Double Fine now publishing indie games

Broken Age developer Double Fine has begun publishing titles by other indie studios.

The firm, run by veteran dev Tim Schafer, has just helped indie MagicalTimeBean release its PC title Escape Goat 2 (pictured), and now plans to use its experience to help other developers get their games to market.

"Lots of indies have approached us and asked if we could help them out with publishing, so we knew there was value in what we have to offer," Double Fine COO Justin Bailey told Game Informer.

"They all had a unique request and that’s where we started to see there was a real need for the knowledge we’ve gained over the last 14 years on how to prototype, fund, develop and publish our own games.

"We noticed that there wasn’t a publisher offering these services in a flexible format that’s customised to what indies need without also creating a certain codependence."

The publishing operation is currently run by a team of just two: Bailey and senior publishing manager Greg Rice. However, Double Fine is hoping to expand the team over time, as well as the range of services it can offer.

"Some will want help with Kickstarters and other funding, some will want development feedback, others will want promotional or even advice porting to other platforms," said Bailey. "We’re open to working with each developer and figuring out how we can help make them successful.

"That’s the alternative we want to offer – a way for indies to stay indie."