Industry veterans net $4.5 million to establish fully-remote studio Gardens

gamedeveloper.com:

A group of developers from across the industry have secured $4.5 million to establish Gardens, a new studio built around the mantra of 'collective growth.'

Gardens was co-founded by Chris Bell, Lexie Dostal, and Stephen Bell, whose credits include Journey, What Remains of Edith Finch, Dustforce, and Blaseball. The studio has also attracted other developers with experience working on titles like Marvel's Spider-Man, Ratchet & Clank, Skyrim, and Fallout.

Outlining their vision for the new studio, Gardens' co-founders explained the company wants to champion transparency, sustainability, inclusivity, and empowerment. With that goal in mind, Gardens will be a fully-remote studio that offers unlimited PTO, 35-hours work weeks, and other benefits.

"Our top priority is making sure our teammates enjoy their lives and are given the tools and resources to grow while creating compelling, well-crafted, thoughtful games that cultivate novel shared experiences between players online," said co-founder Chris Bell.

The nascent outfit has already begun work on its debut title, which will pull players into "a mysterious and magical world." The studio will use its cash injection, courtesy of a seed round led by Transcend Fund, to expand over the coming years.