Revision 1

Overview

Thermite Games is a video game publisher based in Beijing, China, founded in 2020. The company focuses on discovering and publishing indie games for a global audience. It served as the original publishing partner for The Bustling World after the game's Kickstarter campaign was cancelled in January 2024.

The company describes its mission as hunting for "indie games that break the mold and steal your heart." Thermite Games offers developers a range of publishing services including funding, localization, porting, quality assurance, marketing, public relations, and community management.

Leadership and team

Thermite Games has a small team of approximately 11 staff members. The company's leadership consists of Sean (founder and CEO), Jay (co-founder and COO), and Dirac (CMO). Despite its modest size, the company has built a catalog of over a dozen published titles spanning multiple genres from roguelikes to life simulators.

Published titles

Thermite Games has published the following selected titles on Steam, where the company has accumulated over 28,000 followers.

Upcoming titles on the Thermite Games roster include Teatopia, Another Farm Roguelike: Rebirth, and Detained: Too Good for School.

Relationship with The Bustling World

Thermite Games partnered with FireWo Games to publish The Bustling World after the game's Kickstarter campaign was pulled. FireWo Games is a small Chinese studio consisting of a couple who have been developing the game for over five years. The Kickstarter had raised $10,634 from 231 backers toward an $80,000 goal before being cancelled on January 3, 2024. The team decided to restructure backer rewards and pursue a traditional publishing partnership instead.

The game accumulated over 150,000 Steam wishlists within 20 days of its store page going live, demonstrating strong early interest.

By early 2025, Lightning Games appeared as the publisher on some store pages for western distribution. Both Thermite Games and Lightning Games have been associated with the title at different points during its development, suggesting a transition in publishing responsibilities for different regions.