Why gaming’s most influential indie label has stayed small for a decade: Devolver

When it isn't broken don't change it.

This month, Devolver is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Over that span, the company has published close to 100 games, ranging from the gorgeously animated Gris to the arcade action of Downwell to the Zelda-like The Swords of Ditto to the Tinder-esque strategy of Reigns. It has also had to adapt to a constantly shifting industry, dealing with the advent of mobile gaming and VR, new platforms like the Switch and Epic’s PC store, and accessible development tools like Unity and GameMaker.

But during that time, one thing has remained largely the same: Devolver has stayed small, with the same goal of helping indie developers reach a larger audience. It can take unknown games and turn them into hits. The publisher has slowly grown to a still-tiny 16 people, and they remain scattered across the globe with no physical office. As the company looks toward the future, it has no real plans to change that.

“It’s the only way to maintain the purity of the mission,” says co-founder Mike Wilson.