Slow Bros
Slow Bros is an indie game studio in Cologne, Germany that designs narrative adventure games, notably Harold Halibut, using handmade stop-motion techniques and photogrammetry, selling one-time purchases via Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox to indie game enthusiasts worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersCologne, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Slow Bros does
Slow Bros. GmbH is an independent video game studio headquartered in Cologne, Germany, founded in 2015 by three Managing Directors (Onat Hekimoglu, Fabian Preuschoff, and Ole Tillmann). The studio designs and produces narrative adventure games with a distinctive handmade aesthetic, bridging physical craftsmanship and digital game production. Its flagship title, Harold Halibut, is a narrative game about friendship and life on a city-sized spaceship submerged in an alien ocean, released in 2024 across PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. A second unannounced project ('Project 02') is currently in production.
The studio's core technology centers on stop-motion animation using physical materials (wood, clay, fabric, wire), augmented by photogrammetry to translate handmade assets into digital game environments. The production process emphasizes artisanal model-making conducted in the Cologne workshop before assets are digitized, with the studio explicitly stating that players should be able to 'feel the artist's hand in the finished work.' This craft-led approach is the studio's primary point of differentiation from the broader indie game market.
Slow Bros operates a fully self-serve, product-led go-to-market model. Revenue is generated through one-time-purchase sales of completed titles on major digital storefronts (Steam, PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store), with the studio retaining no direct consumer data from these transactions. Marketing relies on earned media, with press handled through PR partner Popagenda, supplemented by newsletter, multi-platform social media presence, and a dedicated press microsite. The target audience is indie game enthusiasts who value distinctive artistic styles, narrative depth, and tactile craftsmanship over mainstream AAA experiences. Slow Bros is privately held with no disclosed external investors, parent company, or institutional funding.
Slow Bros firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Slow Bros
- Legal name
- Slow Bros. GmbH
- Website
- https://slow-bros.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Slow Bros is an indie game studio in Cologne, Germany that designs narrative adventure games, notably Harold Halibut, using handmade stop-motion techniques and photogrammetry, selling one-time purchases via Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox to indie game enthusiasts worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Slow Bros industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Indie Video Games
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Casual/Hypercasual Game Studios (MPAFAAAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- 3D Character Animation (MPAHACAB)
Keywords
Where Slow Bros is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cologne
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Slow Bros business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Video Game Sales: Revenue is generated through one-time purchase sales of Harold Halibut on PC and console platforms (PS5, Xbox Series X/S). Customers purchase the game directly from digital storefronts like Steam, Microsoft Store, and PlayStation Store. The game is sold as a complete title rather than a service or subscription.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Slow Bros product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Slow Bros develops and publishes handmade narrative video games that bridge analogue and digital worlds, using stop-motion animation with physical materials and photogrammetry to produce distinctive in-game visuals. Its flagship and currently shipping product is Harold Halibut, a narrative adventure released in 2024 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Product overview
Slow Bros. is a small independent game studio based in Germany that creates handmade video games bridging analogue and digital worlds. Their primary product is Harold Halibut, a narrative adventure game released in 2024 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. The studio crafts games from physical materials like wood, clay, fabric, and wire, using techniques such as stop-motion animation and photogrammetry. A second project (Project 02) is currently in production.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Harold Halibut A handmade narrative adventure game about friendship and life aboard a city-sized spaceship submerged in an alien ocean. Built with stop-motion-inspired aesthetics using physical materials (clay, wool, felt, wood, fabric, wire) and photogrammetry, it targets players who seek out indie titles with distinctive artistic styles and emotional storytelling.
Companies that use Slow Bros
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Slow Bros technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Slow Bros partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- PopagendaminorPopagenda handles press inquiries for Slow Bros. They serve as the PR contact for media and press-related communications regarding Harold Halibut. This is a third-party marketing/PR relationship rather than a direct internal function.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Slow Bros competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Hello Games: UK indie studio (No Man's Sky) operating as a broader independent game maker across PC and consoles — useful comp for indie-to-mid-tier scaling trajectory from a small founding team.
Direct peers
- Campo Santo: Formerly independent US studio behind Firewatch, exemplar of a small narrative-adventure indie team with strong craft identity — directly comparable structure despite subsequent acquisition by Valve.
- Supergiant Games: US indie studio (Bastion, Hades, Pyre) known for small-team narrative-driven games with strong artistic identity, sold across PC and consoles via major storefronts — similar GTM motion and craft-led positioning.
- Playdead: Danish indie studio (Limbo, Inside) operating with a small team focused on narrative-driven, visually distinctive adventure games sold as premium one-time purchases across PC and console — directly comparable in scale and business model.
- Team Cherry: Australian indie studio (Hollow Knight, Silksong) — a small team producing art-driven narrative adventure games sold as premium titles across major storefronts, providing a useful comp for breakout indie trajectory.
- Mimimi Games: German indie studio (Shadow Tactics, Desperados III) operating from Germany with a small team producing premium narrative/strategy titles for PC and consoles — relevant for both geography and indie premium model.
- Amanita Design: Czech indie studio behind Machinarium and Samorost, widely recognized for a distinctive hand-drawn, analogue-influenced aesthetic in narrative adventure games — the closest analogue to Slow Bros' handcrafted visual approach.
- thatgamecompany: US-based studio behind Journey and Sky: Children of the Light, with a comparable thesis of delivering emotionally resonant, artistically distinctive interactive experiences rather than mainstream AAA production.
- Tequila Works: Spanish indie studio (Rime, The Sexy Brutale) producing art-driven narrative adventure games released across PC and consoles — directly comparable in style and small-team structure.
- Die Gute Fabrik: Small indie studio (Mu Cartographer, Where is my Heart?) producing distinctive, art-forward narrative games — comparable in size, craft-led philosophy, and indie narrative positioning.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Slow Bros social profiles
Digital presenceSlow Bros financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Slow Bros leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Slow Bros funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Slow Bros M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Slow Bros
What does Slow Bros do?
Slow Bros develops and publishes handmade narrative video games that bridge analogue and digital worlds, using stop-motion animation with physical materials and photogrammetry to produce distinctive in-game visuals. Its flagship and currently shipping product is Harold Halibut, a narrative adventure released in 2024 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Is Slow Bros a public or private company?
Slow Bros is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Slow Bros founded?
Slow Bros was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Slow Bros based?
Slow Bros is headquartered in Cologne, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Slow Bros make money?
One revenue line is on record: video Game Sales.
Who are Slow Bros's main competitors?
Hello Games is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Campo Santo, Supergiant Games, Playdead, Team Cherry, Mimimi Games, Amanita Design, thatgamecompany, Tequila Works and Die Gute Fabrik.
Does Slow Bros have an API?
No public API is recorded for Slow Bros.
What industry is Slow Bros in?
Slow Bros's product category is Indie Video Games. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAAAG, Casual/Hypercasual Game Studios, with a secondary code of MPAHACAB, 3D Character Animation. Its NAICS code is 5121 and its SIC code is 7812.