11-Bit Studios' Publishing Success: Filling the Gaps Between Internal Game Releases

Chris Wigley, a former commercial pilot, now scouts indie games for 11-Bit Studios. He was approached by Rufus Kubica after his airline went into administration during the COVID pandemic. Wigley had been working on a website curating interesting indie games, which caught Kubica's attention. 11-Bit Studios is known for developing games like This War of Mine and Frostpunk, but it also has a publishing arm that has released titles like Moonlighter and Children of Morta. The company's publishing strategy involves releasing a limited number of games each year, with a strong focus on each project. Kubica explains that the reason for getting into publishing is to have more releases and expand the idea of meaningful entertainment. Wigley adds that the criteria for publishing are broad, but they shy away from certain genres like VR-only titles and platformers. The company looks for games that are slightly different, with leaner production and unique mechanics. Wigley cites Indika as an example, a game that was the first he scouted, which has a strong meaningful aspect but was considered risky from a market standpoint. 11-Bit typically requires a vertical slice demo before signing a new title and gets involved in projects at an early stage, providing creative feedback. The company has a 'special file' of games they evaluated but turned down, including Cult of the Lamb, which went on to become a huge success. Kubica notes that they are happy with the success of some of their published games, like The Invincible and Indika, but were underwhelmed with the results of The Thaumaturge. The company is now shifting towards smaller, mechanics-driven titles, with Death Howl being the first example. Wigley explains that the mix of cards and grid-based combat in Death Howl, along with its art style and atmosphere, made it a rare gem. 11-Bit's pivot towards smaller titles comes as funding for mid-range games is drying up, and the company predicts that the quality bar will rise in the AA space. Despite the challenges, Wigley believes that publishing still makes up a substantial chunk of 11-Bit's bottom line, helping to keep the company sustainable between internal game releases. He notes that more developers are turning to publishing, but it requires building a good reputation and providing valuable services to developers.