AI Boyfriends Helped Nikki Creators Rake in $850 Million in 2024
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Key points
- Papergames generated $850 million in revenue in 2024, driven by the success of its AI-powered dating sim Love and Deepspace.
- The game has six million monthly active users, with 60% of sales from China and 11% from the U.S.
- Papergames, originally known for its Nikki series, is now competing with Tencent and Alibaba.
Papergames, the developer behind the Nikki series, generated approximately $850 million in revenue in 2024, fueled by the global success of its AI-powered dating simulation game Love and Deepspace. According to Forbes (article paywalled), the privately held Chinese studio, founded in 2013, is now valued at over $2 billion.
Love and Deepspace, launched in January 2024, has attracted an estimated six million monthly active users across China, the U.S., Japan, and Korea. The game integrates AI-generated voice calls and text messages, creating an illusion of an immersive emotional connection between players and their digital partners.
The studio saw rapid growth, with Love and Deepspace repeatedly topping mobile revenue charts in China. Players pay to unlock new interactions, storylines, and relationship-building experiences, making the game highly profitable. According to Los Angeles-based market intelligence platform Sensor Tower, as quoted by Forbes, 60% the game’s sales came from China, while the U.S. accounted for 11%. Love and Deepspace continues to gain traction internationally, fueled by social media exposure.
Papergames initially gained popularity with the Nikki mobile series, a fashion-themed adventure where players collect outfits and dress up digital avatars. The studio expanded into dating simulators with Love and Producer in 2017, known internationally as Mr. Love: Queen’s Choice, a financial success that inspired competitors such as Tencent and Alibaba to enter the genre.
