The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild

What The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild does

The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild (QAG) is an independent video game developer and publisher founded in 2011 by Ty Taylor (Forbes 30 Under 30) and headquartered in Seattle, Washington. The studio operates a dual model: it develops original titles such as The Bridge (2013) and Tumblestone (2016, Metacritic 91) while also publishing third-party indie games developed by external studios, a publishing capability the company expanded into around 2019. Its 17+ title catalog spans puzzle, platformer, twin-stick shooter, dungeon crawler, life-sim, sailing adventure, and rhythm game genres, and is distributed across 8+ platforms including Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, Epic Games Store, Apple Arcade, iOS, and Android.

Name

The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild

Legal name

The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild, Inc.

Website

https://qag.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild is a Seattle-based indie game developer and publisher, founded in 2011, that develops original titles (The Bridge, Tumblestone) and publishes third-party indie games across 8+ platforms including console, PC, and mobile storefronts for global gaming audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wausau

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Game Sales: One-time purchase revenue from selling video games directly to consumers through digital storefronts and retail channels. Games are sold as one-time purchases with no subscription required.
2. DLC and Expansions: Additional content releases such as 'Cozy Grove: New Neighbears DLC' that expand existing game experiences for additional purchase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild (QAG) is an independent video game developer and publisher that creates, publishes, and distributes indie games across PC, console (Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation), and mobile (iOS, Android, Apple Arcade) storefronts. The company develops original titles such as The Bridge and Tumblestone and also acts as a multi-platform publisher for third-party indie studios (Cozy Grove, Sail Forth, Breakpoint, Freshly Frosted, Marble It Up! Ultra, among others). Games are sold as one-time purchases with no subscription requirement, supported by occasional DLC expansions.

Product overview

The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild (QAG) is an indie game developer and publisher founded in 2011, offering a portfolio of puzzle, action, and adventure games. The company develops original titles including award-winning puzzle games The Bridge (2013) and Tumblestone (2016), while also publishing third-party indie titles. Their published library spans diverse genres including platformers (Marble It Up! Ultra, Deleveled), dungeon crawlers (Roundguard), life-sims (Cozy Grove), sailing adventures (Sail Forth), rhythm games (Overpass: Rhythm Roadtrip), and puzzle games (Freshly Frosted, FRACTER). QAG operates as both developer and publisher, helping indie studios bring games to more players and platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Bridge A 2D logic puzzle game featuring gravity manipulation and M.C. Escher-inspired impossible architecture with a hand-drawn black-and-white lithographic art style.
• Tumblestone An original action-puzzle game featuring competitive multiplayer racing, a 40+ hour story mode, and multiplayer modes supporting up to four local players or online ranked matchmaking.
• Cozy Grove A life-sim game about camping on a haunted island where players act as spirit scouts, building camps, befriending ghostly inhabitants, and bringing color back to the island through crafting and exploration.
• Sail Forth An open-world sailing adventure game featuring semi-realistic sailing physics, fleet management, exploration across dozens of eccentric regions, and a narrative-driven mystery.
• Marble It Up! Ultra The ultimate marble platformer featuring an extensive single-player campaign, five competitive multiplayer modes, global leaderboards, and weekly challenges.
• Freshly Frosted A puzzle game set in a donut factory where players place conveyor belts to solve 144 puzzles featuring various mechanics including splitters, pushers, mergers, cloners, randomizers, and teleporters.
• Roundguard A bouncy dungeon crawler combining pinball physics with roguelike elements, featuring permadeath with benefits, procedurally generated dungeons, and three playable classes.
• Space Otter Charlie A zero-gravity puzzle platformer following Charlie the sea otter who designs a space shuttle to follow humans into space, featuring educational loading screen facts about sea otters.
• Breakpoint A twin-stick slasher featuring full-contact melee combat with five distinct weapons, weapon-break explosions, global leaderboards, and Corsair iCUE RGB integration.
• Deleveled A unique jumping puzzle game featuring no jump button where players master momentum by falling to new heights, with over 120 levels across 10 unique worlds.
• The Ambassador: Fractured Timelines A twin-stick fantasy shooter centered around time-stopping abilities, featuring strategic combat, five unique environments, two timelines, and 55 levels.
• #Funtime A twin-stick shooter combining traditional shooting with unique color-swapping mechanics, featuring over 50 challenging levels and 8 distinct battle modes.
• FRACTER An atmospheric isometric puzzle adventure set in a world of glowing black architecture, following a veiled hero on a quest to dispel darkness using light.
• KUR A comedic retro-style first-person shooter where players kick enemies using 'The Boot' as a primary weapon against demonic robots wearing human flesh.
• Almost There A precision platformer designed for hardcore platforming fans featuring 150+ stages of obstacles including saw blades, homing missiles, lasers, and crumbling floors.
• Gurgamoth A chaotic party fighting game where the level itself is the weapon, featuring shifting battlefields with hazards and quick-reflex competitive gameplay.
• Indie Game Publishing Service B2B publishing service through which QAG partners with independent game studios to port, market, and distribute their finished titles across PC, console, and mobile storefronts globally, in exchange for publishing rights.

Quantifiable outcome

• Each of QAG's games has achieved over 2M downloads across all platforms
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Festive Vector (David Evans)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 December 2022Festive Vector is a one-person development studio based in Seattle, Washington, focused on creating games with positivity and fun. QAG publishes Sail Forth, an open-world sailing adventure game with semi-realistic physics. The game has received multiple awards including DreamHack Best Action Adventure 2019.
• Spry FoxcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2021Spry Fox is the developer of Cozy Grove, a life-sim game about camping on a haunted island. QAG publishes Cozy Grove across multiple platforms including Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, Steam, Epic Games Store, and Apple Arcade. Spry Fox is known for Triple Town, Alphabear, and Realm of the Mad God.
• Studio AesthesiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2020Studio Aesthesia is a Seattle-based indie studio comprised of Edward Lu and Nick Amlag, focused on developing games with punchy, kinetic gameplay. QAG publishes Breakpoint, their twin-stick slasher game, on Nintendo Switch and Steam. Breakpoint features Corsair iCUE RGB integration.
• tinyDino GamescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 August 2020tinyDino Games is a Chicago-based indie studio. QAG publishes The Ambassador: Fractured Timelines, a twin-stick fantasy shooter centered around the ability to stop time. The game won multiple awards including Best Action at DreamHack Austin 2018.
• One Guy Games (Brandon Robinson)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 July 2020One Guy Games, run by Brandon Robinson based in Monroe, Washington, developed #Funtime. QAG publishes this twin-stick shooter combining traditional shooting with a unique coloring mechanic across PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Steam.
• One MR Bean (Overpass developer)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQAG is publishing Overpass: Rhythm Roadtrip, a futuristic rhythm road trip game developed by One MR Bean. Features music by Makeup and Vanity Set and has been featured at IndieCade, Fantastic Arcade, and DreamHack.
• Space Otter Charlie developerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQAG publishes Space Otter Charlie, an adventure puzzle platformer about Charlie the otter helping animals reach space. Features zero-gravity environments, equipment upgrades, and local multiplayer.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Devolver Digital: Major independent game publisher behind titles such as Hotline Miami, Fall Guys, and Inscryption. Directly comparable to QAG as both operate as indie publishers bringing curated third-party and first-party indie titles to multiple platforms (PC, console, mobile) globally.
• Humble Games: Publishing arm of Humble Bundle that has released Slay the Spire, Ring of Pain, For The King, and Unpacking. Comparable to QAG as an indie publisher with strong multi-platform distribution emphasis across PC and consoles.
• Annapurna Interactive: Leading indie publisher known for Stray, Outer Wilds, 12 Minutes, and What Remains of Edith Finch. Directly comparable as a premium indie publisher with multi-platform distribution emphasis and a similar developer-friendly deal-making reputation.
• Armor Games Studios: Independent publisher (formerly known for browser games) now publishing indie titles across PC and mobile platforms. Comparable as a small indie publisher with a multi-platform indie catalog similar in structure to QAG's library.
• Raw Fury: Sweden-based indie publisher behind Sable, Dome Keeper, Dandara, and Norco. Directly comparable as a mid-size indie publisher that partners with independent studios to bring games to PC, console, and mobile platforms.
• Fellow Traveller: Indie publisher behind Citizen Sleeper, Paradise Killer, Beacon Pines, and In Other Waters. Comparable as a similarly-sized indie publisher with a curated catalog approach and partnerships with small development studios.
• tinyBuild Games: Independent developer and publisher of Hello Neighbor, Graveyard Keeper, Black Skylands, and Punch Club. Comparable to QAG because both operate dual developer-and-publisher models publishing indie games across multiple platforms worldwide.
• Whitethorn Games: Indie publisher focused on accessible and cozy games including Calico, Genesis Noir, Teacup, and A Short Hike. Comparable because QAG's catalog (Cozy Grove, Freshly Frosted, Space Otter Charlie) overlaps significantly with Whitethorn's accessible-game focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/QuantumApG
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQkua-szfo0IDh2aaC4-IvA?sub_confirmation=1
• Facebookfacebook.com/QuantumApG
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-quantum-astrophysicists-guild
• Instagraminstagram.com/qag_games

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild