Fern Sprout Studios

*It has officially been one year since Fern Sprout Studios was founded!* The idea originally came about on a trip to Seattle, touring Fortune 500 companies. As young visionaries, we saw slightly different beginnings to our career paths. We wanted to start our own business. Rallying together our most talented and trusted friends, we founded Fern Sprout Studios in February 2024. The company has only been moving uphill since then. We are excited to continue our journey as a young indie studio, building our community and making impactful video games. Coming soon, we have big studio announcements and events for people to participate in in March, and we can’t wait to share them with you all. For now, if you haven’t yet, go check out the games we previously launched last spring! Astrohaulers is available for Windows Download and Browser Play, while Dig Deeper is available for Windows Download. Download or Play Astrohaulers here: https://lnkd.in/gSf8iy2M Download or Play Dig Deeper here: https://lnkd.in/gSUM6FQy If you want more content from us, we have been super active on YouTube lately and will continue posting there in the coming months. Fern Sprout Studios YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gMqJZ_62 From the bottom of our hearts: thank you all for your continued support, we're so excited for what's in store!

Indie game development isn’t always smooth. Here’s a humorous clip from our twitch stream that highlights that! Make sure to follow us on twitch for more game development streams: https://lnkd.in/g6N7ndfE

Lessons from Failed Indie Studios; How we as Fern Sprout are charting a new path! The indie game industry is a realm of creativity and passion but also fraught with challenges. Many promising studios have faced hurdles that ultimately led to their closure, offering valuable lessons for those striving to thrive in this space. At Fern Sprout Studios, we’re taking inspiration from these stories—not to dwell on failure, but to grow from it - like a fern grows in a forest of challenges! ?? Take Defiant Development, creators of "Hand of Fate". They struggled with market adaptability and a risky business model, highlighting the importance of staying agile and crafting financial strategies that mitigate risk. Then there’s Arcen Games, whose reliance on a single title, Starward Rogue, proved unsustainable. Diversifying our portfolio is a lesson we’re embedding into our long-term plans. Oddworld Inhabitants’ story resonates deeply: their struggle with publisher control underscores the value of owning your creative vision. For indie studios, control over intellectual property and exploring alternative funding models isn’t just about freedom—it’s about survival. Lastly, the challenges faced by Fntastic’s "The Day Before" serve as a cautionary tale about quality assurance and the importance of transparent communication with your audience. In an industry driven by community, trust is everything. At Fern Sprout Studios, we’re inspired by the innovation and resilience of those who came before us. We’re committed to staying adaptable, financially savvy, and fiercely protective of our creative vision. Above all, we aim to deliver quality games that resonate with players while building an open and honest relationship with our community. For fellow indie developers and creative entrepreneurs: let’s embrace these lessons as stepping stones, not stumbling blocks, and continue creating with passion and purpose. What lessons have you learned in your journey - professional or personal? Let us know! ?? ??

?? At Fern Sprout, outsiders in the game development community tell us, “Y’all have to do this” or “this is the only way to succeed”: releasing games under the free-to-play microtransaction model. This model is not new and is very common at the AAA level of game development. We recently did a case study of a solo developer who followed this path for an FPS-style game with in-game assets you could purchase. Over four years, the game achieved an incredible 750k downloads. At a glance, just getting 10,000 people to enjoy your game is considered successful in many indie studios' eyes, let alone approaching a million. The harsh reality is that this solo developer brought in $4000 in revenue over those four years, which Steam then took 30% of. As we embark on our next project, which is still in its early stages, we explore a different approach. We're intrigued by the economic principle of willingness-to-pay (WTP). While not a revolutionary concept, it offers a promising alternative to the free-to-play model. We aim to find the sweet spot—the lowest price point that generates enough revenue to sustain our team and the highest price point that doesn't deter more than 70% of our potential player base. Looking again at our case study, imagine this individual charged $1 for their game and kept the microtransactions they had. In this example, that $1 price tag caused 20% not to purchase the game. Let’s do the math: - The game brings in roughly $600k in Revenue - Steam takes 30%, leaving $420k in Gross Profit - This was a solo developer, so let’s give a conservative $50k salary so the 4-year operating income would be $220k $1 was all it took to take his passion project from what they worked on after their 9-5 to a stable income over four years with enough excess to hire an additional developer or artist. The free-to-play model thrives at the AAA level, where games can amass a large, engaged player base that actively participates in battle passes, and purchases in-game skins, and tokens. However, for indie studios, the reality is often different. Our games are more likely to be downloaded on a whim, with players saying, “Oh, that looks cool, I'll try it out.” This casual approach doesn’t guarantee the same level of loyalty or engagement, making the free-to-play model a more challenging approach for indie developers. Acknowledging these challenges and exploring alternative models that better suit our unique circumstances is important. ?? Let us know what you think below!

How do you keep motivated at a volunteer-based studio? Here are out team's takeaways on the work we've done so far: In game development, visible milestones are rare early on, yet the team understands that meaningful progress is always happening behind the scenes. ??♂? Building a Shared Vision: The team is united by a vision to create games that break industry norms—no microtransactions, only rich storytelling and immersive gameplay. This shared goal is kept front and center, with frequent reminders about how each person’s contributions move the team closer to its mission. ?? Ownership and Empowerment: Every member at Fern Sprout Studios has a strong sense of ownership over their role, whether in art, development, or strategy. This autonomy empowers them to learn and excel within their areas, fueling pride in what they’re building together. ??♀? Learning as Motivation: The team views this journey as a learning experience as much as a creative one. They’re developing new skills, exploring unfamiliar areas, and building valuable connections along the way. This collective growth is celebrated regularly, reinforcing a deep commitment to the project. ?? Open Communication: Transparency is a cornerstone of the team’s approach. Every member is fully informed about the project’s progress, and all major decisions are made collectively. Open feedback is encouraged, fostering trust and ensuring each voice is heard and valued. ?? Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Fern Sprout Studios thrives on cross-functional collaboration, blending technical, creative, and business expertise to spark innovation. Team members frequently step outside their primary roles, contributing unique perspectives that lead to stronger, more dynamic outcomes. Ultimately, Fern Sprout Studios isn’t defined by a single product or a set of roles. It’s a journey shaped by shared goals, learning, and teamwork. The studio embodies a collective experience, one that has brought the team closer as they build something meaningful together. What are your biggest motivation tips? Let us know below!

Hello everyone! It’s been a little while since we have posted. We promise we have been busy though! We have been working hard on our next project, taking our time building and creating a new world for players to enjoy. Many of our studio members have been transitioning into other duties as well during this time, including new careers and returning to school. We are so excited for when we get to share our next project with you. In the meantime, we plan to get back on track to continue to showcase who we are as a studio for you all. Thanks for the continuous support!

If you haven’t yet, make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel! We plan to continue to share content revolving us and our studio! Check out the link below: https://lnkd.in/gbKR2AG7

We have expanded our team! Fern Sprout Studios is excited to share we are bringing on new members to our team. In order, we have: Nachiket Dabhade - Programmer Ronan Kelly - Programmer Winnetta Chan - 2D Artist October Satchmei - 2D Artist Visit our Instagram for detailed profiles on each individual! https://lnkd.in/ga2eQ526 We want to extend a massive thank you to Cave Bear Games and Ayla Derrick for creating a great volunteer network to facilitate these connections. We are so excited to grow as an organization and continue to help uplift careers development and our games!

Why is the term "volunteer" taboo? Since starting my own volunteer studio I have been met with strange comments about the validity of my business. But the reality is that ALL studios start out this way. My real beef isn't with volunteer teams, but unpaid internships at mega corporations. Volunteer teams and bootstrapping studios are VALID and provide REAL experience. Dont just take my word for it. Listen to the team members of the 50+ studios that make up my Partner Program. Got questions? I've got answers. ---- Maybe if I can get comfy making videos on LinkedIn I'll one day be comfortable posting on TikTok, which is where I'll make all my money and become famous of course.

We had a fantastic time showcasing Astrohaulers this weekend at the Seattle Indies Expo! The event was seamless, and our seats were filled all day with people playing the game. We received so much praise and feedback, which has been incredibly valuable and rewarding. We were blown away by the creative and engaging games demonstrated by our fellow indie exhibitors. We want to extend a huge thank you to Seattle Indies and all the volunteers and sponsors for giving our first project a chance and creating a wonderful and engaging event for both exhibitors and visitors. We also want to thank the rest of our team who could not make it in person for helping everything behind the scenes. It has been so special to watch the growth of our studio this past year, from our conception in February to showcasing our first project, and putting together a booth for the first time. We have more to share about our studio and other projects coming soon. Thanks for being a part of our journey!