[August 13th 2025]: Rise of Industry hitting the front page of Steam should have represented the start of the small studio’s success; leading to sequels, new properties, and beyond. But barely three years later, the company resorted to selling its IP - to its publishers, Kasedo Games - for a mere $5,000.
Rise of Industry director Alex Mochi takes to YouTube to tell the story, to explain how what should have been the beginning of an unstoppable freight-train of accomplishments quickly derailed - stretching him to his limits.
In this exclusive video, Alex Mochi discusses:
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The raw numbers that indie developers can expect to make from their games, with Rise of Industry as an example - charting the course from €4 million in revenue to €140,000 worth of debt.
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The pitfalls that indie developers face when dealing with large publishers - noting his own power imbalance with Kasedo Games, who ultimately bought the Rise of Industry IP for a mere €5,000.
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Advice for indie developers signing publishing deals - and the hidden costs associated with indie game development.
Watch the video below.
“In this industry, finishing a game is only half the battle. You must survive it.” Alex says in the video. “If Rise of Industry taught me anything, it’s that you can make millions… and still lose everything if you’re not ready.”
Alex’s exclusive video is slated to go live on his YouTube channel, at 18:00 CEST on Wednesday, 13th August.
About Alex Mochi
Alex Mochi has been working in the games industry for nearly twenty years, from contributing to AAA classics such as World of Warcraft to starting his own studio, Dapper Penguin Studios (Rise of Industry, Recipe for Disaster). Alex has worked as a consultant, project manager, producer, and director for AA and AAA alike, including for Paradox Interactive. He shares his wisdom and experience as a game-developer on his YouTube channel.