Stray Fawn Studio announces expansion to indie game publishing

Developer Stray Fawn Studio recently announced its official step into indie game publishing. 

The Swiss studio attributed its recent game, The Wandering Village, with the new business expansion. Since its Early Access release in September 2022, the title has reportedly sold over 200,000 copies. Because of its success, it now has "the opportunity to support other developers on their journey."

Similar to how other recent indie developers have done when transitioning to publishing, Stray Fawn is currently accepting pitches. It specifically notes an interest in games in the strategy, simulation, or city/base-building genres, and said those will currently be its primary focus.

Stray Fawn Publishing's debut title will be Earth of Oryn, a city builder from the developer of the same name. 

In years past, Stray Fawn has co-published specific titles such as Niche: A Genetics Survival Game, and its sequel, Niche: Breathe & Evolve. 

The game publishing boom is in an interesting spot right now

In the latter half of 2022, several indie game developers announced they wished to publish games from smaller studios. Those developers, such as Brace Yourself Games and Starbreeze Studios, explicitly said doing so would allow them to broaden their portfolio, and pay it forward to future studios looking to make a name for themselves.

That trend is still continuing in 2023, as Github co-founder Chris Wanstrath announced his indie publishing label Null Games this past February. Weeks later, Ghost Ship Games (of Deep Rock Galactic fame) confirmed its own label, saying it wanted to be a "launchpad" for indie titles. 

At the same time that's been happening, larger developers have been making publishing-related strides of their own. People Can Fly, creators of Outriders, said it would begin to self-publish its own games, in part to retain sales revenue it would otherwise have to split with third-party publishers. 

Just last week, Epic Games revealed it would allow for self-publishing on its titular store. Developers or publishers have to comply with the rules of its storefront, and pay the fee of $100 per submitted game. By publishing on Epic's storefront, developers will retain 88 percent of earned revenue. 

There are so many publishing options in the PC games space that it could potentially be overwhelming for an incoming indie developer. By putting its focus on the simulation and building niche, Stray Fawn is allowing itself to help stand out from the pack, even just a little.