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Overview
Square Glade Games is an independent studio based in Groningen, Netherlands. The team is co-founded by Tobias "Tobi" Schnackenberg and Marc Volger. They are the developers of Outbound and previously released Above Snakes (2023).
Team
Tobias Schnackenberg Co-founder and lead developer. German-born, living in the Netherlands.
Marc Volger Co-founder and developer. Studied AI and Robotics in the Netherlands, previously worked as a software engineer for self-driving vehicles.
Nico 3D Modeler.
Tyler Zane Composer. Also composed the Above Snakes soundtrack.
Michiel Developer.
History
Tobi started in game modding as a teenager, creating levels in Super Mario, maps and game modes for Warcraft III, and maps for Age of Empires. Warcraft III's World Editor was his primary tool for years. In 2019, he tried to reinstall Warcraft III to work on old maps but found them incompatible with the updated game version. He downloaded Unity instead and started prototyping.
His first commercial game, Above Snakes, was a tile-based Western survival game. Its Kickstarter in January 2022 set a EUR 26,000 goal and raised EUR 56,000 from over 1,700 backers. During Steam Next Fest, the demo attracted 25,000 players with 561 peak concurrent and streamer CohhCarnage played it to 18,000 viewers. Above Snakes launched on May 25, 2023, published by Crytivo. It sold over 60,000 copies in six months.
Marc discovered Above Snakes and began contributing to the project. He co-founded Square Glade Games with Tobi in 2022. Outbound became the studio's flagship title.
Outbound development
Outbound was revealed in February 2024. The Kickstarter campaign launched in August 2024 with a EUR 30,000 goal and funded in under two hours. It raised EUR 265,679 from 5,197 backers (885% of goal). Ten stretch goals were unlocked during the campaign.
Publishing
Square Glade self-publishes on PC (Steam and Epic Games Store). Console porting and physical distribution are handled by Silver Lining Interactive. Physical retail editions (including a collector's edition) are managed by Tesura Games for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Design philosophy
Tobi has described his approach to game design: "A good game is about 50-70% known stuff, with 30% unknown." He practices what he calls "no zero-percent days," always tackling backlog items. On Outbound's motivation, he said: "Many people like the idea of going travelling with a camper van. And like myself, many people can't do it because they have responsibilities such as jobs or family or financial constraints."
Awards
gamescom CommUnity Choice Award (2025)
17th Unity Awards nomination: Most Anticipated Game
Over 1.1 million Steam wishlists