Hearth and Hamlet publisher Runic Forge rebrands as Pythia Games
Runic Forge, the publishing arm of UK-based data-driven marketing agency Rune, has rebranded as Pythia Games as part of a strategic pivot toward exclusive focus on game publishing. The rebrand follows the commercial success of Hearth and Hamlet, a cozy incremental city builder developed by Phorust Studios that launched on Steam on August 19. The title exceeded expectations, selling nearly 50,000 copies in its first 24 hours and reaching 100,000 units within its first week, while accumulating over 1,800 Steam reviews. Prior to launch, the game demonstrated significant player interest, with more than 100,000 unique players engaging with its free demo and over 125,000 wishlists accrued. The successful launch of Hearth and Hamlet represents Pythia Games’ first major release as a publisher and validates the company’s strategic transition from offering marketing services to operating exclusively in indie game publishing.