BIZ DEV, CONSULTANT & INDIE HYPE MAN

Richie de Wit is a consultant and founder of Bear Knuckle. An inclusive business development consultancy that helps experienced and up-and-coming game developers who self-publish their games to make a living by supporting them with business development, strategic planning, partner management, and sales.

In 2017, Richie started his career at Dutch Game Garden, where he aided game studios in pitching their projects to publishers and investors and led the charge to transform the local indie showcase event into an international three-dimensional business event to provide (Dutch) developers with easier access to funding, business opportunities, and knowledge.

From 2020 until the end of 2022, Richie worked as Business Developer at boutique game business consultancy Robot Teddy. By handling business development, sales, release management, strategy, and everything in between, Richie created meaningful opportunities, relationships, and considerable uplift for upcoming and established titles. Games he worked on include Among Us, Gang Beasts, WHAT THE GOLF?, WHAT THE BAT? Vampire Survivors, Clone Drone in the Danger Zone, the Last Clockwinder, and more.

Since 2023, Richie has also worked with Raw Fury as a Partner Account Manager, driving strategy and sales opportunities for titles in the portfolio and building, maintaining, and fostering relationships with third-party partners, platforms, and storefronts.

Richie enjoys public speaking and has done so at GDC, Reboot Develop, and other events. He offers free consultations for developers who identify as people from underrepresented backgrounds and does volunteer work.

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Richie has worked with

What they say

Callum Underwood, Founder of Robot Teddy, CSO at IndieBI, and Founder at Uwu Advisory.

“Richie worked for me at Robot Teddy, a games business consultancy I founded. He quickly became one of the senior members of the team, managing business across all our accounts. His business acumen, work smarts, and knowledge are second to none. More important, though, he’s a genuinely friendly, upbeat, and courageous person. He constantly uplifted the rest of the team and was a core hire because of that. Would work with him again, anytime, anywhere, 10/10”

Gwen Foster, Co-Founder and Business Director at Robot Turtle, Co-Founder of Chikon Club, and Business Developer at SUPERHOT.

“I worked with Richie at Robot Teddy, and he’s one of the most dependable and trustworthy folks I’ve worked with. He cares a lot about developers and building lasting relationships with everyone he works with. His attention to detail is something I deeply appreciate, and he’s always learning and improving on the things we’ve built. People would be lucky to work with him! <3”

Simon Byron, Director of Publishing, Yogscast Games.

“My only regret about working with Richie was that it was not for long enough. I found his knowledge invaluable, his experience vast and detailed, and was always impressed by his willingness to roll up his sleeves and help both me and my team navigate a wide range of business challenges – always with a smile. I would work with him again in a heartbeat.”

Youri Loedts, Head of the Game Department and part of the management team at VAF.

“I first came across Richie when he was still working at Dutch Game Garden. He immediately struck me as a gentle soul with a lot of video game expertise and a real love for helping indie studios. As a commission member and coach for VAF, he’s dedicated, insightful, and a real pleasure to work with!”

Charles Degroux, Co-founder and Project Manager at Head First Studios.

“Richie has been coaching me and my studio for nearly two years now regarding all aspects linked to the video game business. Thanks to his keen expertise, we have been able to outline a clear strategy and to navigate the stormy waters of this ever-evolving industry. I can't recommend Richie enough to anyone who wishes to get a better grasp of business development.”

Grant Hughes, Business Development Manager for Fanatical.

“Richie approached Fanatical with a view to building a bundle of digital games to raise money for the Red Cross in Ukraine. Richie is an excellent communicator, and we quickly built a rapport. We didn’t have a lot of time to launch the bundle, but Richie did a great job, working quickly and diligently to source over 50 games from different publishers. Richie has extensive knowledge of the games market and made the entire process a pleasure from beginning to end.”

JP van Seventer, Managing Director at Dutch Game Garden

“Richie is a very keen and informed business developer with great people skills. He seems to be able to connect with just about anyone and always looks for a win-win solution. His genuine interest in the creation, business, and management of game content allow for him to be on top of the latest developments in this ever-changing industry. In combination with his continually growing personal network of key people, makes him an invaluable person to work with.”

Fernando Rizo, Chief Sales and Business Development Officer at Raw Fury.

“Richie is smart, resourceful, and well-connected. Anyone would benefit from having him in their corner.”