UK marketing agency RUNE is transitioning to operating exclusively as an indie publisher
London, United Kingdom, October 27 2026: Runic Forge, publisher of the cozy incremental citybuilder Hearth and Hamlet, has officially rebranded as Pythia Games as it moves to accelerate its work as a publisher.
Pythia Games is the new publishing label for RUNE, a data-driven indie marketing agency based in the UK that is now moving to work exclusively as a publisher. The team has years of experience running successful marketing and crowdfunding campaigns, and Hearth and Hamlet, released in August 2026, was the company’s first major release as a publisher.
Following the successful launch of Hearth and Hamlet – which sold 100,000 units in its first week – RUNE is ramping up its publishing efforts and has launched Pythia Games as an indie publisher in its own right..
The publisher is already hard at work on a number of exciting indie titles, such as Carnholt, an upcoming roguelike deckbuilder developed by Magic: The Gathering artist Maxime Minard. Featuring Minard’s distinctive art style, Carnholt challenges players to harness the corpses of the dead to achieve victory. Craft a deck of wild creatures and powerful spells, fight in tactical battles, and slay a God that refused death.
Also included in the publisher’s first wave of new titles isthe idle dungeon-crawler RPG Dragon’s Tear, from developer LilChill Games. Inspired by classic JRPGs, Dragon’s Tear sees players assembling a party of heroes to fight their way down 100 hand-crafted floors in search of the legendary Dragon’s Tear, said to grant any wish.
More details about Pythia Games and its upcoming titles are available via their website.
Pythia Games is actively seeking new partnerships with indie developers, aiming to bring exciting new games to market through its data-driven marketing approach.
“After years of experience in agency work, everyone here at Pythia Games is delighted to be starting this new chapter as a publisher,” said Aidan McGrath, founder and marketing director at Pythia Games. “The team is united by a shared passion for discovering and elevating new and innovative indie games, and for supporting small teams and solo developers alike.
“We were blown away by the response to our first title, Hearth and Hamlet, and look forward to utilising our expertise to replicate that success for indie developers for years to come.”
Hearth and Hamlet, Pythia Games’ debut game as a publisher, is a cozy incremental citybuilder that invites players to oversee their massive fantasy kingdom, trade with other settlements and set policies to keep everything humming and efficient whilst they lead their society into expansion and prosperity. The game proved an immediate success among fans – selling nearly 50,000 units in the first 24 hours, and amassing over 1,800 reviews on Steam.
About Pythia Games
Pythia Games is the publishing label for RUNE, an indie marketing firm and game publisher based in the UK. RUNE has years of experience running successful marketing and crowdfunding campaigns for up-and-coming indie titles. Hearth and Hamlet, a cozy incremental citybuilder developed by Phorust Studios, marks their first major release as a publisher.
About Hearth and Hamlet
The first major release of indie publisher Pythia Games, Hearth and Hamlet is a cozy incremental citybuilder developed by Phorust Studios that takes players from a mere campfire in the woods to a bustling civilization, spanning the land and seas. The game launched on Steam on August 19, 2026, following a free demo that has been played by over 100,000 lifetime unique players and a wishlist count that has surpassed 125,000 ahead of release.
