Fellow Traveller Games Explained
| Surprise Attack Pty Ltd |
| Traded As: | Fellow Traveller Games |
| Industry: | Video games |
| Foundation: | October 2011 |
| Founders: | Chris Wright |
Surprise Attack Pty Ltd, trading as Fellow Traveller Games, is an Australian video game publisher. Chris Wright founded the company in 2011 as a marketing consultancy. It announced publishing label Surprise Attack Games in 2013 and relaunched the company as Fellow Traveller Games in 2018.
History
Surprise Attack was founded in October 2011 by Chris Wright, who previously worked as marketing director for Blue Tongue Entertainment. Wright also assessed game loan applications for Film Victoria, where he noticed that many developers did not consider marketing. This led to founding Surprise Attack as a marketing consultancy firm for independent game developers.[1] In November, Wright commented that many games were being released "without edit" for 15-year-olds in Australia that were restricted in the United States and Europe. He believed that the Australian Classification Board needed an "R18+ rating" for games, which legislation had recently approved implementation for.[2]
In July 2013, it launched publishing label Surprise Attack Games providing funding, marketing and distribution as Australia's first independent indie game publisher.[3] [4] In July 2018, the company relaunched as Fellow Traveller Games, focusing on unusual narrative games.[5] When Kotaku Australia enquired about the changed direction from showcasing Australian games, Wright stated they realised that while the industry appreciated their local publishing, consumers were not interested in where a game was made. He believed an identity with an established flavour or style of game is needed to stand out in the market, noting that 3-4% of the Steam purchases were Australian.[6] In April 2019, Fellow Traveller announced digital convention LudoNarraCon celebrating narrative games. The event ran from 10 to 13 May, with livestreamed panels hosted on storefront Steam.[7]
Games published
!Title!Release!Developer(s)!Platform(s)!Ref.| Oscura: Second Shadow | 2014 | Chocolate Liberation Front | iOS | [8] |
| Screencheat | 2014 | Samurai Punk | Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One | |
| Vertiginous Golf | 2014 | Kinelco, Lone Elk Creative | Linux, Windows, macOS | |
| Hacknet | 2015 | Team Fractal Alligator | Linux, Windows, macOS | |
| Orwell: Ignorance is Strength | 2018 | Osmotic Studios | Linux, Windows, macOS | |
| Hiveswap Friendsim | 2018 | What Pumpkin Games | | |
| Framed Collection | 2018 | Loveshack Entertainment | Linux, Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch | |
| Blind | 2018 | Tiny Bull Studios | PlayStation VR, Windows | |
| The Stillness of the Wind | 2019 | Lambic Studios, Memory of God | iOS, iPadOS, Windows, MacOS, Nintendo Switch | |
| The Church in the Darkness | 2019 | Paranoid Productions | Linux, Windows, MacOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One | |
| Pesterquest | 2019 | What Pumpkin Games | | |
| Neo Cab | 2019 | Chance Agency | iOS, iPadOS, TvOS, Linux, Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch | |
| In Other Waters | 2020 | Jump Over the Age | Linux, Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch | |
| Paradise Killer | 2020 | Kaizen Game Works | Linux, Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | |
| Suzerain | 2020 | Torpor Games | Android, IOS, IPadOS, Linux, Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch | |
| Genesis Noir | 2021 | Feral Cat Den | Linux, Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One | |
| The Invisible Hand | 2021 | Power Struggle Games | Linux, Windows | |
| No Longer Home | 2021 | Humble Grove | Linux, Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 | |
| Kraken Academy! | | 2021 | Happy Broccoli Games | Linux, Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One | |
|---|
| Glitchhikers: The Spaces Between | 2022 | Silverstring Media Inc. | Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch | |
| Citizen Sleeper | 2022 | Jump Over The Age | Linux, Windows, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 | |
| Beacon Pines | 2022 | Hiding Spot | Linux, Windows, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One | |
| The Pale Beyond | 2023 | Bellular Studios | Linux, Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch | |
| 1000xRESIST | 2024 | Sunset Visitor | | [9] |
| Times & Galaxy | 2024 | Copychaser Games | Windows, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 | [10] |
| Afterlove EP | 2024 | Pikselnesia | Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S | [11] |
| Great God Grove | 2024 | LimboLane | Windows | |
| Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector | 2025 | Jump Over the Age | Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S | [12] |
| Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo | 2025 | Galla | Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | |
| Nirvana Noir | TBA | Feral Cat Den | Windows, Xbox Series X/S | [13] |
| Pine: A Story of Loss | TBA | Made Up Games | Windows | |
| Wander Stars | TBA | Paper Castle Games | | | |
Notes and References
- Web site: Serrels . Mark . 5 September 2012 . The Man Who Wants To Bring Australia's Games To The World . 14 April 2023 . Kotaku Australia . en-AU.
- Web site: Conditt . Jessica . Australian indie: From ratings systems to a boom of small studios, how AU will survive . Engadget . 13 November 2011 . 14 April 2023.
- Web site: Pitcher . Jenna . 17 July 2013 . Surprise Attack Games breaks new ground as Australia's first indie publisher . 14 April 2023 . Polygon . en-US.
- Web site: Starr . Michelle . 17 July 2013 . Surprise Attack launches Australia's first indie game publisher . 14 April 2023 . CNET . en.
- Web site: Handrahan . Matthew . 24 July 2018 . Surprise Attack relaunches as Fellow Traveller Games . 14 April 2023 . GamesIndustry.biz . en.
- Web site: Walker . Alex . Why One Publisher Is Moving Away From The Australian Made Brand . Kotaku Australia . en-AU . 25 July 2018 . 14 April 2023.
- News: Blake . Vikki . 9 May 2019 . Free, virtual narrative gaming celebration, LudoNarraCon, will launch next month . en . MCV . 14 April 2023 . 1469-4832.
- Web site: Signor . Jeremy . 2014-07-08 . Oscura: Second Shadow Review - Dim Light . 2023-05-03 . . en-GB.
- Web site: 2022-09-20 . ‘Hyper-cinematic narrative adventure’ game 1000xRESIST announced for Switch, PC . 2023-12-14 . Gematsu . en-US.
- Web site: 2023-05-02 . Point-and-click adventure game Times & Galaxy announced for PC . 2023-12-14 . Gematsu . en-US.
- Web site: 2022-03-28 . Games Industry Mourns Coffee Talk Creator, Who Passed Away At 32 . 2023-12-14 . Kotaku . en.
- Web site: LeBlanc . Wesley . Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector Will Hit Xbox Game Pass On Day One . https://web.archive.org/web/20230824175421/https://www.gameinformer.com/news/2023/08/24/citizen-sleeper-2-starward-vector-will-hit-xbox-game-pass-on-day-one . dead . 24 August 2023 . 2023-12-14 . Game Informer . en.
- Web site: 2023-12-06 . Genesis Noir sequel Nirvana Noir announced for Xbox Series, PC . 2023-12-14 . Gematsu . en-US.
