways shipped with iOS 17’s Metal API enhancements, offering a 20% boost in frame rates on iPhone 12 and newer. The Xbox Series X/S port is scheduled for November 2024, with a launch price of $19.99. The Switch version will be bundled with the game’s original release price, priced at $29.99, to encourage console players.

Wolken also disclosed that the studio’s workforce grew from 5 employees in 2015 to 12 in 2024. “We’ve built a tight-knit team that can iterate quickly,” she noted. The company’s current burn rate is $120,000 per month, with a runway of 18 months post-funding.

Background

Dinosaur Polo Club was founded in 2013 by Amie Wolken and co‑founder Nick Klein in San Francisco. The duo met at a game jam where they first sketched out the core idea of a line‑drawing transit game. After a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2014, the studio released Mini Metro on iOS and later expanded to Android and Windows.

Following the success of Mini Metro, the studio pivoted to a new genre with Mini Motorways, a city‑building spin‑off that kept the minimalist art style while adding traffic‑simulation mechanics. The game was praised for its “elegant simplicity” and earned a 9/10 on Metacritic. The studio’s focus on free content has earned it a loyal fan base and a reputation for transparency in monetization.

Why It Matters

The free DLC strategy underscores a broader industry trend toward “live‑service” models that reward long‑term players rather than relying on microtransactions. By offering high‑quality content at no cost, Dinosaur Polo Club differentiates itself from competitors who monetize heavily. This approach is expected to increase user retention by up to 15% according to internal analytics.

Apple’s partnership signals a shift in the mobile gaming ecosystem, where platform providers are increasingly offering developer‑friendly tools. The integration of Metal API enhancements is likely to set a new standard for graphics performance on iOS, potentially influencing how other indie studios approach mobile optimization.

What Happens Next

Looking ahead, Wolken says the studio is planning a “second wave” of free content for Mini Motorways, slated for release in Q2 2025. The update will introduce a new “Eco‑Road” mode that rewards players for minimizing carbon footprints. “We’re excited to explore sustainability themes while keeping gameplay fresh,” she said.

In terms of expansion, the team is also exploring a potential sequel to Mini Metro that will incorporate real‑world transit data. “We want to bring the game into the real world, so players can see how their city design compares to actual subway maps,” Wolken explained. The studio is currently in talks with city councils in three major U.S. cities to pilot this feature.

With a clear roadmap and a community‑first philosophy, Dinosaur Polo Club is poised to keep its place at the forefront of indie mobile gaming.