Innersloth co-founder warns devs: ‘there are some very bad deals out there’

The increasing wave of indie creators transforming into indie game publishers and investors has proved to be a captivating evolution for the realm of video game negotiations. While all of these minor studios could justifiably retain their profits and solely finance internal initiatives, several have opted to thoughtfully distribute their resources, providing agreements that enhance financial competition in the sector of independent game creation. This wave of publishers has brought forth a fresh assortment of seasoned creators into the domain of term sheets, discussions, and revisions—and during the past year, developers-turned investors conversing with Game Developer have portrayed their experiences as something reminiscent of a horror story. Innersloth co-founder and programmer Forest Willard, who also manages the company’s Outersloth fund, is one of those founders taken aback by the circumstances his colleagues are facing. Now he is (cautiously) sounding the alarm for other creators. In a dialogue at Seattle Loves Indies Creator Expo (SLICE)...