Stray Fawn and Sidekick Publishing Join Forces for Global Launch of Gambonanza

While Stray Fawn's involvement with Gambonanza, developed by Paul Giovannini of Bulkulélé Studio, as a publisher was previously known, the addition of Sidekick Publishing as a global co-publisher represents a sizeable expansion of the project. The partners have confirmed the game will launch simultaneously on PC and mobile platforms later this year. To facilitate this multi-platform release, the team has partnered with ATEO, who will handle the mobile ports. This is not the first time that these companies have collaborated. Sidekick and Stray Fawn previously collaborated on publishing TerraScape in 2024. Furthermore, ATEO has a history of collaboration with both Sidekick and Stray Fawn, having recently worked with Sidekick on the mobile launch of Dwarves: Glory, Death and Loot and with Stray Fawn on the mobile version of Dungeon Crawler.

"Bringing a classic board game like chess to both PC and mobile with such a clever, roguelike twist is an opportunity we are thrilled to be part of. This partnership allows us to reunite with our long-term friends at Stray Fawn and ATEO, building up on that existing foundation of trust. We are 100% committed to Paul's vision for Gambonanza and are eager to apply our collective expertise to make it a global success," says Jasmin Oestreicher, Co-CEO and Co-Founder at Sidekick Publishing.

"When one of my teammates discovered the Gambonanza trailer on YouTube, we were all blown away by its charm. Within hours, I reached out to Paul to ask about a possible collaboration. When he said yes, it escalated into a small party at the office. And now, we have another big moment to celebrate, as our long-time partners Ateo and Sidekick have joined in as well," says Philomena Schwab, Co-Founder at Stray Fawn Studio.

"Gambonanza is a Steam game screaming for a mobile port; its core loop hooks players instantly with the perfect balance of speed and depth. We knew we were working on something amazing when our lead developer disappeared for 80 hours, resurfacing only to dive into in-depth feedback with the creator, Paul. Uniting our separate partners on this single project has been, simply put, awesome for everyone involved," says Sebastian Tobler, Co-Founder and General Manager at ATEO.

Gambonanza is a turn-based chess roguelike set on a condensed board, in which taking tactical risks can lead to big rewards. The game reimagines traditional chess as a strategy-packed adventure in which victory is achieved by capturing every piece on the board through synergistic play. Players can enhance the chessboard with golden squares, blessing tiles and protective surfaces to gain a tactical edge. There are also over 150 gambits that allow players to alter the properties of their run. The game is being developed by Paul Giovannini, the solo developer at Bulkulélé Studio.

"Sidekick immediately understood Gambonanza, both the game and the vision behind it. They just get it, making our collaboration ridiculously smooth and motivating. And now that another partner has joined the adventure, our very serious victory poses have somehow become even more dramatically hilarious!" - Paul Giovannini (Bulkulélé Studio)

To coincide with the announcement of this partnership, a public playtest has been scheduled on Steam. This phase enables the community to share their feedback ahead of Steam Next Fest in late February. These insights will help to refine the experience as the team prepares for the release of a free demo (coming soon) and the full global launch on PC and mobile later this year.