Sumo Group launches indie games publisher Secret Mode

Sumo Group has announced the launch of Secret Mode, a new publishing venture focused on “fresh, smaller games, developed either internally or by independent developers.”

Secret Mode is led by director of publishing James Schall, formerly of Sega and Amazon, and supported by head of marketing Derek Seklecki, formerly of Sega and Nintendo.

“We want to break down the stereotypical publisher-developer relationship and create genuine lasting partnerships. We think our values and long-term ambitions will give every studio something to think about,” Schall said in a press release. “We will bring a fresh approach to the publishing scene, embracing creativity and experimentation, whilst being intuitively and commercially guided by the decades of experience we have within the Group.”

Sumo Group chief operating officer Paul Porter added, “We have previously published titles that have been created in-house, like Snake Pass, and have enjoyed some success with that. This is a natural progression of that process. Being developers ourselves, we know great teams want to focus on making the best game possible—without distractions. Secret Mode knows how to nurture developer talent, providing the resources and creativity to help make their creations fly.

“The guiding principles for Secret Mode are transparency and honesty. The team is driven to create something different and adaptive—building truly collaborative relationships with our developer partners that will endure. Combining our industry knowledge, connections, and passion for great games, Secret Mode has what it takes to help developers grow and thrive.”

According to Schall, Secret Mode is focusing on “smaller gems” that have some or all of these qualities:

• Fresh – We don’t want to be pigeonholed by genre, but we are looking for games that bring something new to the table, something we’ve never seen before.
• Sticky – We’re looking for games that keep you thinking about them, even when you’re not playing.
• Fetching – We’re always suckers for a fetching art style or a mechanic that makes you smile with joy.
• Longevity – We’re looking for IP we can nurture and grow, not fire-and-forget projects.
• The Umami Factor – That ineffable something you feel in your gut when you know a game is special.