Since Steam cut its "Greenlight" program, and allowed anyone with a game to publish to Steam for a small fee, as well as the evolution of social media marketing and the recent popularity of game development on YouTube, publishers are becoming less necessary to the production and release of a successful indie game.
Despite this, funded game developers usually have more time, money, experience, and resources to make polished and commercial titles that may squeeze more potential out of a game than they might have without funding.
8 Chucklefish
Chucklefish got their start in the industry in 2011 thanks to their work on their game Starbound, which they eventually launched in Steam Early Access. By 2014, the team at Chucklefish was situated in an office in London.
At the time of writing, Chucklefish still maintains in-house development teams, with their second release being the tactics game Wargroove and their latest project being Witchbrook, but they also nurture and publish indie games. One of their most recent successes, Wildfrost - a deck-building rogue-like with a unique twist on turn-based gameplay - has 5000 reviews at the time of writing, 77% of which are positive.
7 Hypetrain Digital
Despite the game's mixed reviews, Hypetrain's Voidtrain took big swings with its concept and design, and that vision and niche is in part what makes Hypetrain a unique publisher that's worth paying attention to. The publisher has previously backed games like the completely left-of-field prop-hunt horror rogue-like Golden Light, as well as old-school rogue-like Stoneshard, which took a lot of flak on its release for its unforgiving old-school save system.
Hypetrain is seemingly uninterested in churning out generic games aiming to please everyone at once, instead focusing on releasing fewer games at a higher quality and focusing more on helping game developers to reach their full potential. Hypetrain is arguably publishing the edgiest, more niche titles in the indie game scene, and even their less successful games are worth a look.
6 Humble Games
While many indie game fans may be aware of Humble Bundle, some may be unaware that the company has a fork in indie game publishing under the name Humble Games, with which they have published a variety of hits including the idle crafting game Forager, the spell-slinging rogue-like Wizard of Legend, and the more recent sci-fi hit Signalis, among others.
Humble Games' website explains that they welcome creative conflict and are committed to dealing with and growing from disagreements. This up-front and collaborative attitude that seemingly promotes compromise is a rare thing among video game publishers, and the publisher has seemingly remained humble throughout their continued success.
5 Curve Games
This team is responsible for launching indie strategy RPG For The King to a phenomenal response (with a sequel on the way at the time of writing), as well as being the publishers behind Human: Fall Flat, Bomber Crew, and cyberpunk twin-stick shooter The Ascent. Curve Games prides itself on its collaborative, developer-focused work ethic, and like many of the publishers on this list, its portfolio speaks for itself.
Curve Games is also notable for publishing Patch Quest, a truly grassroots game that was originally released in Early Access. With the help of Curve Games, and the dedication and hard work of its developer, 94% of Patch Quest's 1000+ Steam reviews are positive at the time of writing.
4 TinyBuild
This super-indie publisher was originally formed by game marketer Alex Nichiporchik and game developer Tom Brien back in 2011 after Alex stumbled upon Tom's game and the two decided to flesh it out and release it on Steam. This eventually led to their partnership and the forming of tinyBuild.
Since then, the publisher has been responsible for a variety of unique games such as Pathologic 2, Not For Broadcast, Hello Neighbor, Potion Craft, and Autobattler Despot's Game. Publisher tinyBuild went through a great deal of effort to get their first game off the ground (something you can read about on their website), and their grassroots origins make them seem more grounded than other, more stylized publishers.
3 Team17
Originally known as the developer of the iconic 1995 game Worms, Team17 has grown from a development company into a fully-fledged indie publisher. Most recently known for breakout FPS hit Trepang2, Team17 is dedicated to nurturing independent talent.
The notorious publisher has over 110 games in their portfolio, including hits like Overcooked, Hell Let Loose, and Blasphemous, among many others. Their origins as game developers and old-school roots make them particularly unique in the world of indie games, especially as one of the larger publishers.
2 Raw Fury Games
With a recent string of success in games such as Dome Keeper, Sable, and Friends Vs Friends, Raw Fury is ever present in the independent scene. Raw Fury can't be pinned down, and there are plenty of treasures to find in their immense catalog of genres and genre-defying experiences.
Raw Fury's focus on providing a safe environment for indie developers has impacted the work positively, and the range of games they've published provides something for everyone. One fantastic upcoming game worth keeping an eye on from this publisher is Star Trucker, which is as its title describes: a truck-sim in space.
1 Devolver Digital
Perhaps the most iconic publisher in the indie space, Devolver Digital is an indie giant, responsible for putting games like Hotline Miami and Enter The Gungeon on the map, as well as more recent hits like Inscryption and Cult Of The Lamb. Of all its qualities, Devolver Digital's best is arguably its pristine reputation and consistency in its selection of games.
Devolver focuses on original and eccentric games, and they have a very clear aesthetic despite the massive range of their repertoire; players know what to expect when they boot up a Devolver game, and a great deal of the time they get it. Devolver also has some incredible-looking upcoming releases, such as the much anticipated FPS Anger Foot, set to release in 2024.