Black Salt Games launches Team Trifold studio and Saltworks Entertainment publishing label

Black Salt Games, the studio behind the acclaimed horror game Dredge, has launched a new indie studio called Team Trifold alongside a white-label publisher named Saltworks Entertainment. The publisher will provide shared services to Team Trifold, Black Salt Games, and fellow New Zealand developer Disc 2 Games, all based in the same Christchurch building.

Saltworks Entertainment offers "shared expertise across production, marketing, QA, localisation, audio, business operations and publishing," according to Black Salt Games. Each studio remains creatively independent while benefiting from centralized support.

Black Salt Games is funding Team Trifold's debut game, Nothing Lost, which the studio describes as aiming to "turn the roguelike loop on its head." The game uses death as a core progression mechanic, featuring what artist Jed Uy calls "a multiplicative death-based crafting system that actually gives a reward for the most unpleasant part of the roguelike genre."

Team Trifold consists of three developers: Jed Uy (artist and writer), Wilson Teo (production and QA), and Carl Johnson (programmer). Uy explains that the team drew inspiration from the 2001 anime Shaman King, particularly its portrayal of life after death and supernatural powers, combined with "the varied cultural mythologies of our team members" to create Nothing Lost's premise.

Black Salt Games executive producer Nadia Thorne emphasizes sustainability in the multi-studio strategy. "We believe small teams making ambitious indie games that don't require the latest and greatest hardware can be a really resilient model for whatever the next five years brings. By connecting these studios, we can share experience, infrastructure and support across teams without any one studio growing beyond what it actually needs."

Thorne notes that Team Trifold benefits from New Zealand's Game Development Sector Rebate, which provides stability for development. Studios supported by the rebate saw combined revenue grow 17% to $829 million over the measured period.

The team emphasizes rigorous playtesting and clear design pillars. Wilson Teo states: "One of the biggest lessons that stood out the most for me is validating the core gameplay loop through rigorous playtesting feedback and internal discussions. Most importantly, to stay true to our design pillars." Teo adds that in the crowded roguelike market, clear communication of design intent is crucial, as "players resist losing, so we need to clearly explain our design intent that dying is part of the game."