Former staff from Minecraft maker Mojang and Swedish games firm Coffee Stain have set up a new publishing label called Three Friends. 

The venture has been set up by Albert Säfström, Daniel Kaplan, Sebastian Badylak and Johan Hermeren and is looking to support indie titles in the Nordic region. 

Säfström was previously CEO of Coffee Stain Publishing having helped set it up in 2017, but departed the venture back in 2022. Kaplan, meanwhile, spent almost seven years heading up biz dev at Mojang, before joining Coffee Stain's publishing arm in 2017. He spent almost four years there before moving to be Keepsake Games' CEO. 

Badylak is also a long-time Coffee Stain vet, joining back in 2016 on the firm's VR business, before moving to be an executive producer for the company's publishing arm. Finally, Hermeren spent five and a half years working at Embracer Group in business development, having previously been CEO of Pieces Interactive. 

“There’s no secret trick to making a great game—it’s not about one big idea, but about addressing thousands of small questions along the way,” co-founder and producer Säfström said. 

“The right choices at the right time add up, shaping the final experience. We work closely with developers to create an environment where ideas can mature without drifting off course, helping teams focus their efforts and make the most of their time and resources.”

Fellow co-founder and producer Kaplan added: “We don’t believe in rushing a game to market or throwing money at problems. Some of the best indie games–like Valheim and Deep Rock Galactic–took the time to refine their core gameplay before scaling up. That’s why we partner with developers early, helping them figure out what makes their game special so they can double down on what works.”