Young Horses
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
Young Horses firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Young Horses
- Legal name
- Young Horses Inc.
- Website
- https://younghorsesgames.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Young Horses industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Indie Video Games
- akta.pro primary industry
- Educational Games & Kids/Families Game Studios (MPAFAAAI)
Keywords
Where Young Horses is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Young Horses business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Game Sales - Premium Titles: One-time purchase model for Octodad: Dadliest Catch ($14.99) and Bugsnax ($24.99) across multiple platforms including PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and iOS.
- Free-to-Play Original Octodad: Original Octodad released free in 2010 as a student project to build audience and brand awareness.
- Merchandise - Bugsnax: The Card Game: Physical card game merchandise based on the Bugsnax IP released in 2024.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Octodad: Dadliest Catch - Standard Edition |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Bugsnax - Standard Edition |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Octodad - Free Edition |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels9 records
Marketing channels5 records
Young Horses product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Young Horses is an independent video game studio that designs, develops, and publishes its own quirky, physics-driven games for kids and adults across PC, console, and mobile platforms. Core titles include the Octodad franchise (original free student project plus premium sequel Octodad: Dadliest Catch with co-op multiplayer and a community level editor) and Bugsnax, a puzzle-adventure game about half-bug, half-snack creatures, along with the Bugsnax: The Card Game tabletop spin-off released in 2024.
Product overview
Young Horses is an independent video game studio that develops and publishes a portfolio of quirky, physics-based games. Their core products include the Octodad franchise (original free student project, premium sequel Octodad: Dadliest Catch with co-op and level editor, and DLC Octodad Shorts) and Bugsnax (puzzle-adventure game with a card game spin-off). Games are distributed across multiple platforms including Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and iOS, with pricing ranging from free to $24.99 USD.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Bugsnax A puzzle-adventure game set on Snaktooth Island where players discover, hunt, and capture 100 species of half-bug half-snack creatures called Bugsnax while solving mysteries about the island's inhabitants. Available across PC, console, and mobile platforms, designed for gaming enthusiasts of all ages.
- Octodad: Dadliest Catch A slapstick comedy game where players control Octodad, an octopus masquerading as a human father, using physics-based marionette controls to perform mundane tasks while keeping his secret from his family. Includes 2-4 player cooperative multiplayer and a community level editor with Steam Workshop integration (Windows).
- Octodad The original student-project game featuring Octodad, a third-person adventure about an octopus disguised as a human dad. Free release for PC/Mac, won IGF Student Showcase Winner 2011. Served as the brand-awareness product that drove awareness and conversion to the premium sequel.
- Bugsnax: The Card Game A tabletop card game adaptation of the Bugsnax video game franchise, sold as standalone physical merchandise leveraging the Bugsnax IP. Released in 2024.
Companies that use Young Horses
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Young Horses 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
Young Horses partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- popagendaminorPR and marketing partner for Bugsnax game launch and promotion. popagenda handled public relations and marketing communications for the game.
- brightskull entertainment groupminorVoice-over casting, recording, and production partner for Bugsnax. Managed voice talent and audio production for the game.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Young Horses competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Yacht Club Games: Indie studio behind Shovel Knight, founded by ex-WayForward developers. Comparable as a small team shipping premium, family-friendly 2D/3D action games across multiple console and PC platforms.
- Playdead: Small independent studio behind Limbo and Inside. Comparable as a boutique premium indie developer with physics-based, art-forward gameplay and multi-platform distribution.
- WayForward Technologies: Long-running independent developer shipping platformers and licensed games across Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. Comparable in multi-platform premium indie model and broad platform coverage.
- Team Cherry: Tiny three-person Australian indie studio behind Hollow Knight. Comparable as a very small team that built a flagship premium indie franchise across multiple platforms with critical acclaim.
- Supergiant Games: Small, critically acclaimed indie studio (Bastion, Hades, Transistor) shipping premium titles across PC and consoles. Highly comparable as a similarly-sized team producing distinctive, family-to-adult-friendly gameplay with strong critical reception.
- Cellar Door Games: Small independent studio behind Rogue Legacy, shipping premium indie titles on PC and consoles. Comparable as a small team with multi-platform premium indie distribution.
- Klei Entertainment: Independent studio shipping Don't Starve, Mark of the Ninja, and other premium indie titles across PC and consoles. Comparable in studio scale, multi-platform distribution, and quirky creative direction.
- Studio MDHR: Small independent studio behind Cuphead, with similarly distinctive art style and physics-driven gameplay. Comparable as a boutique studio with premium pricing on multiple platforms.
- Mossmouth: Solo/small-team indie developer of Spelunky, with very small team size and procedurally-driven, family-accessible PC and console games. Comparable in scale and quirky mechanics focus.
Broad incumbents
- Devolver Digital: Major indie publisher that distributes many similar quirky, premium indie titles (Hotline Miami, Fall Guys, Cult of the Lamb). Adjacent rather than a direct competitor, but operates in the same premium indie ecosystem where Young Horses titles compete for player attention.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Young Horses social profiles
Digital presenceYoung Horses financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Young Horses leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Young Horses funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Young Horses 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 Young Horses
What does Young Horses do?
Young Horses is an independent video game studio that designs, develops, and publishes its own quirky, physics-driven games for kids and adults across PC, console, and mobile platforms. Core titles include the Octodad franchise (original free student project plus premium sequel Octodad: Dadliest Catch with co-op multiplayer and a community level editor) and Bugsnax, a puzzle-adventure game about half-bug, half-snack creatures, along with the Bugsnax: The Card Game tabletop spin-off released in 2024.
Is Young Horses a public or private company?
Young Horses is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Young Horses founded?
Young Horses was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Young Horses based?
Young Horses is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Young Horses make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Game Sales - Premium Titles are the primary driver. The others are free-to-Play Original Octodad and merchandise - Bugsnax: The Card Game.
Who are Young Horses's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Yacht Club Games, Playdead, WayForward Technologies, Team Cherry, Supergiant Games, Cellar Door Games, Klei Entertainment, Studio MDHR and Mossmouth. Devolver Digital is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Young Horses have an API?
No public API is recorded for Young Horses.
What industry is Young Horses in?
Young Horses's product category is Indie Video Games. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAAAI, Educational Games & Kids/Families Game Studios.