One of the most notable collaborative teams in recent years, game designer Cole Wehrle and illustrator Kyle Ferrin, notable for Root, Arcs, and Oath, announced today their departure from Leder Games and the formation of Buried Giant Studios:
This new venture seeks to continue making the sorts of games that players have come to expect from us for nearly a decade. Our mission is simple: to make interactive games with expressive systems, emergent gameplay, and player-centered storytelling.
While these are not games for everyone, we firmly believe that each of these games could be someone’s favorite game. Games have shaped all of us from a young age, and we celebrate play as an essential part of the human experience. We want to make games that are built to last and reward repeated play and study. We want games that stick in the minds of their players long after they close the box.
Buried Giant says they will rely on the crowdfunding model for new projects. Their first campaign is curiously ...Arcs??
While we are leaving Root behind at Leder, Buried Giant has secured the rights to both Arcs and Oath. This includes all existing stock of both games. We will be handling the fulfillment of the Oath: New Foundations Kickstarter and launching a new expansion for Arcs this coming spring.
We reached out to Cole directly with a few questions about this big move:
GamingTrend: What inspired the name?
Cole Wehrle: The name has a lot of meanings for us. I don't even think I can offer a reading that will capture all of its valances properly, but I'll say this. We wanted to find something that felt like introducing an old friend. We've been here for a long time and we plan on sticking around.
GT: Given the volatility and uncertainty in the marketplace right now with tariffs and such, why now?
Cole: I've spent the past year navigating the tariffs both at Leder and at WGG (Wehrlegig Games). They have been very disruptive to certain parts of the tabletop industry, but happily companies like ours that sell higher priced games directly to their audiences have been able to absorb the costs. Every moment has its own challenges and there's no use waiting for the perfect time. We were all ready to take the jump.
GT: With Ted Caya on the team does that mean TAKE will be a Buried Giant release?
Cole: We all love Ted's heist game, and I think it would fit perfectly in with our line. We're not sure about the exact timing, but I'm looking forward to helping put the final touches on what is already a remarkable design.
GT: Where does this leave Wehrlegig Games? Is it part of Buried Giant?
Cole: Wehrlegig will be folded into the new enterprise. This will probably take months to sort out, but Drew and I are both looking forward to the additional operational and creative support that the games will get in the future. And, while Kyle won't be drawing Infamous Traffic, I'll be very glad to have his help developing the look and feel of these games. This is a deeply collaborative crew, and we're all excited to build this company together.
We're looking forward to this next chapter of the hitmaking duo. In the meantime, go sign up at the Arcs: Beyond the Reach Kickstarter page!
