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Palworld lead says what makes an indie game has become “so blurred” but “creative control is king”
John “Bucky” Buckley, Pocketpair’s head of publishing and communications, says the definition of an indie game studio has become blurred as funding, studio size and success no longer provide clear dividing lines. He argues that creative independence matters most, and that outside funding or publishing support does not automatically make a studio less independent.
Buckley says Pocketpair is fully self-funded and has no outside investors, though he recognises that Palworld’s success leads some people to question the indie label. Discussing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Stardew Valley, he asks whether marketing help alone should disqualify a game from being considered indie. In his view, the key question is whether another party influences a studio’s creative decisions.
In short
- Pocketpair’s John Buckley says indie status is increasingly hard to define.
- He says creative freedom matters more than outside funding or marketing support.
- Pocketpair describes itself as fully self-funded and independently controlled.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
“Indie” is most useful when it describes who controls a game’s creative direction, rather than a studio’s budget, size or commercial success. Funding and publishing support can help small teams reach players without dictating what they make, so excluding them automatically would overlook meaningful creative independence.
The case against
The indie label can also signal a studio’s scale, resources and position outside the mainstream industry, not just who has the final say on creative choices. When a game receives substantial funding, marketing or publishing support, treating it as equivalent to a fully self-funded project may blur distinctions that matter to audiences and smaller developers.
Explained simply
Independent games are made by studios working outside the largest publishers, but there is no agreed test for what counts as independent. Studios vary in size and may receive funding, marketing or publishing support from other companies.
John “Bucky” Buckley works in publishing and communications at Pocketpair, the studio behind Palworld. He says Pocketpair has funded itself and has no outside investors, while recognising that the game’s success has led some people to question whether it is indie.
The debate also involves games such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Stardew Valley, which have received marketing or publishing support. Buckley argues that the key issue is whether another party shapes a studio’s creative decisions, rather than its size or the support it receives.
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