Danar Kayfi

Role: Studio Manager, Istikan Studio
Location: Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Background

Danar Kayfi is the studio manager at Istikan Studio, the game development arm of Tornet, a telecom aggregation and digital solutions company based in Iraq. The studio has seven team members, including three developers, three artists and Kayfi, who also works on game design and programming.

The team works together in Erbil and develops games in small groups, with each pair taking a project from its first idea to release. Istikan Studio handles game design, art, programming, testing, store submissions and post-launch updates in-house. Tornet covers the studio's development costs, meaning the team operates without outside investors.

The studio's portfolio spans several genres, including the cosy tea shop simulation Istikan Chai, the murder mystery Social Suspect and the strategy game General Idler.

Current Focus

Istikan Studio is developing several games, including Tikka & Kebab, a cosy cooking simulation set in a Kurdish bazaar. Players run a charcoal grill house, and the studio plans to release a demo in December 2026, followed by a full launch in the first quarter of 2027. The game is also planned to include professional Simplified Chinese localisation from day one.

The studio is preparing Bathroom Please! for release on October 27, 2026, while continuing work on other projects, including General Idler and BloooBleee. Kayfi's team is also exploring a new 3D mobile puzzle game.

Industry Position

Kayfi believes Iraqi game developers need better business training, more studio jobs, stronger communities and easier access to international banking to build sustainable businesses. He argues that developers need help with areas such as store pages, wishlists, pricing and localisation, not just the skills to make games.

He has also pointed to the shortage of established studios where new developers can gain experience, as well as the difficulty of receiving payments from game stores and paying for developer accounts. Kayfi says investors and publishers often overlook Iraq as a place where games are made, making it harder for local teams to find support.

Istikan Chai's unexpected success in China has also shaped the studio's plans. Kayfi said more than 75% of the game's Steam sales came from Chinese players, despite the team having no publisher, paid marketing or established presence on Chinese social platforms. The experience has encouraged the studio to approach the Chinese market more deliberately with future releases.

What He Is Open To

Istikan Studio is looking for partners and publishers who can help with marketing, user acquisition and reaching new markets, including China. The team is also working to bring its PC games to Steam Deck.

Kayfi's focus is on building a sustainable studio in Iraq, reusing tools and development systems across projects while making games with a clear sense of place and cultural identity.