Wadjet Eye Games
Wadjet Eye Games is a Brooklyn-based indie developer and publisher founded in 2006, specializing in narrative-driven point-and-click adventure games built on the Adventure Game Studio engine and distributed via Steam, GOG, Nintendo Switch, and mobile platforms to global indie adventure game enthusiasts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Wadjet Eye Games does
Wadjet Eye Games is a Brooklyn-based independent video game developer and publisher founded by Dave Gilbert in 2006, specializing in narrative-driven point-and-click adventure games. The studio operates as a small "mom-and-pop shop" with a core team of founders Dave and Janet Gilbert plus a small group of full-time staff and contractors (including artist Ben Chandler and designer Francisco Gonzalez), supplemented by third-party developers whose titles Wadjet Eye publishes. Its catalog spans 18+ released titles across multiple genres, including the five-game Blackwell urban-fantasy saga, Unavowed (supernatural), Technobabylon (cyberpunk), Primordia (post-apocalyptic), Shardlight (post-apocalyptic), Strangeland (psychological horror), The Excavation of Hob's Barrow (folk horror), Gemini Rue (neo-noir sci-fi), Resonance (sci-fi thriller), A Golden Wake (historical), and Old Skies (time travel, released October 2025). All games except Emerald City Confidential are built on the Adventure Game Studio (AGS) freeware engine, with the studio layering on distinctive features such as in-character hint systems, developer commentary tracks, annotation modes for cultural references, and progressive resolution improvements (Unavowed at 2x typical resolution, Old Skies at 1920x1080).
Wadjet Eye Games firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wadjet Eye Games
- Legal name
- Wadjet Eye Games
- Website
- https://wadjeteyegames.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Wadjet Eye Games is a Brooklyn-based indie developer and publisher founded in 2006, specializing in narrative-driven point-and-click adventure games built on the Adventure Game Studio engine and distributed via Steam, GOG, Nintendo Switch, and mobile platforms to global indie adventure game enthusiasts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wadjet Eye Games industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Indie Point-and-Click Adventure Video Games
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Full-Service Game Publishers (1st/2nd/3rd-Party Publishing) (MPAFABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Publisher-Owned Direct-to-Consumer Stores (MPAFACAK)
Keywords
Where Wadjet Eye Games is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Wadjet Eye Games business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Direct Game Sales (One-Time License): Wadjet Eye sells individual games as one-time purchases through their own website store (integrated with Humble Store), offering immediate download plus a Steam key with each purchase. Games are priced at $4.99–$14.99 each.
- Digital Distribution Platforms (Steam, GOG, iOS, Nintendo Switch): Games are also sold through major third-party digital distribution platforms including Steam, GOG.com, iOS App Store, and Nintendo Switch eShop, generating revenue through platform revenue-share.
- Game Publishing (Publishing Third-Party Developed Games): Wadjet Eye publishes games developed by third-party studios (e.g., Primordia by Wormwood Studios, Technobabylon by Technocrat Games, The Excavation of Hob's Barrow by Cloak and Dagger Games), taking a publishing cut while the developer retains IP ownership. Some published games (like Blackwell Epiphany) are company-owned titles that generate the highest profit margins.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Most games — $14.99 PC/Mac/Linux |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Older/smaller titles — $9.99 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Blackwell Legacy Series (first four games) — $4.99 each |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Pre-order discount — 20% off |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Blackwell 4-pack bundle — $14.99 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Wadjet Eye Games product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wadjet Eye Games is an independent video game developer and publisher that creates and distributes narrative-driven point-and-click adventure games. The studio also publishes third-party-developed adventure titles, retaining IP ownership on its own Blackwell series and similar in-house franchises while earning publishing royalties on games built by external developers such as Wormwood Studios, Technocrat Games, and Cloak and Dagger Games. Nearly all in-house titles are built with the Adventure Game Studio freeware engine and sold as one-time purchases through a Humble-powered direct website store, Steam, GOG, Nintendo eShop, iOS, and Google Play.
Product overview
Wadjet Eye Games is a Brooklyn-based independent video game publisher and developer specializing in point-and-click adventure games. The company operates as a 'mom-and-pop shop' founded by Dave Gilbert in 2006, with Janet Gilbert joining in 2009. Their portfolio spans over 20 titles including flagship series like the Blackwell series (5 games), standalone titles like Unavowed, Strangeland, Technobabylon, Shardlight, and Primordia, as well as published works from external developers. All games (except Emerald City Confidential) are built with Adventure Game Studio. Distribution occurs through direct sales, Steam, GOG, Humble Store, Nintendo eShop, iOS App Store, and Google Play.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Old Skies A time-travel point-and-click adventure game in which players control Fia Quinn, a time agent for the ChronoZen agency, solving seven cases spanning two centuries of New York City history. Features high-resolution 1920x1080 graphics, full voice acting, and puzzles that require temporal thinking.
- Unavowed A supernatural adventure game set in modern New York City in which the player joins the Unavowed, an ancient society that combats supernatural threats. Features selectable male or female protagonist, three origin-story backstories, four companion characters, and branching storylines that change based on choices and party composition.
- Strangeland A psychological horror point-and-click adventure set inside a surreal carnival, in which the player attempts to rescue a stranger from a bottomless well while encountering eccentric characters and twisted environments. Includes optional developer commentary track and annotation mode explaining embedded cultural/literary references.
- The Excavation of Hob's Barrow A folk horror narrative-driven point-and-click adventure following Thomasina Bateman as she investigates mysterious events at an English village barrow in rural Victorian England. Features dark folklore themes, traditional adventure-game puzzles, and atmospheric pixel-art graphics.
- Primordia A post-apocalyptic point-and-click adventure set among cast-off machines in a world without humans, following robot Horatio Nullbuilt and his companion Crispin as they search for a stolen power source. Features voice acting by Logan Cunningham and is published across PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Nintendo Switch.
- Technobabylon A cyberpunk point-and-click adventure set in the fictional year 2087 in Newton City, following CEL agents Charlie Regis and Max Lao as they investigate a Mindjacker who steals knowledge from citizens. Features genetic engineering, virtual reality (Trance), and an omnipresent governing AI named Central.
- Shardlight A post-apocalyptic point-and-click adventure set in a world ravaged by nuclear war, following Amy Wellard as she investigates a possible cure for a deadly disease that disproportionately affects the lower class under a regime run by Aristocrats.
- Blackwell Epiphany The fifth and final installment of the Blackwell urban fantasy mystery adventure series, starring medium Rosa Blackwell and her spirit guide Joey Mallone as they confront the threat of the Sanguinita Vampiris. Features two playable characters with unique abilities, full voice acting, and an original musical score.
- The Shivah: Kosher Edition A rabbinical murder mystery point-and-click adventure in which Rabbi Russell Stone investigates the suspicious death of a former congregant. Features Talmudic combat, rabbinical conversation mechanics, three different endings, and fully-voiced dialogue.
- Blackwell Deception The fourth installment of the Blackwell urban fantasy mystery series, in which medium Rosa Blackwell and spirit guide Joey Mallone investigate street psychics and their victims across downtown nightclubs and penthouse apartments while uncovering secrets from Joey's past.
- Blackwell Convergence The third installment of the Blackwell urban fantasy mystery adventure series, starring medium Rosangela Blackwell and spirit guide Joey Mallone, in which they investigate bizarre coincidences connecting seemingly unrelated crimes in Manhattan.
- Blackwell Unbound A Blackwell series prequel set in 1973, following embittered medium Lauren Blackwell and spirit guide Joey Mallone as they investigate a killer on Roosevelt Island in New York.
- Blackwell Legacy The first installment of the Blackwell urban fantasy mystery adventure series, in which medium Rosa Blackwell inherits her aunt's supernatural gift and, with spirit guide Joey Mallone, investigates a series of mysterious suicides at a New York City university.
- Resonance A sci-fi thriller point-and-click adventure following four playable characters racing to secure a dangerous technology following the death of a particle physicist. Features an innovative long and short term memory cue/inventory system, ten hours of gameplay, and voice work by Logan Cunningham.
- Gemini Rue A neo-noir sci-fi point-and-click adventure set on the rain-drenched planet of Barracus, alternating between ex-assassin Azriel Odin and an amnesiac patient named Delta-Six. Features over 60 hand-drawn backgrounds and an innovative investigation system, and was the company's best-selling Steam title at the time of Steam Spy measurement (230,524 owners).
- Nighthawks A darkly comic vampire-themed point-and-click adventure in which players take the role of a newly turned vampire trying to build a nightclub empire. Features strategic combat, character recruitment, and city exploration in a setting where humans and vampires struggle to coexist.
- A Golden Wake A historical point-and-click adventure set during the 1920s Florida Land Boom, following real estate agent Alfie Banks in Coral Gables. Developed by Francisco Gonzalez (Grundislav Games) and published by Wadjet Eye at $14.99 on PC, Mac, and Linux.
Quantifiable outcome
- Blackwell Epiphany sold 7,005 copies on Steam in its first month at $14.99, generating ~$105,004.95 in gross profit — making it Wadjet Eye's most profitable game at the time of measurement (2015).
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Wadjet Eye Games
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Wadjet Eye Games technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Wadjet Eye Games partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Cloak and Dagger GamesminorCloak and Dagger Games developed The Excavation of Hob's Barrow, a folk horror narrative-driven adventure published by Wadjet Eye. The game follows Thomasina Bateman exploring rural Victorian England. Released September 28, 2022 for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Wadjet Eye published the title.
- Wormwood StudioscoreWormwood Studios developed Primordia, a post-apocalyptic adventure game published by Wadjet Eye. The game features Horatio Nullbuilt and Crispin as protagonists in a world about the extinction of the human race, with voice work from Logan Cunningham (Bastion). Wadjet Eye published the title on PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Nintendo Switch.
- Technocrat Games (James Dearden)coreTechnocrat Games, led by writer James Dearden, developed Technobabylon. Originally released as a freeware episodic game, the full commercial version was published by Wadjet Eye. The cyberpunk adventure set in Newton City 2087 features characters Charlie Regis, Max Lao, and Latha Sesame. Wadjet Eye published the PC version.
- PlayFirstminorPlayFirst is the publisher and owner of Emerald City Confidential. Wadjet Eye was contracted by PlayFirst to design and produce the game. Wadjet Eye does not own the rights to Emerald City Confidential and cannot sell it directly. The game is published and sold exclusively by PlayFirst on Steam.
- XII GamesminorXII Games developed Resonance, a sci-fi thriller adventure game with four playable characters. Wadjet Eye published the title on PC, Mac, Linux, and iOS. The game features voice work from Logan Cunningham (Bastion) and has an innovative long and short term memory system.
- Joshua NuernbergerminorJoshua Nuernberger developed Gemini Rue, a neo-noir sci-fi point-and-click adventure published by Wadjet Eye. The game became Wadjet Eye's biggest commercial success with 230,524 Steam owners (as of April 2015). It was featured at the IGF and covered by major gaming outlets.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Wadjet Eye Games competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Daedalic Entertainment: German developer and publisher specializing in narrative-driven point-and-click adventure games (Deponia, The Whispered World, Silence). Closely aligned with Wadjet Eye in genre focus, publishing both internal and third-party adventure titles, and serving similar PC/console/mobile distribution channels.
- Revolution Software: UK-based indie developer behind the long-running Broken Sword adventure series. Operates as a comparable specialist studio in classic point-and-click adventures with multi-platform (PC, console, mobile) distribution and a niche but loyal fanbase.
- Inkle Studios: UK indie studio focused on narrative-driven adventure games such as 80 Days and Heaven's Vault. Comparable in size, indie status, emphasis on storytelling and writing quality, and direct-to-consumer plus Steam distribution model.
- Amanita Design: Czech indie developer of distinctive adventure titles (Machinarium, Samorost, Creaks). Comparable as a small, creatively-driven indie studio with a strong authorial brand and games distributed across Steam, GOG, and consoles targeting a similar narrative/art-driven audience.
Broad incumbents
- Devolver Digital: Large independent games publisher backing a broad catalog of indie titles across multiple genres. Compares to Wadjet Eye as a publisher-side operator, though at vastly greater scale, broader genre mix, and with external investment — Wadjet Eye operates a smaller, more curated version of the same indie-publishing thesis.
- Annapurna Interactive: Independent publisher known for narrative-driven, artistically distinctive games (What Remains of Edith Finch, Kentucky Route Zero). Shares the curator-publisher identity with Wadjet Eye but operates at significantly greater scale, broader genre reach, and on console platforms as a primary publisher rather than indie self-distribution.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Wadjet Eye Games social profiles
Digital presenceWadjet Eye Games financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wadjet Eye Games leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Wadjet Eye Games funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wadjet Eye 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 Wadjet Eye Games
What does Wadjet Eye Games do?
Wadjet Eye Games is an independent video game developer and publisher that creates and distributes narrative-driven point-and-click adventure games. The studio also publishes third-party-developed adventure titles, retaining IP ownership on its own Blackwell series and similar in-house franchises while earning publishing royalties on games built by external developers such as Wormwood Studios, Technocrat Games, and Cloak and Dagger Games. Nearly all in-house titles are built with the Adventure Game Studio freeware engine and sold as one-time purchases through a Humble-powered direct website store, Steam, GOG, Nintendo eShop, iOS, and Google Play.
Is Wadjet Eye Games a public or private company?
Wadjet Eye Games is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Wadjet Eye Games founded?
Wadjet Eye Games was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Wadjet Eye Games based?
Wadjet Eye Games is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Wadjet Eye Games make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct Game Sales (One-Time License) is the primary driver. The others are digital Distribution Platforms (Steam, GOG, iOS, Nintendo Switch) and game Publishing (Publishing Third-Party Developed Games).
Who are Wadjet Eye Games's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Daedalic Entertainment, Revolution Software, Inkle Studios and Amanita Design. Broad incumbents are Devolver Digital and Annapurna Interactive.
Does Wadjet Eye Games have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wadjet Eye Games.
What industry is Wadjet Eye Games in?
Wadjet Eye Games's product category is Indie Point-and-Click Adventure Video Games. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFABAA, Full-Service Game Publishers (1st/2nd/3rd-Party Publishing), with a secondary code of MPAFACAK, Publisher-Owned Direct-to-Consumer Stores. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7990.