The Game Bakers
The Game Bakers is an independent French video game studio founded in 2010, self-publishing original IP including Cairn, Furi, Haven, and the SQUIDS series across PC, console, and mobile platforms for indie gaming enthusiasts and hardcore action fans.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersMontpellier, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What The Game Bakers does
The Game Bakers is an independent French video game studio founded in August 2010 by Emeric Thoa and Audrey Leprince, both formerly of Ubisoft, and headquartered in Paris with operations in Montpellier and a fully remote team of approximately 17 members distributed across France and globally. The studio self-funds and self-publishes original IPs across multiple genres, including the tactical RPG SQUIDS series (2011–2018), the boss-fight action game Furi (2016), the romantic RPG Haven (2020), and most recently the survival-climbing title Cairn (January 2026), all distributed simultaneously across Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox storefronts, with supplementary direct-to-consumer merchandise and soundtrack sales on Bandcamp. Cairn represents the studio's commercial breakout, selling 300,000 copies in its first week and generating over $6M in Steam gross revenue, while achieving the highest OpenCritic score of 2026 (87) and a Metacritic score of 84.
The studio's revenue model is overwhelmingly weighted toward one-time license sales of full games, with smaller contributions from merchandise, soundtrack licensing, and select free-to-play titles (Combo Crew was made permanently free in 2020). Development is supported in part by non-dilutive public funding — the French FAJV fund, the European Union, and Montpellier Méditerranée co-funded Cairn — while commercial growth has been entirely self-funded through game sales, with no institutional investors or parent company disclosed. The customer base consists of indie game enthusiasts, hardcore action-game fans, and exploration/adventure gamers seeking distinctive, artistically driven experiences, and the studio's go-to-market relies on community channels (Discord, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, X, newsletters), gaming event presence (Tokyo Game Show, PC Gaming Show, Steam Next Fest), and unified multi-platform launches.
The Game Bakers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Game Bakers
- Legal name
- The Game Bakers
- Website
- https://thegamebakers.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Game Bakers is an independent French video game studio founded in 2010, self-publishing original IP including Cairn, Furi, Haven, and the SQUIDS series across PC, console, and mobile platforms for indie gaming enthusiasts and hardcore action fans.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where The Game Bakers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Montpellier
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Game Bakers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Game Sales: Primary revenue from selling video games directly to consumers through digital storefronts including Steam, PlayStation Store, Nintendo eShop, Xbox Store, Epic Games Store, and GOG. One-time purchase model for full game access.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including T-shirts and other products through the company's own merch store (merch.thegamebakers.com).
- Game Soundtracks: Sale of original game soundtracks through platforms like Bandcamp. Previous soundtracks for Furi and Haven released as digital albums.
- Freemium Model: Combo Crew made free permanently to sustain player base without ongoing support costs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free game with optional in-app purchases |
| One time/ perpetual license | One time/ perpetual license | Standard PC/console game pricing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels9 records
Marketing channels8 records
The Game Bakers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Game Bakers is an independent French game studio that develops and self-publishes original video games across PC, console, and mobile platforms. Its flagship titles include Cairn (a survival-climbing game), Haven (a romantic RPG adventure), Furi (a boss-fight action game), and the SQUIDS series (tactical RPGs), sold as one-time purchases through digital storefronts and accompanied by branded merchandise.
Product overview
The Game Bakers is an independent French game studio that develops and self-publishes original video games. Their portfolio includes multiple distinct games across various genres and platforms: Cairn (a survival-climber), Haven (a romantic RPG adventure), Furi (a boss-fight action game), and the SQUIDS series (tactical RPGs). They have released games on PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and mobile platforms. Their current flagship title is Cairn, a rock-climbing survival game released in January 2026. The studio also offers downloadable content and expansions for their games, including Furi DLCs and Cairn's upcoming free DLC.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cairn A survival-climber game where players guide climber Aava up mythical Mount Kami with complete freedom to climb anywhere, featuring realistic climbing mechanics, resource management, and environmental storytelling.
- Haven A romantic RPG adventure about two lovers who escaped to a lost planet, featuring exploration, combat, and themes of love, rebellion, and freedom. Won multiple awards for story and art direction.
- Furi An adrenaline-fueled boss-fight only action game featuring intense one-on-one duels with a unique art style and electro soundtrack, combining close combat and dual stick shooting mechanics.
- SQUIDS Odyssey The ultimate SQUIDS compilation featuring the original tactical RPG and SQUIDS Wild West with additional content, released on Switch and Steam.
- Combo Crew Modern take on old-school brawlers for mobile featuring characters from Capcom's Street Fighter 2, Viewtiful Joe, and Another World. Made free in 2020.
- SQUIDS Original tactical RPG mobile game featuring an unlikely bunch of octopus heroes with an average 5-star user rating, launched in 2011.
- SQUIDS Wild West Sequel tactical RPG for mobile featuring a western theme, ranked in top 10 best mobile games of 2012.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Brawler Brawler game developed for mobile for Nickelodeon and Paramount to accompany Michael Bay's TMNT movie.
- The Game Bakers Merchandise Store Direct-to-consumer merchandise sales including game-themed T-shirts and apparel sold through the studio's own storefront.
Quantifiable outcome
- Cairn reached #8 on Steam Top Sellers chart within days of launch
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Game Bakers
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Game Bakers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
The Game Bakers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- BandcampminorPlatform for selling game soundtracks including Furi and Haven OSTs from artists like Carpenter Brut, Danger, The Toxic Avenger, Waveshaper, Lorn, Scattle, and Kn1ght.
- Sony (PlayStation)coreStrategic partnership for Furi's console development and release. Furi launched on PlayStation 4 and later PS5 as part of console-first strategy with Sony's support.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Game Bakers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Playdead: Danish independent studio (Limbo, Inside) known for critically acclaimed, artistic indie games on PC and consoles; similar in scale, self-publishing model, and reputation for distinctive visual style.
- Motion Twin: French independent cooperative studio behind Dead Cells, with comparable team size, self-publishing model, and action-game focus; shares both the indie ethos and the French/European indie ecosystem with The Game Bakers.
- Moon Studios: Award-winning indie studio behind the Ori and the Blind Forest/Will of the Wisps series; similar scale, self-published premium action platformers with comparable critical reception, making it a closely comparable peer.
- Yacht Club Games: Small US indie studio behind Shovel Knight with a similar self-publishing, multi-platform, action-game focus; comparable in scale, business model, and cross-platform distribution footprint.
- Supergiant Games: Small, critically acclaimed independent studio (Hades, Bastion, Transistor) of comparable size with a similar model of self-publishing artistic action games with strong narrative and art direction — directly comparable to The Game Bakers in scale, ethos, and genre overlap.
- Thunder Lotus Games: Canadian independent studio behind Spiritfarer and Jotun; similar small-team, self-publishing, artistic-narrative indie model with strong critical positioning, comparable to The Game Bakers' Haven and Cairn.
- Sabotage Studio: Independent studio behind The Messenger and Sea of Stars — similar small-team size, self-publishing across PC and consoles, and a focus on stylish action games with strong critical reception, directly mirroring The Game Bakers' positioning.
- Hello Games: UK independent studio behind No Man's Sky; comparable small-to-mid independent studio that self-publishes ambitious, original-IP games across PC and consoles, with a similar long-cycle, high-stakes production model.
Broad incumbents
- Devolver Digital: Large independent publisher known for stylish indie action games (Hotline Miami, Cult of the Lamb, Death's Door) that operate in the same artistic-action niche as The Game Bakers' Furi and Cairn; a broad incumbent in indie publishing and a potential partner.
- Annapurna Interactive: Major indie publisher of artistic, critically acclaimed games; frequently publishes titles in the same niche as The Game Bakers (action, narrative, exploration) and represents a likely publishing or acquisition counterpart rather than a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Game Bakers social profiles
Digital presenceThe Game Bakers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Game Bakers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
The Game Bakers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Game Bakers 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 The Game Bakers
What does The Game Bakers do?
The Game Bakers is an independent French game studio that develops and self-publishes original video games across PC, console, and mobile platforms. Its flagship titles include Cairn (a survival-climbing game), Haven (a romantic RPG adventure), Furi (a boss-fight action game), and the SQUIDS series (tactical RPGs), sold as one-time purchases through digital storefronts and accompanied by branded merchandise.
Is The Game Bakers a public or private company?
The Game Bakers is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Game Bakers founded?
The Game Bakers was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Game Bakers based?
The Game Bakers is headquartered in Montpellier, France, in the Europe region.
How does The Game Bakers make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Game Sales are the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales, game Soundtracks and freemium Model.
Who are The Game Bakers's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Playdead, Motion Twin, Moon Studios, Yacht Club Games, Supergiant Games, Thunder Lotus Games, Sabotage Studio and Hello Games. Broad incumbents are Devolver Digital and Annapurna Interactive.
Does The Game Bakers have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Game Bakers.