What Sabotage Studio does

Sabotage Studio Inc. is a privately held indie video game developer founded in April 2016 in Quebec City, Canada, by co-founders Thierry Boulanger (Creative Director) and Martin Brouard, with Philip Barclay joining as Executive Producer and Partner in February 2019. The studio designs and develops retro-inspired 2D pixel-art games characterized by hand-crafted dynamic lighting rendering, bespoke combat mechanics (timed hits, locks system), and shared-universe storytelling. Its product portfolio consists of two core titles—The Messenger (action platformer, released August 2018 and published by Devolver Digital) and Sea of Stars (turn-based RPG, released August 2023 and self-published)—along with two free DLC expansions (Picnic Panic in 2019 and Throes of the Watchmaker in May 2025). Games are distributed globally as one-time-purchase digital licenses across Steam, Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, GOG.com, Apple App Store, and Google Play, localized into 11+ languages.

Sabotage operates a community-led go-to-market motion anchored by a 290,536+ newsletter subscriber base and a 16,000+ member Discord community, complemented by active social media presence and a dedicated streamer kit program. The studio has received two Game Awards (Best Debut Indie Game 2018; Best Independent Game 2023), the Golden Joystick Best Indie Game 2023, and multiple regional awards. Revenue derives entirely from B2C game and DLC sales with no subscription or live-service component, supplemented historically by service work for external studios (notably Oddworld Inhabitants). The company has been bootstrapped through a $100,000 CAD bank loan, Canada Media Fund grants covering 50% of The Messenger's development, a 2020 Kickstarter campaign for Sea of Stars, and a $5,000 CAD startup prize, with no disclosed institutional venture capital.

Name

Sabotage Studio

Legal name

Sabotage Studio Inc.

Website

https://sabotagestudio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sabotage Studio is a privately held Quebec City-based indie game developer founded in 2016 that creates retro-inspired pixel-art video games for global PC, console, and mobile platforms, serving individual gamers through titles like The Messenger and Sea of Stars.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indie Video Games

akta.pro primary industry

Indie Game Studios (MPAFAAAC)

Keywords

• Indie game development
• Retro-inspired games
• Turn-based RPG
• Action platformer
• Pixel art games

Headquarters

HQ city

Quebec

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Game Sales: Direct sales of video games through digital distribution platforms including Steam, Nintendo Switch eShop, PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, GOG.com, Apple Store, and Google Play. Revenue generated from one-time purchases of game titles.
2. DLC Sales: Downloadable content expansions for existing games. The Messenger DLC 'Picnic Panic' and Sea of Stars DLC 'Throes of the Watchmaker' were offered free as a gesture of gratitude to fans, but the studio has produced paid DLC content as well.
3. Publishing Partnership: The Messenger was published by Devolver Digital, generating revenue through publishing partnership. Sea of Stars was self-published.
4. Crowdfunding (Kickstarter): Sea of Stars was funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2020, with stretch goals including the 'Throes of the Watchmaker' DLC. This provided upfront capital for development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sabotage Studio is an independent video game development studio that designs, develops, and sells retro-inspired games for PC, console, and mobile platforms. Their portfolio includes action platformers and turn-based RPGs built on a shared narrative universe, featuring pixel art aesthetics, proprietary dynamic lighting rendering, and modernized combat and traversal systems inspired by classic 90s titles.

Product overview

Sabotage Studio is an indie game development studio from Quebec City that creates retro-inspired video games with modern game design. Their product portfolio includes two core games—The Messenger (a classic action platformer with time-travel mechanics) and Sea of Stars (a turn-based RPG)—along with two DLC expansions: Picnic Panic (for The Messenger) and Throes of the Watchmaker (for Sea of Stars). All games take place in a shared universe and are characterized by pixel art aesthetics, dynamic lighting effects, and tight gameplay inspired by 90s classics. The studio operates as a single unified developer rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture, with each game being a distinct product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Messenger A retro-inspired action platformer with a time-traveling adventure narrative, featuring ultra-tight ninja controls, character upgrades, new abilities, hidden levels, branching paths, and real-time transitions between 8-bit and 16-bit sprites and animations. Sold to individual gamers on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and GOG.com.
• Sea of Stars A turn-based RPG inspired by classic 90s JRPGs, featuring engaging combat with timed hits, multi-character combo attacks, boosting mechanics, a strategic locks system, unshackled platformer-based traversal, and support for single player or 2-3 player local co-op. Available on PC, console, and mobile platforms globally.
• The Messenger - Picnic Panic A free DLC expansion for The Messenger offering a summer vacation tropical adventure on Voodkin Island, including three new levels, three new bosses, a new cast of enemy minions, more challenge rooms, hidden artifacts, and 18 new music tracks.
• Sea of Stars: Throes of the Watchmaker A free DLC expansion for Sea of Stars set in the miniature clockwork world of Horloge, featuring a circus-themed adventure with new playable classes for Valere and Zale, a new playable character Arty the Artificer, over 8 hours of new content including areas, music, dungeons, mini-games, enemies, bosses, and puzzles, and local co-op support for up to 3 players.

Quantifiable outcome

• Winner of Game Award for Best Debut Indie Game 2018 (The Messenger)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Devolver DigitalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDevolver Digital served as the publisher for The Messenger, which was released in August 2018. The partnership was announced in March 2018 after Devolver saw the game at PAX South 2018. This publishing relationship provided distribution expertise and marketing support for The Messenger's global release.
• popagendacoreGTM or Marketing Partnerpopagenda is a PR firm founded by Geneviève St-Onge, Nicolas Verge, and Marie-Christine Bourdua. They were brought on as the PR firm for The Messenger launch, with Gen being a longtime friend and former colleague of Sabotage team members.
• Special Reserve GamesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpecial Reserve Games handled the physical limited edition releases of The Messenger, including Switch and PS4 physical copies with special packaging.
• Iam8bitminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIam8bit produced and sold limited edition vinyl 2x LP of The Messenger soundtrack, featuring artwork by Peter Mohrbacher.
• Tinsley PRminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTinsley PR handles review key requests for Sea of Stars content creators. The PR team manually approves key requests and prioritizes the best fits with the game.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Supergiant Games: Small indie studio with similar team size and acclaimed releases (Hades, Bastion, Pyre), sharing a focus on narrative-driven action/RPG gameplay and consistent critical acclaim comparable to Sabotage's The Messenger and Sea of Stars.
• Playdead: Independent Danish studio (Limbo, Inside) known for cinematic 2D action-platformers with distinctive art direction; directly comparable in scale, premium indie positioning, and award-winning pedigree.
• Studio MDHR: Cuphead developer with a similarly small team and emphasis on retro aesthetics applied to modern game design; comparable in pursuit of premium indie positioning, award recognition, and pixel-art craftsmanship.
• Yacht Club Games: Small studio behind Shovel Knight, sharing Sabotage's retro-inspired action-platformer DNA, comparable headcount, Kickstarter-funded origins, and cross-platform release strategy.
• Moon Studios: Developer of Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps, comparable as an indie action-platformer/RPG studio with award-winning releases and multi-platform reach.
• ConcernedApe: Solo creator of Stardew Valley, comparable as an independent developer of pixel-art, retro-styled games achieving massive commercial and critical success with a lean team.

Broad incumbents

• Dotemu: French publisher/developer specializing in retro game revivals and remasters (Streets of Rage 4, TMNT: Shredder's Revenge); comparable in retro-game focus and partnership with indie developers.
• WayForward Technologies: Established studio specializing in retro-styled 2D games including Shantae series; comparable focus on retro aesthetics and 2D action-platformer craft, though operating at larger scale.
• Devolver Digital: Indie publisher that published The Messenger; comparable as a leading indie-focused publisher investing in retro-inspired and artistically distinctive games across multiple small studios.

Regional players

• Tribute Games: Canadian indie studio (Mercenary Kings, TMNT: Shredder's Revenge) based in Montreal, highly comparable as a fellow Quebec indie developer focused on retro-inspired action games with small team and pixel-art aesthetic.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sabotageqc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCFqkoH39JOvUTmQch2yRFFQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/SabotageQC
• Instagraminstagram.com/sabotage.studio
• TikToktiktok.com/@sabotage.studio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sabotagestudio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sabotage Studio