Peak studio Aggro Crab establishes publishing label for "intense, stylised games with an attitude"

Aggro Crab, a studio renowned for its titles Peak and Another Crab's Treasure, has recently launched its own publishing label. This new venture aims to support intense and stylized games that exude attitude. The Aggro Crab team will oversee the label, providing financial backing of up to $500,000 for projects that can be completed within two years.

Aggro Crab offers flexible contracts with clearly defined milestones and eliminates the need for full recoupment of funds. The label won't withhold funds until a game's release date, offering greater financial flexibility to participating studios.

In addition to financial support, Aggro Crab will assist with marketing efforts, including creating trailers, designing key art, and providing brand advice. The label will also promote games through its own social media channels. Aggro Crab plans to sign only one or two games per year while simultaneously continuing to develop its own projects. So far, the label has backed two projects: ThirtyThree's precision platformer Rebounder and Bubby Darkstar's psychedelic horror Subway Midnight.

The founding team expressed their desire to open doors for indie developers who often lack access to such resources. They emphasized their commitment to respecting the creative vision of signed developers and not imposing any unwanted creative control. The team, with their own experience in publishing, aims to serve as a positive example of effective publishing practices.

Their founder, Corey Warning, mentioned that Aggro Crab's success has placed the studio in a unique position to grow its catalog without significantly expanding its team. The studio values hands-on involvement in the projects it supports and believes its background as indie developers and self-publishing experience provides unique perspectives and valuable feedback to the games they work on.