Fruitbat Factory

Fruitbat Factory at a Glance

Fruitbat Factory operates out of Finland but focuses entirely on bringing Japanese indie titles to Western audiences. Founded in 2012 by translation veterans, the company describes its mission as letting everyone enjoy the best Japanese indie games in English. Their catalog shows a clear pattern of localization work rather than original development. They have published 21 games on PlayPile while acting as developers for none of them. This output spans from their earliest activity in 2008 through 2024, with the vast majority of their releases occurring during the 2010s. The company released two titles in the 2000s, fifteen games in the 2010s, and only three games in the 2020s. This shift in output suggests a slower pace in recent years compared to their peak activity over the last decade. Their library is heavily concentrated on PC, with 20 of their 21 published titles available on Microsoft Windows. They have also made efforts to reach other systems, releasing five games for Nintendo Switch and three for PlayStation Vita. Smaller numbers appear for PlayStation 4 with two titles and one title for the original PlayStation 3. Genre diversity is a hallmark of their portfolio. They list fourteen Indie titles as their primary category, followed by ten Adventure games and eight Visual Novels. Other genres include Puzzle, Strategy, Turn-based strategy, Shooter, Role-playing, Tactical, and Fighting. The quality of their releases varies significantly across their history. Their average IGDB rating sits at 66.9 out of 100 based on ten rated titles. This score reflects a mix of successes and failures rather than consistent excellence. Two games achieved great ratings above 80, while six others landed in the good range between 60 and 79. One title fell into the mixed category, and one received a poor rating below 40. Their highest-rated release is Eiyu*Senki - The World Conquest from 2012 with a score of 83. War of the Human Tanks from 2008 follows closely at 80. Other notable entries include 100% Orange Juice (2009), The Princess, the Stray Cat, and Matters of the Heart (2016), and Xmas Shooting: Scramble!! (2015). Recent releases like Thistlemine in June 2024 continue their pattern of bringing localized content to players. While they have managed to secure a few highly rated hits, the overall rating distribution indicates that not every title meets high standards.

Release Timeline

Rating Distribution