Chaf

Chaf is a digital distribution platform for video games, established in 2022 by co-founders Hojung Yeo and Minjun Kim, and is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. The company operates on a subscription-based model, offering its members access to a curated library of games for a monthly fee. This approach is designed to lower the barrier for gamers to try new titles, particularly within the indie game segment which constitutes a significant portion of their catalog.

The business positions itself as a developer-friendly ecosystem, aiming to create a more sustainable revenue stream for indie game creators compared to traditional single-purchase sales models. Chaf provides developers with a straightforward process to publish their games on the platform, including DRM services to prevent piracy and a transparent revenue-sharing and settlement system. The company has stated it intends to reinvest a significant portion of its profits into external marketing for the games hosted on its service.

For users, the Chaf platform is accessed via a downloadable desktop client. A premium subscription grants access to a large portfolio of games. In addition to its subscription library, Chaf also serves as a digital storefront for standalone game purchases, a notable example being the early access release of "Dark and Darker". In December 2022, Chaf announced the closing of a seed funding round led by Philosophia Ventures and The Ventures, which was intended to support content acquisition and other growth initiatives. While initially focused on a desktop client, the company has expressed long-term goals of expanding to a multi-platform service through cloud gaming solutions.

Keywords: indie game platform, subscription gaming, digital distribution, PC gaming, game launcher, Chaf Games, Hojung Yeo, Minjun Kim, revenue sharing for developers, game publishing, seed funding, Philosophia Ventures, The Ventures, Dark and Darker distributor, game DRM, PC game subscription, Korean startup, gaming ecosystem, developer tools