This is a list of indie game developers, which includes video game developers who are not owned by nor do they receive significant financial backing from a video game publisher. Independent developers, which can be single individuals, small groups, or large organizations, retain operational control over their organizations and processes. Some self-publish their own games while others work with publishers.
List of notable developers
| Active |
| Defunct or no longer active |
| Undetermined status |
There are thousands of independent game development studios which either self-publish their titles, or enter into licensing or co-development agreements with publishers. This list is not intended to be exhaustive with respect to developers or their games, and includes only notable developers and their most notable game examples.
| Developer | City | Autonomous area | Country | Notable games | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17-Bit | Kyoto | Japan |
| Founded as Haunted Temple Studios in 2009 | |
| ACE Team | Santiago | Santiago | Chile |
| |
| AdHoc Studio | Los Angeles | California | United States |
| |
| Akupara Games | Los Angeles | California | United States |
| Includes developer and porting credited titles |
| Alec Holowka | Winnipeg | Manitoba | Canada |
| |
| Amanita Design | Brno | Czech Republic |
| ||
| Ambrosia Software | Rochester | New York | United States | Escape Velocity series | |
| AmnesiaGames | Santiago de Chile | Chile | |||
| Ankama Games | Roubaix | France | Dofus | Denton Designs | |
| Anna Anthropy | Oakland | California | United States |
| |
| Arcane Kids | Los Angeles | California | United States |
| |
| Arcen Games | Durham | North Carolina | United States |
| |
| Arrowhead Game Studios | Stockholm | Sweden |
| ||
| Artix Entertainment | Land o' Lakes | Florida | United States |
| |
| Atelier 801 | Lille | Hauts-de-France | France | Transformice | |
| Aventurine SA | Athens | Greece | Darkfall Online | ||
| Bennett Foddy | New York | United States |
| ||
| The Behemoth | San Diego | California | United States |
| |
| Benjamin Rivers | Toronto | Ontario | Canada | ||
| Big Finish Games | Salt Lake City | Utah | United States | Three Cards to Midnight | |
| Blitz Games Studios | Warwickshire | United Kingdom (England) |
| ||
| Blue Fang Games | Waltham | Massachusetts | United States | Zoo Tycoon series | |
| Bohemia Interactive | Prague | Czech Republic |
| ||
| Boomzap Entertainment | Singapore | Singapore | |||
| Capybara Games | Toronto | Ontario | Canada |
| |
| CBE Software | Brno | Czech Republic |
| ||
| CCP Games | Reykjavík | Iceland | Eve Online | ||
| Choice Provisions | Santa Cruz | California | United States | Bit.Trip series | Formerly Gaijin Games |
| Christine Love | Toronto | Ontario | Canada |
| |
| Chromatic Games | Gainesville | Florida | United States | Dungeon Defenders | |
| Christopher Howard Wolf | Rocky Point | North Carolina | United States |
| |
| Cinemax | Prague | Czech Republic |
| ||
| John Clowder | United States |
| |||
| Comcept | Tokyo and Osaka | Japan | Mighty No. 9 | Founded by Keiji Inafune | |
| Compulsion Games | Montreal | Quebec | Canada |
| |
| ConcernedApe | Seattle | United States | Stardew Valley, Haunted Chocolatier | Developer and publisher | |
| Craneballs Studio | Ostrava | Czech Republic | Planet Nomads | ||
| Croteam | Zagreb | Croatia |
| ||
| Crytek Black Sea | Sofia | Bulgaria |
| Formerly Black Sea Studios | |
| Curve Games | London | England | United Kingdom |
| |
| Daedalic Entertainment | Hamburg | Germany |
| ||
| Daisuke Amaya | Japan |
| |||
| Datcroft Games | London | England | United Kingdom | Fragoria | |
| Daniel Benmergui | Buenos Aires | Argentina |
| ||
| Daniel Remar | Sweden | Iji | |||
| Davilex Games | Houten | Utrecht | Netherlands | A2 Racer | |
| Denis Galanin | Russia |
| |||
| Derek Smart | Fort Lauderdale | Florida | United States |
| |
| Derek Yu | Pasadena | California | United States |
| |
| Digital Happiness | Bandung | West Java | Indonesia | Dreadout | |
| Dreadlocks | Prague | Czech Republic |
| ||
| Drinkbox Studios | Toronto | Ontario | Canada |
| |
| Dr. Panda | Chengdu | China | Formerly TribePlay | ||
| Edmund McMillen | Santa Cruz | California | United States |
| |
| Elixir Studios | London | England | United Kingdom |
| |
| Eurocom | Derby | England | United Kingdom |
| |
| Evony, LLC | Guangzhou | China | Evony: Age I | ||
| Extremely OK Games | Vancouver | British Columbia | Canada |
| Formerly Maddy Makes Games |
| Facepunch Studios | Walsall | England | United Kingdom |
| |
| Firefly Studios | London | England | United Kingdom |
| |
| Flying Wild Hog | Warsaw | Poland |
| ||
| Freebird Games | Markham | Ontario | Canada | To the Moon | |
| Frictional Games | Helsingborg | Sweden |
| ||
| Frima Studio | Quebec City | Quebec | Canada |
| |
| Frogwares | Kyiv | Ukraine |
| ||
| Frontier Developments | Cambridge | United Kingdom (England) |
| ||
| Fullbright | Portland | Oregon | United States | Gone Home | |
| Games Distillery | Bratislava | Bratislava Region | Slovakia | Aqua | |
| GarageGames | Eugene | Oregon | United States | Marble Blast Ultra | |
| Gareth Damian Martin | United Kingdom | In Other Waters, Citizen Sleeper, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector | |||
| Giant Sparrow | Santa Monica | California | United States |
| |
| Gogii Games | Moncton | New Brunswick | Canada | ||
| Greenheart Games | Brisbane | Queensland | Australia | Game Dev Tycoon | |
| Grip Digital | Prague | Czech Republic |
| ||
| Guild Software | Milwaukee | Wisconsin | United States | Vendetta Online | |
| Haemimont Games | Sofia | Bulgaria |
| ||
| Halfbrick Studios | Brisbane | Queensland | Australia |
| |
| Hanako Games | United Kingdom |
| |||
| hap inc. | Tokyo | Japan |
| ||
| Hazelight Studios | Stockholm | Sweden |
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| Heart Machine | Culver City | California | United States | Hyper Light Drifter | |
| Hello Games | Guildford | England | United Kingdom |
| |
| Hexage | Mníšek pod Brdy | Czech Republic |
| ||
| Hidden Path Entertainment | Bellevue | Washington | United States |
| |
| Himalaya Studios | Chandler | Arizona | United States | Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine | |
| House House | Melbourne | Victoria | Australia | Untitled Goose Game | |
| Ice-Pick Lodge | Moscow | Russia |
| ||
| Image & Form | Gothenburg | Sweden | SteamWorld series | ||
| Inti Creates | Ichikawa | Chiba | Japan |
| Developer and publisher, formed by ex-Capcom staff |
| Introversion Software | United Kingdom |
| |||
| Invictus Games | Debrecen | Hungary | Project Torque | ||
| Jagex | Cambridge | England | United Kingdom |
| |
| Jason Rohrer | Potsdam | New York | United States |
| |
| Jonatan "Cactus" Söderström | Gothenburg | Sweden | Clean Asia! | ||
| Jph Wacheski | Ottawa | Ontario | Canada | ||
| Keen Software House | Prague | Czech Republic |
| ||
| Kiro'o Games | Yaounde | Cameroon | Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan | ||
| Kitfox Games | Montreal | Quebec | Canada |
| Developer and publisher |
| Kloonigames | Finland | Crayon Physics Deluxe | |||
| Kunos Simulazioni | Vallelunga Circuit | Latium | Italy |
| |
| Laminar Research | Columbia | South Carolina | United States | X-Plane | |
| Larian Studios | Ghent | Belgium |
| Developer and publisher | |
| Lazy 8 Studios | San Francisco | California | United States |
| |
| Lindsay Grace | Washington, DC | District of Columbia | United States | Big Huggin' | |
| Little Green Men Games | Zagreb | Croatia |
| ||
| Llamasoft | United Kingdom |
| |||
| Madfinger Games | Brno | Czech Republic |
| ||
| MDickie | United Kingdom | Wrestling Empire | |||
| Mega Cat Studios | Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | United States |
| |
| Messhof | Los Angeles | California | United States | Nidhogg | |
| MidBoss | San Francisco | California | United States | Read Only Memories | |
| Mode 7 Games | Brighton | East Sussex | England |
| |
| Mike Bithell | United Kingdom |
| |||
| Molleindustria | Turin | Italy |
| ||
| Moon Studios | Vienna | Austria |
| The studio began as an xbox game studios first-party developer and their first commercial video game was the Ori video game series which was entirely financed by Microsoft who also holds the games Intellectual Property. | |
| Muse Games | New York City | New York | United States | Guns of Icarus Online | |
| NeocoreGames | Budapest | Hungary | The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing | ||
| New Star Games | United Kingdom | New Star Soccer | |||
| Nicalis | Santa Ana | California | United States |
| Developer and publisher |
| Nifflas | Umeå | Sweden |
| ||
| Nival | Moscow | Russia |
| ||
| Number None | California | United States |
| ||
| The Odd Gentlemen | California | United States | The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom | ||
| Owlchemy Labs | Boston | Massachusetts | United States |
| |
| Parabole | Quebec City | Quebec | Canada | Kona | |
| Parallax Studio | Nixa | Missouri | United States | Darkstar: The Interactive Movie | |
| PixelJAM Games | United States | Dino Run | |||
| Polytron Corporation | Montreal | Quebec | Canada | Fez | |
| Playdead | Copenhagen | Denmark |
| ||
| Puppy Games | Notting Hill | England | United Kingdom |
| |
| Positech Games | United Kingdom |
| |||
| Private Moon Studios | Hungary |
| |||
| PikPok | Wellington | New Zealand |
| originally "Sidhe" | |
| Provox Games | Zagreb | Croatia | Space Force: Rogue Universe | ||
| Punch Entertainment | Palo Alto | California | United States | ||
| Q-Games | Kyoto | Kyoto Prefecture | Japan |
| |
| Queasy Games | Canada |
| |||
| Rake in Grass | Prague | Czech Republic |
| ||
| Red Thread Games | Oslo | Norway |
| ||
| Relentless Software | Brighton | England | United Kingdom |
| |
| Re-Logic | Floyds Knobs | Indiana | United States | Terraria | |
| Renegade Kid | Austin | Texas | United States |
| |
| Roll7 | London | England | United Kingdom |
| |
| Ronimo Games | Utrecht | Netherlands |
| ||
| Rovio Entertainment | Espoo | Finland | Angry Birds | ||
| S2 Games | Rohnert Park | California | United States |
| |
| Saber Interactive | Millburn | New Jersey | United States |
| |
| Sandlot Games | Bothell | Washington | United States | Cake Mania | |
| Santa Cruz Games | Santa Cruz | California | United States |
| |
| Schell Games | Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | United States | I Expect You To Die | Developer and publisher |
| Scott Cawthon | Salado | Texas | United States | Five Nights at Freddy's series | Since 2021 only active as a publisher |
| Semi Secret Software | Austin | Texas | United States | Canabalt | |
| Simogo | Malmö | Sweden |
| ||
| Silver Creek Entertainment | Grants Pass | Oregon | United States | Soltrio Solitaire | |
| Ska Studios | Marcy | New York | United States |
| |
| Skygoblin | Gothenburg | Sweden | The Journey Down | ||
| Sokpop Collective | Utrecht | Utrecht | Netherlands | ||
| Soldak Entertainment | Dallas | Texas | United States |
| |
| Spiderweb Software | Seattle | Washington | United States |
| |
| Stardock | Plymouth | Michigan | United States |
| |
| Stoic Studio | Austin | Texas | United States | The Banner Saga series | |
| Storm Impact | Glenview | Illinois | United States | TaskMaker | |
| Stormling Studios | Istanbul | Turkey |
| formerly "Zoetrope Interactive" | |
| Studio Pixel | Japan |
| |||
| Studio Thunderhorse | Roseville | California | United States | Flynn: Son of Crimson | |
| Subatomic Studios | Boston | Massachusetts | United States | Fieldrunners | |
| Supergiant Games | San Francisco | California | United States |
| |
| SuperVillain Studios | Santa Ana | California | United States |
| |
| Tarsier Studios | Malmö | Sweden | Little Nightmares | ||
| Tale of Tales | Ghent | Belgium |
| ||
| TaleWorlds Entertainment | Ankara | Turkey |
| ||
| Team Shanghai Alice | Ebina | Kanagawa | Japan | Touhou Project | |
| Telltale Games | San Rafael | California | United States |
| |
| Terry Cavanagh | London | England | United Kingdom |
| |
| thatgamecompany | Los Angeles | California | United States |
| |
| Three Rings Design | San Francisco | California | United States |
| |
| Thunder Lotus Games | Montreal | Quebec | Canada |
| |
| Tiger Style | Austin | Texas | United States |
| |
| tinyBuild | Bothell | Washington | United States | No Time to Explain | Since 2016 only active as a publisher |
| Terri Vellmann | Brazil | Heavy Bullets | |||
| Toby Fox | Boston | Massachusetts | United States |
| |
| Torpex Games | Bellevue | Washington | United States | Schizoid | |
| Tomorrow Corporation | United States |
| |||
| Tribute Games | Montreal | Quebec | Canada |
| Developer and publisher |
| Trickster Arts | Brno | Czech Republic |
| ||
| Uber Entertainment | Kirkland | Washington | United States |
| |
| Vectorpark | Brooklyn | New York | United States |
| |
| Vlambeer | Utrecht | Netherlands |
| ||
| Wadjet Eye Games | New York City | New York | United States |
| |
| WayForward Technologies, Inc. | Valencia | California | United States |
| |
| Wolfire Games | Berkeley | California | United States |
| |
| XGen Studios | Edmonton | Alberta | Canada |
| |
| XMG Studio | Toronto | Ontario | Canada | ||
| Xona Games | Yarmouth | Nova Scotia | Canada |
| |
| Yacht Club Games | Valencia | California | United States | Shovel Knight | Founded by former Wayforward director Sean Velasco |
| Young Horses | Chicago | Illinois | United States |
| |
| Zachtronics | Seattle | Washington | United States |
| |
| Zeekerss | United States |
| |||
| Zoink | Gothenburg | Sweden |
| ||
| Zoonami | Cambridge | England | United Kingdom |
| |
| ZootFly | Ljubljana | Slovenia | First Battalion |
See also
- Casual game
- Dojin soft
- Fangame
- Indie game
- List of video game developers
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