Henchman & Goon secures $400,000 funding
Altered Ventures invests in Norwegian studio's upcoming game Pode
Bergen, Norway - April 25, 2018 - Henchman & Goon, an independent game studio based in Bergen, Norway, announced today that Altered Ventures, a Venture Capital fund based in Silicon Valley, has invested over $400,000 in their upcoming game, Pode. This is the first time a Norwegian game studio has received Altered Ventures funding for a project, and Pode has already received accolades, including a People's Choice Award Nominee for Game Connection in 2018.
"For us it was important to find a partner that had experience from the games industry, with the same passion for games that we have, and who could also contribute valuable feedback in terms of insight, a strong network and vision," says Game Director and CEO, Yngvill Hopen. "It means the world to us to have an investment partner that believes in us so much at this stage in the production, allowing us to focus more on design and development as we gear up for the launch. Having a great partner like Altered Ventures during these last stages of production is absolutely essential."
Henchman & Goon is an indie game studio that has been working together for years on both external and independent projects.
"Altered Ventures' core team have collectively over 20 years of experience making, producing and publishing video games, and we recognized the potential in Pode immediately," said Mario Valle-Reyes, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Altered Ventures. "We are thrilled and honored to work with Henchman & Goon, helping to fund a great game that is already proving to be a beloved new IP."
Pode is a co-op puzzle exploration game about two unlikely travel companions going on an exploratory adventure within a mysterious and magical mountain. Through their unique individual talents they reveal a magical world within the mountain by working together to solve the puzzles. Pode is visually inspired by Norwegian art and culture resulting in a stunning exploration game.
Pode won the development award for the Best Casual Game and was selected as a nominee for the People's Choice Awards as well as for the Best Quality of Art in GameConnection 2018.