HomeAstrolabe
Brand IP incubation & indie publishing
Astrolabe
by Oracle Seal
Living cultural assets for established brands — and a wider horizon for indie games.
Astrolabe is Oracle Seal’s incubation and publishing programme. For brands, we build an IP from world and characters through to physical products. For indie games, we partner on marketing and transmedia IP — and help you apply for and prepare for gamescom, held each August in Cologne.
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01Star chart
What we can do
- i.
Brand IP architecture
Worldbuilding, signature characters, lore and a visual system grown from your brand.
- i.
Physical product pipeline
3D modelling, figure samples, collector’s box design and production follow-up.
- ii.
Publishing-driven marketing
Store page polish, campaign pacing, social channels and building a first community.
- ii.
gamescom & overseas reach
Help applying for gamescom in Cologne each August, plus showcase materials, localisation and press outreach.
- i. ii.
Crowdfunding & monetisation
Campaigns on Modian, Kickstarter and others: reward tiers, pacing and conversion.
- i. ii.
Transmedia, long-term
Grow one product into serials, artbooks, collectibles and game tie-ins.
02Two wakes
Two courses
Brand IP incubation & physical production
Who it’s for
- Established brands that want their own cultural symbols, not just ad spend
- Brands that want to turn their story into characters, figures, gift boxes or collabs
We bring
- IP architecture: world, core characters, storyboards and a content plan
- Physical delivery: 3D, sample review, packaging and production follow-up
- Go-to-market: crowdfunding, serialised social content and monetisation
What to prepare
- Your goals and target audience
- Expected timeline and budget range
Indie publishing, IP marketing & gamescom
Who it’s for
- Indie teams with solid gameplay or a distinct art style who need publishing muscle
- Developers aiming for international shows, overseas players and merchandise
We bring
- Publishing: Steam page, full-cycle marketing, crowdfunding and community
- gamescom: help with the application and showcase prep — materials, English store page, trailer, demo build, press kit
- IP merchandise: collector’s editions through the physical pipeline we’ve already run
What to prepare
- A playable demo or prototype, or a full design doc and visual direction
- Your roadmap and what you want from a publisher
Just an idea?
No brief, no demo — that’s fine. Leave one sentence and a way to reach you, and we’ll reply.
03Passage
Process
- 01
Calibrate
Tell us about your brand or game below; we’ll read it and set up a first call.
Share your goals, audience and rough budget; we’ll set up a first call.
Send a demo, prototype or design doc; we’ll play or read it, then set up a call.
- 02
Chart the course
An IP plan for brands; a release schedule and marketing plan for games.
An IP and product plan: world, characters, visual direction and a first product.
A release and marketing plan — and, if gamescom is the goal, that year’s application and prep schedule.
- 03
Seal & set sail
Sign an agreement that spells out rights and revenue, then join our pipelines.
Sign an agreement covering rights and revenue; start on lore, art, 3D and production.
Sign a publishing agreement; start on the store page, marketing, localisation and show prep.
- 04
Shine
Launch, crowdfund or show — then the long run of IP operations.
Products launch, a campaign goes live or a collab drops; then long-term content.
The store page goes live, a campaign opens or you’re on the gamescom floor; then the long run.
A gamescom year
Months show the usual rhythm; each year’s dates come from gamescom’s official announcements. We help with the application and prep; the organisers decide who exhibits.
From brief to product
Timing depends on the product and quantity; we’ll schedule it after the first call.
04Harbour
Routes we’ve sailed ourselves
No One Leaves
From a one-line concept to a full design doc, a free demo, a Steam page and a Modian campaign.
Starbound Pendant
From character story and storyboards through 3D modelling, renders, samples and the collector’s box to a Modian campaign. We ran the whole pipeline ourselves — and wrote up what didn’t go well in the dev log.
RAIKOU
Three original characters, a collaboration mark and hang tags for the German homewear brand RAIKOU, for apparel and packaging. Signed, designs delivered.
05In the fog
Questions
ii.How exactly do you help with gamescom?
Based on where your game is, we help you apply for gamescom in Cologne each August and prepare for it: application materials, English store page and trailer, the show demo build, a press kit, plus booth and on-site logistics. Acceptance and booth placement are decided by the organisers — we can’t promise a slot.
i.We’re a traditional brand with no anime or game background. Does this suit us?
The more traditional the industry, the more it needs a concrete emotional hook. We don’t make mascots that only talk to themselves: we start from your brand and customers, build an IP with real story depth that can become physical products, and take it through the production pipeline we’ve already run.
i. ii.Who owns the IP? How is revenue shared?
Brand projects (course i): either you buy out all rights, or we co-own and share merchandise revenue. Indie games (course ii): developers always keep the core copyright; the publishing split reflects what goes into marketing, crowdfunding and shows. Everything is written into an agreement before work starts.
i. ii.When is the best time to get in touch?
Brands: as soon as you’re considering your own IP or products. Indie teams: ideally with a playable prototype, a vertical slice, or a full design doc and visual direction. If you’re aiming for that year’s gamescom in August, reach out early in the first half of the year — the official dates decide.
+I only have an idea. Can I still get in touch?
Yes. Pick “Just an idea” in the form and leave one sentence and a way to reach you. We can’t take on every idea, but we’ll read it properly and reply.
06Daybreak
Fix your coordinates
Or write to (click to copy)
Your note goes straight to Oracle Seal; we’ll reply via the contact you leave.