.Gears

{{Short description|Vietnamese video game developer}}

{{Use British English|date=August 2018}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}

{{Lowercase title}}

{{Infobox company

| name = DotGears Company Limited

| logo = dotGears.svg

| trade_name = .Gears

| type = Private

| industry = Video games

| founded = {{Start date and age|df=yes|2005}}

| founder = Dong Nguyen

| hq_location_city = Hanoi

| hq_location_country = Vietnam

| key_people = {{interlanguage link|Dong Nguyen|vi|Nguyễn Hà Đông}}

| products = {{Unbulleted list|Flappy Bird|Swing Copters}}

| num_employees = 5{{cite web |url=https://dotgears.com/ |title=About |publisher=.Gears |access-date=30 December 2022 |archive-date=30 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221230125416/https://dotgears.com/ |url-status=live}}

| num_employees_year = 2022

| website = {{URL|https://dotgears.com/|dotgears.com}}

}}

DotGears Company Limited (trade name: .Gears) is a Vietnamese video game developer based in Hanoi that specialises in hypercasual mobile games. The company was founded in 2005 by Dong Nguyen,{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f896CgAAQBAJ |title=Guinness World Records 2016 |publisher=Guinness World Records |date=10 September 2015 |page=183|isbn=9781910561034}}{{efn|{{langx|vi|Nguyễn Hà Đông}}{{cite web |url=https://dep.com.vn/cha-de-flappy-bird-chi-lam-viec-minh-gioi-nhat-thiet-ke-game/ |title=Cha đẻ Flappy Bird: Chỉ làm việc mình giỏi nhất – thiết kế game |date=19 January 2016 |website=Đẹp |language=vi |accessdate=28 August 2018}}}} and is best known for developing the 2013 game Flappy Bird, which became popular due to its simple mechanics but high difficulty.{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/12/16/10287804/swing-copters-2-ios-android-game-flappy-bird |title=The new mobile game from the creator of Flappy Bird will drive you crazy |first=Nick |last=Statt |date=16 December 2015 |website=The Verge |accessdate=28 August 2018}} As of December 2015, the company employs six people, including Nguyen.

After releasing multiple games that copied the Flappy Bird mechanics, .Gears partnered with Japanese developer Obokaidem, which the developer maintained would be .Gears' only partner "for the foreseeable future".{{cite web |url=https://www.mcvuk.com/development/flappy-bird-creator-partners-with-obokaidem-for-new-game |title=Flappy Bird creator partners with Obokaidem for new game |first=Matthew |last=Jarvis |date=13 January 2016 |website=MCV |accessdate=28 August 2018}} In January 2017, the two companies released their first co-developed game, Ninja Spinki Challenges!!, which is nothing like its previous titles and is composed of different mini-games.{{Cite web |last=Gilbert |first=Ben |title=The man behind 'Flappy Bird' is back with a new game |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/flappy-bird-dong-nguyen-ninja-spinki-challenges-2017-1 |access-date=2022-11-10 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}} It uses different mechanics compared to Flappy Bird but is still considered by critics to be equally difficult.{{cite web |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/flappy-bird-dong-nguyen-ninja-spinki-challenges-2017-1 |title=The man behind 'Flappy Bird' is back with a new game |first=Ben |last=Gilbert |date=26 January 2017 |website=Business Insider |accessdate=28 August 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://toucharcade.com/2017/01/26/ninja-spinki-challenges-the-latest-from-the-flappy-bird-creator-is-now-available/ |title='Ninja Spinki Challenges!!', the Latest From the 'Flappy Bird' Creator, is Now Available |first=Shaun |last=Musgrave |date=26 January 2017 |website=TouchArcade |accessdate=28 August 2018}}