The Shift: Building Northwest Arkansas as video game haunt
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
"The Haunting of Joni Evers." Courtesy Causeway Studios
Causeway Studios, one of the first video game companies in NWA, was founded by two University of Arkansas graduates who became fast friends in class.
Why it matters: While tech-based companies like Chicken Sheet, Mejo and Camoretro are ever more common in NWA, the video game genre is embryonic.
The big picture: Kjartan Kennedy and Greg Rogers released Causeway's first online game in mid-January after a year of development.
- They started the company in 2020 but paid the bills by doing contract work for UA, Vanderbilt and Baylor universities.
How it works: In "The Haunting of Joni Evers," the player navigates an old family home as the first-person character.
- She walks through the home, following clues and peeling away at a mystery to the game's single conclusion.
"The Haunting," played on a PC, is a one-time $15 purchase through the online publishing platform Steam.
State of play: Kennedy told me reviews and feedback by influencer gamers on YouTube and Twitch have been "stellar."
- Yes, but: "We've struggled to get eyes on the game, and it's just been a little tough in terms of sales," he said.
- About 10,000 games were released on Steam in 2023, and 2024 saw nearly double that, he said.
What they're saying: "Our longterm vision for the company is an evergreen, slightly profitable and stable home for creatives, rather than something big that is going to go on to an acquisition or an exit or something like that," Kennedy said.
- So the duo's business model is to produce more games — not necessarily sequels — that build on their fictional universe (called "Worlds Across the Causeway") creating a catalog of material that can cross-sell.
- They've done no equity fundraising and are entirely bootstrapped.
What's next: Kennedy told me they're in talks with angel investors and publishers for development funding to help get their next game moving.
- They hope to launch it by mid-2026.
🎮The Shift is a regular feature to catch up quick on what's happening in Arkansas' economy and entrepreneurial ecosystem.