Team Terrible

What Team Terrible does

Team Terrible is a UK-based independent game development studio headquartered in Dundee, Scotland, founded in 2021 by ex-AAA developers Aaron Baumbach and Greg Lee. The studio originated from the viral success of its flagship title, The Baby in Yellow, a Lovecraftian comedy horror game originally prototyped during the GMTK 2020 Game Jam. The game casts players as babysitters managing a peculiar infant across eight chapters while supernatural events unfold, blending simulation mechanics with narrative horror. Following overnight success driven by YouTube content creator coverage, the studio formalized in 2021 and expanded the title from PC to mobile platforms (iOS and Android) and Steam, reaching over 250 million downloads across PC and mobile. The studio has continued to release major content updates, including The Black Cat update in October 2023, which introduced a new laboratory setting and expanded gameplay mechanics. In addition to its flagship commercial title, the studio maintains an active game-jam practice, publishing experimental prototypes (Eye See You, Akubi, Duality, THE PIT, Funk Dungeon, Hermes, Babylirious, Time Raider) on itch.io, which serve as an IP incubation pipeline.

The studio operates with a lean team of approximately nine employees spanning art, engineering, and QA, drawn from AAA backgrounds. Its revenue model combines freemium mobile distribution via Google Play and the iOS App Store, one-time Steam purchases on PC, and a direct-to-consumer merchandise storefront at store.teamterriblegames.com. Go-to-market is product-led, relying on organic content creator amplification and community channels (YouTube, TikTok, Discord, Twitter/X) rather than paid advertising. The company is privately held, bootstrapped, and operates without disclosed institutional funding, with no parent company, subsidiaries, M&A activity, or regulatory actions reported in available sources.

Name

Team Terrible

Legal name

Team Terrible

Website

https://teamterriblegames.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Team Terrible is a Dundee-based independent game studio founded in 2021 by ex-AAA developers, best known for its Lovecraftian comedy horror mobile and PC title The Baby in Yellow, which has surpassed 250 million downloads globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indie Video Games

akta.pro primary industry

Indie Game Studios (MPAFAAAC)

Keywords

• Indie game development
• Horror video games
• Mobile game development
• Game jam projects
• Comedy horror games

Headquarters

HQ city

Dundee

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Mobile Game Distribution: Distribution through mobile app stores (Android Play Store, iOS App Store) with potential in-app purchases or ad-supported model.
2. PC Game Distribution: Distribution through Steam platform for PC gaming audience.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise through their own storefront at store.teamterriblegames.com.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Team Terrible is an independent video game development studio that creates original horror and indie games, primarily "The Baby in Yellow," a Lovecraftian comedy horror game available on PC, Android, and iOS. The studio also produces smaller experimental game jam projects published on itch.io and sells branded merchandise through its own online store.

Product overview

Team Terrible is a UK-based game development studio headquartered in Dundee, Scotland. The company's primary product is 'The Baby in Yellow' — a Lovecraftian comedy horror game available across PC and mobile platforms with over 200 million downloads. In addition to their flagship title, the studio has produced multiple smaller game jam projects including Eye See You, Akubi, Duality, THE PIT, Funk Dungeon, Hermes, Babylirious, and Time Raider, all published through itch.io. The portfolio consists of a core commercial product supplemented by experimental game jam entries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Baby in Yellow A Lovecraftian comedy horror game where players take on the role of babysitters tasked with caring for a peculiar baby in yellow across 8 chapters. Players must feed, clean, and entertain the baby while surviving strange and unexplainable events, targeted at horror game enthusiasts and international gaming audiences. Available on Steam, Android, and iOS.
• Eye See You Game jam project by Team Terrible published on itch.io, part of the studio's experimental game jam portfolio.
• Akubi Game jam project by Team Terrible published on itch.io as part of the studio's experimental game jam portfolio.
• Duality Game jam project by Team Terrible published on itch.io as part of the studio's experimental game jam portfolio.
• THE PIT Game jam project by Team Terrible published on itch.io as part of the studio's experimental game jam portfolio.
• Funk Dungeon Game jam project by Team Terrible published on itch.io as part of the studio's experimental game jam portfolio.
• Hermes Game jam project by Team Terrible published on itch.io as part of the studio's experimental game jam portfolio.
• Babylirious Game jam project by Team Terrible published on itch.io as part of the studio's experimental game jam portfolio.
• Time Raider Game jam project by Team Terrible published on itch.io as part of the studio's experimental game jam portfolio.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 250 million downloads across PC and Mobile platforms
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Innersloth: Small indie studio behind Among Us, which similarly achieved massive viral success across mobile and PC and was acquired by Epic Games. Most directly comparable peer given comparable team size, viral mechanics, and cross-platform indie hit.
• Playdead: Danish indie studio behind Limbo and Inside — comparable small-team studio producing atmospheric, narrative-driven indie titles with global cross-platform distribution.
• Supergiant Games: Small independent studio behind Hades, Bastion, and Transistor — relevant peer as a highly capital-efficient indie team that builds narrative-driven games across multiple platforms.
• Team Cherry: Australian indie studio behind Hollow Knight, a small team that shipped a breakout hit across PC and consoles via organic community-driven marketing — directly comparable team-size, indie ethos, and grassroots growth pattern.
• Mediatonic (Fall Guys): UK-based independent studio behind Fall Guys, which achieved viral, content-creator-driven growth across PC and consoles before acquisition by Epic — closely comparable business model and audience-acquisition pattern.
• ConcernedApe (Eric Barone): Solo indie developer behind Stardew Valley, a multi-platform breakout hit with hundreds of millions of players built without publisher marketing — closely parallels Team Terrible's bottom-up, founder-led indie model.

Broad incumbents

• Chucklefish: UK-based indie publisher and developer (Starbound, Wargroove) operating from a similar indie ecosystem — relevant as a UK-based peer in the indie game development and publishing space.
• Devolver Digital: Public indie publisher that has shepherded many small-team viral hits like Fall Guys, Enter the Gungeon, and Cult of the Lamb — relevant as an indie-publishing ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.

Emerging players

• MOB Games: Indie studio behind Poppy Playtime, a viral mobile/PC horror hit that has spawned sequels and a media franchise — directly comparable mobile + PC horror niche and viral content-creator-driven growth pattern.
• Keplerians: Spanish indie studio behind the Ice Scream and Evil Nun horror mobile franchises with hundreds of millions of downloads — comparable audience (mobile horror gamers) and free-to-play mobile distribution model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/TeamTerribleDev
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@teamterriblegames
• TikToktiktok.com/@teamterriblegames
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/team-terrible

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 Team Terrible