Best Indie Studio — 96 verified

Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship games on their own terms — small teams, distinctive art direction, direct community engagement.

• Double Fine Productions — California. Founded in 2000 by Tim Schafer after he left LucasArts, Double Fine is a San Francisco studio acquired by Xbox Game Studios in 2019 but still operating in its original SoMa office. Made Psychonauts, B
• Supergiant Games — California. Founded 2009 by Amir Rao and Gavin Simon, Supergiant is a small SF indie that has shipped Bastion (2011), Transistor (2014), Pyre (2017), Hades (2020), and Hades II (2025). Hades sold over 1 million c
• Mossmouth — California. Derek Yu's San Francisco studio founded in 2009. Creators of Spelunky (2008/2012/2020) and UFO 50 (2024), an anthology of 50 fictional retro games that was an IGF 2025 Grand Prize finalist. Based in S
• Lazy 8 Studios — California. Founded 2008 in San Francisco by Rob Jagnow. Made the steampunk puzzler Cogs (2009, IGF nominee) and the alternate-reality space exploration game Extrasolar. Based in San Francisco, California. Indepe
• Tomorrow Corporation — California. Founded 2010 in the SF Bay Area by Kyle Gabler (World of Goo), Allan Blomquist, and Kyle Gray. Made Little Inferno (2012), Human Resource Machine (2015), 7 Billion Humans (2018), and World of Goo 2 (2
• thatgamecompany — California. Santa Monica studio founded 2006 by Jenova Chen and Kellee Santiago. Made Flow (2006), Flower (2009), Journey (2012, BAFTA), and the live-service social adventure Sky: Children of the Light (2019). Ba
• Giant Squid Studios — California. Founded 2013 in Santa Monica by ex-thatgamecompany art director Matt Nava. Developed Abzu (2016), The Pathless (2020), and the surfing adventure Sword of the Sea (2025). Based in Santa Monica, Califor
• Heart Machine — California. Alx Preston's Culver City studio, founded after the 2013 Kickstarter for Hyper Light Drifter (2016). Subsequent titles include Solar Ash (2021), Hyper Light Breaker (2025 Early Access), and Possessor(
• Squanch Games — California. Founded 2016, headquartered in Burbank with a Raleigh NC second office. Developed Trover Saves the Universe (2019) and High on Life (2022), a Game Pass shooter that topped Xbox charts. Based in Burban
• Wonderstorm — California. LA story-and-play studio founded 2017 by ex-Riot devs Aaron Ehasz, Justin Santistevan, and Justin Richmond. Created Netflix's Dragon Prince animated series and is developing The Dragon Prince: Xadia.
• WayForward — California. Founded 1990 by Voldi Way, WayForward is a 19,000 sq ft Valencia indie 30 minutes north of Burbank. Has shipped over 200 titles, including the Shantae series, River City Girls, and Mighty Switch Force
• Frost Giant Studios — California. Orange County RTS studio founded 2020 in Irvine by ex-Blizzard StarCraft II leads Tim Morten and Tim Campbell. Their free-to-play RTS Stormgate entered Steam early access in August 2024. Based in Irvi
• Pocketwatch Games — California. Andy Schatz's San Diego studio, founded 2006. Made Wildlife Tycoon: Venture Africa and Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine (2013, IGF Grand Prize) and Tooth and Tail (2017). Based in San Diego, California. I
• Hidden Variable Studios — California. Berkeley studio founded 2011. Co-developer and current publisher of Skullgirls Mobile and Indivisible, and ports developer for Threes! Free. Based in Berkeley, California. Independent game studios sel
• Subset Games — California. Remote-friendly duo studio originally based in SF/Shanghai. Created FTL: Faster Than Light (2012) and Into the Breach (2018), both genre-defining roguelike strategy games. Based in San Francisco, Cali
• Timberline Studio — California. LA indie crafting original PC and console titles with strong art direction. Based in Los Angeles, California. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship games on their own t
• Juggernaut Games — California. San Diego indie founded 2011 building original PC and mobile titles. Based in San Diego, California. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship games on their own terms - sm
• Empty Clip Studios — California. San Diego indie founded 2007. Released Groovin' Blocks and Symphony, the music-driven shoot-em-up. Based in San Diego, California. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship
• Mythical Games — California. Marina del Rey indie founded 2018. Made Blankos Block Party (2022), a free-to-play party platformer with collectible digital toys. Based in Marina del Rey, California. Independent game studios self-fu
• Pyrodactyl Games — California. LA-based indie founded by Arvind Raja Yadav. Made Unrest (2014) and Will Fight for Food. Based in Los Angeles, California. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship games o
• Campo Santo — California. SF studio founded 2013 by Jake Rodkin, Sean Vanaman, and team. Made Firewatch (2016). Acquired by Valve in 2018 to develop In the Valley of Gods. Based in San Francisco, California. Independent game s
• Three More Years — California. SF Bay indie team behind Mini Mini Golf Golf, the IndieCade 2025 Innovation in Interaction Design and Visual Design winner. Based in San Francisco, California. Independent game studios self-fund or pa
• Ritual Studios — California. LA indie. Created Fretless: The Wrath of Riffson, the IndieCade 2025 Audio Design Award winner. Based in Los Angeles, California. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship
• Scallywag Studios — California. LA indie. Created Back Off Me Booty, the IndieCade 2024 Night Games Audience Choice winner. Based in Los Angeles, California. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship game
• Two-Bit Circus — California. LA arcade-experience operator and indie game developer for location-based entertainment. Based in Los Angeles, California. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship games o
• Hexany Audio — California. LA audio-design house and frequent indie game collaborator. Worked on Pacific Drive, Sky: Children of the Light, and Octopath Traveler II. Based in Los Angeles, California. Independent game studios se
• Necrosoft Games — Oregon. Portland studio led by Brandon Sheffield (ex-Game Developer EIC). Made Gunhouse, Hyper Gunsport (2022), and the upcoming Demonschool (2025). Based in Portland, Oregon. Independent game studios self-fu
• Fullbright — Oregon. Portland studio founded 2012 by Steve Gaynor and Karla Zimonja. Created Gone Home (2013, IGF Best Narrative), Tacoma (2017), and is developing SPRINGS, ETERNAL. Based in Portland, Oregon. Independent
• Doinksoft — Oregon. Portland indie duo Mike Mammoliti and Mark Foster. Created Gato Roboto (2019), Demon Throttle (2021), and Gunbrella (2023). Based in Portland, Oregon. Independent game studios self-fund or partner wit
• Stumptown Game Machine — Oregon. Portland-based indie team — alumni of EA Tiburon and BioWare — making narrative and tabletop-flavored games. Based in Portland, Oregon. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to
• Ironwood Studios — Washington. Seattle studio founded late 2019. Their debut Pacific Drive (Feb 2024, published by Kepler Interactive) is a survival driving game set in the Olympic Peninsula. Secured $4M seed in 2026. Based in Seat
• Harebrained Schemes — Washington. Founded 2011 in Kirkland by Jordan Weisman and Mitch Gitelman. Made Shadowrun Returns/Dragonfall/Hong Kong, BATTLETECH (2018), and the upcoming Graft. Became independent again in 2024. Based in Kirkla
• Hidden Path Entertainment — Washington. Bellevue independent founded 2006 by ex-Bungie/Microsoft devs. Created Defense Grid: The Awakening (2008) and co-developed Counter-Strike: Global Offensive with Valve. Based in Bellevue, Washington. I
• Outerloop Games — Washington. Seattle minority-led distributed indie founded 2017 by ex-Uber Entertainment veterans. Made Falcon Age (2019) and Thirsty Suitors (2023, published by Annapurna). Based in Seattle, Washington. Independ
• Pirate Software — Washington. Tacoma-based indie studio founded by Jason Thor Hall (ex-Blizzard). Developing Heartbound, an Undertale-inspired RPG, while running a popular game-dev streaming channel. Based in Tacoma, Washington. I
• Hardsuit Labs — Washington. Seattle independent (now under Keywords Studios) specializing in Unreal Engine development and co-development. Worked on Blacklight: Retribution and Bloodlines 2. Based in Seattle, Washington. Indepen
• Spiderweb Software — Washington. Seattle indie founded 1994 by Jeff Vogel. Has shipped 35+ classic-style indie RPGs including the Avernum, Avadon, Geneforge, and Queen's Wish series. Based in Seattle, Washington. Independent game stu
• Strange Loop Games — Washington. Seattle indie founded by John Krajewski. Made Eco (2018), the global survival sim where the ecosystem and government simulate together. Based in Seattle, Washington. Independent game studios self-fund
• Innersloth — Washington. Redmond indie founded by Marcus Bromander, Forest Willard, and Amy Liu. Made Among Us (2018), which exploded in 2020 with 500M+ players. Based in Redmond, Washington. Independent game studios self-fun
• Glass Bottom Games — Washington. Seattle indie. Made SkateBIRD (2021), a chill skateboarding game starring birds. Based in Seattle, Washington. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship games on their own
• Nightdive Studios — Washington. Vancouver WA remaster specialists founded 2012 by Stephen Kick. Made System Shock (2023), Quake II Remastered, Doom + Doom II re-release, Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster, and Turok HD. Based in Vancou
• Pillar Studio — Washington. Seattle indie making narrative experiences. Based in Seattle, Washington. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship games on their own terms - small teams, distinctive art
• Cardboard Computer — Illinois. Chicago indie trio of Jake Elliott, Tamas Kemenczy, and Ben Babbitt. Spent a decade developing Kentucky Route Zero (2013-2020), an acclaimed magical-realist point-and-click published by Annapurna. Bas
• Trinket Studios — Illinois. Chicago indie focused on rapid development of small character-driven games. Made Battle Chef Brigade (2017) and Wytchwood. Based in Chicago, Illinois. Independent game studios self-fund or partner wit
• Phosphor Games — Illinois. Chicago studio behind The Brookhaven Experiment (VR horror) and Awakened. Now operates under the People Can Fly umbrella. Based in Chicago, Illinois. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with
• Computer Lunch — New York. Brooklyn studio founded 2009. Released the cult action-RPG Crawl (2017) and other indie projects. Based in Brooklyn, New York. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship gam
• Wadjet Eye Games — New York. Brooklyn indie founded 2006 by Dave Gilbert. Specializes in retro point-and-click adventures: Blackwell series, Gemini Rue, Resonance, and Unavowed (2018). Based in Brooklyn, New York. Independent gam
• Aether Interactive — New York. NYC narrative-first indie. Made the political horror anthology Subserial Network and the experimental Solarpunk Forest. Based in New York, New York. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with
• Hidden Door — New York. Brooklyn AI-narrative game startup founded by ex-Kickstarter, ex-Etsy, and ex-Riot devs. Building Hidden Door, a generative interactive fiction platform. Based in Brooklyn, New York. Independent game
• Mighty Rabbit Studios — North Carolina. Raleigh indie founded 2012. Made the Saturday Morning RPG series and various platform conversions for major publishers. Based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Independent game studios self-fund or partner
• Dungeoneering Studios — North Carolina. Durham indie software studio working on tactical RPGs and gamification tools. Based in Durham, North Carolina. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship games on their own
• Puny Human — North Carolina. Small Raleigh studio behind Galacide and the sword-fighting action game Blade Symphony. Based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship games on
• Six Wing Studios — North Carolina. Raleigh indie at the intersection of wellness apps and video games, blending self-care practices with interactive mechanics. Based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Independent game studios self-fund or par
• Worldwalker Games — Texas. Austin indie founded by Nate and Anne Austin. Created Wildermyth (2021), a procedurally narrated tactical RPG that won multiple awards. Studio went into hibernation in 2024 after the Omenroad DLC. Bas
• Astire Games — Texas. Austin indie making mobile and cross-platform games for Android, iOS, PC, web, and VR. Based in Austin, Texas. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship games on their own
• Codex Worlds — Texas. Austin indie that develops original, artistic games appealing to both casual and core gamers. Made the StarMade-style sandbox Star Sonata. Based in Austin, Texas. Independent game studios self-fund or
• Powerhouse Animation Games — Texas. Austin animation studio with a games division. Made Castlevania (Netflix) animation and is developing original games with Netflix. Based in Austin, Texas. Independent game studios self-fund or partner
• Strange Scaffold — Texas. Houston indie label run by writer/designer Xalavier Nelson Jr. Released El Paso Elsewhere (2023), I Am Your Beast (2024), Sunshine Shuffle, and Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator. Based in Houston,
• Strange Games Studios — Georgia. Atlanta-area indie focusing on 3D games and VR experiences. Based in Atlanta, Georgia. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship games on their own terms - small teams, dis
• Soverance Studios — Georgia. Atlanta indie founded by Scott McCutchen specializing in hybrid-cloud infrastructure and Unreal Engine titles. Based in Atlanta, Georgia. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers
• Cipher Prime Studios — Pennsylvania. Philadelphia indie founded 2008 by Dain Saint and Will Stallwood. Made Auditorium (2008), Fractal (2010), and Splice (2012). Hosts the Philly Game Forge co-working space. Based in Philadelphia, Pennsy
• Dream Foundry Games — Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh indie developer of adventure and narrative games. Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship games on their own terms - small t
• Gossamer Games — Pennsylvania. Tiny but mighty Philadelphia indie crafting wildly original titles like Slime Heart. Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship games on
• PHL Collective — Pennsylvania. Philadelphia studio of artists and programmers. Co-developed Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed and Goosebumps: Dead of Night. Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Independent game studios self-fund or p
• Numinous Games — Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh indie founded by Ryan and Amy Green. Made That Dragon, Cancer (2016), a deeply personal autobiographical game. Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Independent game studios self-fund or partn
• Pillow Castle Games — Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh team formed from CMU ETC. Made Superliminal (2019), the forced-perspective puzzle game. Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to s
• Heliocentric Studios — Massachusetts. Two-person game development team split between Boston and the DC area. Based in Boston, Massachusetts. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship games on their own terms -
• Pixeljam — Massachusetts. Boston-area indie founded by Miles Tilmann and Rich Grillotti. Made Dino Run, Glorkian Warrior, Cheap Golf, and Utopia Must Fall (IGF 2025 Excellence in Audio finalist). Based in Boston, Massachusetts
• Coin Crew Games — Massachusetts. Boston indie founded 2018. Made Headliner ports and the local-multiplayer party game All You Can Eat. Based in Boston, Massachusetts. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to s
• WALLRIDE Games — Minnesota. Minneapolis indie developer focused on bold, unexpected experiences for gamers and entertainment. Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship
• FrostBit Studio — Minnesota. Minneapolis indie founded by industry veteran Chip Pederson making fun, free hand-built games. Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship ga
• From Nothing Game Studios — Minnesota. Twin Cities indie founded by game-design students. Develops PC and console indie titles. Based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship games on
• Limn Interactive — Colorado. Denver multimedia and game development studio with 20+ years of experience. Made Zen Pathz and various educational interactive worlds. Based in Denver, Colorado. Independent game studios self-fund or
• Strange Reptile — Utah. Salt Lake City indie combining innovative technology, original content, and world-class talent for interactive experiences. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Independent game studios self-fund or partner
• Silverlode Interactive — Utah. Lehi UT expanding indie studio working on RPG-influenced original titles. Based in Lehi, Utah. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship games on their own terms - small te
• Tall Ship Studio — Utah. Salt Lake City indie team building cross-platform original titles. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship games on their own terms - small
• Traega Entertainment — Tennessee. Nashville indie founded by Dax Hock — a team of veterans from Blizzard, Riot, EA, Microsoft, Ubisoft, Disney, Midway, and Funcom. Based in Nashville, Tennessee. Independent game studios self-fund or p
• Pixel Maverick Games — Tennessee. Knoxville indie focused on retro-flavored adventure and RPG titles. Based in Knoxville, Tennessee. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship games on their own terms - smal
• Storm Eye Studios — Arizona. Phoenix indie founded 2024 (LLC in Feb 2025), a six-member team building platform fighters Blade of the Yokai and Project Lucario. Based in Phoenix, Arizona. Independent game studios self-fund or part
• Team Colorblind — Arizona. Phoenix indie team making accessible 2D games for PC and console. Based in Phoenix, Arizona. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship games on their own terms - small team
• Digital Eel — Arizona. Phoenix indie specializing in experimental, genre-defying titles. Creators of the Strange Adventures in Infinite Space and Weird Worlds roguelikes. Based in Phoenix, Arizona. Independent game studios
• 7 Sentinels — Arizona. Phoenix indie founded 2015 by Leonard Herndon and Matt Stump building forward-thinking original IP. Based in Phoenix, Arizona. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship gam
• Magic Meeple Games — Arizona. Tempe AZ hybrid tabletop and digital studio. Based in Tempe, Arizona. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship games on their own terms - small teams, distinctive art dire
• Dreaming Door Studios — Michigan. Detroit indie specializing in narrative experiences across PC and mobile. Based in Detroit, Michigan. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship games on their own terms - s
• 6 Eyes Studio — Florida. Orlando indie founded 2016 by Christina and Pierre Leclerc. Made Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark (2019), a Final Fantasy Tactics-inspired tactical RPG. Based in Orlando, Florida. Independent game studios se
• Astro Crow — Florida. Orlando indie dedicated to making fun PC and console games. Based in Orlando, Florida. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship games on their own terms - small teams, dis
• Zygobot — Florida. Orlando indie founded 2013 publishing and developing across genres. Based in Orlando, Florida. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship games on their own terms - small te
• GameSim Inc — Florida. Orlando studio founded 2008 specializing in engineering, design, and worldbuilding for games and serious simulations. Based in Orlando, Florida. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publ
• Pixel Dash Studios — Louisiana. New Orleans indie focused on mobile and PC game development for original IPs. Based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship games on their own
• Zojoi — Virginia. Central Virginia indie led by Dave Marsh and Karl Roelofs (creators of Shadowgate, 1987). Remastered Shadowgate (2014) and Beyond Shadowgate (2024). Based in Charlottesville, Virginia. Independent gam
• Studio217 — Maryland. Maryland indie founded 2015 south of Baltimore by Karen and Cole. Builds family-friendly mobile and PC games. Based in Annapolis, Maryland. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publisher
• Iridium Studios — Maryland. Annapolis indie. Made There Came an Echo (2015), the voice-controlled RTS with Wil Wheaton voice cast. Based in Annapolis, Maryland. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to sh
• Northway Games — Wisconsin. Madison WI indie founded by Colin and Sarah Northway. Made Incredipede, Rebuild, and I Was a Teenage Exocolonist (2022, IGF 2023 Narrative). Based in Madison, Wisconsin. Independent game studios self-
• Hilltop Studios — Texas. Austin indie. Made Lil' Guardsman (2024), the IndieCade 2024 Performance Award winner. Based in Austin, Texas. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship games on their own
• Null and Void Games — Washington. Seattle indie. Created The Sentient Severed Arm, the IndieCade 2025 Developers Choice winner. Based in Seattle, Washington. Independent game studios self-fund or partner with publishers to ship games
• Freehold Games — California. Brian Bucklew and Jason Grinblat's distributed US indie. Caves of Qud (2007-2024) released 1.0 in December 2024 — an IGF 2025 Grand Prize finalist. Based in San Francisco, California. Independent game

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