Thatgamecompany, the creative force behind acclaimed titles such as Flow, Flower, Journey, and the widely celebrated Sky: Children of the Light, has taken a decisive step beyond development by unveiling its own publishing division, aptly named Thatgamepublisher. This move reflects a broader pattern in the indie ecosystem, where studios that achieve breakout success leverage their newfound resources to nurture other independent creators. Recent examples include Innersloth, the team behind the viral phenomenon Among Us, which launched Outersloth in 2024 to back games like Clickolding and The Horror at Highrook; Kinetic Games, known for Phasmophobia, which introduced Kinetic Publishing with a slate that features Sam Barlow’s newest project Precognition; Pocketpair, the developers of Palworld, rolling out Pocketpair Publishing; and Landfall Games, the studio behind Peak, which now operates under the Evil Landfall label.
The proliferation of these hybrid studio‑publisher models underscores a shifting industry dynamic where financial success is reinvested to amplify the indie voice. Jenova Chen, co‑founder of Thatgamecompany, explains the motivation behind this trend: “When an indie title that was built on a shoestring budget suddenly generates a surplus of cash, the team faces a crossroads. You can either balloon into a large corporation, which often dilutes the intimate creative process, or you can channel that capital into areas you understand best—namely, other indie games. Investing in fellow creators feels like a natural extension of what we love doing.” The financial landscape was starkly different for Thatgamecompany during the development of Journey in 2012.
Chen has recounted to GamesIndustry.biz that the project nearly drove the studio to bankruptcy, resulting in a mass layoff of staff. Fast forward to the present, and Sky: Children of the Light, launched in 2019, has become a global phenomenon—particularly in the Chinese market—and even inspired a feature‑length film. The sustained revenue stream from Sky now empowers Thatgamecompany to allocate profits toward what Chen describes as “emotionally ambitious games,” a category that seeks to evoke deep, lasting feelings in players. Beyond monetary considerations, Chen points out a transformation in distribution channels.
In the early 2010s, platforms like PlayStation held the reins of game distribution. Today, however, the power has shifted to the players themselves, who act as influencers and organic promoters. “A successful indie title can amass millions of players who become its most effective distribution network,” Chen notes.
“When an audience loves a particular style—say, contemplative, friendship‑focused experiences—they actively seek out similar games. This community‑driven reach often surpasses traditional media outlets such as GameSpot, IGN, or even Steam.” Another distinctive asset for Thatgamecompany is its demographic reach.
Chen highlights that roughly 70 % of Sky’s player base identifies as female, granting the studio a unique gender‑balanced audience. “If we spotlight a game that resonates equally with men and women, we tap into a crossover that many other publishers can’t claim. Moreover, many of our players are newcomers to gaming, which broadens the emotional impact we can achieve.” While the specific titles under Thatgamepublisher’s banner remain under wraps, Chen has shared the publisher’s guiding philosophy in a press release: “When we first began crafting interactive experiences, skeptics wondered whether games could move people as profoundly as film, literature, or music. Over the years, we’ve witnessed games forge lifelong friendships, heal personal struggles, reconnect loved ones, and restore hope.
Those moments convinced us that interactive media can touch lives in ways that are both subtle and monumental. Thatgamepublisher exists to support creators worldwide who are exploring new emotional frontiers for this medium.” SJ Xue, Thatgamecompany’s Vice President of Growth and Corporate Development and the lead for the publishing initiative, elaborates on the type of projects the studio seeks. “We are not confined by genre, platform, or scale,” Xue explains. “Our priority is whether a game can reach meaningful emotional territory and linger in a player’s mind after the console is turned off.
Joy, chaos, humor—any emotional hue is welcome, as long as it leaves a lasting imprint.” Unlike many indie publishers that limit themselves to sub‑million‑dollar budgets, Thatgamepublisher is prepared to back larger, AA‑level endeavors. Xue emphasizes flexibility: “We work with solo developers bursting with creativity as well as larger teams handling more substantial budgets. The terms of each deal—recoup percentages, milestones, and support structures—are tailored to the specific needs of the project.” This developer‑centric approach stems from the studio’s own experience navigating the challenges of independent development. Thatgamepublisher positions itself as a full‑service partner, offering not only funding but also production planning, platform strategy, marketing, community management, and long‑term intellectual property development.
While other indie publishers like Outersloth or Evil Landfall have adopted a more modular, funding‑only model, the industry is gradually shifting toward customizable service packages. Luke Keighran, founder of Silver Lining Interactive, recently told GamesIndustry.biz that “the old school publishing model is dead; developers now pick and choose the services they need, whether that’s marketing, console porting, or full‑scale production support.” Xue concurs, noting that Thatgamepublisher can “assemble modular arrangements around funding, marketing, or any specific support required, while still being capable of delivering an integrated partnership when a project benefits from deeper collaboration.” The core rationale for developers to partner with Thatgamepublisher lies in the studio’s foundational belief that games can forge shared emotional experiences and bring out the best in people. Xue articulates this ethos: “Our own titles—from Flow and Flower to Journey and Sky—have demonstrated the power of emotionally resonant design. Yet we recognize that the emotional frontier extends far beyond a single studio’s output.
Across the globe, creators are experimenting with new ways to make players feel, and we want to help those ideas reach an audience.” He adds that emotionally ambitious projects often require a distinct development playbook. “The heart of a game may not be obvious at the outset; it can emerge through prototypes, iterative testing, quiet discoveries, and thoughtful conversations.
Our role is to protect that creative process, providing the space, guidance, and resources needed to refine the vision without compromising its core sentiment.” Drawing on the operational expertise gained from running Sky: Children of the Light—a live‑service title with over 300 million downloads and seven years of global operation—Thatgamepublisher claims to understand how to scale heartfelt experiences without diluting their impact. “By grounding each project in its emotional truth, building from its community, and allowing genuine resonance to drive growth, we aim to help every game reach a broader audience while staying true to its heart,” Xue concludes.
In summary, Thatgamecompany’s launch of Thatgamepublisher marks a strategic expansion from pure development into a holistic publishing model that prioritizes emotional depth, flexible support structures, and a developer‑first ethos. By leveraging its own success, demographic reach, and deep understanding of how games can connect people, the studio seeks to empower a new generation of indie creators to craft experiences that linger long after the screen fades to black.