Want to work with us?
We are always open to talking with publishers, platform partners, fellow studios and talented makers who want to join the hive.
Est. 2014 - Seattle, WA
We make the games we want to play.
NeonHive is a 28-person independent game studio. We build immersive, narrative-driven experiences with a signature neon visual language and a hand-crafted feel that bigger teams cannot replicate.
Our Story
From a garage to a studio of 28 makers.
NeonHive started in 2014 when three friends - a programmer, an artist and a composer - decided they were tired of working on games they would never play. They quit their AAA jobs, rented a garage in Capitol Hill, Seattle, and spent a year building the prototype that would become our debut title.
Twelve years later we are still independent, still team-owned and still answering player messages ourselves. We have shipped 18 titles across PC, console and mobile, won 34 industry awards and built a community of more than nine million players.
- 100% independent - no publisher owns us
- Profit-sharing for every full-time team member
- A four-day work week since 2022
Milestones
A decade of building worlds
The shape of the studio, told through the games and moments that defined us.
2014
The garage years
Three founders leave their AAA jobs and prototype the studio's first rhythm game in a rented Capitol Hill garage. NeonHive is officially incorporated in October.
2016
First ship - Neon Drift
Our debut title Neon Drift launches on Steam Early Access and sells 250,000 copies in its first year. The team grows to eight people.
2018
Hive Engine comes online
We retire our fork of Unity and ship HiveEngine 1.0 - a proprietary tech stack purpose-built for our hand-painted visual style and 60fps mobile performance.
2020
Neon Pulse launches worldwide
Our rhythm-action flagship hits PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Switch simultaneously. It wins Best Audio at the Indie Game Awards and crosses one million players in 90 days.
2022
StarForge Legends & a four-day week
Our first deep-space RPG ships to critical acclaim. In the same year we move to a four-day work week with no pay cut - and ship more, not less.
2024
Hive Defender goes cross-platform
Our tower defense title launches simultaneously on PC, iOS and Android with full cross-progression. The community passes three million players in year one.
2026
Two unannounced titles in production
The studio begins pre-production on two unannounced projects, including our first narrative horror game. Headcount reaches 28 and we open applications for two new roles.
What We Believe
Five values that shape every decision
These are not posters on a wall. They are the rules we argue about when we disagree, and the things we will not trade for a quicker ship date.
Craft over scale
We would rather ship a smaller game we are proud of than a bigger one we are not. Scope is a creative decision, not a commercial one.
Open development
Weekly devlogs, public roadmaps and direct lines to the team. Players help shape what we build, and they know it.
Fair play, always
No pay-to-win mechanics. No loot boxes. No FOMO-driven content. Monetization should respect the player's time and wallet.
Team-owned studio
Profit-sharing for every full-time member. Decisions are made by the people doing the work, not by an outside board.
Sustainable pace
A four-day work week, hard caps on crunch and protected creative exploration time. Great games come from rested makers.
Global, accessible play
Full accessibility suites on every title, localization in 14 languages and pricing adjusted for local economies worldwide.
The Makers
Meet the people behind the pixels
The full-time team of 28 - artists, engineers, designers, writers and the folks who keep the lights on.
Maya Okafor
Creative Director
Daniel Reyes
Technical Director
Sora Tanaka
Art Director
Theo Marais
Audio & Score Lead
Priya Anand
Lead Game Designer
Lena Brandt
Narrative Lead
Marcus Hale
Studio Producer
Riley Chen
Community Director