EXIS

What EXIS does

Exis Studios is an independent game development studio headquartered in Irvine, California, operating since approximately 2001 (firmographic records indicate 2003). The studio develops two original video game IPs within a shared cinematic fantasy universe called Aval: Dragonhold, a solo/co-op action RPG built around dragon-riding melee combat, open-world exploration, and town building mechanics, and Airship Climber, a 1-4 player vertical roguelike set on mechanized airships with sky-pirate encounters. The company is led by CEO and Studio Director Peter Kojesta and operates with a small team of artists, engineers, and storytellers. Per the studio's own claims, it has accumulated 12+ industry awards and over 23 years of game development experience, though no proprietary technology stack, patents, or disclosed technical architecture is documented in available materials, and the underlying engine/platform choices are not stated.

The studio's revenue model is entirely consumer-facing and based on one-time license sales of completed games through Steam's digital storefront. No subscription tiers, in-app monetization, advertising, or enterprise B2B revenue streams are documented in disclosures, although the studio website lists "Services" and "Publishing" capabilities that imply co-development and external publishing offerings. Distribution is global via Steam and a direct studio website (exisgames.com) that routes purchase traffic back to Steam. Go-to-market is community-led, anchored by an active Discord server with thousands of members, supplemented by YouTube (@ExisInteractive) and Instagram (@exisgames) channels and a press kit for earned media outreach.

Operating status is active with a content cadence of ongoing Dragonhold patches and the scheduled May 2026 launch of Airship Climber. Exis Studios operates as a privately held, bootstrapped entity with no disclosed funding rounds, institutional investors, parent company, or acquisitions. All observable signals — two-IP focus, community-driven marketing, and indie-scale operations — indicate a strategy of concentrated investment in the existing Aval universe rather than portfolio diversification or vertical expansion into adjacent gaming categories.

Name

EXIS

Legal name

Exis Studios

Website

https://exisinteractive.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Exis Studios is an independent Irvine, California game developer building two consumer video game IPs — Dragonhold (dragon-riding co-op action RPG) and Airship Climber (1-4 player vertical roguelike) — distributed via Steam one-time purchases to gamers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indie Video Games

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Indie Game Studios (MPAFAAAC)

Keywords

• Indie game development
• Action RPG games
• Multiplayer roguelike
• Co-op adventure games
• Dragon fantasy games

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Game Sales (One-Time License): Revenue from selling completed video games through digital distribution platforms. Dragonhold and Airship Climber are sold as one-time purchases on Steam with no subscription required for core gameplay.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

EXIS is an independent game development studio that designs, develops, and publishes its own video games. The studio's portfolio centers on action RPGs with dragon-riding and town-building mechanics, and vertical roguelike multiplayer experiences for solo and co-op play. Games are sold directly to consumers primarily through the Steam storefront, supplemented by community channels such as Discord, YouTube, and Instagram.

Product overview

Exis Studios is an independent game development studio offering two distinct video game products set within a shared cinematic fantasy universe called Aval. Dragonhold is a solo/co-op action RPG featuring dragon-riding melee combat with town building mechanics. Airship Climber is a party-based vertical roguelike for 1-4 players involving airship climbing and sky-pirate encounters. Both games emphasize cinematic action, deep systems, and vertical traversal within the studio's interconnected game worlds.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dragonhold
• Airship Climber
• Dragonhold — Patch 1.3.5: The Ashen Dawn Update

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hopoo Games: Developer of Risk of Rain and Risk of Rain 2, defining titles in the co-op roguelike space. Closely comparable to Exis's Airship Climber positioning as a 1-4 player co-op roguelike.
• Aggro Crab: Small indie developer of Another Crab's Treasure and Going Under, a co-op action title. Comparable to Exis in team size, indie positioning, and action co-op genre.
• Heart Machine: Independent developer of Hyper Light Drifter and Hyper Light Breaker, action-focused indie titles with strong art direction. Directly comparable to Exis's action RPG and world-building DNA.
• Supergiant Games: Independent studio behind action RPGs such as Bastion, Hades, and Pyre. Highly comparable to Exis: small, privately held, narrative-and-cinematic-focused indie developer with critical acclaim and award-winning world-building.
• Motion Twin: Independent developer of Dead Cells, a critically acclaimed indie action roguelike. Comparable to Exis as a privately held, employee-owned indie studio shipping genre-defining roguelike content.
• The Behemoth: Independent studio behind Castle Crashers and Pit People, with a long indie track record and co-op action focus. Comparable to Exis on indie longevity, co-op mechanics, and small-team world-building.
• Team Cherry: Small Australian indie team behind Hollow Knight and Silksong, known for cinematic world-building, creature design, and action gameplay. Highly comparable in scale, scope, and aesthetic ambition to Exis's Dragonhold.
• Mega Crit Games: Developer of Slay the Spire, a defining indie roguelike. Relevant peer to Exis given the shared roguelike genre focus and small, privately held indie studio profile.

Broad incumbents

• Devolver Digital: Major indie publisher that has shepherded many award-winning indie action and roguelike titles to market. Relevant as a potential publishing partner and as a broader benchmark for the indie action genre in which Exis operates.
• Raw Fury: Independent game publisher working with a portfolio of small indie studios on narrative and action titles. Comparable as a potential publishing/distribution counterpart for Exis given its bootstrapped, self-publishing model on Steam.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ExisInteractive
• Instagraminstagram.com/exisgames

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 EXIS