Flatter Than Earth

Flatter Than Earth is an independent video game development studio founded in 2014. Its work centers on original, story-driven games combining theatrical imagery, puzzle-solving and stylized art direction. The studio brings together game design, programming, character modeling, animation, lighting, visual effects and sound design to develop games for PC and consoles.

Its principal commercial release, Once Upon a Puppet, is a 2.5D puzzle-platformer set in a theatrical world. Players control Nieve, a stagehand, and Drev, a magically bound marionette, navigating the dangers of the Understage. Puppet-inspired animation and stagecraft inform the game's visual identity and mechanics, connecting its presentation with its central characters and setting.

Published by Daedalic Entertainment in 2025, the game was released for PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store, as well as PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch. Its development followed the studio's earlier theatrical adventure prototype, Puppet Quest, which entered the Independent Games Festival in 2016 and served as a spiritual predecessor.

Development approach

The studio describes accessibility for disabled players and storytelling that connects with an international audience as priorities. Its creative focus combines narrative, inventive mechanics and a human-centered approach to game design, supported by both 2D and 3D art capabilities.

Originally operating from San Francisco, Flatter Than Earth subsequently moved to a fully distributed production model, bringing together developers, artists and engineers across North America, Europe and Asia. In 2021, it restructured and recruited a senior multidisciplinary team with experience at studios including Blizzard Entertainment, Ubisoft and Riot Games. Its core team scales through collaboration with international contract artists, animators and engineers.