List of indie game developers explained

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

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Defunct or no longer active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 Country Notable games Notes
17-BitKyotoJapanFounded as Haunted Temple Studios in 2009
ACE TeamSantiagoSantiagoChile
Akupara GamesLos AngelesCaliforniaUnited StatesIncludes developer and porting credited titles
Alec HolowkaWinnipegManitobaCanada
AlientrapSaskatoonSaskatchewanCanada
Amanita DesignBrnoCzech Republic
Ambrosia SoftwareRochesterNew YorkUnited StatesEscape Velocity series
AmnesiaGamesSantiago de ChileChile
Ankama GamesRoubaixFranceDofusDenton Designs
Anna AnthropyOaklandCaliforniaUnited States
Arcane KidsLos AngelesCaliforniaUnited States
Arcen GamesDurhamNorth CarolinaUnited States
Arrowhead Game StudiosStockholmSweden
Artix EntertainmentLand o' LakesFloridaUnited States
Atelier 801LilleHauts-de-FranceFranceTransformice
Aventurine SAAthensGreeceDarkfall Online
BabarogaChicagoIllinoisUnited States
Basilisk GamesIndianapolisIndianaUnited StatesEschalon series
Bennett FoddyNew YorkUnited States
The BehemothSan DiegoCaliforniaUnited States
Benjamin RiversTorontoOntarioCanada
Big Finish GamesSalt Lake CityUtahUnited StatesThree Cards to Midnight
Blitz Games StudiosWarwickshireUnited Kingdom (England)
Blue Fang GamesWalthamMassachusettsUnited StatesZoo Tycoon series
Bohemia Interactive StudioPragueCzech Republic
Boomzap EntertainmentSingaporeSingapore
Capybara GamesTorontoOntarioCanada
CBE SoftwareBrnoCzech Republic
CCP GamesReykjavíkIcelandEve Online
Choice ProvisionsSanta CruzCaliforniaUnited StatesBit.Trip seriesFormerly Gaijin Games
Christine LoveTorontoOntarioCanada
Chromatic GamesGainesvilleFloridaUnited StatesDungeon Defenders
Christopher Howard WolfRocky PointNorth CarolinaUnited States
CinemaxPragueCzech Republic
ComceptTokyo and OsakaJapanMighty No. 9Founded by Keiji Inafune
Compulsion GamesMontrealQuebecCanada
ConcernedApeSeattleUnited StatesStardew Valley, Haunted ChocolatierDeveloper and publisher
Craneballs StudioOstravaCzech RepublicPlanet Nomads
CroteamZagrebCroatia
Crytek Black SeaSofiaBulgariaFormerly Black Sea Studios
LondonEnglandUnited Kingdom
CyproniaMichalovceSlovakiaState of WarFormerly Cypron Studios
Daedalic EntertainmentHamburgGermany
Daisuke AmayaJapan
Datcroft GamesLondonEnglandUnited KingdomFragoria
Daniel BenmerguiBuenos AiresArgentina
Daniel RemarSwedenIji
Davilex GamesHoutenUtrechtNetherlandsA2 Racer
Dejobaan GamesBostonMassachusettsUnited States
Denis GalaninRussia
Dennaton GamesSweden
Derek SmartFort LauderdaleFloridaUnited States
Derek YuPasadenaCaliforniaUnited States
Digital EelSeattleWashingtonUnited States
Digital HappinessBandungWest JavaIndonesiaDreadout
Dreadlocks LtdPragueCzech Republic
DrinkBox StudiosTorontoOntarioCanada
Dr. Panda[1] ChengduChinaFormerly TribePlay
Edmund McMillenSanta CruzCaliforniaUnited States
Elixir StudiosLondonEnglandUnited Kingdom
EurocomDerbyEnglandUnited Kingdom
Evony, LLCGuangzhouChinaEvony: Age I
Extremely OK GamesVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanadaFormerly Maddy Makes Games
Facepunch StudiosWalsallEnglandUnited Kingdom
Firefly StudiosLondonEnglandUnited Kingdom
Flying Wild HogWarsaw
Freebird GamesMarkhamOntarioCanadaTo the Moon
Frictional GamesHelsingborgSweden
FrimaQuebec CityQuebecCanada
FrogwaresKyivUkraine
Frontier DevelopmentsCambridgeUnited Kingdom (England)
The Fullbright CompanyPortlandOregonUnited StatesGone Home
Games DistilleryBratislavaBratislava RegionSlovakiaAqua
GarageGamesEugeneOregonUnited StatesMarble Blast Ultra
Giant SparrowSanta MonicaCaliforniaUnited States
Giant SquidSanta MonicaCaliforniaUnited States
Gogii GamesMonctonNew BrunswickCanada
Greenheart GamesBrisbaneQueenslandAustraliaGame Dev Tycoon
Grip DigitalPragueCzech Republic
Guild SoftwareMilwaukeeWisconsinUnited StatesVendetta Online
Haemimont GamesSofiaBulgaria
Halfbrick StudiosBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
Hanako GamesUnited Kingdom
hap inc.TokyoJapan
Hanako GamesUnited Kingdom
Hazelight StudiosStockholmSweden
Heart MachineCulver CityCaliforniaUnited StatesHyper Light Drifter
Hello GamesGuildfordEnglandUnited Kingdom
HexageMníšek pod BrdyCzech Republic
Hidden Path EntertainmentBellevueWashingtonUnited States
Himalaya StudiosChandlerArizonaUnited StatesAl Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine
House HouseMelbourneVictoriaAustraliaUntitled Goose Game
Ice-Pick LodgeMoscowRussia
Image & FormGothenburgSwedenSteamWorld series
Inti CreatesIchikawaChibaJapanDeveloper and publisher, formed by ex-Capcom staff
Introversion SoftwareUnited Kingdom
Invictus GamesDebrecenHungaryProject Torque
JagexCambridgeEnglandUnited Kingdom
Jason RohrerPotsdamNew YorkUnited States
Jonatan "Cactus" SöderströmGothenburgSwedenClean Asia!
Jph WacheskiOttawaOntarioCanada
Keen Software HousePragueCzech Republic
Kiro'o GamesYaoundeCameroon
Kitfox GamesMontrealQuebecCanadaDeveloper and publisher
KloonigamesFinlandCrayon Physics Deluxe
Kunos SimulazioniVallelunga CircuitLatiumItaly
Laminar ResearchColumbiaSouth CarolinaUnited StatesX-Plane
Larian StudiosGhentBelgiumDeveloper and publisher
Lazy 8 StudiosSan FranciscoCaliforniaUnited States
Lindsay GraceWashington, DCDistrict of ColumbiaUnited StatesBig Huggin'
Little Green Men GamesZagrebCroatia
LlamasoftUnited Kingdom
Madfinger GamesBrnoCzech Republic
MDickieUnited KingdomWrestling Empire
Mega Cat StudiosPittsburghPennsylvaniaUnited States
MesshofLos AngelesCaliforniaUnited StatesNidhogg
MidBossSan FranciscoCaliforniaUnited StatesRead Only Memories
Mighty Rabbit StudiosCaryNorth CarolinaUnited States
Mode 7 GamesBrightonEast SussexEngland
Mike BithellUnited Kingdom
MolleindustriaTurinItaly
Moon StudiosViennaAustriaThe 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 GamesNew York CityNew YorkUnited StatesGuns of Icarus Online
NeocoreGamesBudapestHungaryThe Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing
New Star GamesUnited KingdomNew Star Soccer
NicalisSanta AnaCaliforniaUnited StatesDeveloper and publisher
NifflasUmeåSweden
Nival InteractiveMoscowRussia
Number NoneCaliforniaUnited States
The Odd GentlemenCaliforniaUnited StatesThe Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom
Owlchemy LabsBostonMassachusettsUnited States
Parallax StudioNixaMissouriUnited States
PixelJAM GamesUnited StatesDino Run
Polytron CorporationMontrealQuebecCanadaFez
PlaydeadCopenhagenDenmark
Puppy GamesNotting HillEnglandUnited Kingdom
Positech GamesUnited Kingdom
Private Moon StudiosHungary
Provox GamesZagrebCroatia
Punch EntertainmentPalo AltoCaliforniaUnited States
Q-GamesKyotoKyoto PrefectureJapan
Queasy GamesCanada
Rake in GrassPragueCzech Republic
Red BarrelsMontrealQuebecCanadaDeveloper and publisher
Red Thread GamesOsloNorway
Renegade KidAustinTexasUnited StatesMutant Mudds
Relentless SoftwareBrightonEnglandUnited Kingdom
Re-LogicFloyds KnobsIndianaUnited StatesTerraria
Renegade KidAustinTexasUnited States
Roll7LondonEnglandUnited Kingdom
Ronimo GamesUtrechtNetherlands
Rovio EntertainmentEspooFinlandAngry Birds
S2 GamesRohnert ParkCaliforniaUnited States
Saber InteractiveMillburnNew JerseyUnited States
Sandlot GamesBothellWashingtonUnited StatesCake Mania
Santa Cruz GamesSanta CruzCaliforniaUnited States
Schell GamesPittsburghPennsylvaniaUnited StatesI Expect You To DieDeveloper and publisher
Scott CawthonSaladoTexasUnited StatesFive Nights at Freddy's seriesSince 2021 only active as a publisher
Semi Secret SoftwareAustinTexasUnited StatesCanabalt
SidheWellingtonNew Zealand
SimogoMalmöSweden
Silver Creek EntertainmentGrants PassOregonUnited StatesSoltrio Solitaire
Ska StudiosMarcyNew YorkUnited States
SkygoblinGothenburgSwedenThe Journey Down
Sokpop CollectiveUtrechtUtrechtNetherlands
Soldak EntertainmentDallasTexasUnited States
Spiderweb SoftwareSeattleWashingtonUnited States
StardockPlymouthMichiganUnited States
Stoic StudioAustinTexasUnited StatesThe Banner Saga series
Storm ImpactGlenviewIllinoisUnited StatesTaskMaker
Studio PixelJapan
Studio ThunderhorseRosevilleCaliforniaUnited States
Subatomic StudiosBostonMassachusettsUnited StatesFieldrunners
Supergiant GamesSan JoseCaliforniaUnited States
SuperVillain StudiosSanta AnaCaliforniaUnited States
Tarsier StudiosSwedenLittle Nightmares
Tale of TalesGhentBelgium
TaleWorldsAnkaraTurkey
Team Shanghai AliceEbinaKanagawaJapanTouhou Project
Telltale GamesSan RafaelCaliforniaUnited States
Terry CavanaghEnglandUnited Kingdom
thatgamecompanyLos AngelesCaliforniaUnited States
Three Rings DesignSan FranciscoCaliforniaUnited States
Thunder Lotus GamesMontrealQuebecCanada
Tiger StyleAustinTexasUnited States
tinyBuildBothellWashingtonUnited StatesNo Time to ExplainSince 2016 only active as a publisher
Terri VellmannBrazilHeavy Bullets
Toby FoxBostonMassachusettsUnited States
Torpex GamesBellevueWashingtonUnited StatesSchizoid
Tomorrow CorporationUnited States
Tribute GamesMontrealQuebecCanadaDeveloper and publisher
Trickster ArtsBrnoCzech Republic
Uber EntertainmentKirklandWashingtonUnited States
VectorparkBrooklynNew YorkUnited States
VlambeerUtrechtNetherlands
VoxelStormManchesterEnglandUnited Kingdom
Wadjet Eye GamesNew York CityUnited States
WayForward Technologies, Inc.ValenciaCaliforniaUnited States
Wolfire GamesBerkeleyCaliforniaUnited States
XGen StudiosEdmontonAlbertaCanada
XMG StudioTorontoOntarioCanada
Xona GamesYarmouthNova ScotiaCanada
Yacht Club GamesValenciaCaliforniaUnited StatesShovel KnightFounded by former Wayforward director Sean Velasco
Young HorsesChicagoIllinoisUnited States
ZachtronicsSeattleWashingtonUnited States
Zoetrope InteractiveIstanbulTurkey
ZoinkGothenburgSweden
ZoonamiCambridgeEnglandUnited Kingdom
ZootFlyLjubljanaSloveniaFirst Battalion

See also

References

  1. Web site: TribePlay Rebrands as Dr. Panda in Honor of Children's Game Franchise. adweek.com.

[2] [3] [4]

External links

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