List of indie game developers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of developers of indie games, which includes video game developers who are not owned by nor do they receive significant financial backing from a video game publisher. Independent developers, which can be single individuals, small groups, or large organizations, retain operational control over their organizations and processes. Some self-publish their own games while others work with publishers.

List of notable developers[edit]

Legend
Active
Defunct or no longer active
Undetermined status

There are thousands of independent game development studios which either self-publish their titles, or enter into licensing or co-development agreements with publishers. This list is not intended to be exhaustive with respect to developers or their games, and includes only notable developers and their most notable game examples.

Developer City Autonomous area Country Notable games Notes
17-Bit Kyoto Japan Founded as Haunted Temple Studios in 2009
ACE Team Santiago Santiago Chile
Akupara Games Los Angeles California United States The Metronomicon: Slay the Dance Floor
  • Draw a Stickman: Epic 2
  • The Darkside Detective (franchise)
  • Rain World
  • Manifold Garden
  • Mutazione
  • Includes developer and porting credited titles
    Alec Holowka Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
    Alientrap Saskatoon Saskatchewan Canada
    Amanita Design[1] Brno Czech Republic
    Ambrosia Software Rochester New York United States Escape Velocity series
    AmnesiaGames Santiago de Chile Chile
    Ankama Games Roubaix France Dofus Denton Designs
    Anna Anthropy Oakland California United States
    Arcane Kids Los Angeles California United States
    Arcen Games Durham North Carolina United States
    Arrowhead Game Studios Stockholm Sweden
    Artix Entertainment Land o' Lakes Florida United States
    Atelier 801 Lille Hauts-de-France France Transformice
    Aventurine SA Athens Greece Darkfall Online
    Babaroga Chicago Illinois United States
    Basilisk Games Indianapolis Indiana United States Eschalon series
    Bennett Foddy New York United States
    The Behemoth[1] San Diego California United States
    Benjamin Rivers Toronto Ontario Canada
    Big Finish Games Salt Lake City Utah United States Three Cards to Midnight
    Blitz Games Studios Warwickshire United Kingdom (England)
    Blue Fang Games Waltham Massachusetts United States Zoo Tycoon series
    Bohemia Interactive Studio Prague Czech Republic
    Boomzap Entertainment Singapore Singapore
    Capybara Games[1][2] Toronto Ontario Canada
    CBE Software Brno Czech Republic
    CCP Games Reykjavík Iceland Eve Online
    Choice Provisions Santa Cruz California United States Bit.Trip series Formerly Gaijin Games
    Christine Love Toronto Ontario Canada
    Chromatic Games Gainesville Florida United States Dungeon Defenders
    Christopher Howard Wolf Rocky Point North Carolina United States
    Cinemax Prague Czech Republic
    Comcept Tokyo and Osaka Japan Mighty No. 9 Founded by Keiji Inafune
    Compulsion Games Montreal Quebec Canada
    ConcernedApe Seattle United States Stardew Valley, Haunted Chocolatier Developer and publisher
    Craneballs Studio Ostrava Czech Republic Planet Nomads
    Croteam Zagreb Croatia
    Crytek Black Sea Sofia Bulgaria Formerly Black Sea Studios
    Curve Games London England United Kingdom
    Cypronia Michalovce Slovakia State of War Formerly Cypron Studios
    Daedalic Entertainment Hamburg Germany
    Daisuke Amaya Japan
    Datcroft Games London England United Kingdom Fragoria
    Daniel Benmergui[2] Buenos Aires Argentina
    Daniel Remar Sweden Iji
    Davilex Games[2] Houten Utrecht Netherlands A2 Racer
    Dejobaan Games[1] Boston Massachusetts United States
    Denis Galanin Russia
    Dennaton Games Sweden
    Derek Smart Fort Lauderdale Florida United States
    Derek Yu[2] Pasadena California United States
    Digital Eel Seattle Washington United States
    Digital Happiness Bandung West Java Indonesia Dreadout
    Dreadlocks Ltd Prague Czech Republic
    DrinkBox Studios Toronto Ontario Canada
    Dr. Panda[3] Chengdu China Formerly TribePlay
    Edmund McMillen[2] Santa Cruz California United States
    Elixir Studios London England United Kingdom
    Eurocom Derby England United Kingdom
    Evony, LLC Guangzhou China Evony: Age I
    Extremely OK Games Vancouver British Columbia Canada Formerly Maddy Makes Games
    Facepunch Studios Walsall England United Kingdom
    Firefly Studios London England United Kingdom
    Flying Wild Hog Warsaw Poland
    Freebird Games Markham Ontario Canada To the Moon
    Frictional Games Helsingborg Sweden
    Frima Quebec City Quebec Canada
    Frogwares Kyiv Ukraine
    Frontier Developments Cambridge United Kingdom (England)
    The Fullbright Company[2] Portland Oregon United States Gone Home
    Games Distillery Bratislava Bratislava Region Slovakia Aqua
    GarageGames Eugene Oregon United States Marble Blast Ultra
    Giant Sparrow Santa Monica California United States
    Giant Squid Santa Monica California United States
    Gogii Games Moncton New Brunswick Canada
    Greenheart Games Brisbane Queensland Australia Game Dev Tycoon
    Grip Digital Prague Czech Republic
    Guild Software Milwaukee Wisconsin United States Vendetta Online
    Haemimont Games Sofia Bulgaria
    Halfbrick Studios Brisbane Queensland Australia
    Hanako Games United Kingdom
    hap inc. Tokyo Japan
    Hanako Games United Kingdom
    Happy Paintings Finland
    Hazelight Studios Stockholm Sweden
    Heart Machine Culver City California United States Hyper Light Drifter
    Hello Games[1] Guildford England United Kingdom
    Hexage Mníšek pod Brdy Czech Republic
    Hidden Path Entertainment Bellevue Washington United States
    Himalaya Studios Chandler Arizona United States Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine
    House House Melbourne Victoria Australia Untitled Goose Game
    Ice-Pick Lodge Moscow Russia
    Image & Form Gothenburg Sweden SteamWorld series
    Inti Creates Ichikawa Chiba Japan Developer and publisher, formed by ex-Capcom staff
    Introversion Software United Kingdom
    Invictus Games Debrecen Hungary Project Torque
    Jagex Cambridge England United Kingdom
    Jason Rohrer[1] Potsdam New York United States
    Jonatan "Cactus" Söderström[1] Gothenburg Sweden Clean Asia!
    Jph Wacheski Ottawa Ontario Canada
    Keen Software House Prague Czech Republic
    Kiro'o Games Yaounde Cameroon Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan
    Kitfox Games Montreal Quebec Canada Developer and publisher
    Kloonigames[1] Finland Crayon Physics Deluxe
    Kunos Simulazioni Vallelunga Circuit Latium Italy
    Laminar Research Columbia South Carolina United States X-Plane
    Larian Studios Ghent Belgium Developer and publisher
    Lazy 8 Studios San Francisco California United States
    Lindsay Grace Washington, DC District of Columbia United States Big Huggin'
    Little Green Men Games Zagreb Croatia
    Llamasoft United Kingdom
    Madfinger Games Brno Czech Republic
    MDickie United Kingdom Wrestling Empire
    Mega Cat Studios Pittsburgh Pennsylvania United States
    Messhof Los Angeles California United States Nidhogg
    MidBoss San Francisco California United States Read Only Memories
    Mighty Rabbit Studios Cary North Carolina United States
    Mode 7 Games Brighton East Sussex England
    Mike Bithell United Kingdom
    Molleindustria Turin Italy
    Moon Studios Vienna Austria The studio began as a xbox game studios first-party developer and their first commercial video game was the Ori video game series which was entirely financed by Microsoft who also holds the games Intellectual Property.
    Muse Games New York City New York United States Guns of Icarus Online
    NeocoreGames Budapest Hungary The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing
    New Star Games United Kingdom New Star Soccer
    Nicalis Santa Ana California United States Developer and publisher
    Nifflas Umeå Sweden
    Nival Interactive Moscow Russia
    Number None California United States
    The Odd Gentlemen[1] California United States The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom
    Owlchemy Labs Boston Massachusetts United States
    Parallax Studio Nixa Missouri United States Darkstar: The Interactive Movie
    PixelJAM Games United States Dino Run
    Polytron Corporation[1] Montreal Quebec Canada Fez
    Playdead[1] Copenhagen Denmark
    Puppy Games Notting Hill England United Kingdom
    Positech Games United Kingdom
    Private Moon Studios Hungary
    Provox Games Zagreb Croatia Space Force: Rogue Universe
    Punch Entertainment Palo Alto California United States
    Q-Games Kyoto Kyoto Prefecture Japan
    Queasy Games Canada
    Rake in Grass Prague Czech Republic
    Red Barrels Montreal Quebec Canada Developer and publisher
    Red Thread Games Oslo Norway
    Renegade Kid Austin Texas United States Mutant Mudds
    Relentless Software Brighton England United Kingdom
    Re-Logic Floyds Knobs Indiana United States Terraria
    Renegade Kid Austin Texas United States
    Roll7 London England United Kingdom
    Ronimo Games[1] Utrecht Netherlands
    Rovio Entertainment Espoo Finland Angry Birds
    S2 Games Rohnert Park California United States
    Saber Interactive Millburn New Jersey United States
    Sandlot Games Bothell Washington United States Cake Mania
    Santa Cruz Games Santa Cruz California United States
    Schell Games Pittsburgh Pennsylvania United States I Expect You To Die Developer and publisher
    Scott Cawthon Salado Texas United States Five Nights at Freddy's series Since 2021 only active as a publisher
    Semi Secret Software[1] Austin Texas United States Canabalt
    Sidhe Wellington New Zealand
    Simogo Malmö Sweden
    Silver Creek Entertainment Grants Pass Oregon United States Soltrio Solitaire
    Ska Studios Marcy New York United States
    Skygoblin Gothenburg Sweden The Journey Down
    Sokpop Collective Utrecht Utrecht Netherlands
    Soldak Entertainment Dallas Texas United States
    Spiderweb Software Seattle Washington United States
    Stardock Plymouth Michigan United States
    Stoic Studio Austin Texas United States The Banner Saga series
    Storm Impact Glenview Illinois United States TaskMaker
    Studio Pixel Japan
    Studio Thunderhorse Roseville California United States Flynn: Son of Crimson
    Subatomic Studios Boston Massachusetts United States Fieldrunners
    Supergiant Games San Jose California United States
    SuperVillain Studios Santa Ana California United States
    Tarsier Studios Malmö Sweden Little Nightmares
    Tale of Tales Ghent Belgium
    TaleWorlds Ankara Turkey
    Team Shanghai Alice Ebina Kanagawa Japan Touhou Project
    Telltale Games San Rafael California United States
    Terry Cavanagh London England United Kingdom
    thatgamecompany[1] Los Angeles California United States
    Three Rings Design San Francisco California United States
    Thunder Lotus Games Montreal Quebec Canada
    Tiger Style[2] Austin Texas United States
    tinyBuild Bothell Washington United States No Time to Explain Since 2016 only active as a publisher
    Terri Vellmann Brazil Heavy Bullets
    Toby Fox Boston Massachusetts United States
    Torpex Games Bellevue Washington United States Schizoid
    Tomorrow Corporation United States
    Tribute Games Montreal Quebec Canada Developer and publisher
    Trickster Arts Brno Czech Republic
    Uber Entertainment Kirkland Washington United States
    Vectorpark Brooklyn New York United States
    Vlambeer[2] Utrecht Netherlands
    VoxelStorm Manchester England United Kingdom
    Wadjet Eye Games New York City New York United States
    WayForward Technologies, Inc. Valencia California United States
    Wolfire Games Berkeley California United States
    XGen Studios Edmonton Alberta Canada
    XMG Studio Toronto Ontario Canada
    Xona Games[4] Yarmouth Nova Scotia Canada
    Yacht Club Games Valencia California United States Shovel Knight Founded by former Wayforward director Sean Velasco
    Young Horses Chicago Illinois United States
    Zachtronics Seattle Washington United States
    Zoetrope Interactive Istanbul Turkey
    Zoink Gothenburg Sweden
    Zoonami Cambridge England United Kingdom
    ZootFly Ljubljana Slovenia First Battalion

    See also[edit]

    References[edit]

    1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Webster, Andrew (June 23, 2012). "26 indie game developers you need to follow". GamesRadar. Future plc. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
    2. ^ a b c d e f g h Campbell, Colin (December 18, 2012). "12 Top Indie Developers Talk Games". IGN. j2 Global. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
    3. ^ "TribePlay Rebrands as Dr. Panda in Honor of Children's Game Franchise". adweek.com.
    4. ^ Charla, Chris (February 27, 2014). "New Developers Sign On to ID@Xbox". Xbox Wire. Microsoft. Retrieved July 7, 2014.

    External links[edit]

    • Indie DB, a comprehensive database of indie developers and titles.