Brace Yourself Games
Brace Yourself Games is a Vancouver-based independent developer and publisher of multi-platform video games, best known for the Crypt of the NecroDancer rhythm-roguelike franchise, Phantom Brigade mech tactics, and Cobalt Core deckbuilder, serving global consumer gaming audiences via Steam, console, and mobile storefronts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersVancouver, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Brace Yourself Games does
Brace Yourself Games Inc. is a privately held independent video game developer and publisher headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, operating since 2013 with an 11–50 person team. The studio develops and publishes multi-platform games built on proprietary engines, most notably a rhythm-based gameplay framework that underpins Crypt of the NecroDancer, Rift of the NecroDancer, and the Nintendo co-developed Cadence of Hyrule, alongside non-rhythm titles including the time-manipulation mech tactics game Phantom Brigade, the sci-fi roguelike deckbuilder Cobalt Core, the factory-builder Industries of Titan, and the cooperative raft game Super Raft Boat Together. Technical differentiation rests on a rhythm-gameplay core engine, a modding stack combining mod.io cross-platform distribution, a Lua scripting environment for Crypt of the NecroDancer mods, an official Unity-based Mod SDK with data and level editors for Phantom Brigade, and YAML-based configuration files that enable lighter modding without the SDK.
Brace Yourself Games firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Brace Yourself Games
- Legal name
- Brace Yourself Games Inc.
- Website
- https://braceyourselfgames.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Brace Yourself Games is a Vancouver-based independent developer and publisher of multi-platform video games, best known for the Crypt of the NecroDancer rhythm-roguelike franchise, Phantom Brigade mech tactics, and Cobalt Core deckbuilder, serving global consumer gaming audiences via Steam, console, and mobile storefronts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Brace Yourself Games industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Indie Video Games
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Indie Game Studios (MPAFAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Mobile & F2P Game Studios (MPAFAAAB), Subscription, Bundling & Membership Distribution (Game Pass-like, Humble-like) (MPAFABAI)
Keywords
Where Brace Yourself Games is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vancouver
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Brace Yourself Games business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Video Game Sales: One-time purchase revenue from sales of proprietary games including Crypt of the NecroDancer, Cobalt Core, Phantom Brigade, Rift of the NecroDancer, Industries of Titan, and Super Raft Boat Together through digital storefronts
- Music Pack DLC: DLC music packs for Rift of the NecroDancer featuring collaborations with other game studios and musicians. Sold as complete packs at discounted pricing (previously $1.99 per song with bundle, now pack pricing with 25% discount baked in). Approximately 98% of customers purchase full packs.
- Merchandise Sales: Physical merchandise including plushies (Cadence Makeship plushie campaign mentioned) and potential future branded merchandise
- Mod Support Services: Modding community support with free mod hosting through mod.io, weekly challenge curation, and console approval processes for mod distribution
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Music Packs - Complete Pack with Baked-in Discount |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Base Games - Standard Digital Release |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Brace Yourself Games product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Brace Yourself Games develops and publishes original indie video games, with a portfolio centered on the NecroDancer rhythm-roguelike franchise and adjacent genres including turn-based mech tactics and sci-fi deckbuilders. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time digital purchases of games and paid DLC music packs distributed via Steam, console stores, and mobile app stores, with supplementary physical merchandise.
Product overview
Brace Yourself Games is an award-winning independent game developer and publisher based in Vancouver, Canada, specializing in games that blend unexpected genres and mechanics. The portfolio centers on rhythm-based gaming experiences, particularly the NecroDancer franchise which includes Crypt of the NecroDancer (the original rhythm roguelike), Cadence of Hyrule (a Nintendo collaboration), and Rift of the NecroDancer (a music game featuring music pack DLC). Beyond the rhythm genre, the company publishes Cobalt Core (sci-fi deckbuilder), Phantom Brigade (turn-based mech tactics), Industries of Titan, Super Raft Boat Together, and Godless. The games are available across multiple platforms including Steam, Nintendo eShop, Microsoft Store, PlayStation Store, Google Play Store, and Apple App Store.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Crypt of the NecroDancer Original rhythm roguelike game in which players explore procedurally generated dungeons and fight enemies to the beat of the music, targeting individual players who enjoy rhythm and roguelike gameplay.
- Cobalt Core Sci-fi roguelike deckbuilder featuring strategic card-based combat in a space setting; players build decks to battle through encounters.
- Rift of the NecroDancer Rhythm-based action game in which the rhythm fights back, with a DLC music pack collaboration system featuring songs from other game franchises and musical artists.
- Cadence of Hyrule Official collaboration with Nintendo combining Crypt of the NecroDancer gameplay with The Legend of Zelda characters, music, and setting.
- Phantom Brigade Cinematic turn-based mech tactics game featuring time-manipulation mechanics; players command mechs through tactical battles with branching decision trees and use the official Mod SDK and YAML configuration for modding.
- Industries of Titan Strategy game in which players build factories on Saturn's moon Titan and manage resource and production chains.
- Super Raft Boat Together
Quantifiable outcome
- 10+ music pack collaborations within first year
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Brace Yourself Games
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Brace Yourself Games technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature4 records
Brace Yourself Games partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Toby FoxcoreUNDERTALE music pack collaboration featuring songs including Spider Dance, Death By Glamour, Berguntrückung/ASGORE, Hopes and Dreams, Battle Against a True Hero, and MEGALOVANIA. Spider Dance available free, full pack through Steam.
- Michael "Garoad" KellycoreVA-11 Hall-A music pack collaboration featuring five songs: YLIAD (free), Digital Drive, Every Day is Night, Drive Me Wild, and Welcome to VA-11 HALL-A. Characters Jill Stingray and Dorothy Haze join Cadence in the Rift.
- Super Spin DigitalminorSpin Rhythm XD collaboration providing free song 'The Magician' by Seejay for Rift of the NecroDancer. Joint bundle offerings created for both games with 5 Steam keys giveaway for Spin Rhythm XD.
- Danny BaranowskycoreComposer for Crypt of the NecroDancer soundtrack contributing 'Portabellohead' as the first anniversary gift song for Rift of the NecroDancer in February 2026.
- Vortex BuffercoreVortex Buffer created a multiplayer mod for Crypt of the NecroDancer that was so well-received, Brace Yourself Games turned it into an official expansion called SYNCHRONY. This collaboration represents a unique conversion of community mod to official DLC.
- NintendocoreCollaboration with Nintendo to create Cadence of Hyrule, featuring The Legend of Zelda characters in the Crypt of the NecroDancer framework. A successful crossover title between BYG's IP and Nintendo's flagship franchise.
- mod.iocoreMod hosting platform for Crypt of the NecroDancer: SYNCHRONY mods. Provides technical infrastructure for mod submission, review, and cross-platform distribution including console approval workflow.
- Valve (Steam)coreSteam platform partnership for game distribution, mod support integration, and backend infrastructure for managing the large volume of DLC releases (nearly 50 new songs in 2025 alone).
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Brace Yourself Games competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Supergiant Games: Award-winning indie game studio known for Hades, Bastion, and Transistor. Closely comparable as a similarly-sized indie developer with a strong portfolio of genre-defining titles and community engagement, operating from a small team with cross-platform distribution.
- Klei Entertainment: Indie developer behind Don't Starve, Mark of the Ninja, and Oxygen Not Included. Comparable as a Vancouver-area indie studio with multiple successful franchises across genres, sustained DLC/content updates, and a similarly small-to-mid-sized team.
- Devolver Digital: Indie game publisher with a portfolio of titles including Hotline Miami, Cult of the Lamb, and Enter the Gungeon. Comparable as an indie-focused publisher with cross-genre titles and developer-friendly publishing model; BYG operates a publishing arm with similar positioning.
- Team Cherry: Small indie studio behind Hollow Knight and Silksong. Comparable as a tiny indie developer with a single dominant IP that achieved breakout commercial success through community engagement and cross-platform distribution.
- Raw Fury: Indie game publisher focused on titles like Sable, Norco, and Dome Keeper. Comparable as a smaller indie publisher with similar genre-blending approach and emphasis on unique aesthetic and gameplay experiences.
- Yacht Club Games: Indie developer behind Shovel Knight. Comparable as a similarly-sized indie studio with a single breakthrough IP that expanded via DLC and cross-platform distribution.
- Thunder Lotus Games: Indie developer behind Jotun and Spiritfarer. Comparable as an indie studio with multiple genre-spanning titles (action, management) and a small team operating from North America.
- Chucklefish: Indie developer and publisher behind Stardew Valley (published), Risk of Rain, and Wargroove. Comparable as an indie publisher with community-focused titles, modding support, and a genre-diverse portfolio.
- Motion Twin: Indie developer behind Dead Cells. Comparable as a small indie studio with genre-blending gameplay (roguelike + metroidvania), strong DLC/content update cadence, and cross-platform distribution.
Broad incumbents
- Annapurna Interactive: Major indie game publisher behind Stray, Outer Wilds, and Cocoon. Comparable publishing arm with similar developer-friendly approach and genre-diverse portfolio, though operating at significantly larger scale than BYG.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Brace Yourself Games social profiles
Digital presenceBrace Yourself Games financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Brace Yourself Games leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Brace Yourself Games funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Brace Yourself Games M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Brace Yourself Games
What does Brace Yourself Games do?
Brace Yourself Games develops and publishes original indie video games, with a portfolio centered on the NecroDancer rhythm-roguelike franchise and adjacent genres including turn-based mech tactics and sci-fi deckbuilders. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time digital purchases of games and paid DLC music packs distributed via Steam, console stores, and mobile app stores, with supplementary physical merchandise.
Is Brace Yourself Games a public or private company?
Brace Yourself Games is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Brace Yourself Games founded?
Brace Yourself Games was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Brace Yourself Games based?
Brace Yourself Games is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Brace Yourself Games make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Video Game Sales are the primary driver. The others are music Pack DLC, merchandise Sales and mod Support Services.
Who are Brace Yourself Games's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Supergiant Games, Klei Entertainment, Devolver Digital, Team Cherry, Raw Fury, Yacht Club Games, Thunder Lotus Games, Chucklefish and Motion Twin. Annapurna Interactive is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Brace Yourself Games have an API?
No public API is recorded for Brace Yourself Games.
What industry is Brace Yourself Games in?
Brace Yourself Games's product category is Indie Video Games. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAAAC, Indie Game Studios, with a secondary code of MPAFAAAB, Mobile & F2P Game Studios. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7990.