Com2uS venture capital subsidiary Crit Ventures has made a 1 billion won seed investment in hybrid casual game developer Pep, it said on Thursday.

Pep was founded last year by CEO Seok Kang, who oversaw titles including Cat Snack Bar, which logged 40 million global downloads at Neptune unit Triplea, and Chief Product Officer Cheolyong Kim, who led development at Marf Games and other companies.

Its main focus is the hybrid casual genre, which combines intuitive play with progression elements to boost profitability. It is currently developing Dig and Roll, which features simple controls and a repeat-play structure.

The game has players roll dice to dig into the ground and strengthen drills as rewards. Pep signed a publishing deal with Triplea in October last year and is targeting an official global launch in the first half of this year.

Pep plans to use the funding to push ahead with global service for Dig and Roll and development of follow-up titles. It also plans to build an in-house publishing system by expanding its workforce.

A Crit Ventures official said, "Hybrid casual games that can be enjoyed in a short time are also becoming established as a core genre." The official added, "We will actively support it so it can deliver results in the global market."