Donut County's Ben Esposito on what makes an Annapurna game: "They just have really good taste"

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Esposito says the publisher doesn't want to be "tied down" to any one genre

Neon White
(Image credit: Angel Matrix)

Indie publisher Annapurna Interactive's secret weapon is the simple fact that the people there "have really good taste," as Donut County creator and Neon White director Ben Esposito puts it in the latest issue of Edge magazine.

Esposito says that Annapurna explained its approach to publishing around the time it was founded. "We are not trying to have a genre," he says of the studio's message. "We're not trying to have a vibe. We are just trying to make really cool games with really cool people."

"Now I understand where they're coming from," he adds, admitting that he was skeptical of this vision at first. "They don't want to be pinned down in that way. They just have really good taste. And that's it. That's the only thing that connects all the games."

Annapurna has quickly become one of the most reliable hallmarks of quality in the industry, and Esposito has more experience with the publisher than most after contributing to What Remains of Edith Finch, developing Donut County entirely solo, and now leading work on Neon White at Angel Matrix. Even he was surprised that Annapurna responded to all of these radically different games with equal enthusiasm. 

"I didn’t think they would like it," he says of Neon White, an off-the-walls first-person platformer with card-powered shooting that hides a visual novel dating sim. Whereas Donut County was explicitly designed to appeal to many types of players, no matter their age or gaming experience or tastes, Neon White is unabashedly "for specific people."

"It’s not that high-minded, it’s campy, its genre. That’s not their thing," he continues. However, Annapurna was on board, and Esposito says this experience has shaped his perception of what he, too, expects from an Annapurna game. "I'm learning that too, as we go," he says. 

Edge 363 is in UK shops now, and can also be ordered for delivery via Magazines Direct. To buy the issue digitally, head to Apple’s App Store or PocketMags.

Austin Wood
Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.