From Bastion to Hades: How Supergiant Games Became Masters of Indiedev
An industry lens on how their gamedev philosophy shaped one of the most consistent indie studios of our time.
Hello my fellow players and gamedevs!
Every time I start a conversation with someone about videogames that doesn’t know much about this hobby, they tend to ask “What is your favourite game ever?” No surprise, I can’t answer that question across all the titles I ever played.
I have 311 games on Steam and I have more platforms where I play, almost an impossible choice.
But the person I’m talking to is waiting for an answer, what if I say… I don’t have, I just like videogames! — Far away from being a bad answer…it doesn’t help.
Then I turn things around and I start thinking about Narrative-driven games and Roguelikes, at that moment my brain just triggers one Indie studio: Supergiant games.
Finally I have my answer — I really enjoy games that are endlessly replayable, like Hades, and ones that are deeply story-driven, like Transistor, developed by my favourite Indie Studio.
With the freedom that comes with writing, I want to offer a small ode to this studio and its legacy. Their games are ones I never stop recommending.
(One day they may read this article and I would be the most happier human of this world)
You are on substack and you probably know how important it is to have your own identity and stand out from the rest, supergiant games titles are unique, let’s start with some history.
How I met Supergiant Games?
We should go back to 2012, at that time I was studying computer engineering, I specifically remember we were learning the Java language when, after that class, a collague came and said to me:
“Hey Jose! Did you saw the new Humble Bundle?”
“No, humble bundle? what is that?”
“Come have a look, a lot of games for just 1$! I heard Braid is really good.”
“Oh that looks cool! I like that guy with a hammer, I will check at home.”
When I arrived at home I opened the browser and started searching for Humble Bundle…
Not only bastion, but other golden indie era games were together at the same pack (Braid, Super Meat Boy, Limbo) — at that moment I wasn’t really aware of how huge was that videogame industry moment.
I had no doubt about purchasing it. I remember I didn’t have PayPal or any online payment platform to buy it, so I reached out to my dad and said: “Please, can I borrow your PayPal for this games deal?” After some doubts, he bought them for me.
I had the pillars of indie gamedev — crazy to think about.
Bastion - August, 2011
Playing Bastion
On previous post I wrote on gamedevpills.com (This Substack) — I always emphasized the importance of Game Feel when we start creating our prototypes or small games, Supergiant Games knew that really well, and they still do.
The first time you play bastion, just during the first few seconds, you can feel how different it was from other proposals. Strong Personality is the main aspect of their games.
Your character wakes up in the middle of nowhere and you start listening a voice in-off (Logan Cunningham, voice narrator of Supergiant games) telling you the storyline about the calamity.
Spoiler Free Clip - Beginning of Bastion
Art
The Art direction of bastion is connected to the world building they designed as soon as you walk through the different connections between each area you can see Tiles (ground) and Decorations falling down as a representation of the Calamity on Bastion’s world.
Music/Sound
The soundtrack of Bastion is really good per se, their rhythms and FX Sounds are suggesting an aventure across an unknown king of tropical wild world that you are about to discover.
But the main booster of the sound experience is the voice-over from Logan Cunningham across the whole game to narrating the storyline but also mentioning the actions and events we experience as players (when we fall down, when we obtain a new object…).
I swear at the moment you play Bastion or even Transistor, you feel like the game is literally speaking to you.
Character/Camera/Controls
As I mentioned on my previous post this is an important aspect of videogame design, taking into consideration this game was developed back in 2011, standards of game-feel were slightly different.
Character movement feels right but at the same time slow and a little bit chunky. The camera, on the other side, feels right and is always character-centered. Controls are simple and responsive.
We can say Camera (World perspective) and Controls are good enough to provide a good experience even tho character movement is not extremely polished.
Curiosities during development
Amir Rao, Supergiant Games (Bastion) - GDC The Failure Workshop
Supergiant was so excited about gardening in Bastion that it spent an entire year crafting levels with planters, designing various vegetation and building an item system based on planting seeds, only to realize the entire thing was simply an over-complicated, convoluted way to implement a menu. Supergiant's Amir Rao played a clip of Logan Cunningham as Rucks the narrator, describing the gardening functions in his low, drawling tones.
"Find a shoe?" Cunningham's voice boomed, "Plant it. Find a boot? Plant it. Find a Milli Vanilli cassette tape? Plant it."
At the end of his segment, Rao teased another domestic function he's excited to potentially explore -- baking.
Back on our days…
Supergiant Games must have had an agile development methodology as they released many titles between Bastion and Hades:
Transistor (2014)
A stylish blend of action RPG and turn-based tactics, set in a futuristic city where players wield a mysterious talking sword. Known for its strategic combat, haunting soundtrack by Darren Korb, and Greg Kasavin’s signature narration-driven storytelling.
Pyre (2017)
A bold mix of fantasy RPG and competitive sports, where players lead a band of exiles through mystical “Rites” that play like magical basketball. Celebrated for its ensemble cast, branching narrative choices, and the unusual focus on community over a single hero.
Hades - December, 2019
Playing Hades
One day, I was looking at Steam store just to explore new titles and discover new gems, at that moment I see Hades on Early Access their artwork took my attention and then I realized it was another Supergiant Games title, I just purchased it.
Hades feels like the evolution of all the systems, mechanics, and worlds they had created throughout their story.
You can see a little bit of Bastion in terms of isometric world-building and voice-over.
You can see Transistor in terms of main character relevance and evolution.
You can also see Pyre in the way characters interact with each other.
Art
Jen Zee’s mythological reinterpretation is stunning, she joined back when the development of Bastion started and the evolution of her as artist is present at this title.
She took other comic artists as references, like Mike Mignola and Fred Taylor
Music/Sound
The soundtrack of Hades is Darren Korb at his most ambitious — a furious blend of rock riffs and Mediterranean folk that perfectly channels the chaos of the Underworld. Ashley Barrett’s vocals bring emotional weight in key moments, like Persephone’s theme, while Logan Cunningham shifts effortlessly between multiple roles, even voicing Hades himself.
Unlike Bastion or Transistor, narration here isn’t just a single guiding voice — it’s a whole cast of gods and characters reacting dynamically to your progress, your choices, and even your failures.
Character/Camera/Controls
Playing as Zagreus feels instantly satisfying. His dash alone defines the pace of combat — fast, sharp, and always responsive.
The isometric camera keeps each arena clear and focused, letting you read enemy patterns without losing track of the action.
Controls are tight and deliberate, rewarding precision. Every hit, dodge, and special ability connects smoothly, making Hades one of the most polished examples of game feel in recent years.
Curiosities during development
Before its reveal, the game was internally codenamed “Minos”, after the mythical King of Crete.
The narrator from Bastion (Logan Cunningham) voiced over 20,000 lines across multiple characters in Hades — including Hades, Poseidon, and the storyteller.
Supergiant fully embraced community-driven design. They held monthly updates, adding new weapons, levels, and dialogue, directly influenced by early access feedback.
Founders: Amir Rao, Gavin Simon
Founded: 2009
Based on San Francisco, California (United States)
Estimated annual revenue is currently ~$4.1M per year.
Number of Employees: 25 (2024)
Final Thoughts
Supergiant Games reminds us that size doesn’t define greatness — focus does. From Bastion to Hades, they’ve proven that a small, consistent team can deliver worlds that feel alive, stories that stay with us, and gameplay that respects both our time and imagination.
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Great article! Supergiant is, without a single shred of doubt, my favorite game studio. None of their entries have disappointed me so far, and as someone who has been following them since their Transistor days, I’m so happy that they've gotten more and more recognition. Hades is definitely the golden child (for good reason!), but Pyre has a special place in my heart :’)
You nailed it with the part where you said that Hades is the evolution of all their previous entries. Iirc, Greg Kasavin said that Hades wouldn't exist if not for those games.