No More Robots Reaches First Self-Developed IP After Nine Years

Indie publisher No More Robots is preparing to launch its first self-developed game, Cruise Control, following a nine-year journey that included shelving an online multiplayer shooter project. Founder Mike Rose explained that the company spent three years developing a team-based online shooter with a five-person development team. The project attracted interest from a major company, but the partner ultimately pulled out because it was not the right fit. This development coincided with the release and subsequent withdrawal of Concord, which signaled potential problems in the online shooter space.

Following the setback, No More Robots put the shooter project on ice and shifted focus to Cruise Control. The title started as a cruise ship management game in the vein of Two Point Hospital, but has since evolved into a puzzle title inspired by Mini Motorways. Rose noted that releasing an in-house game carries a higher level of anxiety, but every sale is worth three or four times as much to the company because it retains 100% of the revenue. If Cruise Control performs well, the company may reconsider the shelved shooter by repurposing it into a PvE experience rather than PvP.

Throughout its history, No More Robots has largely stuck to low five-figure budgets for the majority of its games, such as Descenders, Hypnospace Outlaw, and Yes, Your Grace. The company avoided significant expansion during the COVID video game boom, which allowed it to bypass the deep cuts experienced by other firms in the industry. The publisher's biggest success remains 2017's Descenders, which has surpassed $35 million in revenue. Rose noted that half of the game's sales occurred in the last year, attributing part of its enduring popularity among children to its straightforward gameplay loop.