A new UK-based indie publisher called “The CoLab” has announced its slate of titles for 2025, starting out with “a positive vision and mission that runs counter to the many current negative trends in the wider games industry”.
The team at The CoLab is made up of veterans in the form of Darren Newnham (Disney Interactive, United Label), John Lewis (Codemasters, Criterion), and Mark Faulkner (Boss, Jagex), to name but three of them. The team says it wants to provide a “supportive, nurturing, and empowering environment where creativity can flourish and unique titles can find their audiences.”
Darren Newnham, CEO, The CoLab, said: “It’s time for a rebellion! We stand for cooperation and collaboration in an industry that desperately needs it. Recent trends, such as mass redundancies driven by ‘greedflation’, have underscored the need for a paradigm shift. Publishers often prioritise shareholder value over the needs of gamers, leading to a cycle of unfinished games released at inflated prices, while developers have faced challenges including cancellations, unpaid work, and even loss of intellectual property.
“The CoLab’s aim is to help effect change with a counter revolution in vision. We unite innovative game creators, share resources, and empower developers to thrive in a highly competitive market. Our goal is to make every developer who joins The CoLab an integral part of our collective, fostering a supportive environment that promotes long-term relationships and rewarding returns.”
The first set of titles announce by the publisher is as follows:
- Campfire (not final name!) – A cosy, safe place under the stars where you can gather around a campfire and become part of a collective story, sharing emotions and listening to the echoes of other people’s past thoughts.
- DeadWire – a fast-paced top-down cyberpunk shooter, where you can create devastating chain reactions to outwit enemies, break records and save your childhood mentor from a ruthless syndicate.
- Counter Clash – a lighthearted, cosy but action-packed strategy game, where players can choose their faction and hero, build and defend their base, train and upgrade troops and find the right strategy to defeat their opponents.
We actually played a demo of DeadWire and said it’s one of the five Steam Next Fest demos people should play, saying: “Every stage is essentially a big death puzzle for you to solve with multiple connections, but with the added benefit of always having the option of going in all guns blazing if you’re struggling. It feels absolutely badass to use your hacking powers in varied violent ways, and I’m looking forward to causing a lot of damage with them in Q2 of 2025.”
The CoLab has also announced it has partnered with UK charity Safe in Our World, “to create and foster worldwide mental health awareness within the video game industry and ensure that all staff feel secure and protected in their roles.”
More titles are coming in 2025, and a slate is being filled for 2026 as well, says the publisher.
