Playdigious

About Playdigious

Playdigious operates as a specialized publisher of indie games for mobile, PC, and console platforms, with a notable in-house capacity for porting technically complex titles. The company was established in France in 2015 by Xavier Liard and Romain Tisserand, two entrepreneurs who leveraged their previous experience as founders of DotEmu, a company known for distributing retro games. They identified an opportunity to bring successful PC and console indie games to a wider audience on mobile and other platforms, handling the technical adaptations required for a seamless user experience.

The business model centers on partnering with independent game developers to publish and distribute their titles across multiple platforms, including premium and subscription-based services. Playdigious generates revenue through a mix of premium game sales, where users pay an upfront cost, and freemium models with in-app purchases. A core component of their service is the technical expertise involved in porting. This includes adapting user interfaces and controls for touchscreens, optimizing performance across a wide array of devices, and integrating necessary third-party SDKs—tasks that developers might not have the resources to handle themselves. The process is collaborative, with the level of involvement from the original developer varying based on the project. The publisher is selective, choosing a limited number of high-quality titles per year that are a good fit for their portfolio and team.

In May 2021, Playdigious was acquired by the Swedish entity Fragbite Group for a deal valued at up to €8.5 million, becoming part of a larger gaming and esports organization. This acquisition was intended to establish a new publishing and indie games division within the Fragbite Group. Following the acquisition, the founders transitioned into new strategic roles within the parent company, with Abrial Da Costa, a veteran of the gaming industry, appointed as CEO of Playdigious in mid-2023. The company continues to operate with offices in Nancy, Montpellier, and Paris, and has expanded its scope with the 'Playdigious Originals' label to publish new, innovative indie projects on PC and console.