11-Bit Studios' Approach to Publishing: Finding Success Beyond In-House Development

Chris Wigley, a former commercial pilot, stumbled upon his role in the gaming industry almost by chance. After the airline he worked for went into administration during the COVID pandemic, he was approached by Rufus Kubica from 11-Bit Studios, known for developing games like This War of Mine and Frostpunk, to work as a scout for their publishing arm. Wigley had been running a website that curated interesting indie games, which caught Kubica's attention. The studio's publishing arm has released titles like Moonlighter, Children of Morta, and The Invincible, with a focus on meaningful entertainment and a strong, selective approach to the games they publish. 11-Bit Studios doesn't target specific genres but avoids certain areas like VR-only titles, platformers, sports, hyper-casual games, and purely narrative-driven or puzzle games. The company looks for games that are slightly different, with leaner production and unique aspects that they wouldn't experiment with internally. They often get involved in projects early on, providing creative feedback, which is one of their strong suits as a publisher. While they don't always get it right, having turned down games like Cult of the Lamb, they are glad to see indie projects thrive with other publishers. 11-Bit Studios is now focusing on smaller, mechanics-driven titles that are cheaper to produce, with Death Howl being the first example of this new approach. The shift comes as funding for mid-range titles is drying up, and the company believes the quality bar will rise in the AA space. Despite the challenges, publishing makes up a substantial part of 11-Bit's bottom line, helping to keep the studio sustainable between releases of their own games. They believe that building a good reputation as a publisher is crucial, and while some developers might not need publishers, many can benefit from the external feedback, marketing support, and visibility that a publisher like 11-Bit can offer.