Spiral Up Games on Its Publishing Approach

Introduction

My name is Aldric Chang, and I am a creative entrepreneur with years of experience founding companies across various industries, including animation, software development, indie game development, and game publishing. As the CEO of Mixed Realms, I served as the executive producer for games like Sairento VR, Gordian Quest, and the upcoming Hellsweeper VR. Currently, I am also the CEO of Spiral Up Games.

About the Company

Spiral Up Games is a video game publisher based in Singapore, specializing in PC and console games publishing. The story of Spiral Up Games began as a joint venture between a leading Chinese indie game developer and publisher and Mixed Realms. Our Chinese partner brings valuable expertise in publishing for the Chinese market, while we excel in publishing for the rest of the world. Our key areas of specialization include funding, marketing, community management, game design guidance, playtesting, localization, and more. What sets us apart is our ability to effectively market games to key markets worldwide, including China.

Spiral Up Games’ Projects

Currently, Spiral Up Games represents eight games, with four already being marketed and the remaining four set to start marketing in the coming months. Our first two projects were Wandering Sword and Back to the Dawn. Wandering Sword is an RPG adventure set in an ancient China pugilistic world, while Back to the Dawn puts players in the position of a wrongly incarcerated reporter planning an escape from prison. Both games have achieved significant success in recent Steam Next Fest events, with Wandering Sword being one of the top 10 most downloaded demos and Back to the Dawn ranking in the top 25. Our biggest challenges so far have been ensuring the games stay on track with their publishing schedules to synchronize marketing efforts with the releases. This challenge is common among many game publishers.

Partnering with a Publisher vs. Self-Publishing

Selecting the right publisher for independent developers is crucial for several reasons. First, finding a publisher that specializes in the same genre as their game allows for a better understanding and added value to the gameplay. Additionally, the publisher likely has a cultivated fanbase that appreciates games in that genre, making marketing more efficient. Second, developers want to ensure the publisher can provide the specific support they need, whether it's funding, marketing, professional opinions, playtesting, localization, and more. Not all publishers offer the same services. I have written an article outlining the pros and cons of working with a game publisher, which is relevant to this discussion. I have written an article that outlines the pros and cons of working with a game publisher which is relevant for the purpose of this discussion.

Evaluation Process

When evaluating game projects for support, we look for games with unique selling points and strong replayability. For example, Wandering Sword stands out for its graphics and Chinese wuxia theme, while Back to the Dawn offers a quirky storyline in a prison-themed game. As a new publisher, we are open to all genres, but as gamers ourselves, we gravitate toward roguelike action, RPG, strategy, simulation, and survival games.

Spiral Up Games' Services

Game developers who come to Spiral Up Games for support during the publishing stage can expect a range of services. We provide funding for development, marketing coverage in major markets, professional advice for game development and design, playtesting and feedback, community management, localization, and much more. Our services are tailored to meet the specific needs of each game developer.

Team's Approach on the Chinese and Global Markets

Facilitating the expansion of foreign developers into the Chinese market and assisting Chinese game developers in accessing the global market relies on creating accessibility to gamers through distribution, marketing, and communications. Whether it's for the Chinese or global market, our approach involves gaining exposure for the game through social media, publications, and video sites, localizing the game for key markets, and communicating with gamers in various languages. We have a particular strength in marketing and communication in both English and Chinese, allowing us to support developers in reaching their target audiences effectively.

Future Plans

Regarding our future plans, we have several exciting upcoming titles that will soon be unveiled by Spiral Up Games. Keep an eye out for a roguelite action game, sandbox survival game, turn-based strategy game, and a story-oriented puzzle game focusing on AI. While we can't reveal the names just yet, these titles embody our dedication to delivering diverse and innovative gaming experiences. Stay tuned for more updates!

Aldric Chang, CEO of Spiral Up Games

Interview conducted by Ana Kessler