Pantaloon launches Playbill indie subscription library

Pantaloon announced and launched Playbill, a subscription-based game library focused on unusual indie games, on 23 October, according to gamemeca.com. The service opens with more than 14 titles from developers including FireShine, Future Friends, Akupara Games, Critical Reflex and Devolver Digital.

The launch lineup includes Buckshot Roulette by Critical Reflex and Mike Klubnika, SilT by FireShine and Spiral Circus Games, Ex Sanguis by FireSquid and Lightbulb Crew, Death Crown by 5WORD Team and Kids by Playables. It also features For Last Sins by Akupara Games and Joe Richardson, Cabin Factory by Future Friends and International Cat Studios, and Pantaloon's own Sub-Verge, Okloud, It Takes A War, Boxroom, Offbeat and Lola.

Devolver Digital is offering Virtu: Prologue, a visual novel made by Juno Menager with Deconstruct Team and Selkiharbour, as a limited-time exclusive on Playbill. The game is a companion piece to Virtu and the Sledgehammer, which is set to launch on 27 October.

Playbill also includes a channel called The Green Room offering demos, playtests and prototypes. At launch it hosts playtests of Isle Goblin by FireShine and Kilowatt Games, Mr. MacPhee's Harmless Card Game by Behaviour Interactive, Gambit Digital and Giant Light Studios, and Pantaloon's Lemonade Apocalypse. Pantaloon plans to add new titles every month.

Pricing

Playbill's profile, puzzle and community features are free to use, while the full game library requires a Primo subscription costing 4.99 dollars or 3.99 pounds per month, or 49.99 dollars or 39.99 pounds per year.

Pantaloon founder Jamin Smith said the company was originally founded as a rediscovery platform, and that no game pass-style service existed specifically for the distinctive part of the indie spectrum. Before Playbill, Pantaloon ran a newsletter partnership with over 50,000 subscribers that introduced a notable game each month.