11-Bit Studios' Recipe for Success in Game Publishing

Chris Wigley, a former commercial pilot, now scouts indie games for 11-Bit Studios. His journey began when the airline he worked for went bankrupt during the COVID pandemic. Wigley had been curating a website featuring interesting indie games, which caught the attention of Rufus Kubica, 11-Bit's external development director. Kubica approached Wigley with a job offer to find games for the studio. 11-Bit Studios is known for developing games like This War of Mine and Frostpunk, but it also has a publishing arm that has released titles such as Moonlighter and Children of Morta. The company's publishing strategy involves releasing a limited number of games each year, with a strong focus on each project. According to Kubica, the reason for getting into publishing is to have more releases and expand the idea of meaningful entertainment. Wigley adds that the studio looks for games that are slightly different, with leaner production and unique mechanics. 11-Bit typically requires a vertical slice demo before signing a new title and often gets involved in projects at an early stage. The company has a 'special file' of games they evaluated but turned down, including Cult of the Lamb. Although 11-Bit doesn't always get it right, Kubica says they are 'very happy' with some of their recent releases, such as The Invincible and Indika. The studio is now focusing on smaller, mechanics-driven titles, with Death Howl being the first example. Wigley notes that the mix of cards and grid-based combat in Death Howl added a layer of strategic thinking, making it a rare gem. 11-Bit's pivot towards smaller titles comes at a time when funding for mid-range games is drying up. Wigley predicts that the quality bar will rise in the AA space, with only the best studios and projects surviving. Although 11-Bit is focusing on smaller titles, there are no plans to drastically increase the number of releases per year. The studio wants to maintain a 'passion-driven curated approach,' lavishing care on each title. Publishing makes up a substantial chunk of 11-Bit's bottom line, helping to keep the studio sustainable between the infrequent releases of its own games. Wigley notes that more developers are turning to publishing for similar reasons, but it's not easy and requires building a good reputation. The quality of games 11-Bit receives has increased over the years due to its well-reviewed output. With the ease of self-publishing on Steam, there's an argument that developers might not need publishers. However, Wigley believes that some studios benefit from having a publisher like 11-Bit, which brings external feedback, marketing expertise, and visibility.