Black Salt Games, the mind behind “Dredge,” has announced a new initiative called Team Trifold and launched a publishing branch, Saltworks Entertainment. This white-label publisher will support both Team Trifold and fellow New Zealand indie developer Disc 2 Games, all based in Christchurch, while preserving their creative independence.
Saltworks Entertainment aims to collaborate, pooling resources in production, marketing, and quality assurance. With the success of “Dredge,” Black Salt Games is also funding and publishing Team Trifold’s inaugural project, “Nothing Lost.” Executive producer Nadia Thorne highlighted the advantages of New Zealand’s Game Development Sector Rebate, enhancing focus on “Nothing Lost” and boosting revenue for supported studios by 17%, totaling $829 million.
Sustainability is essential to Saltworks’ model, promoting small teams to develop ambitious indie projects. This approach fosters resource sharing without unnecessary expansion.
Team Trifold, comprising Jed Uy, Wilson Teo, and Carl Johnson, boasts extensive industry experience. Uy emphasized establishing strong design pillars to guide creative and technical decisions, balancing flexibility with a unified vision.
They aim to innovate the roguelike genre by making death a crucial part of progression, drawing inspiration from “Shaman King” and various cultural mythologies. Uy is focused on developing a unique crafting system that transforms traditional negative aspects into rewarding experiences.
Teo reiterated the importance of core game mechanics and transparency in design to mitigate player resistance to challenges, aspiring to redefine players’ interactions with defeat in this competitive genre.
