Thatgamecompany, the creative force behind acclaimed titles such as Flow, Flower, Journey, and the widely beloved Sky: Children of the Light, has announced the formation of a new publishing division called Thatgamepublisher. This move follows a growing pattern in the independent‑game sector where studios that have achieved breakout success leverage their newfound resources to nurture and fund other indie projects.
Recent examples include Innersloth’s Outersloth, which backed games like Clickolding and The Horror at Highrook, Kinetic Games’ Kinetic Publishing with titles such as Precognition, Pocketpair’s Pocketpair Publishing, and Landfall Games’ Evil Landfall label. The trend reflects a desire among small teams to reinvest profits into the broader creative ecosystem rather than simply scaling up their own staff. Jenova Chen, co‑founder of Thatgamecompany, explains the logic behind the shift: “When an indie hit is built on a shoestring budget and then becomes a massive success, you end up with a surplus of cash. But you don’t want to balloon into a thousand‑person corporation overnight.
The sensible use of that capital is to invest in something you understand—other indie games. That’s why many independent studios are branching out into publishing.” The financial reality was starkly different when Journey launched in 2012.
Chen has recounted to GamesIndustry.biz that the project nearly bankrupted the studio and forced a wave of layoffs. In contrast, Sky: Children of the Light, released in 2019, has generated extraordinary revenue, especially in the Chinese market, and even inspired a feature film. Those profits now give Thatgamecompany the flexibility to fund what it terms “emotionally ambitious games.” Chen also notes a fundamental shift in distribution. In the early 2010s, platforms like PlayStation controlled the pipeline.
Today, “the distribution network belongs to the players themselves—who act as influencers.” A successful indie title can amass millions of dedicated fans who become its most powerful promotional engine, often out‑reaching traditional media outlets such as GameSpot, IGN, or even Steam. This democratization of reach empowers indie studios to act as publishers, leveraging their own communities to amplify new releases.
Another distinguishing factor for Thatgamecompany is its audience composition. Roughly 70 % of Sky’s player base identifies as female, giving the studio a broader gender reach than many of its peers.
Chen believes this diversity creates a unique overlap: “When we highlight a game that appeals to both men and women, we tap into a segment of players who may have never engaged with games before.” This insight informs the company’s publishing strategy, aiming to champion experiences that resonate across a wide demographic spectrum. Although the roster of titles under Thatgamepublisher remains under wraps, the publisher has already signed a “couple” of projects. In its launch statement, Chen articulated a philosophy that harkens back to the studio’s original mission: “When we first began making games, many doubted that interactive experiences could move players as deeply as film, literature, or music. Over the years, we have seen games forge lifelong friendships, heal personal struggles, reconnect loved ones, and restore hope.
Those moments convinced us that games can touch lives in profound ways. Thatgamepublisher exists because we believe countless creators worldwide are exploring new emotional frontiers, and we want to help them bring those visions to life.” SJ Xue, Thatgamecompany’s vice‑president of growth and corporate development and the leader of the publishing effort, elaborated on the kind of projects the studio seeks.
He told GamesIndustry.biz that the primary criterion is not genre, platform, or budget size, but the capacity of a game to “move people through play.” Xue emphasized that the publisher is open to any team—whether a solo developer prototyping an idea or a larger studio working on a AA‑level budget—so long as the experience strives for meaningful emotional impact that lingers after the screen goes dark. The definition of “emotional” is deliberately broad. It can be joyous, chaotic, humorous, or even bittersweet; the common thread is lasting resonance. Xue added that many indie publishers typically fund smaller projects under $1 million, but Thatgamepublisher is prepared to back larger undertakings.
“We are quite flexible when it comes to funding and project scale,” he said. “Our deals are tailored to each project’s needs, with transparent, developer‑friendly terms that reflect our own experience as creators.” Thatgamepublisher will operate as a full‑service publisher, offering financing, production planning, platform and launch strategy, marketing, community management, and long‑term intellectual‑property development. This contrasts with other indie‑focused publishers like Outersloth or Evil Landfall, which often adopt a funding‑only or modular approach. Luke Keighran of Silver Lining Interactive described the shift: “The old‑school publishing model is dead.
Today developers pick and choose the services they need—whether it’s marketing, console conversion support, or funding—and assemble a custom package.” Xue echoed this sentiment, noting that Thatgamepublisher can provide modular arrangements but prefers integrated partnerships for emotionally driven projects, where creative development, production, positioning, marketing, community, and platform strategy are tightly interwoven. The publisher’s overarching goal is to meet each project where it stands and shape a partnership that maximizes value while preserving the game’s emotional core. Xue highlighted the studio’s guiding belief: “Games can connect people through shared emotional experiences and bring out the best in us.” He traced this philosophy back to Thatgamecompany’s own catalog—from the meditative flow of Flow and the delicate bloom of Flower to the pilgrimage of Journey and the communal wonder of Sky. The company acknowledges that the next wave of emotionally ambitious games will emerge from a diverse array of creators worldwide, and Thatgamepublisher aims to be the catalyst that brings those ideas to a global audience.
Drawing on its experience running Sky: Children of the Light as a live‑service title with over 300 million downloads and seven years of worldwide operation, Thatgamecompany believes it has a proven playbook for scaling heartfelt experiences without diluting their impact. By understanding each game’s emotional truth, nurturing its community, and allowing genuine resonance to drive growth, the publisher hopes to help every partner reach farther while staying true to the feeling at the heart of the experience. In summary, Thatgamepublisher represents a strategic evolution for Thatgamecompany: a shift from creating singular, auteur‑driven experiences to fostering a broader ecosystem of games that prioritize emotional depth. With flexible funding, full‑service support, and a clear commitment to developer‑friendly partnerships, the new label is positioned to become a significant player in the indie publishing landscape, championing titles that aim to move players long after the final pixel fades.