Yacht Club Games
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersValencia, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
Yacht Club Games firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Yacht Club Games
- Legal name
- Yacht Club Games, LLC
- Website
- https://yachtclubgames.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Yacht Club Games is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Valencia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Yacht Club Games business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Digital Game Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling games digitally through Steam, GOG, Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store, and Xbox Store. Games include Shovel Knight series, Cyber Shadow, Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon, Shovel Knight Dig, and Mina the Hollower
- Merchandise Sales: Physical merchandise including plush toys, pins, apparel sold through own storefront and third-party partners like Fangamer, The Yetee, YouTooz, and Sanshee
- DLC and Expansions: Downloadable content packs for existing games, including Pals Pack for Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon, Wicked Wishes DLC for Shovel Knight Dig, and various expansion content
- Soundtrack Sales: Music soundtracks sold separately including Shovel Knight Original Soundtrack, Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows Soundtrack, King of Cards + Showdown Soundtrack, and Prescription for Sleep: Shovel Knight CD
- Concert and Event Revenue: Live orchestral concerts like Shovel Knight Live: Steel Thy Concert with ticket sales and VIP experiences at venues in Los Angeles and New York
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Mina the Hollower Digital Edition |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Merchandise Items |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels8 records
Yacht Club Games product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Yacht Club Games is an independent video game studio that develops and publishes retro-inspired 8-bit action-adventure and platformer games for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms. The studio's portfolio centers on the Shovel Knight franchise (5 games bundled as Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove) along with original title Mina the Hollower, the puzzle roguelite Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon, the vertical platformer Shovel Knight Dig, and the ninja action game Cyber Shadow. The studio also sells branded merchandise and game soundtracks, and hosts live orchestral concerts.
Product overview
Yacht Club Games is an independent video game studio that develops and publishes retro-inspired action-adventure and platformer games. Their portfolio centers around the Shovel Knight franchise (a collection of 8-bit styled games including Shovel of Hope as the base game plus expansions Plague of Shadows, Specter of Torment, King of Cards, and Showdown, all bundled as Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove), with additional titles including Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon (puzzle roguelite), Shovel Knight Dig (vertical platformer), Cyber Shadow (ninja action), and their latest original IP Mina the Hollower (gothic horror action-adventure). The company also publishes titles from other indie developers and offers merchandise through their online store.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mina the Hollower A gothic horror action-adventure game featuring Game Boy Color-inspired 8-bit visuals, challenging platforming, combat with multiple weapons (whip, daggers, maul), and exploration across a densely interconnected world with 25+ bosses. Targeted at retro gaming enthusiasts, hardcore platformer players, and gothic horror fans.
- Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove The complete Shovel Knight collection containing all 5 games in the epic saga, including Shovel of Hope, Plague of Shadows, Specter of Torment, King of Cards, and Showdown, featuring pixel-perfect 8-bit platforming and action-adventure gameplay.
- Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon A puzzle-action roguelite mashup where players guide Shovel Knight through procedurally-generated dungeons, featuring online versus multiplayer, various playable characters, and DLC expansions (Puzzler's Pack, Paradox Pack, Pals Pack).
- Shovel Knight Dig A fast-paced vertical-scrolling action platformer co-developed with Nitrome, featuring fluid animation, precise platforming, and dynamic level generation as Shovel Knight descends into an ever-changing well.
- Cyber Shadow A ninja action game developed with Mechanical Head Studios (Master Thermos), featuring Shadow as the sole survivor of his clan on a mission to defeat the evil Dr. Progen and his synthetic army.
- Yacht Club Games Merchandise Store Physical merchandise including plush toys (Shovel Knight, Black Knight, The Enchantress, Specter Knight, Troupple King, Propeller Rat by Symbiote Studios), pins (e.g., Robo-Ninja Pin Set at $14.00), apparel, and collectibles sold through own storefront and third-party partners.
- Game Soundtracks Music soundtracks sold separately including Shovel Knight Original Soundtrack, Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows Soundtrack, King of Cards + Showdown Soundtrack, and Prescription for Sleep: Shovel Knight CD.
- Shovel Knight Live: Steel Thy Concert Live orchestral concert with ticket sales and VIP experiences at venues in Los Angeles and New York, featuring Shovel Knight music arranged by Jake Kaufman and Grammy award winner Charlie Rosen.
Quantifiable outcome
- Mina the Hollower sold 300,000 copies in first 3 days, securing studio's ability to continue without layoffs or outside investment
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Yacht Club Games
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Yacht Club Games technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Yacht Club Games partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Aether StudiosminorAdded free Mina the Hollower bundle to Rivals 2 including a brand-new Mina emote to celebrate Mina's launch
- Ukiyo StudiosminorPartnered to bring Mina the Hollower playable demo to PAX East 2026 at booth #18055
- NitromecoreCo-development partnership for Shovel Knight Dig, where Nitrome worked alongside Yacht Club Games to create the vertical digging adventure game. Nitrome contributed to the development alongside Yacht Club Games as co-developers.
- Jake KaufmancoreComposer for Shovel Knight series creating MSX-style soundtrack for Mina the Hollower. Arranged Shovel Knight Live concert music alongside Grammy award winner Charlie Rosen
- Super Rare GamesminorSpecialty publisher releasing physical limited editions of Yacht Club Games titles, including Cyber Shadow for Nintendo Switch (up to 9,000 copies) and PlayStation 5, with standard and deluxe editions featuring exclusive merchandise
- FangamerminorMerchandise partner selling Shovel Knight and Mina the Hollower branded products including plush toys, apparel, and collectibles at events and online
- Symbiote StudiosminorCreates official Shovel Knight plush toys and merchandise including Shovel Knight, Black Knight, The Enchantress, Specter Knight, Troupple King, and Propeller Rat characters
- The YeteeminorApparel partner creating Shovel Knight branded clothing and merchandise items
- YouToozminorCollectible partner producing Shovel Knight figure collectibles and merchandise
- SansheeminorMerchandise partner creating Shovel Knight branded collectibles and apparel
- Insert CoinminorHigh-quality apparel partner creating Shovel Knight clothing line
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Yacht Club Games competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- WayForward Technologies: Founded by former WayForward employees, Yacht Club Games shares WayForward's retro action-platformer DNA (Contra 4, Shantae, A Boy and His Blob). Same development philosophy, target audience, and aesthetic tradition.
- Nitrome: Co-development partner on Shovel Knight Dig and fellow indie studio specializing in pixel-art action games. Comparable team size, retro aesthetic, and cross-platform digital distribution model.
- Team Cherry: Small indie studio behind Hollow Knight, a critically acclaimed Metroidvania with retro-leaning hand-drawn art. Directly comparable in scope, team size, critical reception, and target audience.
- Moon Studios: Indie developer of Ori and the Blind Forest / Will of the Wisps — high-quality action-platformers with retro-inspired aesthetics and strong critical reception. Similar team scale, business model, and multi-platform strategy.
- Supergiant Games: Small indie studio (Bastion, Transistor, Hades) operating with similar headcount and a track record of critically acclaimed action games with distinctive art direction. Comparable distribution and monetization model.
- Extremely OK Games (EXOK): Developer of Celeste, a critically acclaimed indie platformer with retro-leaning pixel art. Similar team size, retro action-platformer focus, and indie-prestige positioning.
- Dotemu: French publisher/developer focused on retro-styled and remastered classic games (Streets of Rage 4, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge). Comparable retro-aesthetic positioning and multi-platform release strategy.
Broad incumbents
- Devolver Digital: Major indie publisher (Hotline Miami, Fall Guys, Cult of the Lamb) with a portfolio of retro-styled action games. Functions as a peer publisher in the indie action-platformer category rather than as a direct developer competitor.
- Raw Fury: Indie publisher (Sable, Norco, Dome Keeper) focused on distinctive, art-driven games. Operates in the same indie ecosystem and competes for similar audiences, though as publisher rather than developer.
- Annapurna Interactive: Prestige indie publisher behind titles like Stray and Cocoon. Functions as a potential publisher/partner peer given similar indie-prestige positioning and high critical-acclaim standard, though focuses on a broader game portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks3 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Yacht Club Games social profiles
Digital presenceYacht Club Games financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Yacht Club Games leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Yacht Club Games funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Yacht Club Games M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Yacht Club Games
What does Yacht Club Games do?
Yacht Club Games is an independent video game studio that develops and publishes retro-inspired 8-bit action-adventure and platformer games for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms. The studio's portfolio centers on the Shovel Knight franchise (5 games bundled as Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove) along with original title Mina the Hollower, the puzzle roguelite Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon, the vertical platformer Shovel Knight Dig, and the ninja action game Cyber Shadow. The studio also sells branded merchandise and game soundtracks, and hosts live orchestral concerts.
Is Yacht Club Games a public or private company?
Yacht Club Games is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Yacht Club Games founded?
Yacht Club Games was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Yacht Club Games based?
Yacht Club Games is headquartered in Valencia, United States, in the North America region.
How does Yacht Club Games make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Digital Game Sales are the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales, DLC and Expansions, soundtrack Sales and concert and Event Revenue.
Who are Yacht Club Games's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are WayForward Technologies, Nitrome, Team Cherry, Moon Studios, Supergiant Games, Extremely OK Games (EXOK) and Dotemu. Broad incumbents are Devolver Digital, Raw Fury and Annapurna Interactive.
Does Yacht Club Games have an API?
No public API is recorded for Yacht Club Games.