The Fullbright Company

What The Fullbright Company does

The Fullbright Company is an independent, privately-held video game studio founded in 2012 in Portland, Oregon, that develops and publishes nonviolent, narrative-driven exploration games. The studio's catalog is built around two core titles: Gone Home (2013), a story-exploration game set in a 1995 house, and Tacoma, a sci-fi narrative exploration title set aboard a space station. Both products are built on the Unity engine and are designed around environmental storytelling and voice-acted narrative delivery rather than combat mechanics, positioning the studio as a recognized pioneer of the 'walking simulator' category.

Fullbright generates revenue primarily through one-time-purchase digital game sales distributed across Steam, Humble Bundle, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and iOS, with console publishing handled through a partnership with Midnight City (Majesco's indie label). Supplementary revenue streams include physical merchandise and special retail editions via TopatoCo, Merge Games, Headup, and iam8bit; the original Gone Home soundtrack (GH:OST) by Chris Remo on Bandcamp; and music bundle offerings such as the Record Collection. Pricing is a flat one-time perpetual license ($19.99 for console editions; $25 for the Record Collection bundle), with periodic promotional discounting on PC.

The studio operates as a founder-owned entity with a sub-10-person core team, no external institutional investment, and no parent company. It has earned critical and commercial recognition including BAFTA Best Debut, Game Developers Choice Best Debut, two Spike VGX awards, and the IndieCade Audio Award. Distribution reach spans North America, Europe, the UK, Australia, Brazil, and Russia.

Name

The Fullbright Company

Legal name

The Fullbright Company LLC

Website

https://fullbright.company

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Fullbright Company is an independent Portland, Oregon video game studio that develops nonviolent, narrative-driven exploration games, primarily Gone Home and Tacoma, distributed digitally and on consoles to individual gamers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Video Games

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Retail-Computer & Computer Software Stores (5734), Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Indie Game Studios (MPAFAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Publisher-Owned Direct-to-Consumer Stores (MPAFACAK)

Keywords

• Indie video games
• Narrative exploration games
• Walking simulator
• Story-driven games
• Game development studio

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Game Sales: One-time purchase revenue from selling video games directly to consumers through digital distribution platforms (Steam, Humble Bundle, own website) and console digital stores (Xbox One, PS4, Switch, iOS).
2. Physical Merchandise: Sales of physical merchandise including Gone Home shirts, pins, prints, mugs, and special retail editions with extras like soundtracks, designer notebooks, and posters through TopatoCo.
3. Music Licensing and Soundtrack Sales: Original score (GH:OST) sold through Bandcamp. Record Collection bundle includes Gone Home plus four full albums of licensed music from Heavens to Betsy, Bratmobile, and The Youngins.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Fullbright Company is an independent video game studio that develops and sells nonviolent, story-exploration video games. Its flagship products are Gone Home, a 1995-set house-exploration narrative game, and Tacoma, a sci-fi space-station narrative-exploration title, sold as one-time digital purchases across PC, Mac, Linux, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and iOS, with physical retail editions and original soundtrack releases as secondary offerings.

Product overview

The Fullbright Company is an independent video game studio in Portland, OR, focused on creating immersive, story-exploration video games. Its core product portfolio consists of Gone Home (a narrative-driven house exploration game set in 1995) and Tacoma (a sci-fi story exploration title set aboard a space station). Gone Home has been expanded across multiple platforms and formats: it launched on PC/Mac/Linux in 2013, was ported to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 as 'Gone Home: Console Edition' via Midnight City in 2016, and subsequently released on Nintendo Switch and iOS. Supplementary offerings include a Retail Special Edition (physical DVD with bonus soundtrack, designer's notebook, and poster), the Gone Home Original Soundtrack (GH:OST) by Chris Remo, the Gone Home Record Collection Bundle (bundling the game with four full music albums including Heavens to Betsy, Bratmobile, and The Youngins), and the Commentary Mode free update. The studio also hosts fan localization resources and technical support documentation. The company's games are known for environmental storytelling and narrative exploration without combat mechanics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gone Home A story-exploration video game set in 1995 in which the player explores an empty house to uncover the story of their family. Widely recognized as a defining title in the 'walking simulator' genre, known for narrative-driven exploration and environmental storytelling. Available across PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and iOS.
• Tacoma Fullbright's second game, a sci-fi story-exploration title set aboard a space station. Available on PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, and Xbox One.
• Gone Home: Console Edition The console-adapted version of Gone Home, released on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 via a partnership with Midnight City. Priced at $19.99 USD for console versions.
• Gone Home Retail Special Edition Physical retail edition of Gone Home distributed through TopatoCo and Merge Games. Includes the game on DVD with a free Steam key, the original soundtrack (GH:OST) by Chris Remo, audio diaries in MP3 format, a cassette tape logo sticker, a 40-page Designer's Notebook of development sketches, and a fold-out poster.
• Gone Home Original Soundtrack (GH:OST) The original musical score composed by Chris Remo for Gone Home, featuring ambient exploration music and custom tracks for each audio diary. Sold for purchase via Chris Remo's Bandcamp page; over 30 minutes of original music.
• Gone Home Record Collection Bundle A digital bundle offering Gone Home plus four full albums of licensed and original music from the game: Calculated by Heavens to Betsy, Pottymouth by Bratmobile, GH:OST by Chris Remo, and The Youngins are Hardcore by The Youngins. Available for $25 (a $5 premium over the base game price) or the four-album bundle separately for $15.

Quantifiable outcome

• 235,000+ copies sold in first 5 months
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Midnight CitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 10 March 2014Midnight City, Majesco's indie publishing label, partnered with Fullbright to bring Gone Home to consoles. The partnership allowed Fullbright to maintain IP ownership while Midnight City handled logistics, certification, and marketing for console versions.
• TopatoCominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership to sell Gone Home merchandise including shirts, pins, prints, mugs, and the special retail edition through their online store.
• Merge GamesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for physical retail editions of Gone Home in UK and Europe.
• HeadupminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublisher partner for Gone Home physical retail special edition.
• Interactive Sound & Fury (Patrick Balthrop)coreTechnology or IntegrationPatrick Balthrop, former sound designer on BioShock and audio director of BioShock Infinite, worked with Fullbright on sound design for Gone Home.
• Campo Santo (Chris Remo)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChris Remo composed the original score for Gone Home (GH:OST) and created audio diary-specific music. He also set up the Fullbright website.
• iam8bitminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail distribution partner for physical Gone Home editions on Nintendo Switch and official vinyl soundtrack.
• Idle ThumbsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGame studio that allowed Fullbright to use their office space in San Francisco for a press preview event for Gone Home.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Simogo: Swedish two-person studio behind Year Walk, Device 6, and Sayonara Wild Hearts — comparable boutique scale and aesthetic-driven, narrative-leaning interactive experiences.
• Campo Santo: Independent narrative-focused game studio best known for Firewatch, with close creative ties to Fullbright (Chris Remo composed the Gone Home score while at Campo Santo). Comparable size, indie ethos, and focus on story-driven single-player experiences.
• The Chinese Room: UK-based studio behind Dear Esther and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture — direct narrative-exploration / 'walking simulator' peers with comparable scope, team size, and storytelling-first design philosophy.
• thatgamecompany: Independent studio behind Journey, Flower, and Sky: Children of the Light — comparable focus on emotional, non-combat, exploration-led interactive experiences that prioritize narrative and atmosphere.
• Playdead: Danish indie studio behind Limbo and Inside — small, award-winning team producing atmospheric, narrative-forward single-player games on similar indie-publisher economics.
• Giant Sparrow: Los Angeles indie studio behind What Remains of Edith Finch, widely regarded as a successor to Gone Home's narrative-exploration legacy. Closest commercial and critical analog in the same category.
• Die Gute Fabrik: Copenhagen-based indie studio behind Mutazione — small narrative-focused team producing story-rich single-player games in a similar indie-publishing ecosystem.
• Inkle Studios: UK indie studio known for narrative-driven titles such as 80 Days and Heaven's Vault — comparable team size, indie publishing model, and emphasis on player-driven story exploration.

Broad incumbents

• Annapurna Interactive: Larger indie publisher specializing in narrative-driven and artistic games (e.g., What Remains of Edith Finch, Kentucky Route Zero). Comparable in genre focus but operates as a publisher across many studios rather than a single development house.

Emerging players

• Variable State: Small studio behind Virginia — a narrative, exploration-led game with similar design DNA and indie scope, making it a closely comparable emerging peer in the 'walking simulator' genre.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dimbulbgames
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheFullbrightCompany

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 The Fullbright Company