A group of indie veterans have formed a new publishing group known as Spiral Up Games, with a focus on the international market compared to many publishers focusing on the western market. The company is composed of developers who were behind the creation of successful indie games like Chinese Parents, Home Behind, Gordian Quest, and Sairento. The team’s experience with indie development will be a boon to smaller indie studios interested in an international, European, or Asian market.
Spiral Up will have its focus on assisting with funding, marketing, game design advisory, QA, playtesting, community management, and localization. In addition, Sprial Up claims to have excellent connections in the game industry and detailed plans for promotions of any games. Some plans for advertisement and branding include exposure through influencer playthroughs, press, social marketing, active community management, as well as viral activities.
Currently Spiral Up has three different upcoming games in the production pipeline which have received some positive interest so far at events like Gamescom, Tokyo Game Show, Pax East, and Steam Next Fests. Back to Dawn is a narrative RPG where the player is a framed reporter who must escape prison through any means necessary. Oh yeah, all the characters are anthropomorphized animals. Affogato is best described as anime + light novel + ‘reverse’ tower defense + Psychonauts + cafe simulator. I have no words for how interesting the game seems on the steam page. Wandering Sword is a beautiful 3D pixel adventure through ancient china as you play as a young swordsman caught in a dangerous feud.
All three games will come out in 2023. Spiral Up is looking for interested indie game developers to join them. They can submit their games here for consideration.
