What is Tubby Cat Games?

Tubby Cat Games is an independent video game studio established in the mid-2000s by Phil Simmons.

What began as a Sole-Proprietorship evolved into an LLC, in an ill-fated effort to get a PS4 dev kit.

Our current project is an accessible, open-source game called Reactional.

We take pride in our local Philadelphia game development community, and are frequently involved in local events as both a participant and organizer.

Values

Tubby Cat Games holds the following to be paramount values for the studio to run by.

These are open to discussion and change over time, but should always be designed to improve the experiences of players and developers.

Accessibility

Games should be made accessible and available to the widest base of players.

Adding accessibility should be thought of as a way to enhance experiences for all players.

We will design using an accessibility first approach, and give priority to adding any new accessibility support we discover.

Openness

By sharing knowledge and information, we all benefit.

As much code as is viable will be made open source. Blog posts, code breakdowns and other educational methods will be employed to make code understandable.

We will accept criticism openly, and attempt to address concerns in a timely manner.

Financial openness will be prioritized for both internal and external stakeholders.

Responsibility

Games have a powerful potential for creating both joy and pain.

We should always address if an action may do harm to players or employees.

Financial gain should not be used as a justification for doing harm.

If you have a one in a million chance of doing harm with an action, and 3 million players, you will have harmed three people.

Sharability

Gaming experiences can be deeping personal, but should be able to be shared with others.

Adding social integration is not only a marketing tool, but also a way to allow players to express themselves, avoid isolation and share in their interests and experiences.

Craftsmanship

Expedience should not be used as an excuse for sloppy work.

Best practices should be prioritized, as they save time in the long run and ensure a better product for ourselves and others.