Nerial, the studio behind the critically acclaimed Reigns series and Card Shark, is set to close its doors after nearly 13 years of operation. Creative director and founder François Alliot explained the decision as a complex personal and professional one, influenced by broader industry trends and a desire to recapture the focused energy of independent game creation.
Nerial first found significant success with its 2016 release, Reigns, a mobile game praised for its unique Tinder-like swipe-based mechanics, strategic depth, and wry humor. This initial success led to several spin-off titles, including licensed versions based on Game of Thrones and The Witcher. While the studio continued to release games, including the more recent Card Shark and Crush House, these titles were reportedly less financially successful, prompting Alliot to re-evaluate his approach to game development.
"It’s become a bit difficult to push forward, especially with the current context, with post-COVID, there’s a bit of this crash in the video game industry that everyone knows. AI sucking out all the air from the room," Alliot stated. He added that the studio's acquisition by Reigns publisher Devolver Digital in 2021, while a positive relationship, introduced a layer of external considerations into game development.
"Having been bought by Devolver, you become an internal studio," Alliot said. "So that means each of our games needs to be a Devolver game. And Devolver needs to publish all Nerial games... So there is this common ground and we would have found a way. But it’s like, every time we have to think about what the other wants. And there’s a bit of a second guessing. I recognize this situation, where you lose a bit of the concentrated energy that you had as a pure indie."
Devolver Digital will retain the rights to Nerial's existing game catalog. Alliot expressed his satisfaction with this arrangement, noting that he has already expressed what he feels he needs to with those titles. He remains on good terms with Devolver and believes they would reach out to him for any potential future projects, such as a Card Shark 2 or another Reigns game.
Nerial's closure will result in seven employees being let go. Alliot and his wife, Tamara, intend to continue making games together as a smaller, independent entity. He specifically named the departing team members: artist Helen O’Dell, producer AJ Kerr, developers Gordon Speirs, Ben Obikoya, and Neil Goodman, writer Oscar Harrington-Shaw, and designer Neil Bull, praising their contributions and talent.
Alliot plans to take some time to rest and seek inspiration, visiting art museums. He anticipates his next projects may have an artistic focus. He acknowledged the current challenging climate for the games industry, particularly with the rapid advancement of AI and the potential for rapid concept replication. Despite these challenges, Alliot expressed optimism about his ability to create new and distinct experiences.
"I still have things that I can say and I can create that will be new and different and bring a new voice," Alliot concluded. "And hopefully people will recognize that."