Fellow Traveller

Fellow Traveller is an independent Melbourne-based video game publishing label focused on unusual, story-rich interactive experiences. Operating through Surprise Attack Pty Ltd, it works with creators making narrative-led games and helps bring those projects to global audiences across PC and console platforms.

Founded by Chris Wright in 2011 as a games marketing consultancy, the business expanded into publishing in 2013 as Surprise Attack Games, described as Australia’s first dedicated indie video game publisher. In July 2018, the publishing arm relaunched as Fellow Traveller, establishing a more explicit editorial focus on games as a storytelling medium and on partnerships with creators exploring unconventional narrative forms.

Publishing approach

The label combines independent publishing with practical support for development teams, including:

• Developer scouting, funding and production support
• Quality assurance, platform relations and console certification
• Marketing, PR, commercial distribution and campaign management
• Digital-event production and curation for narrative-game audiences

Its catalogue spans interactive fiction, role-playing games, mysteries and experimental narrative work. Notable published titles include Hacknet, Orwell: Keeping an Eye on You, Neo Cab, In Other Waters, Paradise Killer, Genesis Noir, Citizen Sleeper, Beacon Pines, The Pale Beyond, 1000xRESIST, and Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector.

Narrative games and events

Fellow Traveller’s editorial direction centres on story-forward projects from independent teams, including work by creators who may approach games from outside conventional development backgrounds. Its releases have included the tabletop-inspired science-fiction RPG Citizen Sleeper, the jazz-noir adventure Genesis Noir, and 1000xRESIST, a narrative diaspora experience.

Beyond individual releases, the company founded LudoNarraCon in 2019: an annual Steam-based digital festival dedicated to narrative games. In 2026 it also launched the Story-Rich Showcase, a multi-platform summer broadcast for storytelling-first independent titles. Together, these initiatives extend the label’s work from publishing into curation and community-facing presentation for narrative games.