23 Daily — According to gamesindustry.biz, the game publisher formerly known as Runic Forge has officially rebranded as Pythia Games, announcing future development plans. Runic Forge, a UK-based data-driven indie marketing agency known as Rune, will now focus exclusively on game publishing.

Transformation Fueled by Success of 'Hearth and Hamlet'

Pythia Games' transition to a publisher came after its first major release, the cozy incremental city builder Hearth and Hamlet by Phorust Studios. The game launched on Steam on August 19, 2026, selling nearly 50,000 units in its first 24 hours and surpassing 100,000 units sold in the first week. It has since accumulated over 1,800 reviews on Steam.

Strong Pre-Launch Metrics Signal Market Potential

Before launch, Hearth and Hamlet's free demo attracted more than 100,000 unique players, and its Steam wishlist passed 125,000 entries. These figures demonstrate significant market interest and provided strong support for Pythia Games’ shift toward publishing.

Upcoming Titles and Collaboration Goals

Pythia Games’ initial lineup includes Carnholt, a roguelike deckbuilder created by Magic: The Gathering artist Maxime Minard, and Dragon's Tear, an idle dungeon-crawler RPG inspired by classic JRPGs developed by LilChill Games. The publisher is actively seeking partnerships with more indie developers. Founder and marketing director Aidan McGrath noted that after years in agency work, the team is eager to support innovative indie games and both small teams and solo developers as a dedicated publisher.

Editor's take: New Opportunities and Challenges in Indie Game Publishing

The establishment of Pythia Games marks a shift from a data-driven marketing agency to a dedicated indie game publisher, leveraging marketing expertise to back games with strong market potential. Hearth and Hamlet’s success serves as proof of concept, achieving high sales and engagement. For entrepreneurs, this highlights the value of combining data analytics and marketing skills with keen game selection to succeed in the competitive industry. To validate this approach, teams can track early demo player counts and wishlist numbers to gauge interest, then conduct targeted marketing campaigns to monitor if sales and player feedback meet projections.