adminEvil Landfall, the publishing arm established by the studio behind Peak and Content Warning, is opening its doors to independent developers. The Stockholm-based team plans to fund selected projects from outside Landfall while continuing to publish the company’s own games. Its approach is focused on investment and advice rather than a full package of publishing services for every partner.
Image credit: Evil Landfall
What Evil Landfall offers indie developers
The label was introduced during Landfall Day on April 1, when the Landfall logo appeared alongside a red Evil Landfall version. Although the public reveal was new, the publishing operation had been organized as a separate company around three years earlier. Kirsten-Lee Naidoo, formerly Landfall’s head of publishing, now leads it as CEO.
The seven-person team is based in Stockholm, with some staff working remotely from other parts of the world. Landfall founders are also involved, and the two companies remain closely connected. According to Naidoo, the publishing group had become a self-sustaining business, prompting the move to present it as a distinct label.
Kirsten-Lee Naidoo | Image credit: Evil Landfall / Licia Punzo
Evil Landfall previously focused on publishing Landfall’s own games. It is now seeking opportunities to support external studios through project-based funding. For outside developers, the current offer is primarily financial backing and some guidance; services such as marketing, business development and community management remain focused on Landfall’s own titles.
Naidoo has not ruled out publishing an external game in the future if a suitable project comes along. For developers considering support, the practical distinction is important: approaching Evil Landfall for funding does not guarantee that the company will take on full publishing responsibilities.
The Landfall team. | Image credit: Evil Landfall / Licia Punzo
Previous investments and funding terms
Landfall had already made some external investments before announcing the label. One early example was an equity investment in Swedish studio Semiwork for its first game, Voidigo. Semiwork later developed REPO, which recorded more than 10 million monthly active users in March 2025, shortly after entering Early Access.
Naidoo says the earlier investments were made informally, often to help developers in Sweden or within Landfall’s wider network. Those arrangements are now being handled through formal contracts. The label has not published its contract terms, and the details can vary from one project to another.
Naidoo says Evil Landfall does not use a 100% recoup arrangement and does not retain the intellectual property rights to the games it supports. Developers can also decide how involved the label should be. These points offer a useful starting point for studios evaluating potential funding, but developers should review the full contract and clarify ownership, repayment, responsibilities and decision-making before signing.
The name reflects the company’s playful identity. Naidoo explains that more conventional options, such as Landfall Presents or Landfall Invest, felt too plain. Evil Landfall was chosen to play on the idea of a business or publisher being the villain.
Why short development cycles matter
Landfall’s ability to invest in other studios follows the success of games including Totally Accurate Battle Simulator (TABS), Content Warning and Peak. Video Game Insights estimates that Peak has sold around 17 million units. The game was developed with Aggro Crab over a period of a few months and became Landfall’s fastest-selling title, exceeding the team’s expectations.
Peak’s success was especially meaningful for Aggro Crab, whose future had been uncertain after other projects were cancelled. Naidoo says the game’s performance helped the studio continue operating. The experience has reinforced Evil Landfall’s interest in playful, physics-based games designed to be enjoyed with friends—an audience Landfall already understands.
Peak has sold an estimated 17 million units so far. | Image credit: Aggro Crab
The label is interested in short development schedules, with some teams testing a game’s central idea quickly and aiming to complete development within around six months. Naidoo argues that this can limit the cost and time spent on concepts that do not work. Developers should still assess what is achievable for their particular game; a shorter schedule is an approach the label is exploring, not a guarantee of success.
Landfall was also behind Totally Accurate Battle Simulator. | Image credit: Landfall Games
Early audience testing and new projects
Showing a playable idea to an audience early can help developers discover what works before investing years in production. Landfall used community feedback during the development of TABS. Later releases took different routes: Content Warning was released as a shadow drop, while Peak was previewed in advance and tested with a small group.
Naidoo says Evil Landfall asks studios it supports whether players have tried the game and how they responded. For developers, early testing can reveal confusing mechanics or identify the parts people enjoy. Feedback is most useful when teams treat it as information to guide development, rather than assuming every comment should be followed.
Content Warning was released as a shadow drop. | Image credit: Landfall
Evil Landfall plans to invest in a few games each year. Funding can reach around $1 million per game, with larger amounts considered case by case. One announced investment is How To Fish from Dazed Games, which is due for release later this year. Naidoo describes it as a chaotic, silly project that fits the label’s interests.
How to Fish is very chaotic. | Image credit: Dazed Games
The label’s model gives studios more choice over which business tasks they handle themselves and which they seek help with. That flexibility may suit developers who want funding without handing over every publishing function. As Evil Landfall begins receiving more submissions, its processes may change to manage the increased interest.
What Evil Landfall’s model means for developers
Evil Landfall is expanding from publishing Landfall’s own games to funding selected indie projects, while keeping its current external support focused on investment and advice. Its interests lean toward short-cycle, social and physics-based games, and its funding can reach around $1 million per project, depending on the case.
For studios weighing an approach, the key steps are to confirm what support is actually included, understand the financial and intellectual-property terms, and test the game with players early. Evil Landfall’s growing profile could create more opportunities for independent developers, but each partnership will depend on the project and its agreement.
