Benjamin Cohen

Co-Founder Big Time Labs | Ex-CEO of Playrion (acquired by Paradox Interactive) | Business Angel

Saint-Mandé, Île-de-France, France

About

With over a decade of entrepreneurial experience, I embody the drive and creativity needed to build impactful projects. At just 19 years old, I founded Playrion, where I created gaming experiences like Airlines Manager and Airport Simulator. These games captivated more than 20 million players worldwide and ultimately led to the studio’s acquisition by Paradox Interactive. Having learned "the hard way" what it means to manage teams of 30+ people where time is the most precious resource, I created Waydesk : a SaaS HR platform that helps small companies save time, simplify processes, and focus more on people. In 2025, together with former Playrion colleagues, I co-founded Big Time Labs: a new-generation game studio and publishing label built on a strong belief in the future of mobile gaming, with a mission to craft bold, high-retention experiences for a global audience. Alongside my ventures, I am also an active investor in Tech (e-commerce, deep tech, and gaming) and in passion-driven projects, such as Café 42, a restaurant in Montrouge that I co-created to bring people together around food and creativity.

Experience

  • Co-founder, President at Big Time Labs
    Apr 2025 - Present · 1 yr 3 mos

  • Investor & Strategic Advisor at La Petite Epicerie
    Oct 2024 - Present · 1 yr 9 mos

  • Studio Manager at Paradox Interactive
    Jul 2020 - Oct 2024 · 4 yrs 4 mos

    As Studio Manager, I served as the primary liaison between Playrion and its parent company, Paradox Interactive. I oversaw the studio’s integration into the group while managing all strategic, operational, HR, administrative, and financial aspects. My role was to align the studio’s objectives with the standards and requirements of a publicly traded company, while preserving the identity and creativity that defined our successful projects.

  • Founder, CEO at Playrion
    Sep 2010 - Oct 2024 · 14 yrs 2 mos

    Founder and former CEO of Playrion, a Paris-based company specializing in mobile games. Our flagship game, Airlines Manager, is a real-time airline management game played by over 15 million passionate players worldwide. More recently, Airport Simulator pushed the boundaries of midcore mobile games with innovative features and unique crowd management mechanics. At Playrion, I led the strategies for marketing, user acquisition, retention, and monetization, which were key drivers of our success for many years. These efforts allowed us to create sustainable games that engaged and retained a large community of players while ensuring steady growth for the company. We always placed players at the heart of our priorities, guided by values of passion, creativity, and human connection. These values were reflected in every game we developed, offering rich and engaging experiences. In 2020, Playrion joined the Paradox Interactive group, a major milestone that allowed our projects to reach a broader audience. This acquisition also gave Paradox’s PC and console players a gateway into mobile gaming, all while maintaining the depth and strategy that define us. It was a privilege to lead Playrion, manage millions of players worldwide, and create games that not only entertain but bring people together.

  • Co-founder, DG at Digital Forest
    Apr 2013 - Dec 2018 · 5 yrs 9 mos

    Digital forest was created with the aim of bringing together mobile game professionals around two of the first creators of french tv games. Two worlds / two cultures in synergy, developing games with an approach that is vast in both its scale and its ambition: innovative games, but above all games with mass appeal, and lasting brands built on strong, simple concepts. Digital forest’s founders all share their passion to be a part of the evolution of new media for games and entertainment.