Shifting to Smaller Games: A Guide to More Frequent Releases

Ant Workshop, a UK-based studio, has undergone a significant transformation in its game development approach. Managing Director Tony Gowland believes this new strategy could benefit numerous developers. The change follows a £750,000 investment in Dungeon Golf, a mini-golf game that underperformed despite positive feedback and a substantial marketing spend. To adapt, the studio drew inspiration from publishers' portfolio-centric strategies. Gowland explains, "We need to get more things out there, quicker, smaller, and be more agile." The studio aims to develop games with a £50,000 to £100,000 budget, releasable within four to six months. Gowland advises focusing on basic concepts and mechanics, avoiding complexity, and being disciplined in development. Ant Workshop's first "single" is Into The Restless Ruins, a roguelike deck builder. The studio encourages thinking about replayability and expandability, with the goal of finding the basis for future, larger games. Gowland suggests that smaller games can be sold at a lower price point, making them impulse purchases, and that player feedback is crucial in determining which games to devote more time to. The studio plans to charge a maximum of £5 for each "single," making them more accessible and keeping player expectations in check. Gowland estimates that selling 20,000 units of each "single" would be necessary to break even, but notes that the lower price point makes this goal more achievable.