OFICIAL Rock Paper Shotgun

Reigns and Card Shark developers Nerial are closing down, laying staff off while the founders go "back to our roots"

What happened
Based on Rock Paper Shotgun · Oct 01, 2026

Nerial, the studio behind Reigns and Card Shark, will close after 13 years, with the entire team laid off as founders seek a break before returning to indie development.

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Reigns and Card Shark developers Nerial are closing down, laying staff off while the founders go "back to our roots"
Rock Paper Shotgun — Rock Paper Shotgun
Key points
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Nerial’s founders announced closure after 13 years, citing a need for change but not detailing reasons beyond a break.
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Seven named Nerial staff members were listed as affected by the layoffs, including narrative writer Oscar Harrington-Shaw and lead programmer Neil Goodman.
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Devolver Digital, Nerial’s parent company, has faced financial pressures, including plans to delist from the London Stock Exchange in August.
Key numbers
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The founders cited a need for change after 13 years but did not elaborate on the reasons for the shutdown.
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Nerial, the studio behind Reigns and Card Shark, will close after 13 years, with the entire team laid off as founders seek a break before returning to indie development.

Nerial, the studio behind Reigns and Card Shark, has announced its closure following discussions with parent company Devolver Digital. The entire team is now seeking new opportunities, as confirmed by CEO Tamara Alliot and creative director François Alliot in a joint social media post. The founders cited a need for change after 13 years but did not elaborate on the reasons for the shutdown. They emphasized that this marks the end of Nerial as currently structured, not the end of their careers in game development.

The Alliots also shared the news on LinkedIn, where Tamara Alliot expressed sadness over the decision while highlighting the team’s talent. She listed affected staff, including Oscar Harrington-Shaw, Helen O’Dell, Neil Goodman, Gordon Speirs, Ben Obikoya, Neil Bull, and AJ Kerr, urging others to consider hiring them. François Alliot added that he would return to being a pure indie developer. The posts reflect a mix of personal reflection and professional transition.

Nerial’s games, including Card Shark, The Crush House, and Reigns, were praised for their unique designs and mechanics. Card Shark is noted for its period puzzler approach to card cheating, while Reigns is described as a lightweight strategy game with a royal comedy theme. The studio’s shutdown leaves a gap in the indie game development landscape, particularly for fans of its distinctive style.

The closure may also reflect broader challenges faced by parent company Devolver Digital, which has struggled with financial pressures and market volatility. In August, Devolver’s leadership announced plans to cease trading on the London Stock Exchange due to industry disruptions and underperforming titles. The decision underscores the difficulties faced by studios in a competitive and unpredictable market environment.

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