Rottz Games

Pedro Da Ros, Founder and CEO

Miami, Florida

One of Rottz' Games most popular games, Jigsaw Puzzles Real

2026

Rottz Games is building free-to-play mind puzzles designed to last a lifetime

Founded in 2013 by Pedro Da Ros, Rottz Games started as a solo mission to create intelligent logic puzzles for underserved niches. Today, the indie studio is known for hits like Jigsaw Puzzles Real and Einstein's Riddle Logic Puzzle, keeping their large catalog free to play thanks to ads.

The Amazonia game that Pedro programmed while in middle school.

Finding the missing piece

Pedro Da Ros’s journey into programming started long before mobile apps even existed. Growing up in Brazil with an engineer father, he had access to an Apple II computer when he was just three or four years old—a true rarity at the time.

“I was passionate about creating,” Pedro reflects, noting the immense satisfaction of seeing a character move on a screen after just 20 minutes of coding.

That early passion eventually led to an eighth-grade geography assignment where, instead of making a traditional board game like his teacher expected, Pedro built a computer trivia game called Amazonia in C. It was so groundbreaking for a student in Brazil at the time that his teacher had to schedule time in the school's computer lab just so the other students could play it.

Years later, after graduating from one of Brazil's top engineering schools and working in the corporate IT department of Brazil’s largest private bank, Pedro realized that the corporate environment just wasn’t for him.

He left to launch a restaurant ordering startup in Miami, but when that startup failed, he decided to pivot. Drawing on his Android development experience, he began building mobile games solo in 2013 under the name Rottz Games—a nod to his childhood gaming handle, "Rotter".

His mission was clear: create the best mind puzzle games by focusing on underserved niches. He noticed many good puzzle games were hidden behind paywalls, so he set out to build high-quality, free alternatives.

One of Rottz Games' biggest hits, Jigsaw Puzzles Real

An ad model that fits

From the beginning, Pedro chose an ad-supported model because he believed that locking games behind a price tag fundamentally limits who can enjoy them.

"When you put up a payment barrier, you sacrifice many players," Pedro explains. "There's an inertia to make the purchase... Making games that have ads means you can reach the whole world. When something is paid, it automatically becomes such a small audience".

But executing that vision required the right partner. In the early years, Pedro tested multiple ad platforms, but they plagued his games with low inventory, ruined the experience with repeated ads, and some even crashed his apps entirely. Ultimately, he fully committed to Google AdMob.

The stability of that ad revenue is exactly what has allowed Pedro to build his business on his own terms. “I have used AdMob exclusively for many years now, and AdMob represents 90% of my global company revenue since founding,” Pedro says. “If it wasn’t for AdMob my company probably wouldn’t exist”.

That consistent revenue stream gives Pedro the freedom to keep his operation incredibly lean—just a four-person team working around a kitchen-table workspace—and allows him to focus 80 to 90 percent of his time on his favorite part of the job: coding.

To maximize his efficiency as a small developer, he also leans heavily into artificial intelligence. "I feel like my output in programming has probably doubled in efficiency since the AI age started a few years ago," he notes.

“I have used AdMob exclusively for many years now, and AdMob represents 90% of my global company revenue since founding. If it wasn’t for AdMob my company probably wouldn’t exist.”

One of Rottz Games' biggest hits, Einstein's Riddle Logic

Puzzles built for the long haul

Today, Rottz Games has achieved staggering scale, boasting over 30 million historical installs and hundreds of millions—possibly over a billion—matches played across its portfolio. Jigsaw Puzzles Real alone has over 15 million downloads, and Einstein's Riddle Logic Puzzle has organically grown into a massive hit.

But for Pedro, the real reward isn't the raw download numbers; it's the long-term player feedback. Unlike viral games that players uninstall after a week, Rottz Games builds titles meant for years of play. Players use Jigsaw Puzzles Real to memorialize family vacations and birthdays, while seniors use Einstein's Riddle Logic Puzzle to keep their minds sharp and relax during stressful times.

"I still get emails every week or sometimes every day from people saying they've played my game for four years or seven years or ten years," Pedro says. "They play my games more than any of the other apps on their phone."

Looking ahead, Pedro is focusing on prototyping, including a highly complex new game designed to teach programming from scratch. It's a challenging project, but reliable ad revenue gives him the freedom to prioritize authentic player experiences over quick cash grabs.

By building a sustainable business around free-to-play games, Pedro ensures Rottz Games stays true to its roots. His advice to other developers is simple: "Focus on long-term player love over quick money... ignore the daily numbers and analytics. You will make money eventually if the games are good. The hard part is having the players, which requires a good game. The revenue will come after that.”

About the Publisher

Pedro Da Ros is the founder and CEO of Rottz Games, an indie mobile game developer focused on creating the best mind puzzle games for underserved niches. A lifelong coder who prefers building over managing, Pedro’s goal is to provide intelligent fun without aggressive monetization, creating authentic experiences that players stick with for decades.