Hey, what's shakin'?

 

We're Namazu Studios. Founded in 2008, we're a San Diego-based indie game development studio and launch accelerator specializing in console, mobile, real money gaming, and backend infrastructure for online multiplayer games.

Our legendary origins.

Since 2008, we have contributed to over 20 titles from casino games to projects launched for PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and VR.

Our flagship product, Namazu Elements, is an open-source backend server and live operations platform designed to streamline and scale up game development.

We decided to take Namazu Elements open source because we believe in digital sovereignty and transparency, and we wish to see a future where these values are shared.

Namazu Elements offers features such as RESTful APIs, user account management, matchmaking, missions, leaderboards, inventory, and in-game economy tools. It integrates seamlessly with major game engines like Unity, GameMaker, and Godot, and supports deployments across cloud services like AWS, GCP, Azure, or on-premise setups.

Namazu Studios also provides co-development services tailored to various needs, from indie developers to AAA studios and real money gaming clients. Our offerings range from open-source solutions to comprehensive packages that include custom scripts, private support channels, and scalable infrastructure.

Namazu Studios started with a giant catfish—and a seriously epic tattoo.

“A friend of mine had this wild tattoo of villagers trying to wrangle a massive, thrashing catfish straight out of legend. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Then it hit me—this giant catfish kept popping up in all the games I played growing up, like a secret mascot sneaking into every level. It felt like fate. So, we gave our studio a name with a splash of myth and a whole lot of fun. Welcome to Namazu Studios—where legends get a playful twist and every game has a story beneath the surface.”

— Keith Hudnall

Co-founder, Namazu Studios

Our Leadership Team

Patrick Twohig wears a mauve collared shirt and glasses. He wears a beard, and is surrounded by a green background.

Patrick Twohig

Co-Founder / CEO

Grew up playing Final Fantasy, Quake and a lot of Blizzard games

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Keith wears a black tee with a white border. He wears a brown hat that says the word Elements and he sports a short beard. He is surrounded by a turquoise background.

Keith Hudnall

Co-Founder / CTO

First game ever: Jumpman on the Commodore64

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Kathryn is illustrated in a 2D vector isometric style. She is wearing a navy blue collared blouse. Her brown hair is parted in the middle and drapes over her right shoulder. She is surrounded by a yellow background.

Kathryn Wells

CMO

Favorite franchises: Civilization, Baldur's Gate, The Witcher

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Our Story

What does ナマズ (Namazu) mean?

"Namazu" (meaning "catfish") is a reference to the legendary giant fish that is said to support (and sometimes shake up) the earth. It is featured in legends and groundbreaking video games we've played  over the years like Final Fantasy, Lufia 2, and Pokemon. 

Namazu Studios is a myth-fueled game studio. We created the open source backend platform Namazu Elements, unleashing seismic shifts in how games are made, shared, and scaled.

Let's shake up the status quo and build something legendary!

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A game dev, network engine and and LiveOps dashboard in one.

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