Pantaloon has unveiled its new publishing label, dedicated to bringing unconventional and experimental games to the forefront. Known for its popular newsletter that champions bold and bizarre games, Pantaloon is now stepping into the publishing arena with a mission to support games that defy traditional norms.
Founder Jamin Smith, who has previously worked with Square Enix and Modern Wolf, shared his vision for the new label. “The world probably doesn’t need another indie publisher,” Smith remarked. “But our vision is built off a different set of principles. With an existing awareness platform and terms that give novel agency and security to development partners, we then seek to actively court risk, finding peculiar or experimental games that can chart unexplored or choppy genre-waters.”
The label’s tagline, “a home for misfits,” is more than just a catchy phrase—it’s a commitment to supporting games that might not fit into conventional publishing structures. The first titles to be signed under this new label are Sub-Verge and Occlude.
Sub-Verge, developed by New Zealand-based Interactive Tragedy, Limited, is a psychological narrative puzzler set in the depths of the ocean. Players must guide a group of deep-sea divers as they navigate their way out of a submerged submersible, all while a lurking horror threatens their survival. This game marks the entry of novelist and indie book publisher Zach Dodson into the gaming world, bringing his acclaimed storytelling to a new medium.
Occlude, from UK-based Tributary Games, reimagines the classic Solitaire game through a lens of cosmic horror. With ever-changing rules and a rich, lore-filled narrative, Occlude offers a cerebral challenge that pushes the boundaries of the traditional card game. As part of the game’s launch, a puzzle gauntlet has been announced, with early playtest spots available to those who can solve it.
In addition to these exciting new titles, Pantaloon has also announced the upcoming Steam release of Puzzletrunk. Previously available only on Itch.io, this evolving collection of challenges, riddles, and interactive oddities will come with new features and optimizations when it launches later this year.
Smith emphasized the continued importance of Pantaloon’s newsletter, which has grown to nearly 30,000 subscribers. “Our newsletter will remain the Sun around which everything else will orbit,” he said. “We’ll still be providing the most unreasonably delightful mailing list in games, offering up games from incredible partners each month, and championing obscure or overlooked games. What we’ll also now be doing is weaving this newsletter more deeply into the way we operate as a game label, with a plethora of exciting initiatives we’ll be lifting the lid on over the course of the year. The newsletter is at the heart of it all; this is just the beginning.”
