New developer Sanddrifter Studio opens in Abu Dhabi

• Sanddrifter operates as a lean hybrid studio, combining local creative leadership with a distributed global development team.
• The studio was founded in response to modern games increasingly feeling exhausting rather than enriching.
• Sanddrifter’s cultural approach focuses on shared values and emotional resonance rather than surface-level representation.

Sanddrifter Studio has launched with a focus on building games designed to respect players’ time while delivering curiosity-driven experiences.

Based in Abu Dhabi, the studio is currently developing its first title, Sijen: Chaos Board, for mobile, with plans to expand to PC and console as it grows. 

Sanddrifter currently operates as a lean, hybrid studio, with a core leadership team based in Abu Dhabi and a distributed group of developers working remotely. 

Creative direction and strategic oversight are led locally, while the remote team contributes technical expertise and access to global talent.

Clear intent

The team said Sanddrifter was created in response to modern games feeling increasingly exhausting rather than enriching.

“Our approach is to integrate culture through authentic feeling and shared values, not checklist representation,” Sanddrifter Studio founder and general manager Rashed Alfahim told PocketGamer.biz.

“For us, that means designing around principles like meaningful connection, hospitality as a game mechanic, or narratives focused on exchange and understanding."

He added: “I started Sanddrifter because modern games often felt exhausting, not enriching. Our vision is to build a studio that creates the opposite: deliberate games that respect your time and reward your curiosity. 

“We believe depth doesn't require bloated playtimes, and that a small, focused team can craft experiences that leave a lasting impression.”