Israeli Indie #13 - Capricia Productions

Capricia Productions

Capricia Productions is one of the more unconventional studios in the Israeli indie game scene. Founded by composer and metal musician Arnold Nesis, the studio emerged not from a traditional programming or design background, but from music. Nesis transformed Caprica, his metal band, into Capricia Productions, which has since grown into a fully remote, global indie studio of 25 people. The team has already released two commercial games and is currently working on two more!

Capricia Productions first made waves with Of Bird and Cage, a dark, narrative-driven game that is also a full metal album, featuring performances by musicians from bands such as Guns N’ Roses, ex-Evanescence, Within Temptation, Epica, Kamelot, and Asking Alexandria. After spending seven years bringing that ambitious debut to life, the studio followed it with Outta Hand, a fast-paced high-energy platforming adventure that marked a sharp shift in scope and execution. Now, alongside work on their next large project, Capricia has announced Cat Chess - a smaller, playful side project for people who love cats and chess.

Arnold Nesis is a composer, creator, and co-founder of Capricia Productions, one of the most distinctive studios in the Israeli indie game scene. Active since the industry’s early days, Arnold entered games with a clear ambition: to explore how music, narrative, and interactivity could merge into a single creative form.

Through Capricia Productions, that vision has grown into an indie studio that has now lasted over a decade. We sat down with Arnold to understand how they made it work, and he shares valuable insights for anyone hoping to build something similarly enduring.

Arnold Nesis

“In 2011 I was a gamer, and I wanted to make music for video games. I began attending game jams and quickly fell in love with the field.” Arnold shares. “I was already part of a band, Capricia, and a few years in we started asking ourselves why we were still releasing albums in the usual way. We were looking for a more original approach. By then, I was already working full-time as a game composer, and I suggested: why don’t we make a musical, a metal album that is also a video game? Everyone liked the idea, even though none of us really understood what we were getting into.”

That was the beginning of Of Bird and Cage, and it was also the moment Capricia began its transformation from a band into a game studio.

“Today, almost a decade later, we are a global team of 25 people. We spent most of those years working on Of Bird and Cage, later released Outta Hand, and are currently developing our next major project. Alongside that, we are also announcing Cat Chess, a smaller chess game we are releasing on Steam soon.”

Making a metal album that is also a video game is one thing. Making one with musicians tied to Guns N’ Roses, ex-Evanescence, Within Temptation, Epica, Kamelot, and Asking Alexandria is something else entirely. How did that happen?