Dredge maker Black Salt Games establishes indie studio Team Trifold under new Saltworks Entertainment label

Black Salt Games, the developer behind Dredge, has established Team Trifold as a new indie studio under the newly formed Saltworks Entertainment label. This white-label publisher will provide production, marketing, QA, and other services to Team Trifold, Black Salt Games, and Disc 2 Games, all based in Christchurch, New Zealand. The studios will maintain creative independence while benefiting from shared resources and expertise.

Team Trifold is developing its debut game, Nothing Lost, with funding from Black Salt Games following the success of Dredge. The studio is leveraging New Zealand's Game Development Sector Rebate, which contributed to a 17% revenue increase for supported studios to $829 million. The rebate provides financial stability, allowing Team Trifold to focus on refining Nothing Lost without the pressure of rapid growth.

Team Trifold consists of three members: Jed Uy (artist and writer), Wilson Teo (production and QA), and Carl Johnson (programmer). The team emphasizes iteration, playtesting, and adherence to design pillars as critical to their development process. Their approach is shaped by past industry experience across original and work-for-hire projects.

Inspired by the 2001 anime Shaman King, Nothing Lost reimagines the roguelike genre by using death as a core progression mechanic. The game features a multiplicative death-based crafting system that rewards players for the traditionally punishing aspect of roguelikes. The team aims to clearly communicate their design intent to players, ensuring that death is framed as part of the experience rather than a setback.