Toca Boca
Swedish children's digital-play brand best known for open-ended mobile games that let children create their own stories and play scenarios.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Toca Boca is a Swedish children's digital-play brand and mobile-game developer based in Stockholm. Founded on 18 July 2010 by Emil Ovemar and Björn Jeffery, both of whom had worked for the Bonnier Group, the company was created around the idea that digital products for children could function more like toys than conventional games. Its applications generally emphasize experimentation, role-play, humor, self-directed storytelling, and playful interaction rather than fixed objectives, competitive scoring, or a single prescribed way to win. The company's first application, Helicopter Taxi, was released in March 2011. Toca Boca subsequently built a broad portfolio of interactive titles, including Toca Hair Salon, Toca Kitchen, Toca Nature, Toca Lab, Toca Builders, Toca Mystery House, and other small-format digital toys. The Toca Life series became its most important product family. These games placed children in themed environments such as towns, farms, hospitals, offices, and other everyday or imaginative locations, allowing them to move characters, change clothing, prepare food, explore objects, and construct their own situations. A major product and business transition occurred in 2018, when Toca Boca announced that its separate Toca Life applications would be brought together in Toca Life: World. The unified title provided a central world into which new locations and play sets could be added over time, with additional content offered through in-app purchases. This approach replaced much of the earlier pattern of releasing separate applications for each theme. Toca Life: World subsequently became the brand's flagship product and received recognition including the 2020 Webby Award for Family & Kids applications and software, the 2021 App Store iPhone App of the Year award, and a 2022 Kidscreen Award for Best Game App—Original. In October 2023, Toca Boca announced Toca Boca Jr., a combined offering that brought many smaller and older titles into one preschool-oriented application as part of the Piknik subscription service. The announced collection included games such as Toca Kitchen 2, Toca Nature, Toca Lab: Plants, Toca Lab: Elements, Toca Builders, Toca Boo, Toca Pet Doctor, Toca Train, Toca Cars, Toca Mystery House, Toca Band, Toca Dance, and Toca Hair Salon 3. The change reflected a broader effort to organize the company's catalogue around consolidated services rather than numerous standalone applications. Toca Boca also expanded beyond apps. Toca Life Stories, an animated web series based on the Toca Life universe, premiered on the company's official YouTube channel in February 2020 and followed recurring characters in humorous neighborhood adventures. In 2024, the company announced Toca Boca Days, a 3D multiplayer-oriented title that entered early access in Australia and New Zealand. Its online functionality later ended on 25 August 2025 as the developers redirected attention to other products. Bonnier sold Toca Boca and sister company Sago Sago to Canadian toy and entertainment company Spin Master in 2016 for 263 million Swedish krona. The acquisition placed Toca Boca within a larger children's entertainment group while leaving the brand associated with Stockholm and its digital-first identity. The company has reported that its apps have been downloaded more than one billion times across more than 238 markets since launch. Its positioning remains centered on inclusive, low-pressure, imaginative play delivered through mobile and digital platforms.
History
Toca Boca was established in Stockholm on 18 July 2010 by Emil Ovemar and Björn Jeffery, former Bonnier Group employees. The founders pursued a digital interpretation of the toy category: instead of designing games around competition, levels, or fixed objectives, they developed applications that allowed children to manipulate characters and objects freely and invent their own narratives. The first release, Helicopter Taxi, appeared in March 2011. It was followed by a growing catalogue of interactive applications, including Toca Hair Salon, Toca Kitchen, Toca Nature, Toca Lab, Toca Builders, Toca Train, Toca Band, Toca Mystery House, and other titles. These products covered activities such as styling hair, preparing food, exploring nature, conducting experiments, building structures, and staging performances. The common design language was accessible interaction and open-ended play. The Toca Life series became the central expression of this model. Its themed worlds gave players locations, characters, clothing, objects, and activities that could be combined into improvised stories. The series expanded through settings including towns, farms, offices, hospitals, and other environments. In November 2018, Toca Boca announced the consolidation of the Toca Life catalogue into Toca Life: World. Rather than continuing to release every new setting as a separate app, the company created a shared platform where new play sets could be introduced over time. Toca Life: World became the brand's principal consumer product and later earned major app and children's-media recognition. The company diversified its storytelling through Toca Life Stories, an animated series released through Toca Boca's official YouTube channel in February 2020. The series followed Rita, Zeke, Nari, and Leon in adventures set around their neighborhood. The property also received distribution exposure through selected television channels in several markets. In 2016, Bonnier sold Toca Boca and sister company Sago Sago to Spin Master, a Canadian toy and entertainment company. The reported consideration was 263 million Swedish krona. The acquisition connected Toca Boca's digital-play portfolio with a larger international children's entertainment group. Fredrik Löving became chief executive officer in 2020. In October 2023, Toca Boca announced Toca Boca Jr., a consolidated preschool-oriented collection incorporated into the Piknik subscription service. The initiative brought numerous older and smaller applications together, including titles from the Toca Kitchen, Toca Lab, Toca Nature, Toca Builders, Toca Hair Salon, Toca Boo, Toca Train, and related lines. Standalone Toca Life applications were subsequently removed from major app stores during 2024 as the unified product strategy continued. The company announced Toca Boca Days in April 2024. Unlike much of the earlier catalogue, the title used a three-dimensional world and multiplayer functionality. Early access began in Australia and New Zealand in May 2024. Its online functionality ended on 25 August 2025, with development attention redirected to other titles. Toca Boca remains associated with Stockholm, Spin Master ownership, and a global portfolio of children's digital toys and story-driven mobile experiences.
- 2024
Toca Boca Days early access
[1]The multiplayer-oriented title entered early access in Australia and New Zealand.
- 2023
Toca Boca Jr. announced
[1]The company announced a preschool-focused combined app within the Piknik subscription service.
- 2020
New chief executive appointed
[1]Fredrik Löving took over as Toca Boca's chief executive.
- 2018
Toca Life: World announced
[1]The company announced the consolidation of its Toca Life applications into one unified world.
- 2016
Acquisition by Spin Master
[1]Bonnier sold Toca Boca and Sago Sago to Spin Master.
- 2011
First application released
[1]Helicopter Taxi became Toca Boca's first published application in March.
- 2010
Toca Boca founded
[1]Emil Ovemar and Björn Jeffery founded Toca Boca in Stockholm on 18 July.
Products and positioning
A children's digital-play brand focused on creativity, imagination, exploration, humor, and low-pressure open-ended play rather than competition or predefined objectives.
Open-ended children's mobile game · 2018
Toca Life: World
Toca Life: World is the brand's unified role-play platform. It combines the Toca Life concept with themed locations, characters, clothing, objects, and activities that players can arrange into their own stories. The platform replaced much of the earlier standalone Toca Life catalogue and supports the addition of new play sets over time, including content offered through in-app purchases.
Preschool subscription app · 2023
Toca Boca Jr.
Toca Boca Jr. is a consolidated collection for younger children introduced as part of the Piknik subscription service. It brings together numerous earlier digital toys, including titles focused on cooking, nature, science, building, pets, transportation, music, dance, and hair styling. The service-oriented structure groups the catalogue rather than presenting every experience as an independent application.
Creative role-play app · 2011
Toca Hair Salon
Toca Hair Salon is an interactive styling experience in which children can cut, color, wash, and arrange characters' hair. It exemplifies Toca Boca's digital-toy approach by focusing on tactile experimentation and humorous outcomes instead of scores, time limits, or a required solution.
Creative cooking app · 2012
Toca Kitchen
Toca Kitchen lets players prepare food for characters using playful combinations of ingredients and cooking actions. The experience encourages experimentation and observation, with character reactions providing feedback without turning the activity into a conventional recipe or progression-based game.
Nature exploration app · 2014
Toca Nature
Toca Nature presents a miniature natural environment that children can shape and explore. Players can create landscapes, observe animals, gather elements, and move through the resulting world. The product extends Toca Boca's emphasis on discovery and imaginative interaction into an ecology-themed setting.
Science-themed digital toy · 2013
Toca Lab
The Toca Lab line uses playful laboratories to introduce children to experimentation and discovery. Toca Lab: Elements focuses on the periodic table, while Toca Lab: Plants centers on plant varieties and transformations. Both titles turn scientific concepts into approachable, exploratory play rather than formal instruction.
Animated web series · 2020
Toca Life Stories
Toca Life Stories is an animated extension of the Toca Life universe. It follows Rita, Zeke, Nari, and Leon as they deal with boredom and everyday adventures around their neighborhood. The series broadened the brand from interactive apps into character-led audiovisual storytelling.
Multiplayer mobile game · 2024
Toca Boca Days
Toca Boca Days was designed as a three-dimensional, multiplayer-oriented departure from the earlier Toca Life format. It entered early access in Australia and New Zealand in 2024. Its online functionality ended in August 2025 while the development team redirected its efforts to other products.
Brand decisions
2024
Launch of Toca Boca Days early accessProduct launchBackground
The company explored a three-dimensional and socially connected format beyond its established single-player digital toys.
Action taken
Toca Boca announced Toca Boca Days and began early access in Australia and New Zealand.
Aftermath
The title's online functionality ended on 25 August 2025 as development focus shifted to other products.
2023
Creation of Toca Boca Jr.StrategyBackground
Toca Boca maintained a large portfolio of smaller and older applications alongside its flagship world-building product.
Action taken
The company announced that many of those titles would be merged into Toca Boca Jr. as part of the preschool-oriented Piknik subscription service.
Aftermath
The catalogue moved toward consolidated subscription access, with standalone Toca Life applications later removed from major mobile app stores during 2024.
2018
Consolidation of Toca Life into Toca Life: WorldStrategyBackground
The earlier Toca Life catalogue consisted of separate applications organized around individual settings and themes.
Action taken
Toca Boca combined the series into a unified free-to-play world and shifted future themed content toward additions within that platform.
Aftermath
Toca Life: World became the principal Toca Life product and the central platform for new play sets.
2016
Sale to Spin MasterM&ABackground
Bonnier owned Toca Boca before selling the brand and sister company Sago Sago to Spin Master.
Action taken
Spin Master acquired the two children's digital brands in a transaction reported at 263 million Swedish krona.
Aftermath
Toca Boca became part of Spin Master's international toy and entertainment portfolio while continuing to operate from Stockholm.
Reported transaction value. 263 million Swedish krona (2016)
Recent events
- 2025
Toca Boca Days online functionality ended[1]
Other
The online functionality of Toca Boca Days ended as the development team shifted focus to other titles.
- 2024
Toca Boca Days entered early access[1]
Product launch · Product generation
Toca Boca began rolling out its 3D multiplayer-oriented game Toca Boca Days in early access in Australia and New Zealand.
- 2023
Toca Boca Jr. announced for the Piknik subscription service[1]
Product launch
The company announced that many older and smaller applications would be combined under Toca Boca Jr. for a preschool-focused subscription offering.
- 2020
Toca Life Stories launched as an animated web series[1]
Product launch
The brand introduced an animated series based on the Toca Life universe through its official YouTube channel.
- 2018
Toca Life games consolidated into Toca Life: World[1]
Product launch
Toca Boca announced that its Toca Life titles would be combined into a unified free-to-play application with additional themed content added over time.
- 2016
Toca Boca sold to Spin Master[1]
M&A
Bonnier sold Toca Boca and sister company Sago Sago to Spin Master in a transaction reported at 263 million Swedish krona.
Sources3 sources
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