Our Story

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

Favourite game:

Silent Hill 2

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.

Nancy Yeung

Co-founder

Favourite game:

Katamari Damacy

She 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.

Collaborators

Andrew Carvalho

Technical Lead

Favourite game:

(It's a secret 🤫)

Andrew is best-known for his work on the critically-acclaimed music game Sound Shapes, as well as several other games including Blasters of the Universe, LOUD On Planet X, and Long Story.

Robby Duguay

Sound Lead & Composer

Favourite game:

Persona 4 Golden

Robby Duguay is a game composer and game audio director at Level Curve. His composition style is dynamic and varied, with works including Fossil Hunters, Graceful Explosion Machine, and The World of Peppa Pig.

Eliza Daly

Sound Designer

Favourite game:

Inscryption

Eliza Daly is a Toronto-based sound designer originally from London, UK. Her love of video games and audio fused during her studies in interactive media. Now at Level Curve she has crafted sounds for titles like Little Learning Machines, and Nerf Ultimate Championship.

Caitlin Rego

Character Artist

Favourite game:

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations

Caitlin is a 2D Designer based in Toronto, Ontario. She has always had a soft spot for vibrant characters in fun, engaging stories. When she isn't fussing over her linework, you can find her sipping a cup of tea and tending to her tamagotchis.

Zack Wolfe

Animator

Favourite game:

Astroneer

Caffeine aficionado and resident Spine 2D expert. He brings sprites to life and makes sure they're "sufficiently bouncy". We're not sure what he means by that but he seems quite passionate about it.

About the Company

A collection of physical games on PS4 and Vita, and magazine articles.

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. 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.

The studio is currently developing its fourth original IP.

Community Involvement

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.

Awards & Recognition

"Best Indie Game of 2019"

Worse Than Death
Rue Morgue Magazine, 2019

“Best Narrative” finalist

Alone With You
Canadian Videogame Awards, 2017

"Best Indie Game" finalist

Alone With You
Canadian Videogame Awards, 2017

“One of the Ten Best Horror Games of All Time”

Worse Than Death
GameCrate, 2019

"Game of the Day"

Worse Than Death
Apple, 2019

"Top 10 iOS Games"

Home: A Unique Horror Adventure
PocketGamer, 2013

“Best Musical Score” finalist

Alone With You
Canadian Videogame Awards, 2017

“Game of the Day”

Home: A Unique Horror Adventure
Apple, 2013

“Fan’s Choice Award” finalist

Alone With You
Canadian Videogame Awards, 2017
BancyCo
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All content is © 2024 BancyCo (formerly known as Benjamin Rivers Inc.) unless otherwise stated.

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