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Indie studio Funomena at risk of closure over financial struggles

Funomena could be closed by the end of the month according to Chris Bratt of People Make Games.

Morgan Shaver

March 30, 2022 11:00 AM

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Indie studio Funomena, known for colorful games like Wattam and Luna, may soon close as a result of financial issues. The news was first shared by Funomena on Twitter with the warning that if they aren’t successful in their fundraising efforts they will be “forced to close the studio.”

While this makes it sound as if closure could potentially be avoided through successful fundraising, a tweet from Chris Bratt of People Make Games states that Funomena will close at the end of the month. Bratt also notes that the process of closure in regards to lay-offs has already begun and urges anyone in a position to hire people to keep those recently laid off at Funomena in mind.

Chris Bratt previously reported on abuses at indie studios including Fullbright, Mountains, and Funomena in a video shared to the People Make Games channel on YouTube.

Digging into Funomena specifically, former employees told People Make Games that studio founder Robin Hunicke was emotionally abusive and an “instigator of a huge amount of toxicity at Funomena.”

Hunicke issued an apology after these issues were brought to light, though it wasn’t well-received and was perceived by many as insincere. It’s unclear whether the controversy surrounding Hunicke and Funomena had an impact on the studio’s closure, though it’s certainly possible it could have affected the studio’s ability to get themselves out of the financial issues at hand.

For more on the abuses at Funomena and other indie studios like Fullbright, we highly recommend watching the video on the subject from Chris Bratt and People Make Games.

And in closing, it’s sad to hear that Funomena may be shutting its doors for good, especially given the delightful games that have come from the studio like Wattam. We wish all former Funomena aemployees the best of luck, and hope they find better opportunities to further showcase their talent.

Morgan Shaver

Senior Editor

Morgan is a writer from the frozen wastelands of Maine who enjoys metal music, kpop, horror, and indie games. They're also a Tetris fanatic who's fiercely competitive in games like Tetris 99... and all games in general. But mostly Tetris. You can follow Morgan on Twitter @Author_MShaver.