Since Steam cut its “Greenlight” program, and allowed anyone with a game to publish to Steam for a small fee, as well as the evolution of social media marketing and the recent popularity of game development on YouTube, publishers are becoming less necessary to the production and release of a successful indie game.
RELATED:Best Devolver Digital Games, According To Metacritic
Despite this, funded game developers usually have more time, money, experience, and resources to make polished and commercial titles that may squeeze more potential out of a game than they might have without funding.
8Chucklefish
Chucklefish got their start in the industry in 2011 thanks to their work on their gameStarbound, which they eventuallylaunched in Steam Early Access. By 2014, the team atChucklefishwas situated in an office in London.
At the time of writing, Chucklefish still maintains in-house development teams, with their second release being the tactics gameWargrooveand their latest project beingWitchbrook, but they also nurture and publish indie games. One of their most recent successes,Wildfrost -a deck-building rogue-likewith a unique twist on turn-based gameplay - has 5000 reviews at the time of writing, 77% of which are positive.
7Hypetrain Digital
Despite the game’s mixed reviews, Hypetrain’sVoidtraintook big swings with its concept and design, and that vision and niche is in part what makes Hypetrain a unique publisher that’s worth paying attention to. The publisher has previously backed games like the completely left-of-field prop-hunt horror rogue-likeGolden Light, as well as old-school rogue-likeStoneshard, which took a lot of flak on its release for its unforgiving old-school save system.
Hypetrain is seemingly uninterested in churning out generic games aiming to please everyone at once, instead focusing on releasing fewer games at a higher quality and focusing more on helping game developers to reach their full potential. Hypetrain is arguably publishing the edgiest, more niche titles in the indie game scene, and even their less successful games are worth a look.
6Humble Games
While many indie game fans may be aware of Humble Bundle, some may be unaware that the company has a fork in indie game publishing under the name Humble Games, with which they have published a variety of hits including the idle crafting gameForager, the spell-slinging rogue-likeWizard of Legend, and the more recent sci-fi hitSignalis, among others.
Humble Games' website explains that they welcome creative conflict and are committed to dealing with and growing from disagreements. This up-front and collaborative attitude that seemingly promotes compromise is a rare thing among video game publishers, and the publisher has seemingly remained humble throughout their continued success.
5Curve Games
This team is responsible for launching indie strategy RPGFor The Kingtoa phenomenal response(with a sequel on the way at the time of writing), as well as being the publishers behindHuman: Fall Flat,Bomber Crew, and cyberpunk twin-stick shooterThe Ascent. Curve Games prides itself on its collaborative, developer-focused work ethic, and like many of the publishers on this list, its portfolio speaks for itself.
RELATED:Best Curve Digital Games (According To Metacritic)
Curve Games is also notable for publishingPatch Quest,a truly grassroots gamethat was originally released in Early Access. With the help of Curve Games, and the dedication and hard work of its developer, 94% ofPatch Quest’s1000+ Steam reviews are positive at the time of writing.
4TinyBuild
This super-indie publisher was originally formed by game marketer Alex Nichiporchik and game developer Tom Brien back in 2011 after Alex stumbled upon Tom’s game and the two decided to flesh it out and release it on Steam. This eventually led to their partnership and the forming oftinyBuild.
Since then, the publisher has been responsible for a variety of unique games such asPathologic 2,Not For Broadcast,Hello Neighbor,Potion Craft, and AutobattlerDespot’s Game. Publisher tinyBuild went through a great deal of effort to get their first game off the ground (something you can read about on their website), and their grassroots origins make them seem more grounded than other, more stylized publishers.
3Team17
Originally known as the developer of the iconic 1995 gameWorms,Team17has grown from a development company into a fully-fledged indie publisher. Most recently known forbreakout FPS hitTrepang2, Team17 is dedicated to nurturing independent talent.
RELATED:Best Games By Team17, Ranked
The notorious publisher has over 110 games in their portfolio, including hits likeOvercooked,Hell Let Loose, andBlasphemous, among many others. Their origins as game developers and old-school roots make them particularly unique in the world of indie games, especially as one of the larger publishers.
2Raw Fury Games
With a recent string of success in games such asDome Keeper,Sable, andFriends Vs Friends,Raw Furyis ever present in the independent scene. Raw Fury can’t be pinned down, and there are plenty of treasures to find in their immense catalog of genres and genre-defying experiences.
Raw Fury’s focus on providing a safe environment for indie developers has impacted the work positively, and the range of games they’ve published provides something for everyone. One fantastic upcoming game worth keeping an eye on from this publisher isStar Trucker, which is as its title describes: a truck-sim in space.
1Devolver Digital
Perhaps the most iconic publisher in the indie space, Devolver Digital is an indie giant, responsible for putting games likeHotline MiamiandEnter The Gungeonon the map, as well as more recent hits likeInscryptionandCult Of The Lamb. Of all its qualities, Devolver Digital’s best is arguably its pristine reputation and consistency in its selection of games.
Devolver focuses on original and eccentric games, and they havea very clear aestheticdespite the massive range of their repertoire; players know what to expect when they boot up a Devolver game, and a great deal of the time they get it. Devolver also has some incredible-looking upcoming releases, such as the much anticipated FPSAnger Foot, set to release in 2024.
