BlankMediaGames

What is BlankMediaGames?
BlankMediaGames LLC is an American game development studio founded in February 2014 by Josh Brittain and Blake Burns in Austin, Texas. The company is best known for the Town of Salem social deduction game franchise, which accumulated over 20 million registered players. In July 2024, the founders sold the game assets to publisher Digital Bandidos. The studio operated for 10 years without external funding.

Is BlankMediaGames publicly traded?
No, BlankMediaGames is not publicly traded. The company was privately held and owned entirely by its two co-founders, Josh Brittain and Blake Burns, throughout its operating history. The company never raised venture capital or took outside investment. Following the July 2024 asset sale to Digital Bandidos, the game assets are controlled by a privately held publisher.

Who founded BlankMediaGames?
BlankMediaGames was founded in February 2014 by Josh Brittain and Blake Burns in Austin, Texas. Burns served as the design lead, handling game design, UI and UX, and creative direction. After the 2024 asset sale, Burns joined Ludeon Studios as Design Director, the studio behind RimWorld. The two founders started with a team of four: two programmers and two artists.

Where is BlankMediaGames based?
BlankMediaGames was based in Austin, Texas, USA. The company's office was located at 9900 Spectrum Drive in Austin, with a registered headquarters in nearby Round Rock, Texas. The development team of approximately 10 people at the time of the 2024 asset sale worked from the Austin area. Following the asset sale, publishing operations transferred to Digital Bandidos.

How many brands does BlankMediaGames own?
BlankMediaGames developed five game titles during its 10-year operating history. The two most significant are Town of Salem (2014) and Town of Salem 2 (2023). Following the July 2024 asset sale, both titles are now controlled by Digital Bandidos. The other three titles were smaller and less commercially significant.

Who owns BlankMediaGames?
BlankMediaGames was owned entirely by its two co-founders, Josh Brittain and Blake Burns, from 2014 until the July 2024 asset sale. There was no parent company, no external investors, and no publisher relationship for most of the company's history. In July 2024, the founders sold the game assets to Digital Bandidos, a privately held game publisher. The financial terms of the sale were not disclosed.

What happened to BlankMediaGames in 2024?
In July 2024, co-founders Josh Brittain and Blake Burns sold the BlankMediaGames game assets, including Town of Salem and Town of Salem 2, to publisher Digital Bandidos. The sale ended the studio's 10-year run as an independent developer. Blake Burns subsequently joined Ludeon Studios as Design Director. In August 2024, Digital Bandidos announced a partnership to bring Town of Salem 2 to mobile platforms.

BlankMediaGames was founded in February 2014 by Josh Brittain and Blake Burns in Austin, Texas. The two founders were game enthusiasts who started with a small team of four: two programmers and two artists, one focusing on UI and characters and the other on backgrounds and houses. The studio was created specifically to bring Town of Salem to the world.

The development of Town of Salem began with a Kickstarter campaign launched on February 14, 2014. The fundraiser aimed for $15,000 and raised $17,190 over thirty days, providing initial development capital. The game was built on Adobe Flash and later migrated to Unity. Town of Salem was released on December 15, 2014, for Microsoft Windows and macOS as a browser-based free-to-play game.

The game experienced steady growth in its early years. By 2016, Town of Salem had reached 800,000 active monthly users. The game's social deduction mechanics, inspired by the party game Mafia, resonated with players who enjoyed deception and strategy in multiplayer settings. The browser-based free-to-play model provided low friction for new players.

In October 2018, BlankMediaGames released Town of Salem for iOS and Android mobile devices, expanding the game beyond its browser and PC origins. The mobile launch followed a successful Kickstarter fundraiser for the port. The mobile version brought the game to a broader audience, particularly younger players who primarily game on mobile devices.

Over its 10-year operating history, BlankMediaGames released five games. The studio's focus remained on the Town of Salem franchise, with the original game serving as the primary revenue generator for most of the company's existence. The studio expanded its staff from the original four to over 20 employees at its peak, before contracting to approximately 10 by the time of the 2024 asset sale.

In April 2023, BlankMediaGames announced Town of Salem 2, a sequel to the original game. The sequel entered Steam Early Access on May 26, 2023, with a full early access launch on August 25, 2023. Town of Salem 2 launched with over 50 unique roles, supporting 7 to 15 players per match. The game reached the top three social deduction games on Steam by concurrent player count during its launch period, with an all-time peak of 3,022 concurrent players.

The sequel's performance declined after the initial launch window. Average monthly concurrent players dropped from approximately 991 in June 2023 to under 400 by early 2024. The game's Steam review rating settled at 69% positive (Mixed), with recent reviews at 60% positive. Player complaints cited bugs, balance issues, and slow update cadence.

In July 2024, Brittain and Burns sold the BlankMediaGames game assets to Digital Bandidos. Burns stated publicly that he and his co-founder successfully sold the assets and games to another party after operating the studio profitably for 10 years. The sale included Town of Salem and Town of Salem 2. Following the sale, Burns joined Ludeon Studios as Design Director.

In August 2024, Digital Bandidos announced a partnership with BlankMediaGames to bring Town of Salem 2 to mobile platforms. The partnership aimed to expand the game beyond its Steam-only release, similar to how the original Town of Salem expanded to mobile in 2018. The mobile version's release date has not been confirmed as of August 2026.

BlankMediaGames did not publish a sustainability report or third-party environmental certification during its operating history. As a small digital game studio distributing exclusively through digital channels, the company did not have the physical manufacturing footprint associated with physical products. The company operated from offices in Austin, Texas.

In terms of ethical practices, BlankMediaGames used cosmetic-only monetization without loot boxes or pay-to-win mechanics. Both Town of Salem and Town of Salem 2 sold cosmetic items as fixed bundles rather than randomized rewards. This approach aligns with player-friendly monetization practices that have faced less regulatory scrutiny than loot box systems.

The Town of Salem games included chat features for multiplayer communication, which created potential for unmoderated interactions in public lobbies. BlankMediaGames implemented account systems and moderation tools, but community reports indicated that cheating and disruptive behavior remained periodic issues. The small development team had limited capacity for anti-cheat enforcement and content moderation.

The company was not involved in documented labor disputes, environmental violations, or major regulatory actions during its operating history. The July 2024 asset sale was a voluntary transaction by the founders, not a distressed sale or regulatory-driven divestiture.

Asset Sale and Publisher Transition (July 2024): The sale of BlankMediaGames' game assets to Digital Bandidos in July 2024 created uncertainty among the Town of Salem player base. The transition involved a change in publisher and operational control, with both co-founders departing the studio. Some players expressed concern about the future of Town of Salem 2 under new ownership, particularly given the declining player counts and Mixed review rating at the time. Digital Bandidos has continued updating the game, but the transition period saw limited communication about long-term development plans. The financial terms of the sale were not disclosed, leaving players and observers without clarity on the new publisher's investment commitment.

Review Rating Decline (2023 to 2026): Town of Salem 2's Steam review rating declined from its launch period. The overall rating sits at 69% positive (Mixed), with recent reviews at 60% positive. Player complaints have cited bugs, balance issues with certain roles, and slow update cadence. The declining rating has affected the game's visibility on Steam's recommendation algorithms, contributing to reduced new player acquisition. Neither BlankMediaGames nor Digital Bandidos has publicly addressed the review trend in detail.

Cheating and Account Security (Ongoing): Both Town of Salem and Town of Salem 2 experienced issues with cheating and disruptive behavior in public lobbies. The original Town of Salem faced similar problems throughout its lifetime. The sequel implemented account systems and moderation tools, but community reports indicate that cheating remains a periodic issue. The small development team had limited capacity for anti-cheat enforcement, and the transition to Digital Bandidos has not clearly resolved these issues.