Crytivo
Crytivo is a San Diego-based video-game publisher that began with its own development project and later expanded into publishing independent games.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Crytivo is an independent video-game publishing company based in San Diego, California. Founded in 2013 by Alex Koshelkov, the company initially became known for The Universim, a god-game and management-simulation project developed through crowdfunding and later released on Steam. Its business subsequently broadened from supporting its own flagship project to publishing games created by external independent studios and solo developers. The Universim was Crytivo's first major public project. In April 2014, its Kickstarter campaign raised more than $387,000, giving the project financial support and an early community around its ambitious simulation concept. The game entered Steam Early Access on August 28, 2018, and reached full release on January 22, 2024. The long development cycle made The Universim a central part of Crytivo's identity and demonstrated the company's role as both a developer-facing publisher and a holder of its own intellectual property. Crytivo began publishing third-party games in early 2020. Its first third-party release was Serin Fate, developed by Vethergen and launched through Steam Early Access in March of that year. The publisher then worked with additional independent developers and studios, including Blue Meridian, Ironheart Studios, Rumata Lab, and Dazar Play. Its published and announced portfolio has included simulation, strategy, role-playing, survival, management, adventure, and action titles, reflecting a broad approach to independent PC game publishing rather than a narrow genre specialization. The company's catalog has included Farlanders, Prehistoric Kingdom, Today Is My Birthday, The Last Shot, Weaving Tides, Trail Out, and The Universim, as well as Farlanders: Prologue. Crytivo has also announced or listed projects such as Villagedom, Above Snakes, A New Leaf: Memories, Farm Folks, Flea Madness, Football Story, Hotel Magnate, Look Alive, Power to the People, Ratten Reich, Rogue Shift, Sayri: The Beginning, Siege the Day, Wanderlost, and Autonomica. The availability and development status of individual projects can change, so these titles should be treated as part of the company's documented publishing and development slate rather than as a guarantee of current release plans. Crytivo's history also includes a public contractual dispute concerning Roots of Pacha, a game developed by Soda Den. Crytivo published the game on Steam in April 2023. In May, Soda Den sought to end its revenue-sharing arrangement, and the game was temporarily delisted from Steam during the dispute. Crytivo and Soda Den later issued a joint statement saying that the publishing rights would transfer to Soda Den. The episode highlighted the practical importance of revenue-sharing and publishing-rights arrangements in the independent games sector. Overall, Crytivo is best understood as an independent publisher with roots in crowdfunded game development. Its positioning combines portfolio support for external indie creators with ownership and continued promotion of internally originated projects. Publicly documented information establishes its founding, location, major releases, developer relationships, and the Roots of Pacha rights dispute, but does not establish a parent company, stock-market listing, financial results, or a complete current executive roster.
History
Crytivo was founded in 2013 in San Diego, California, by Alex Koshelkov. The company first established its public identity through The Universim, a simulation game centered on managing and developing a civilization. Rather than beginning solely as a conventional third-party publisher, Crytivo used the project as an internally originated title and as the basis for building an audience around its publishing brand. In April 2014, Crytivo ran a Kickstarter campaign for The Universim. The campaign raised more than $387,000, providing crowdfunding support for the game's continued development. This early campaign was an important milestone because it connected Crytivo with a community of prospective players before the title was commercially available. The project later entered Steam Early Access on August 28, 2018. Early Access enabled the game to reach players while development continued, and The Universim ultimately received a full release on January 22, 2024. Crytivo broadened its activities in early 2020 by beginning to publish games made by other independent developers. The first documented third-party release was Serin Fate, created by Vethergen and released through Steam Early Access in March 2020. The company subsequently signed or worked with additional indie studios and solo developers, including Blue Meridian, Ironheart Studios, Rumata Lab, and Dazar Play. This expansion positioned Crytivo as a multi-project publisher rather than a company identified only with The Universim. Its published portfolio has covered a wide range of independent-game categories. Documented games include Farlanders: Prologue, Farlanders, Prehistoric Kingdom, Serin Fate, Today Is My Birthday, The Last Shot, Weaving Tides, Trail Out, and The Universim. The company's announced or developing slate has included Villagedom and a number of other projects, among them Above Snakes, A New Leaf: Memories, Farm Folks, Flea Madness, Football Story, Hotel Magnate, Look Alive, Power to the People, Ratten Reich, Rogue Shift, Sayri: The Beginning, Siege the Day, Wanderlost, and Autonomica. The range of these titles indicates a portfolio strategy built around independent projects across simulation, strategy, role-playing, adventure, survival, management, and action. A significant public episode in Crytivo's publishing history involved Roots of Pacha, developed by Soda Den. Crytivo published the game on Steam in April 2023. The following month, Soda Den sought to cancel its revenue-sharing contract. During the dispute, Steam delisted the game temporarily. In late May 2023, Crytivo and Soda Den released a joint statement announcing that publishing rights would be transferred to Soda Den. The matter illustrates the operational and legal sensitivity of publisher-developer agreements, particularly where digital distribution rights and revenue sharing are involved. The available reference material does not establish a court judgment or financial settlement. Crytivo's documented trajectory therefore runs from a crowdfunded flagship game to a broader independent publishing operation. Its public profile is defined by supporting PC game releases, collaborating with smaller development teams, and maintaining a mixture of released and in-development projects. Available information does not identify a parent company, public listing, financial results, or a broad roster of current and former executives beyond founder Alex Koshelkov.
- 2024
The Universim reaches full release
[1]The Universim received its full release on January 22, 2024.
- 2023
Roots of Pacha publishing rights transfer
[1]Following a contract dispute and temporary Steam delisting, Crytivo and Soda Den announced that publishing rights would move to Soda Den.
- 2020
Crytivo starts third-party publishing
[1]Crytivo began publishing external independent games, starting with Serin Fate from Vethergen.
- 2018
The Universim enters Steam Early Access
[1]The Universim entered Steam Early Access on August 28, 2018.
- 2014
The Universim Kickstarter campaign succeeds
[1]Crytivo's Kickstarter campaign for The Universim raised more than $387,000.
- 2013
Crytivo is founded
[1]Alex Koshelkov founded Crytivo in San Diego, California.
Products and positioning
An independent game publisher focused on commercially releasing games from indie studios and solo developers while also supporting internally originated projects.
Simulation and management game · 2024
The Universim
Crytivo's flagship internally originated game is a civilization and management simulation in which players guide the development of a society. It was crowdfunded through Kickstarter in 2014, entered Steam Early Access in 2018, and received a full release in January 2024.
Role-playing game · 2020
Serin Fate
Serin Fate is a game developed by Vethergen and published by Crytivo. It was the publisher's first documented third-party release and launched through Steam Early Access in March 2020.
Strategy and management game
Farlanders
Farlanders is part of Crytivo's published independent-game catalog. The portfolio also includes Farlanders: Prologue, indicating that the publisher supported both a preliminary version and the full game.
Simulation and management game
Prehistoric Kingdom
Prehistoric Kingdom is a management-oriented independent game listed among Crytivo's published titles. Its inclusion reflects the publisher's interest in simulation and construction-focused games.
Life simulation and role-playing game · 2023
Roots of Pacha
Roots of Pacha was developed by Soda Den and published by Crytivo on Steam in April 2023. Following a contractual dispute, the parties announced that publishing rights would transfer to Soda Den.
Management and strategy game
Villagedom
Villagedom is identified in the reference material as a project under development associated with Crytivo. Detailed gameplay, launch timing, and final commercial status are not established in the available sources.
Controversies
2023
Roots of Pacha publishing-rights dispute
Developer Soda Den sought to cancel its revenue-sharing contract with Crytivo after Crytivo published Roots of Pacha on Steam. The game was temporarily delisted from Steam during the dispute. A joint statement later said that publishing rights would transfer to Soda Den.
Marketing campaigns
- 2014The Universim Kickstarter
International crowdfunding market
Crytivo used Kickstarter to fund and promote The Universim, raising more than $387,000 and building an early community around the project.
Outcome. The project continued development, entered Steam Early Access in 2018, and reached full release in 2024.
Brand decisions
2023
Transfer of Roots of Pacha publishing rightsOtherBackground
Soda Den sought to cancel its revenue-sharing contract, and Roots of Pacha was temporarily removed from Steam while the parties addressed the dispute.
Action taken
Crytivo and Soda Den jointly announced that publishing rights would be transferred to Soda Den.
Aftermath
The public dispute was resolved through a change in publishing rights; the available source does not provide further contractual or financial details.
2020
Expansion into third-party publishingStrategyBackground
Crytivo had established its identity through The Universim and then moved toward a broader publishing model for independently developed games.
Action taken
The company began publishing external projects, with Serin Fate as its first documented third-party release, and later worked with additional indie developers and studios.
Aftermath
Crytivo developed a wider catalog spanning multiple genres and a mixture of released and announced projects.
Recent events
Crytivo and Missset announce Flea Madness for 2021[3]
Reported:
Publisher Crytivo and developer Missset announced that the game Flea Madness was planned to launch in 2021 for Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, and Windows PC via Steam; the article reports the announcement, not a completed launch.
Sources3 sources
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