Thatgamecompany, the creative force behind acclaimed titles such as Flow, Flower, Journey, and the widely beloved Sky: Children of the Light, has taken a significant step beyond game development by establishing its own publishing division, Thatgamepublisher. This move mirrors a broader industry pattern where independent studios that have achieved breakout success leverage their newfound resources to support 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, home to titles such as Precognition from Sam Barlow; Pocketpair’s Pocketpair Publishing; and Landfall Games’ Evil Landfall label.
The trend underscores a shift in how small studios view their role in the ecosystem: rather than remaining solely creators, they become enablers for peers. Jenova Chen, co‑founder of Thatgamecompany, explains the logic behind the transition: "When an indie title takes off, it often does so on a shoestring budget.
Suddenly you have surplus cash, but you don’t want to balloon into a massive corporation. The smartest way to deploy that capital is to invest in areas you understand—namely, other indie games." This sentiment reflects a pragmatic desire to stay true to the studio’s modest roots while still making a meaningful impact on the broader market. The financial landscape for Thatgamecompany has changed dramatically since the early days of Journey.
Released in 2012, Journey nearly drove the studio to bankruptcy, forcing a wave of layoffs. In contrast, Sky: Children of the Light, launched in 2019, has become a global phenomenon, especially in China, and even inspired a feature‑film adaptation. The revenue generated by Sky has given Thatgamecompany the financial breathing room to fund projects that align with its artistic vision—games that aim to move players on an emotional level. Chen also highlights a shift in distribution dynamics.
In the era of Journey, platforms like PlayStation controlled the primary channels for reaching audiences. Today, the distribution network is effectively owned by the players themselves, who act as influencers and community ambassadors. "A successful indie title can attract millions of players who become its most powerful distribution engine," Chen notes. This democratization of reach means that indie studios can now leverage their own fanbases to promote other games that share similar sensibilities.
Another distinctive advantage for Thatgamecompany is its demographic reach. Chen points out that roughly 70 % of Sky’s player base is female—a figure that exceeds the typical gender distribution in the gaming industry. "When we showcase a game that resonates equally with men and women, we tap into a unique overlap," he says, emphasizing the potential to introduce new players to interactive experiences who may have never engaged with games before.
While specific titles under the Thatgamepublisher banner have not yet been disclosed, the publisher’s mission statement is clear. In a press release, Chen articulated the company’s core belief: "When we first began making games, many doubted whether interactive experiences could affect players as deeply as film, literature, or music. Over the years, we have witnessed games forge lifelong friendships, heal personal struggles, reconnect loved ones, and restore hope.
Those moments prove that games can touch lives in profound ways. Thatgamepublisher exists to help creators worldwide explore new emotional frontiers and bring those visions to life." SJ Xue, Thatgamecompany’s vice‑president of growth and corporate development and the leader of the publishing effort, expands on the criteria the studio seeks. He stresses that the publisher is not limited by genre, platform, or project size.
"We are open to any team, at any development stage, even prototypes, as long as the game strives for meaningful emotional territory and uses interactivity to guide players there," Xue explains. He adds that "emotional" can encompass joy, chaos, humor, or melancholy, but the ultimate test is whether the experience lingers after the screen goes dark.
Unlike many indie publishers that focus primarily on sub‑million‑dollar budgets, Thatgamepublisher is prepared to support larger, AA‑level projects. Xue says the company’s funding model is flexible, accommodating solo developers with bold ideas as well as larger teams requiring more substantial resources. The terms of each publishing agreement—such as revenue share and recoupment—will be tailored to the specific needs of the project, reflecting the studio’s own experience as developers who value fairness, transparency, and partnership.
Thatgamepublisher positions itself as a full‑service publisher, offering not only capital but also production planning, platform strategy, marketing, community management, and long‑term IP development. This comprehensive approach contrasts with publishers like Outersloth or Evil Landfall, which often provide only funding. Industry observers note a broader shift toward modular publishing models, where developers can pick and choose services.
Luke Keighran of Silver Lining Interactive remarked that "the old school publishing model is dead," and that flexibility is now the norm. Xue acknowledges this modular trend but argues that emotionally ambitious games often benefit from an integrated partnership.
"Creative development, production, positioning, marketing, community, and platform strategy are deeply interconnected for these projects," he says. By staying involved across all stages, Thatgamepublisher aims to protect the emotional core of each game and guide it from concept to player. The philosophy driving the publisher is rooted in the belief that games can forge shared emotional experiences and bring out the best in people.
Chen reflects, "From Flow and Flower to Journey and Sky, our work has always been about connecting players through feeling. We now want to amplify that impact by supporting creators worldwide who are exploring new emotional horizons." He continues, "Emotionally ambitious games often need a different playbook. Their heart may not be obvious at the outset; it can emerge through prototyping, iteration, and quiet discovery.
Our role is to safeguard that process, providing room, guidance, and alignment so developers can uncover the strongest version of their vision." Drawing on its own operational expertise—Sky: Children of the Light has amassed over 300 million downloads and operated as an emotional live‑service for seven years—Thatgamepublisher believes it can help other titles achieve scale without compromising authenticity. "By understanding each game's emotional truth, building from its community, and allowing genuine resonance to drive growth, we aim to help every project reach farther while staying true to its heart," Xue concludes. In summary, Thatgamecompany’s new publishing arm seeks to nurture games that prioritize emotional depth over conventional metrics, offering flexible funding, comprehensive support, and a partnership model shaped by the studio’s own journey from indie underdog to industry influencer.
The initiative promises to expand the landscape of emotionally resonant interactive experiences, giving creators the resources and expertise needed to bring their heartfelt visions to a global audience.