Black Tabby Games, the two-person studio behind Slay the Princess and Scarlet Hollow, is launching an indie publishing arm called Black Tabby Publishing. According to The Verge, the publishing effort was revealed on Thursday and has already signed deals for two games: Prove You’re Human from Sunset Visitor (the developer behind 1000xResist), and a yet-to-be-announced game from the “animation duo” SmallBü. The move reflects a different approach to publishing—one structured around developer track records, trust-based partnerships, and funding designed to reduce dependence on immediate commercial success.
From Developer to Publisher
Black Tabby Games is expanding into publishing through a separate entity, Black Tabby Publishing. The studio’s core identity remains developer-focused: Black Tabby Games is a two-person studio credited for shipping Slay the Princess and Scarlet Hollow. By creating a publishing arm, the studio is moving into dealmaking, financing, and developer support—responsibilities typically handled by established publishers.
The decision stems from frustration with the current publishing landscape. Black Tabby Publishing cofounder Tony Howard-Arias told The Verge: “Bluntly, as indies, we’re not fans of the current publishing landscape. I think that deals are too aggressive. I think that publishers do not offer actual meaningful support to studios.” The publishing arm came about after Sunset Visitor founder Remy Siu described the difficulty of pitching his next project. Howard-Arias and Abby Howard—Black Tabby’s other cofounder and a married couple—”half jokingly” asked Siu to walk them through the pitch. “It was such a good pitch that we wound up deciding to sign it and spin up a separate company,” Howard-Arias explained.
A Niche Approach, Not Industry Reform
Black Tabby Publishing cofounders describe the new effort as targeted rather than broad. Howard-Arias told The Verge that the publishing arm “is not a solution to the state of the industry. This is a specific approach that is tailored to the niche we’re working in.” This framing is significant: the company is not positioning itself as an industry-wide fix but rather as a model for a particular set of circumstances shaped by the kinds of games Black Tabby itself has made.
Eligibility for funding is tied to execution history. Black Tabby Publishing accepted Sunset Visitor’s Prove You’re Human because “1000xResist was made, was successful, was delivered in a timely manner, and was excellent. That put us in a very specific position where we could extend this much trust for our partner,” according to Howard-Arias. This track-record approach means the publishing arm evaluates not just the next pitch but also prior delivery and outcomes to manage risk.
Funding Structure and Launch Flexibility
Black Tabby Publishing’s funding model differs from traditional publishing arrangements. According to a press release cited by The Verge, the company will provide “mid-six-figure USD deals to give small teams flexibility without hinging their survival on explosive launch performance.” This structure addresses a common pressure point in game publishing: the tension between long development cycles and short-term sales expectations. By providing sufficient upfront financing, the model reduces the survival dependence on immediate commercial impact.
What Comes Next
Black Tabby Publishing has signed deals for two projects: Prove You’re Human from Sunset Visitor and a yet-to-be-announced game from SmallBü. The immediate question for observers is whether the publishing arm can translate its developer-first perspective into consistent delivery and support outcomes. The company’s stated approach—mid-six-figure funding and flexibility without survival hinging on launch performance—will be tested as these projects move through development and release.
The origin story may also shape how Black Tabby Publishing evaluates future proposals. Founded by a two-person studio with a track record of shipped games, the publishing arm appears positioned to evaluate developers based on demonstrated delivery capability and prior success. This could make Black Tabby Publishing particularly attractive to developers with proven execution histories.
Source: The Verge