What Rarebyte does

Rarebyte GmbH is a privately held Austrian independent game studio founded in October 2006 by co-founders Rainer Angermann (CEO) and Mateusz Gorecki (Creative Director), who have collaborated since 1999. The company develops and self-publishes games using Unity and Unreal engines, supplemented with in-house tools, and maintains offices in Vienna and Graz with its registered seat in Wolfsberg. Its portfolio of 25+ titles spans PC, console, mobile, and Netflix Games, with a thematic focus on co-op multiplayer, roguelite action, and business/management simulations, including Hyperspaced, Rogue Glitch Ultra, Game Dev Tycoon (mobile and Netflix versions, co-developed with Greenheart Games), Seeds of Sol, One Up Island, and the published third-party title Ratz Instagib. The studio also operates a dual developer/publisher model for indie developers and offers contract development and asset creation services.

The business is multi-stream: direct one-time-purchase game sales (e.g., Hyperspaced at USD/EUR €16.99), publishing revenue share on third-party titles, contract work for partners such as Greenheart Games and Headup Games, and licensing arrangements including the Netflix-exclusive Game Dev Tycoon. Distribution covers Steam, Nintendo eShop, Xbox Store, Epic Games Store, iOS App Store, Google Play, and Netflix Games, with marketing concentrated on Discord, Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, and X. Recent commercial launches (Rogue Glitch Ultra in November 2023, Game Dev Tycoon Netflix in March 2024, One Up Island in May 2025, and Hyperspaced across five platforms in July 2025) underpin an unusually active release cadence for a 1-10-person founder-owned studio.

Rarebyte has earned regional recognition through two Subotron Live Pitch wins (Seeds of Sol in 2017 and the We Are Screwed!/Hyperspaced concept in 2018), has a long-standing trade-show game development track record with paysafecard (ESL, Gamescom, Paris Games Week), and remains GDPR-compliant and self-funded with no disclosed institutional investors or parent company.

Name

Rarebyte

Legal name

Rarebyte GmbH

Website

https://rarebyte.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rarebyte GmbH is a privately held Austrian independent game studio that develops and self-publishes indie games across PC, console, mobile, and Netflix, while also co-developing and publishing third-party titles for partners such as Greenheart Games and Headup Games.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

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 self-developed and published games across PC, console, and mobile platforms. Titles include Hyperspaced, Rogue Glitch Ultra, Game Dev Tycoon, Ratz Instagib, Seeds of Sol, and One Up Island.
2. Publishing Revenue: Rarebyte publishes games by other indie developers (such as Ratz Instagib by Lino Slahuschek), earning revenue through standard publisher revenue share arrangements.
3. Contract Development Services: Contract work for external partners including art direction, asset creation, character design, and game development. Examples include Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny overhaul and Game Dev Tycoon mobile adaptation for Greenheart Games.
4. Game Dev Tycoon Netflix Partnership: Collaborated with Greenheart Games to develop Game Dev Tycoon Netflix version featuring licensed content, representing a new licensing/partnership revenue stream.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Rarebyte is an Austrian independent game studio that develops and self-publishes games across PC, consoles, and mobile platforms, with a portfolio spanning co-op space action, roguelite action platformers, business simulations, and survival/negotiation games. In addition to first-party publishing, Rarebyte takes on contract game development work (art direction, asset creation, character design, programming) for studios and publishers.

Product overview

Rarebyte is an Austrian independent game studio with 19+ years of experience developing games using Unity and Unreal engines. The company operates a portfolio of self-developed games and publishes titles from other indie developers. Core products include action games (Hyperspaced, Rogue Glitch Ultra), simulation games (Game Dev Tycoon series with Greenheart Games), and adventure roguelikes (Seeds of Sol, One Up Island). The company also publishes third-party games (Ratz Instagib) and provides contract development services for other publishers. Game engines and technology are developed in-house alongside the Unity/Unreal frameworks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hyperspaced Chaotic co-op space action game for 1-4 players where players pilot vessels, operate turrets, manage ship interiors, and survive procedurally generated galaxy environments to save the Multiverse.
• Rogue Glitch Ultra Roguelite action platformer set in a vibrant glitch-ridden world with over 150 weapon options, 18 character variants, and 1-4 player co-op multiplayer featuring auto-targeting and procedurally generated levels.
• Game Dev Tycoon (Mobile) Mobile business simulation game where players start a game development company in the 1980s, design games, research technologies, build teams, and compete to become market leaders; co-developed with Greenheart Games for iOS and Android.
• Game Dev Tycoon Netflix Netflix-exclusive version of Game Dev Tycoon featuring new licensed game development content, content creator promotion mechanics, livestream features, and special story events; co-developed with Greenheart Games.
• Seeds of Sol Isometric action adventure with roguelike elements featuring a multi-personality AI companion; players explore remnants of a shattered civilization across ever-changing planets with souls-like combat mechanics.
• Ratz Instagib One-hit one-kill FPS arena shooter where players control rats in household-themed arenas; features custom items, user-created maps, and fast-paced multiplayer gameplay; developed by Lino Slahuschek and published by Rarebyte.
• One Up Island Free-to-play survival and negotiation mobile game where players work together to secure food and accommodation for an island community, featuring cooperative multiplayer and strategic decision-making.
• Waterstorm Self-published 2D underwater submarine multiplayer action shooter that was Rarebyte's debut title, built entirely in-house with a self-developed game engine, editor, game client, and backend.
• Contract Game Development Services Contract game development services for studios and publishers covering art direction, asset creation, character design, programming, and full-cycle game development (e.g., Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny overhaul and Game Dev Tycoon mobile adaptation).
• paysafecard Event Games Trade show promotional multiplayer games developed for paysafecard, including the 4-player hoverboard racing game PIN Racer and 4-player Duel, both showcased at ESL, Gamescom, and Paris Games Week.

Named customers4 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

AI capability3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• NetflixminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 March 2024Netflix distribution platform for Game Dev Tycoon Netflix exclusive version with new licensed content, developed by Rarebyte in collaboration with Greenheart Games.
• Greenheart GamescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 November 2017Rarebyte partnered with Greenheart Games to develop the mobile version of Game Dev Tycoon for iOS and Android, featuring a revamped mobile-friendly UI and new content. Extended partnership for Game Dev Tycoon Netflix version with exclusive licensed content.
• Lino SlahuschekcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 July 2016Independent developer whose games Ratz Instagib and Rogue Glitch Ultra were developed in collaboration with or published by Rarebyte.
• Headup GamescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublisher for Hyperspaced, handling distribution on Nintendo Switch, Xbox, Steam, and Epic Games Store platforms.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Raw Fury: Independent games publisher (Sable, Norco, Kingdom Two Crowns). Comparable as an indie-focused publisher supporting small developer studios with multiplatform distribution.
• Devolver Digital: Independent games publisher known for titles like Hotline Miami, Cult of the Lamb, and Fall Guys. Comparable as a multiplatform indie publisher whose ecosystem parallels the publishing arm of Rarebyte's business model.
• Coffee Stain Studios: Swedish indie developer and publisher behind Satisfactory, Deep Rock Galactic, and Goat Simulator. Comparable as a profitable indie studio with self-publishing capabilities across PC and console platforms.
• Thunderful Group: Nordic indie game developer and publisher. Comparable as a regional European indie publishing group combining own-IP development with third-party publishing on consoles and PC.
• 11 bit studios: Polish indie publisher and developer behind This War of Mine and Frostpunk. Comparable as a Central European indie studio combining self-developed premium titles with publishing partnerships.

Direct peers

• Moon Studios: Austrian indie game studio (Ori and the Blind Forest, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, No Rest for the Wicked). Comparable as an Austrian-based independent studio operating at the upper end of the indie scale with multiplatform releases.
• Headup Games: German mid-tier indie publisher that publishes Hyperspaced for Rarebyte across Nintendo Switch, Xbox, Steam, and Epic. Directly comparable as a publishing-focused counterpart collaborating with indie developers on multiplatform releases.
• Greenheart Games: Australian indie game studio behind Game Dev Tycoon. Direct co-development partner with Rarebyte on the mobile and Netflix versions of Game Dev Tycoon, making them the most operationally comparable peer in terms of studio size, indie strategy, and collaborative publishing model.
• Sproing Interactive: Vienna-based Austrian game developer and publisher. Comparable as a fellow Vienna-headquartered indie studio with multiplatform capabilities and contract/own-IP work.

Others

• paysafecard: Austrian-based prepaid payment provider and past Rarebyte client for trade show event games (Gamescom, Paris Games Week, ESL). Comparable as an Austrian customer/partner enabling B2B contract game development work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RarebyteGameDev
• YouTubeyoutube.com/rarebyte
• Facebookfacebook.com/rarebyte
• Instagraminstagram.com/rarebyte
• TikToktiktok.com/@rarebyte

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Rarebyte