23rd January 2025, Liverpool, UK – Creative experience company Aurora has announced its new branding for renowned gaming company Team17 Group plc, as the business rebrands to everplay group plc.
Introducing never stop playing
Aurora, a specialist in entertainment and gaming, has led all brand strategy and naming work alongside the development of the new creative identity and website. The strategy work was crystallised around positioning everplay as the place for players and creators with a newly defined purpose – never stop playing. A purpose embedded in the Group’s DNA for decades and now central to its positioning.
The new creative name and marque captures the idea of endless play with an infinity inspired logo alongside fresh, energetic colour ways which distill the essence of the different businesses.
everplay group plc – the next chapter of the evolution of the Group
Team17’s Group name change reflects the business’s evolution following its IPO in 2018. The Group now comprises three distinct divisions operating across complementary markets within the video games and apps industry. astragon, StoryToys and Team17 will continue to operate under their own well known brand identities while maximising synergies and strategic opportunities across the wider group.
The rebrand is a strategic growth lever and a key mechanism to refine how the Group will work together now it has embedded its highly successful acquisitions into the broader business. The strengthened Group will fuel the vision to be the best place in the world to make and play games.
Steve Bell, GroupChief Executive Officer of everplay group plc, commented:
“I am excited to be unveiling our new Group brand today, which we believe better represents our business which has evolved greatly since the IPO and reflects our DNA to never stop playing. This rebrand not only creates an ideal backdrop to foster greater cross-collaboration internally, but also reflects our aspirations to expand our reach across complementary sectors within the broader indie market.
“Fundamentally, we want to create pioneering and captivating experiences that enrich and inspire players around the world, and I firmly believe everplay will become synonymous with creating games that deliver a lifetime of play.”
“Aurora has played a pivotal role in defining and bringing to life this renewed positioning and strategic approach with its strategy, creativity and knowledge of the games sector.”
Dawn Paine, Aurora CEO and Co-Founder and former Nintendo Marketing Director said:
“We have been thrilled to create a powerful brand strategy, creative identity and name for one of the world’s most iconic games companies which has such evergreen IP, legendary stories, games and experiences. In the coming together of everplay and Aurora, we have enjoyed the perfect collision of kindred spirits who believe in the power of never stop playing.”
About everplay group plc
everplay group plc (formerly Team17 Group plc) is an award winning and leading global indie games label developer and publisher of premium video games and apps, comprising three distinct divisions: Team17, astragon and StoryToys. Team 17 is a games developer, publisher and creative partner for indie developers around the world, known for iconic IP such as Hell Let Loose, Worms and Overcooked!. astragon is a leading games publisher, developer and distributor of sophisticated working simulation games, including Construction Simulator and Police Simulator, targeting a broad audience from young enthusiasts to technical experts and casual gamers. Story Toys a world-class developer and publisher of educational entertainment apps, bringing the world’s most popular characters, worlds and stories to life for children under the age of eight, with apps including Disney Colouring World and LEGO® DUPLO® PEPPA PIG
Visit www.everplaygroupplc.com for more information.
About astragon Entertainment GmbH
Founded in 1998, astragon Entertainment GmbH, a subsidiary of everplay group plc, is a leading German games developer, publisher and distributor of sophisticated ‘working’ simulation games, focusing on non-violent cooperative gameplay with very detailed, technical, and realistic environments. Since 2023 Independent Arts Softwarehas been a subsidiary of astragon Entertainment. The German developer studio has been producing commercial game software of various genres for over 30 years.
astragon’s internationally well-known IPs include Construction Simulator, Bus Simulator, Police Simulator: Patrol Officers and Firefighting Simulator. The distribution of high-quality licensed and distribution products such as Farming Simulator and SnowRunner complete its attractive product range. astragon games are available world-wide on many different platforms such as consoles, smartphones, tablets, and PC. Visit www.astragon.com for more information.
About StoryToys:
StoryToys, a wholly owned subsidiary of everplay group plc, creates apps to give parents the peace of mind that their kids are having fun with their favorite characters while also engaging in activities that help them learn and grow.
The company has produced apps with many leading children’s brands, including The LEGO Group, The Walt Disney Company, Pixar, Marvel Entertainment, Mattel, Hasbro, Penguin Random House, Warner Bros, Sesame Workshop, Dick Bruna, and Nickelodeon.
With over 250M app downloads, StoryToys has enjoyed global success on all major app distribution platforms.
StoryToys has been the recipient of numerous awards for the quality of its products, including Kidscreen Finalist 2023 and 2024, multiple Apple Editor’s Choice awards, NBCDI’s Picks for apps that celebrate inclusion and diversity, Google Play’s Best of 2023 for Families, Kidscreen Award Winner 2021, Licensing International Excellence Awards Winner 2020, KAPi Awards Winner 2020, numerous Children’s Technology Review Editor’s Choice Awards, and multiple Bologna Ragazzi Digital Awards.
The products focus on engaging kids in well-rounded activities and developing healthy digital habits at a young age. For more information: https://storytoys.com.
About Team17
Founded in 1990, Team17 is a leading developer, video games label, and creative partner for developers around the world. Part of everplay group plc, which floated on AIM in 2018, Team17 has an extensive portfolio comprised of over 120 titles, and fully encapsulates the spirit of independent games. Team17’s portfolio of multi-award-winning and award-nominated in-house brands include Hell Let Loose, Golf With Your Friends, The Escapists, and the iconic Worms franchise, alongside its games label partner titles, including the award-winning games Blasphemous, Greak: Memories of Azur, and Overcooked! franchise. Visit team17.com for more information.
About Aurora
Aurora is a female-founded, Liverpool-based global creative experience agency, specialising in creating campaigns that move the world forward. Co-founded by Dawn Paine, CEO, and Valerie Bounds, Chief Strategy and Creative Officer, in 2021, Aurora brings together their extensive expertise in entertainment and gaming having led brands such as Nintendo and Universal Pictures, sharing their unique insight to harness culture and community for brands.
Aurora focuses on ‘glowing up’ brands that have lost their magic by giving them a fresh look and injecting power and ambition into their brand and creative strategies.,
Global marketing campaigns and inside-out employer brand building. Its clients include the University of Liverpool, Weightmans, Team 17 and LEGO Ventures. Among its viral marketing campaigns are its International Women’s Day #ImYourAlly campaign in 2023 which reached an audience of 8 million and its #HelpUkraineSong around Eurovision 2023 which reached an audience of 450 million globally