The founder of GitHub, Chris Wanstrath, is opening a brand new publisher called Null Games.

This is an indie-focused outfit that aims to put developers first. Null's first game is rogue-lite hockey title Tape to Tape from Excellent Rectangle, which is set to release in April.

"We're part of a new wave of indie game publishers that put developers first. Our games treat players with respect, and our publishing agreement has some of the most developer-friendly terms there are. We partner with developers who share our vision, and, in exchange, we share their risk," Wanstrath wrote on Null's website. 

"Many of us grew up exploring amazing digital worlds. But as we got older, we learned that the games industry isn't always fun. The creative people directly responsible for making great games are often treated the worst. In the world of indie games, the publishers have all the power and they know it. Contracts are often one-sided, as is the risk.

"We think there's a better way. By partnering with developers and offering great terms, we believe they’ll make better games in a more sustainable way. At the end of the day, this is really all about the games. We've seen what the developer-unfriendly, crunch culture produces. It's time to see what happens when you treat developers and gamers with respect." 

Wanstrath founded GitHub in 2007. He served as CEO until 2012, then again from 2013 until Microsoft bought the company for $7.5 billion in 2018.