What CCCP does

CCCP, now operating as Ishtar Games, is a privately-held French indie game development studio founded in 2005 with offices in Lille and Bordeaux. The studio specialises in genre-blending video games with strong RPG components, producing a portfolio that spans survival management (the 'Dead in' series covering Bermuda, Vinland, and Antares), tactical RPG roguelites (The Last Spell, Forgotten Mines), village management (Lakeburg Legacies), cooperative adventure (Worlds of Aria), and tactical stealth (Spirited Thief). The company was built, run, and founded by players who explicitly design games they themselves want to play, with product pages on Steam and the Nintendo eShop serving as the primary distribution channels.

The studio operates a one-time-purchase revenue model via digital storefronts (Steam and Nintendo Switch eShop) on a global basis, with no subscription, freemium, or live-service monetisation in evidence. Go-to-market is product-led and community-led: customers discover and purchase titles directly through platform storefronts, while a dedicated Discord server provides post-sale engagement, direct developer access, bug reporting, and strategic discussions. Marketing is supplemented by organic Facebook presence rather than paid advertising. The company has also launched an in-house Ishtar Games Publishing division, indicating intent to extend beyond first-party development.

The studio is founder-owned and bootstrapped, with no disclosed institutional investment, parent company, acquisitions, or restructuring beyond the 2021 rebrand from CCCP to Ishtar Games. There is no disclosed headcount, revenue, or funding history, and no patents, awards, partnerships, or AI/ML capabilities are documented. The technology stack relies on industry-standard game engines and development tools without proprietary platform infrastructure or API offerings.

Name

CCCP

Legal name

Ishtar Games

Website

https://cccp.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ishtar Games (formerly CCCP) is a French indie game studio founded in 2005, developing genre-blending tactical RPG, survival management, and roguelite titles such as The Last Spell and the Dead in series, sold to global consumers via Steam and Nintendo eShop.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indie Video Game Development

NAICS

Software Publishers (51321)

akta.pro primary industry

Co-Development, Porting & Remaster Studios (MPAFAAAM)

Keywords

• Indie game development
• Tactical RPG games
• Survival management games
• Roguelite game design
• Video game publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Roubaix

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Game Sales: One-time purchase revenue from selling video games through digital distribution platforms (Steam, Nintendo Switch). Customers pay upfront to purchase games.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

CCCP (now Ishtar Games) is an indie video game development studio that designs, develops, and publishes its own genre-blending games, primarily survival management, tactical RPG, and roguelite titles such as the "Dead in" series, The Last Spell, Forgotten Mines, and Lakeburg Legacies. The studio self-distributes these games globally through digital storefronts including Steam and the Nintendo Switch eShop, and also operates a game publishing arm for third-party titles.

Product overview

Ishtar Games (formerly CCCP) is an indie game development studio based in Lille and Bordeaux, France. The company develops a portfolio of genre-blending games, primarily focused on complex games that mix different genres with RPG components. Their product lineup includes the 'Dead in' series (Dead in Bermuda, Dead in Vinland, Dead in Antares) which are survival/management games with RPG and adventure elements, tactical RPG roguelites such as The Last Spell and Forgotten Mines, village management games like Lakeburg Legacies, cooperative RPG adventures (Worlds of Aria), tactical stealth games (Spirited Thief), and other genre-mixing titles. The company also engages in game publishing through their Ishtar Games Publishing division.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dead In Bermuda A survival management game with RPG and adventure elements in which the player leads a team of plane-crash survivors, researches and crafts items, explores the island, and solves its mysteries. Targeted at PC and console gamers who enjoy complex, genre-mixing gameplay.
• Dead In Vinland A survival and management game mixed with RPG and adventure elements about a Viking family trying to survive on a mysterious island filled with danger. Available on Steam and Nintendo Switch, with a 'True Viking Edition' on Switch. Targeted at players who enjoy deep survival and RPG systems.
• Dead In Antares A turn-based survival management game with RPG elements set on an alien planet, in which the player leads a crew of survivors sent on a mission to save humanity. Targeted at PC gamers seeking complex, turn-based survival and RPG experiences.
• The Last Spell A tactical RPG combined with roguelite elements in which the player defends the last bastion of hope with a squad of heroes, exterminates hordes of monsters by night with magic and brute force, and rebuilds the city by day. Targeted at PC and console gamers who enjoy tactical combat and roguelite progression.
• Forgotten Mines A dwarven tactical roguelite RPG in which the player wreaks vengeance and retakes lost mines from goblins, orcs, skeletons, and demons, building the perfect expedition team for challenging, fast-paced runs. Targeted at PC players who enjoy small-scale tactical roguelite RPGs.
• Lakeburg Legacies A village management game focused on its inhabitants, in which the player makes couples between villagers and improves them over generations to be effective in their jobs and win prestige within an allocated time. Targeted at PC players who enjoy management and simulation gameplay.
• Worlds of Aria A cooperative RPG adventure game available on Nintendo Switch and PC, targeted at players who enjoy multiplayer role-playing adventures.
• Spirited Thief A tactical turn-based heist simulator with stealth elements, in which the player scouts as spirit Trin and loots as thief Elaj, ensuring they escape before guards find them. Targeted at PC players who enjoy tactical, stealth-focused gameplay.
• Ishtar Games Publishing Publishing arm of the studio that supports external game developers by publishing their titles, leveraging the studio's distribution relationships and publishing expertise. Targeted at independent game developers seeking publishing support.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Stoic Studio: Developer of The Banner Saga trilogy, a tactical turn-based RPG series. Comparable in tactical RPG focus, narrative-driven indie positioning, and self-publishing on PC and console.
• Amplitude Studios: French strategy/tactical game studio (Humankind, Endless series). Comparable in French indie-to-mid-tier heritage, complex strategy audience targeting, and PC/console distribution.
• Klei Entertainment: Developer of Don't Starve, a survival management game with RPG progression. Direct peer in the survival management genre with comparable indie-to-mid-tier studio scale and Steam/Nintendo presence.
• Iron Gate Studio: Developer of Valheim, a survival management game with strong RPG and base-building systems. Direct peer in survival management genre with comparable indie scale and Steam-led distribution.
• Motion Twin: French indie studio behind Dead Cells, a tactical roguelite action RPG. Direct peer given shared French indie heritage, roguelite/genre-blending focus, and self-publishing model on Steam and consoles.
• Subset Games: Developer of FTL: Faster Than Light and Into the Breach — both tactical roguelikes with deep strategic gameplay. Highly comparable in genre focus, target audience, and indie self-publishing model.
• Mimimi Games: Developer of Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun and Desperados III, tactical stealth/strategy games. Comparable in tactical turn-based gameplay targeting PC and console strategy audiences.
• 11 bit studios: Developer of Frostpunk and This War of Mine, management/survival games with deep strategic layers. Direct peer in survival management genre targeting mature, strategy-oriented players.
• Red Hook Studios: Creator of Darkest Dungeon and Darkest Dungeon II, tactical RPG roguelikes with strong management and survival stress elements. Closely comparable in genre-blending tactical gameplay and Steam-first distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Firaxis Games: Developer of the XCOM and Civilization series, leading tactical/strategy franchises. Comparable in tactical turn-based combat and management gameplay but operates at significantly larger scale as an established industry incumbent.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lecccp
• Xx.com/LeCCCP

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

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about CCCP