Snowcastle
Snowcastle Games AS is an independent Oslo-based game studio developing narrative RPGs across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. It serves JRPG, cozy, and survival game fans globally through its EARTHLOCK, Ikonei Island, and Lysward franchises unified under the Umbra universe.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersOslo, Norway
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Snowcastle does
Snowcastle Games AS is an independent Norwegian video game developer founded in 2009 in Oslo, operating with a 20+ person team distributed across Norway, Portugal, Germany, Austria, and the United Kingdom. The studio develops and self-publishes narrative and gameplay-driven role-playing games for Windows, macOS, and Apple PCs as well as PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch, built on Unity (EARTHLOCK) and Unreal Engine (EARTHLOCK 2, Lysward) with proprietary systems including the Talent Board progression system, character-paired turn-based combat, dynamic ecosystem simulation, and unique sunlight/Amri mechanics. Its core products span the EARTHLOCK trilogy (EARTHLOCK with 2.5M+ paid copies and 8M+ downloads, EARTHLOCK 2 in development), the cozy multiplayer spin-off Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure (Norwegian Game of the Year 2023), and the in-beta survival title Lysward, all unified under the Umbra fictional universe.
The studio generates revenue primarily through one-time digital purchases on Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, Nintendo eShop, and GOG, supplemented by limited physical retail through Super Rare Games and Soedesco, soundtrack sales on Bandcamp, and merchandise. Snowcastle combines a product-led growth approach (open betas, demos, Steam wishlisting) with event-driven visibility at Tokyo Game Show and community-led development through Discord, blogs, and newsletters. Its customer base consists of JRPG fans, cozy game enthusiasts, and survival game players globally, with regional publishing partners (The Iterative Collective in Asia, Cross Function in Japan) extending geographic reach. The company has been self-funded through game sales and an EARTHLOCK Kickstarter campaign, with no disclosed venture capital or external funding.
Snowcastle firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Snowcastle
- Legal name
- Snowcastle Games AS
- Website
- https://snowcastlegames.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Snowcastle Games AS is an independent Oslo-based game studio developing narrative RPGs across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. It serves JRPG, cozy, and survival game fans globally through its EARTHLOCK, Ikonei Island, and Lysward franchises unified under the Umbra universe.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Snowcastle is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oslo
- HQ country
- Norway
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Snowcastle 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 (Digital): Snowcastle sells games as one-time purchases through digital storefronts including Steam, Epic Store, PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, and Nintendo eShop. Games like EARTHLOCK and Ikonei Island are sold as complete titles with no further monetization.
- Game Sales (Physical/Retail): Physical releases of games through partnerships with retailers. EARTHLOCK had a physical Nintendo Switch release through Super Rare Games. Retail distribution for EARTHLOCK was handled by Soedesco for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC across Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Middle East, and United States.
- DLC and Updates: Ikonei Island received updates like 'Blooming Beginnings' (version 1.5) with new content. EARTHLOCK received extensive post-launch improvements including new languages, optimization patches, and additional content before its full relaunch.
- Soundtrack Sales: EARTHLOCK soundtrack available for purchase on Bandcamp, composed by Eiko Nichols with additional music by Hiroki Kikuta and Frits Olsen.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | EARTHLOCK standard pricing |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free-to-play demos/betas |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels10 records
Marketing channels8 records
Snowcastle product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Snowcastle Games is an independent video game developer that designs, builds, and sells its own titles including the EARTHLOCK turn-based RPG franchise, the cozy multiplayer adventure Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure, the single-player survival game Lysward, and the upcoming EARTHLOCK 2. Games are sold as one-time purchases through digital storefronts (Steam, Epic, GOG, PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, Nintendo eShop) and select physical/retail partnerships.
Product overview
Snowcastle Games is an independent game developer offering a portfolio of video game titles. The core portfolio consists of the Earthlock series (including Earthlock and the upcoming Earthlock 2), the standalone adventure Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure, and the new survival game Lysward. Earthlock is a turn-based RPG forming the first installment of the Earthlock Trilogy, while Earthlock 2 is the upcoming sequel in development. Ikonei Island is a cozy multiplayer adventure spin-off. Lysward is a new single-player survival adventure set in the same fantastical world of Umbra. The company also produced the legacy title Hogworld in 2011.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Lysward A single-player survival adventure set in a harsh desert in the fantastical world of Umbra. Players control Kiran, a fugitive experiment who must survive on the desert planet Zenit while balancing the dangerous effects of perpetual sunlight using a unique sunlight/shadow and Amri magic system.
- EARTHLOCK Adventure RPG inspired by classic 3D RPGs of the late 90s, featuring turn-based combat and character progression through the Talent Board system. First game in the EARTHLOCK Trilogy, available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. Has sold more than 2.5 million copies.
- EARTHLOCK 2 Upcoming sequel to EARTHLOCK being developed as part of the EARTHLOCK Trilogy using Unreal Engine, featuring open-world desert gameplay with biome creation, a dynamic ecosystem simulator, and a mobile base desert ship.
- Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure Award-winning cozy multiplayer adventure set in the EARTHLOCK universe. Inspired by Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley, featuring resource gathering, crafting, pirate camps, and wildlife befriending. Won Norwegian National Game Awards 2023 Game of the Year, Best Fun for All, and Best Technology.
Quantifiable outcome
- EARTHLOCK sold more than 2.5 million copies with over 8 million downloads
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Snowcastle
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Snowcastle technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Snowcastle partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered former core, minor and core.
- Fundamentally Games (Jetpack Collective)former corePreviously served as publishing partner for Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure. In December 2025, Snowcastle announced mutual agreement to part ways, with publishing rights for Ikonei Island returning to Snowcastle. Fundamentally Games operated under the Jetpack Collective brand.
- Patty GurdyminorCollaboration with YouTube hurdy-gurdy sensation Patty Gurdy for original music content in Ikonei Island. She created the 'Piratehog Chant' song featured in-game and as soundtrack. Patty Gurdy's character Captain Rustbristle appears as a pirate camp character. Full song available on YouTube and music streaming platforms.
- Super Rare GamesminorSpecialty publisher for limited physical releases of indie games. Produced physical Nintendo Switch edition of EARTHLOCK as a collectible release.
- Cross FunctionminorJapanese publishing partner for EARTHLOCK. Handled digital publishing in Japan and assisted with Tokyo Game Show presence. No physical release in Japan.
- Soedesco PublishingcoreCollaborated with Soedesco for retail distribution of EARTHLOCK: Festival of Magic. Handled physical release on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Middle East, and United States. Also managed retail release coordination.
- The Iterative CollectivecorePublisher handling Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure in Asian territories. This partnership remains unchanged following the departure of Fundamentally Games. They continue to support Ikonei Island in their regions.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Snowcastle competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ConcernedApe (Eric Barone): Solo/small-studio developer behind Stardew Valley, the closest direct analogue to Snowcastle's Ikonei Island in the cozy multiplayer / farming-craft genre, with similar self-publishing, multi-platform indie distribution, and loyal community-driven marketing.
- Supergiant Games: Small independent studio (Hades, Bastion, Transistor) known for narrative-driven RPG/action titles and self-publishing on multiple platforms, mirroring Snowcastle's small-team, multi-title, multi-platform indie model.
- Sabotage Studio: Independent studio behind retro-inspired narrative games (The Messenger, Sea of Stars). Comparable to Snowcastle in size, retro-JRPG aesthetics, and multi-platform self-publishing approach.
- Stoic Studio: Small indie studio developing turn-based narrative RPGs (The Banner Saga trilogy). Closely comparable to Snowcastle in genre (turn-based RPGs), team size, and cross-platform distribution strategy.
- Moon Studios: Independent studio behind the Ori action-platformer series. Highly comparable small-team indie model with multi-platform releases, proprietary IP, and premium pricing strategy.
- Thunder Lotus Games: Indie studio behind cozy/narrative titles (Spiritfarer, Jotun) with shared handcrafted art direction and multi-platform self-publishing, similar to Snowcastle's cozy multiplayer and JRPG offerings.
- Chucklefish: Small indie studio/publisher of pixel-art games (Starbound, Wargroove, Starbound). Comparable in indie genre focus, multi-platform release model, and offering narrative/cozy content to a similar audience.
- Yacht Club Games: Small independent studio known for action-platformer IPs like Shovel Knight. Mirrors Snowcastle's small-team indie structure, proprietary IP franchise strategy, and multi-platform self-publishing.
Broad incumbents
- Devolver Digital: Established indie publisher whose portfolio of narrative and action indie games overlaps with Snowcastle's RPG and survival titles; serves as a benchmark for valuation and exit dynamics in the indie gaming category.
- Annapurna Interactive: Major indie games publisher with a portfolio of narrative, RPG, and stylized titles (e.g., Outer Wilds, Stray). Comparable in publishing narrative-driven, art-forward indie games across consoles and PC.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Snowcastle social profiles
Digital presenceSnowcastle financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Snowcastle leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Snowcastle funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Snowcastle 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 Snowcastle
What does Snowcastle do?
Snowcastle Games is an independent video game developer that designs, builds, and sells its own titles including the EARTHLOCK turn-based RPG franchise, the cozy multiplayer adventure Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure, the single-player survival game Lysward, and the upcoming EARTHLOCK 2. Games are sold as one-time purchases through digital storefronts (Steam, Epic, GOG, PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, Nintendo eShop) and select physical/retail partnerships.
Is Snowcastle a public or private company?
Snowcastle is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Snowcastle founded?
Snowcastle was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Snowcastle based?
Snowcastle is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, in the Europe region.
How does Snowcastle make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Game Sales (Digital) is the primary driver. The others are game Sales (Physical/Retail), DLC and Updates and soundtrack Sales.
Who are Snowcastle's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ConcernedApe (Eric Barone), Supergiant Games, Sabotage Studio, Stoic Studio, Moon Studios, Thunder Lotus Games, Chucklefish and Yacht Club Games. Broad incumbents are Devolver Digital and Annapurna Interactive.
Does Snowcastle have an API?
No public API is recorded for Snowcastle.