Deadleaf Games

Deadleaf Games is an independent game development and publishing studio based in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in mid-2017 by art generalist and game developer Josh Sacco, it creates original games built around action, adventure and imaginative worlds. Its work spans top-down roguelite shooters and 3D action-adventure platformers, combining stylized art and animation with distinctive characters and settings.

The studio focuses on developing and self-publishing its own intellectual property. Its capabilities include game design, Unity development, procedural generation and stylized 2D and 3D production, serving PC and console audiences.

From culinary combat to environmental adventure

The studio released its commercial debut, Nom Nom Apocalypse, on February 13, 2020, for Windows PC through Steam, with subsequent releases on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. Developed primarily by Sacco as a solo creator, the game is a fast-paced, top-down roguelite twin-stick shooter in which chefs fight mutant food monsters with culinary weapons. Its food-themed setting brings the studio’s interest in unusual worlds into an action-focused format.

As of October 2026, Deadleaf Games is developing Junklands, a 3D action-adventure platformer with metroidvania elements. The game follows Rahr, a cardboard and paper fledgling, and centers on environmental themes, pollution cleanup and exploration. It represents a shift from the top-down combat of the studio’s debut toward a three-dimensional platforming adventure.

Following Nom Nom Apocalypse, Deadleaf Games expanded beyond its original solo development model to include additional creative disciplines and contracted contributors. The business incorporated in August 2021, following several years of independent development.