What Pathea does

Pathea is an independent video game development studio founded in 2012 and headquartered in Chongqing, China, operating under the trade name Pathea Games. The studio develops and publishes multi-platform games spanning life simulation (the My Time series: Portia, Sandrock, Evershine), open-world sandbox (Planet Explorers), puzzle-adventure (Ever Forward), management simulation (Let's School), competitive sports (Super Buckyball Tournament), and action RPG (The God Slayer). Its primary franchise, the My Time series, is a cozy life-sim line with crafting, building, farming, dating, and RPG progression mechanics targeted at fans of the genre popularized by Stardew Valley.

Pathea's core technology is built on the Unity 3D engine, with proprietary voxel-based OpenCL systems — most notably in Planet Explorers — that enable player-driven terrain modification and object creation across a 9x17km open-world continent. The studio's products are distributed globally through Steam, GOG, Humble Store, PlayStation Store, Xbox Store (including Game Pass for Super Buckyball Tournament), Nintendo Switch eShop, iOS App Store, and Google Play, plus its own merch storefront and Amazon. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time digital game sales, with ancillary income from DLC, official merchandise, and crowdfunding campaigns (Kickstarter was used for Planet Explorers and My Time at Evershine).

Pathea operates a product-led, community-driven go-to-market model. There is no institutional investor or parent company disclosed in the source data; the studio appears to be founder/team-owned. Community engagement is maintained through Discord, Reddit, Steam Community, itch.io, GameJolt, and DeviantArt channels. The company has shipped at least eight titles across a decade and continues to release new products through 2025, with no public listing, acquisitions, or ownership changes on record.

Name

Pathea

Legal name

Pathea Co., Ltd

Website

https://pathea.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Pathea is an independent, Chongqing-based video game studio that develops and publishes multi-platform games — led by the My Time life-sim franchise — distributed globally across PC, console, and mobile storefronts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chongqing Shi

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Game Sales: Direct sales of PC and console games through digital storefronts. Games like My Time at Portia, My Time at Sandrock, Planet Explorers, and Ever Forward are sold as one-time purchases with optional DLC.
2. Platform Distribution: Revenue from major gaming platforms including Steam, GOG, PlayStation Store, Xbox, Nintendo Switch eShop, iOS App Store, and Google Play with platform-specific distribution agreements.
3. Merchandise Sales: Official game merchandise sold through the company's own storefront and Amazon marketplace.
4. Kickstarter/Crowdfunding: Crowdfunding campaigns for game development, such as My Time at Evershine on Kickstarter, and Planet Explorers Kickstarter.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Pathea is an independent game studio that develops and self-publishes video games across life simulation, open-world sandbox, action RPG, puzzle, sports, and management-simulation genres. Its products are distributed globally as one-time digital purchases on PC (Steam, GOG, Humble), consoles (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch), and mobile (iOS, Android), with supporting DLC, crowdfunding campaigns, and branded merchandise.

Product overview

Pathea is an independent game studio that creates titles based on new technology, new ideas, and user-generated content. The company's portfolio includes the My Time series of life simulation games (My Time at Portia, My Time at Sandrock, and the upcoming My Time at Evershine), open-world sandbox adventures (Planet Explorers), puzzle games (Ever Forward), action RPGs (The God Slayer), sports games (Super Buckyball Tournament), and management simulations (Let's School). These games are distributed across multiple platforms including Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• My Time at Portia: A life simulation RPG set in the post-apocalyptic town of Portia.
• My Time at Sandrock
• My Time at Evershine
• Planet Explorers
• Super Buckyball Tournament
• Ever Forward
• The God Slayer
• Let's School

Products and services

• My Time at Portia Life simulation sandbox game set in a post-apocalyptic town where players restore a workshop, fulfill commissions, grow crops, raise animals, and befriend quirky inhabitants through building, crafting, mining, and dating mechanics.
• My Time at Sandrock Sequel to My Time at Portia; a sandbox life simulation game where players take on the role of a Builder in Sandrock, gathering resources, constructing machines, and restoring the town from economic ruin.
• My Time at Evershine Next installment in the My Time series featuring a new art style and evolved gameplay features combining RPG, co-op, building, mining, dating sim, and open-world elements.
• The God Slayer Open-world action RPG where players embody an Elemancer with elemental powers and vengeance, fighting to dethrone deities.
• Ever Forward Puzzle adventure game following a girl trapped between reality and imagination who must find her way home.
• Super Buckyball Tournament Martial arts football sports game where players draft teams and compete in a galaxy-renowned tournament, featuring pass, kick, and fight gameplay.
• Planet Explorers Open-world voxel-based sandbox adventure RPG set on a distant planet in 2287, featuring terrain modification, building, crafting, combat, mission systems, and both single-player and multiplayer modes. Built on Unity 3D engine with OpenCL.
• Let's School School management simulation game allowing players to run and customize their own school.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• CJ ENMminorOthers · 3 April 2026CJ ENM is listed as a producer and distributor for Bong Joon-ho's animated feature 'Ally'. This appears to be a film production partnership unrelated to Pathea's game development business.
• Penture InvestminorOthers · 3 April 2026Penture Invest is listed as a producer for Bong Joon-ho's animated feature 'Ally'. This appears to be a film production partnership unrelated to Pathea's game development business.
• Pathe FilmsminorOthers · 3 April 2026Pathe Films is listed as a distributor for Bong Joon-ho's animated feature 'Ally'. This appears to be a film production partnership unrelated to Pathea's game development business. Note: Pathe Films is a separate French film company, not to be confused with Pathea Games.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Chucklefish: UK-based indie developer of Starbound and publisher of Stardew Valley. Directly comparable as an indie studio/publisher focusing on sandbox, crafting, and life-sim gameplay with multi-platform distribution, mirroring Pathea's genre focus and indie scale.
• ConcernedApe (Stardew Valley): Solo developer of Stardew Valley, the defining cozy life-sim/farming sandbox RPG. Highly comparable to Pathea's My Time franchise in mechanics (farming, crafting, NPC relationships, building) and target audience, though operating at solo-developer scale.
• Team Cherry: Australian indie developer of Hollow Knight and its sequel Silksong. Comparable small-team indie studio with single deeply-iterated franchise, multi-platform distribution (PC/console/Switch), and heavy community/Discord engagement - paralleling Pathea's indie playbook.
• Coconut Island Games: Chinese indie game developer and publisher behind titles such as Genesis Noir and others. Comparable as a China-based indie studio with global distribution ambitions, similar indie scale, and exposure to the Chinese game licensing environment.
• Supergiant Games: Independent developer of Hades, Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre - a small US indie studio with similar headcount (~40-50), strong franchise IP, cross-platform releases, and critical acclaim. Directly comparable in indie scale, IP-led strategy, and digital distribution footprint.
• XD Inc. (XD Network): China-headquartered indie game publisher and developer operating titles across PC, console, and mobile globally. Comparable to Pathea as a Chinese indie studio distributing Western-targeted games with diversified genre portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Devolver Digital: London-listed indie games publisher with portfolio across life-sim, simulation, sandbox, and action genres. Comparable as a multi-platform indie publisher/incumbent whose distribution model and portfolio breadth make it both a potential partner and competitor to Pathea's self-publishing approach.
• HoYoverse (miHoYo): China-founded global games publisher (Genshin Impact, Honkai). Comparable as a Chinese-headquartered, globally distributed games studio, though operating at vastly larger scale and live-service model. Relevant for talent and publishing peer reference within the Chinese ecosystem.
• 11 bit studios: Polish indie publisher/developer behind This War of Mine and Frostpunk. Comparable as an established indie studio with multi-platform distribution, strong narrative IP, and global reach - broader portfolio but similar mid-sized indie operations.
• Team17: UK-based developer of the Worms franchise and long-standing indie publisher (Overcooked, The Escapists). Comparable as a long-running, multi-platform indie game developer/publisher serving similar casual/family-friendly gaming audiences as Pathea.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@patheagames
• Facebookfacebook.com/PatheaGames
• Instagraminstagram.com/patheagames
• Xx.com/patheagames

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Pathea