BancyCo is a Toronto-based, independent videogame studio founded by Benjamin Rivers and Nancy Yeung. We've developed and published critically acclaimed games for consoles, PC and iOS since 2012.
(Formerly Benjamin Rivers Inc.)
Benjamin Rivers
Co-founder
Benjamin is the fiery one; outgoing, passionate, and always excited.
He's the one who ensures that stories are meaningful, that the user experience is thoughtful, and that visual design is clear.
He brings a love of storytelling, sequential art and graphic design to each of the studio's projects.
Favourite game: Silent Hill 2
See Benjamin's site for social links and to read his comics!
Nancy Yeung
Co-founder
Nancy is the calm one; cool under pressure, great at planning, and always able to keep long-term goals in view.
She's the one who ensures characters are memorable, that storylines are relatable and that the audience is going to have a great time.
She also oversees all aspects of the company, from project direction, marketing initiatives, and partner outreach.
Favourite game: Katamari Damacy
Co-founders Ben and Nancy met in college and have been creating art together ever since. Rising with the boom of the Toronto indie game scene in the mid-2000s, they are now long-standing members of the city’s development community.
In 2011, they released a trailer for the IGF Awards for Home: A Unique Horror Adventure — what Ben thought was “just a jam game” so he could learn to use GameMaker. That trailer quickly gained tens of thousands of views and started getting passed around gaming news sites.
Before they knew it, Home had a launch date, a pre-order system, and a special physical Collector’s Edition that the couple shipped around the world from their own living room! Home then launched on Steam to a prominent store feature and a blowout reception, and the company was born. (Back then, we were called Benjamin Rivers Inc.)
Since then, BancyCo has shipped three commercial titles (Home, Alone With You, and Worse Than Death) across multiple platforms — earning significant coverage and recognition along the way. They've particularly enjoyed great relationships with PlayStation and Apple, who have championed the studio's games and brought them to larger audiences worldwide.
The studio is currently developing its fourth original IP.
BancyCo contributes to Toronto’s game community through support of initiatives like the Hand Eye Society, and by delivering talks and presentations to up-and-coming developers. Ben taught game design classes at OCAD University for more than half a decade, and published a comprehesive, official GameMaker tutorial that is featured within the development engine.
Worse Than Death - “Best Indie Game of 2019” (Rue Morgue Magazine, 2019)
Worse Than Death - “One of the Ten Best Horror Games of All Time” (GameCrate, 2019)
Worse Than Death - “Game of the Day” (Apple, 2019)
Alone With You - “Best Indie Game” finalist (Canadian Videogame Awards, 2017)
Alone With You - “Best Narrative” finalist (Canadian Videogame Awards, 2017)
Alone With You - “Best Musical Score” finalist (Canadian Videogame Awards, 2017)
Alone With You - “Fan’s Choice Award” finalist (Canadian Videogame Awards, 2017)
Home: A Unique Horror Adventure - “Game of the Day” (Apple, 2013)
Home: A Unique Horror Adventure - “Top 10 iOS Games” (PocketGamer, 2013)
See our relevant News items for feature appearances throughout BancyCo’s history.
All content is © 2022 BancyCo (formerly known as Benjamin Rivers Inc.) unless otherwise stated.
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