What Mode 7 does

Mode 7 Limited is a privately held, UK-registered (England) indie game publisher and developer that operates from Sudbury, England, and has been running since its founding in 2005 by Ian Hardingham and Paul Kilduff-Taylor. The company began as a game developer, releasing its debut title Determinance in 2006, before establishing its commercial identity with the simultaneous turn-based tactical strategy game Frozen Synapse in 2011, which earned the IGF Audience Award, PC Gamer Strategy Game of the Year, and Develop Best New IP Award.

Following a period working on realtime broadcast graphics for high-profile clients such as ITV and the BBC, Mode 7 shifted in 2017 from being purely a developer to operating a boutique publishing arm. Under this model, the company funds, produces, and markets a deliberately small number of third-party indie titles at a time, covering funding, PR and marketing, production scheduling, game design, community management, platform-holder relationships, business development, porting, and tech support. Its published portfolio includes The Colonists (by Codebyfire), Fights in Tight Spaces (by Ground Shatter, subsequently acquired by Reforged Studios and Raw Fury), Tokyo 42 (by SMAC Games), and Wardialler (by nervous_testpilot), distributed primarily through Steam globally and itch.io for experimental work.

Mode 7's revenue model is one-time license revenue from game sales on Steam and itch.io, with no disclosed subscription, ads, or microtransaction layer. Its stated publishing criteria focus on strategy games, simulation/builder games, titles with 40+ hour play potential, and distinctive art styles, while explicitly excluding mobile-only games and titles offering no meaningful new contribution to their genre. The company remains operating and continues to accept publishing submissions through its website as of 2026, with Paul Kilduff-Taylor serving as founder & chief executive officer.

Name

Mode 7

Legal name

Mode 7 Limited

Website

https://mode7.games

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mode 7 Limited is a UK-based indie game publisher and developer founded in 2005 that funds, produces, and markets a small number of indie titles on Steam and itch.io, while also developing its own strategy and tactical games such as Frozen Synapse.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indie Video Game Publishing

NAICS

Software Publishers (51321), Software Publishers (5132)

akta.pro primary industry

Strategy/4X/Management Game Studios (MPAFAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

PC & Console Game Distribution Platforms (BPAMAKAA), Porting, Remastering & Platform Adaptation Services (PC/Console/Mobile/VR) (MPAFAKAN)

Keywords

• Indie game publishing
• Turn-based strategy games
• Tactical game development
• Settlement builder games
• Deck-building games

Headquarters

HQ city

Brighton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

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 Publishing Revenue: Mode 7 publishes games developed by independent studios, handling funding, PR, marketing, production, and distribution. Revenue is generated from game sales on platforms like Steam.

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Mode 7 develops and publishes indie video games with distinctive art styles, deep strategic gameplay, and substantial playtime. Its in-house catalogue is anchored by the Frozen Synapse simultaneous turn-based tactical strategy franchise, and its publishing arm brings third-party indie titles such as The Colonists, Fights in Tight Spaces, and Tokyo 42 from prototype to full launch on PC platforms including Steam and itch.io.

Product overview

Mode 7 is an indie game publisher that operates both as a game developer and publisher. Originally founded in 2005 by Ian Hardingham and Paul Kilduff-Taylor, the company developed its own titles including Determinance (2006), Frozen Synapse (2011), Frozen Cortex, and Frozen Synapse 2. In 2017, Mode 7 transitioned to become a publisher, releasing third-party titles such as The Colonists (by Codebyfire), Fights in Tight Spaces (by Ground Shatter), Tokyo 42 (by SMAC Games), and Wardialler (by nervous_testpilot). The portfolio spans tactical strategy games, settlement builders, deck-building games, and isometric shooters. Mode 7 focuses on publishing strategy games, simulation/builder games, games with distinctive art styles, and titles that can plausibly be played for over 40 hours.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Frozen Synapse A simultaneous turn-based tactical strategy game for PC and Mac in which players give detailed, accurate orders to their squad; the title that established Mode 7's reputation and won multiple industry awards.
• Frozen Cortex A turn-based tactics game in which players plan for customised robots on a randomly-generated playfield, with positioning, timing, and terrain reading as core strategic elements.
• Frozen Synapse 2 Sequel to Frozen Synapse that brings the franchise's classic tactical gameplay into a vast procedurally generated city setting.
• The Colonists A settlement building game by Codebyfire, published by Mode 7, inspired by classic titles like The Settlers and the Anno series.
• Fights in Tight Spaces A slick turn-based deck-building fighting game developed by Ground Shatter, brought to launch by Mode 7 and subsequently acquired by Reforged Studios and Raw Fury.
• Tokyo 42 A hyper-stylish isometric open-world shooter by SMAC Games in which players are framed for a murder they did not commit and navigate a world of assassins, deadly corporate intrigue, and tactical cats.
• Wardialler An experimental narrative game about hacking by nervous_testpilot, distributed free on itch.io via Mode 7 publishing.
• Determinance Mode 7's debut title, released in 2006 in the year following the studio's 2005 founding.
• Mode 7 Publishing Services End-to-end game publishing service for independent developers, covering funding, PR and marketing, production and scheduling, game design, community management, platform holder relationships, business development, technical issue resolution, and porting. Mode 7 takes on a small number of titles at a time to provide each partner dedicated attention.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Ground ShatterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGround Shatter is the developer of Fights in Tight Spaces, a turn-based deck-building fighting game that Mode 7 brought to launch. After Mode 7's publishing support, the game was subsequently acquired by Reforged Studios and Raw Fury.
• CodebyfireminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCodebyfire is the developer of The Colonists, a settlement building game inspired by classic titles like The Settlers and the Anno series, published by Mode 7.
• SMAC GamesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMAC Games is the developer of Tokyo 42, a hyper-stylish isometric open-world shooter published by Mode 7.
• Reforged StudiosminorOthersReforged Studios acquired Fights in Tight Spaces after Mode 7 brought the game to launch.
• Raw FuryminorOthersRaw Fury acquired Fights in Tight Spaces after Mode 7 brought the game to launch.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• No More Robots: No More Robots is a UK-based boutique indie games label publishing a small number of carefully selected PC titles per year. Its single-developer, micro-publisher structure and selective publishing approach are a tight comparable to Mode 7's boutique operating model.
• Finji: Finji is a small, developer-led indie games label that publishes third-party titles and develops its own. Its combination of publishing services with internal development and a curation-led identity closely matches Mode 7's operating model.
• Chucklefish: Chucklefish is a UK indie publisher and developer publishing stylized indie games on Steam and consoles. With a similar boutique portfolio and a developer-publisher hybrid model, it is a directly comparable boutique peer to Mode 7.
• Devolver Digital: Devolver Digital is a leading indie game publisher distributing titles globally on Steam and consoles. Like Mode 7, it focuses on distinctive, high-style indie titles, and its portfolio of strategy and unconventional games makes it a direct comparable for an indie-focused publisher/developer.
• Raw Fury: Raw Fury is an indie game publisher that acquires and distributes independently developed games. Mode 7 previously worked with Raw Fury as a co-acquirer of Fights in Tight Spaces, and both target stylized, mid-sized PC indie releases, making Raw Fury a directly comparable boutique publisher.
• Fellow Traveller: Fellow Traveller is an indie games label focused on narrative and strategy-adjacent PC and console releases. Its selective publishing cadence and emphasis on distinctive artistic direction make it a directly comparable boutique publisher to Mode 7.
• Annapurna Interactive: Annapurna Interactive publishes and develops narrative- and design-led indie games across PC and console. Its selective slate and emphasis on distinctive artistic identity overlap closely with Mode 7's 'games with heart, depth and a unique sense of style' positioning.
• Team17: Team17 is a UK-based indie game publisher with decades of experience publishing third-party titles globally on Steam and consoles. As a same-geography, similarly sized indie publisher, Team17 is among the closest structural peers to Mode 7.

Emerging players

• Akupara Games: Akupara Games is a small indie games publisher focused on narrative and stylistic titles on PC and consoles. Its boutique, curation-heavy approach to publishing overlaps with the kind of selective slot allocation Mode 7 practices.

Broad incumbents

• Paradox Interactive: Paradox Interactive is a strategy-game specialist publisher and developer with deep, enduring leadership in the 4X and grand strategy category. Its strategy-publisher identity is the natural broad incumbent against which a niche strategy publisher like Mode 7 competes for audience mindshare.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/mode7games
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCC6k_OylMxVMzKrziWcP_OQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mode-7-ltd

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 Mode 7