A UK indie games publisher in Leamington Spa that helps small studios bring PC and console games to players.
Secret Mode is a publisher of independent games for PC and console. A publisher is the team that helps a game studio get its game finished, funded, noticed and onto players' screens. Secret Mode works with small indie studios and has published titles including Still Wakes the Deep, A Little to the Left, Wobbledogs and Eternal Threads. The name reflects its aim of finding games that might otherwise stay hidden: it works with developers such as Max Inferno (A Little to the Left), Animal Uprising (Wobbledogs), Cosmonaut Studios (Eternal Threads) and Hugecalf Studios (Turbo Golf Racing).
The company says its mission is to support indie developers, help players find new indie titles and shine a light on older indie games that did not get the attention they deserved. In its own words it is focused on "the frontier of gaming innovation". After becoming independent, co-leader James Schall said the team could "put all our efforts into uncovering the indie gems".
Secret Mode is based in Leamington Spa in the UK, a town with a well-known cluster of games companies. It began in 2020 as the publishing arm of the Sheffield-based games group Sumo, then became an independent company in March 2025 when it was bought out with the backing of an investment firm. It has won the UKIE Best UK Publisher award in 2024 and a Best Influencer Marketing award at the Debug Indie Game Awards. While it was part of Sumo it also published games from Sumo's own studios, including Auroch Digital's Mars Horizon 2, and took on older titles such as Little Orpheus and Dear Esther from The Chinese Room.
The company is led by Ed Blincoe and James Schall, who stayed in charge after the change of ownership. Its website has sections for Publishing, Influencers and Join Us, which shows how much of its work is about people: finding games, working with creators who stream and review them, and building a team. We did not find details of its office culture, so ask about it if you speak to the team.
A publisher employs a mix of roles, including producers who manage projects, marketing and community people, PR and influencer specialists, and business and partnership staff who find and sign new games. If you like games but are not a programmer or artist, publishing is a good way to work in the industry. Following Secret Mode's news and games is a useful way to learn what the work involves. Because the company is small, people in it tend to see a game's whole journey from signing to launch.
Website: wearesecretmode.com
PURPOSE helps school and university students explore 62 sectors and over 1,000 entry-level careers in the UK, then connects them directly with employers.
Explore PURPOSE