What Lunar Software does

Lunar Software is a UK-based independent game development studio founded in September 2011 by Aaron Foster in Preston, England. The company operates as a three-person core team consisting of Foster (Lead Designer/Artist), Jemma Hughes (Artist/Designer), and Pete Dissler (Programmer/Designer), and has spent over five years developing a single title, "Routine," a first-person survival horror game set on an abandoned moon base built around a 1970s retro-futuristic aesthetic. The game runs on a proprietary engine (the team evaluated Unreal Engine 4 but elected not to switch mid-development) and features full-body awareness first-person mechanics, no HUD design, physics-based audio, a Cosmonaut Assistance Tool upgrade system, permadeath mechanics, and a dual-path progression system with two unique endings.

The business model is direct-to-consumer digital distribution exclusively through Steam for PC and Mac, with revenue entirely dependent on a single one-time-purchase SKU. The team has explicitly ruled out an early access model and is committing to a finished-game release only. Marketing is conducted organically via Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, blog updates, and earned media coverage from gaming publications including GameInformer, Giant Bomb, GameSpot, The Guardian, and Indie Game Mag; conference presence has included Gamescom 2012 and GDC. Composer Mick Gordon was retained on a music/audio partnership for the soundtrack.

Lunar Software is bootstrapped with no disclosed external institutional funding, no parent company, and no venture capital backing, and operates as a privately-held entity self-financed by its founders. The customer base is targeted at PC gamers interested in atmospheric horror and exploration experiences, particularly players who value permadeath stakes, branching narrative, and immersive non-HUD gameplay. As of the most recent disclosed activity (March 2017), the game remains unreleased and the team has announced an additional delay beyond the prior March 2017 window.

Name

Lunar Software

Legal name

Lunar Software

Website

https://lunar-software.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lunar Software is a UK-based independent game studio developing Routine, a first-person survival horror title set on an abandoned 1970s moon base, for planned one-time-purchase release on Steam via PC and Mac to horror-game enthusiasts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Preston

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Game Sales: One-time purchase of Routine through Steam for PC and Mac. No early access model - the team commits to releasing a fully finished game only.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Lunar Software develops and publishes Routine, a first-person survival horror video game set on an abandoned Moon Base designed around a 1970s vision of the future. The game features two distinctive progression paths with unique endings, Full Body Awareness mechanics without a traditional HUD, permadeath gameplay, and exploration-driven horror on a moon base. The studio distributes the title exclusively through Steam for PC and Mac and has committed to releasing only a finished, polished product rather than an early access build.

Product overview

Lunar Software is an independent game development company that has produced a single core product, Routine. Routine is a first-person survival horror game featuring two distinctive paths with unique endings, Full Body Awareness mechanics without a traditional HUD, permadeath gameplay, and exploration on an abandoned Moon Base. The company has no additional products, modules, or sub-brands—their entire portfolio centers on this one title, developed for PC and Mac through Steam.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Routine Routine is a first-person survival horror game set on an abandoned Moon Base designed around a 1970s vision of the future. It features two distinct progression paths with unique endings, Full Body Awareness immersive mechanics without a HUD, permadeath with final consequences, customizable visual effects, an adjustable FOV slider (70 to 110 degrees), a Cosmonaut Assistance Tool upgradeable through collectible Disks, and physics-based sound design. It is targeted at PC and Mac gamers interested in atmospheric horror and exploration experiences and is distributed digitally via Steam.

Quantifiable outcome

• Positive press coverage from major gaming outlets including GameInformer, Giant Bomb, GameSpot, The Guardian, and Indie Game Mag

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Mick GordonminorOthersComposer for Routine who created the game's soundtrack. Mick Gordon is a well-known video game composer known for his work on various indie titles.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Frictional Games: Small Swedish indie studio behind Amnesia: The Dark Descent and SOMA. Closest comparable to Lunar Software: a small team building atmospheric first-person horror with strong community engagement and self-publishing via Steam.
• Bloober Team: Polish indie horror studio behind Layers of Fear, Observer, The Medium, and the Silent Hill 2 remake. Comparable as an indie-first horror developer whose trajectory from small team to publicly listed studio illustrates both the upside and the scaling path.
• Playdead: Danish indie studio behind Limbo and Inside. Comparable as a small, design-led indie studio shipping a single acclaimed title at a time with high craft standards, similar operational profile to Lunar Software.
• Kinetic Games: UK-based single-person studio behind Phasmophobia. Directly comparable as a tiny indie team that built a breakout horror hit on Steam through community-led marketing and influencer coverage.
• Team Cherry: Tiny Australian indie studio behind Hollow Knight. Comparable as a small team that took multiple years to deliver a single breakthrough title, building community patiently through minimal marketing.
• Red Barrels: Independent Canadian studio behind the Outlast series. Comparable as a small indie team whose commercial success with a single horror franchise established a self-publishing horror brand.
• Heart Machine: Small indie studio behind Hyper Light Drifter and Solar Ash. Comparable as a small-team indie developer with strong art direction shipping premium titles to PC/console.

Broad incumbents

• Behaviour Interactive: Mid-size studio behind Dead by Daylight, a defining asymmetric horror IP. Comparable as a more established horror developer with strong live-ops and community monetization that indie horror peers benchmark against.
• Capcom: Major publisher of the Resident Evil franchise and active remakes/reboots. Represents the dominant incumbent in survival horror that indie horror peers like Lunar Software compete against for player mindshare and Steam visibility.
• Supermassive Games: UK-based studio behind Until Dawn and The Dark Pictures Anthology. Comparable as a UK horror-focused developer, but materially larger and publisher-backed, serving as the broader incumbent in the space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lunarsoftware
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/lunarsof
• Facebookfacebook.com/lunarsoftware

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 Lunar Software