So I looked and we basically have one of these threads every year, but I love polls and this is a good opportunity to have a new one. Annapurna Interactive has only been on the publishing map since 2017 - with 3 incredible games no less. Since then, it's felt like they've gone from strength to strength. I did some digging, since I noticed that Outer Wilds (a game I will never stop praising every chance I get) was part of the Annapurna Interactive bundle on Steam. And then I thought to myself - damn, these are some great games. Here's all the games they've published, from Wikipedia:
2017
2018
2019
2020
Unreleased (I think):
Some of these games are rereleases on new platforms. But either way, their hit rate of successes is kind of unbelievable. Not only that, the degree of quality is somewhat staggering as well. Out of all these games, maybe 5 had a less than strongly positive reception. Basically none has been a true dud. Their upcoming games look great as well. For better or worse, they've also experimented with new business models and opportunities, including Epic and Game Pass. I think there's an interesting comparison to Focus Home, too. Both focus on publishing smaller indie games, but Focus Home, while successful, just generally doesn't seem to reach the same level of quality for whatever reason.
Do you think Annapurna is just really good at picking them, or is the high bar of quality something to do with Annapurna's process? Would you consider Annapurna Interactive a top tier publisher? Are they more akin to a WB or a Focus Home?
2017
What Remains of Edith Finch
Flower
Gorogoa
2018
Florence
Donut County
Gone Home
Ashen
2019
Outer Wilds
Journey
Telling Lies
Sayonara Wild Hearts
Wattam
2020
Kentucky Route Zero
If Found...
Unreleased (I think):
The Pathless
The Artful Escape
Maquette
12 Minutes
Last Stop
I Am Dead
Stray
Solar Ash
Some of these games are rereleases on new platforms. But either way, their hit rate of successes is kind of unbelievable. Not only that, the degree of quality is somewhat staggering as well. Out of all these games, maybe 5 had a less than strongly positive reception. Basically none has been a true dud. Their upcoming games look great as well. For better or worse, they've also experimented with new business models and opportunities, including Epic and Game Pass. I think there's an interesting comparison to Focus Home, too. Both focus on publishing smaller indie games, but Focus Home, while successful, just generally doesn't seem to reach the same level of quality for whatever reason.
Do you think Annapurna is just really good at picking them, or is the high bar of quality something to do with Annapurna's process? Would you consider Annapurna Interactive a top tier publisher? Are they more akin to a WB or a Focus Home?