Making the jump from university research project to fully-fledged game studio is never easy, but with support from the Arts and Humanities Research Council and Indie Fund Thechineseroom scored a success with its first title, Dear Esther, and has now expanded its staff to over ten members.
Big Bit
One of the success stories from last year’s series of studio closures, Big Bit came into being in May 2011, formed by former Disney Black Rock staff, and has since gone on to blur the line between traditional toys and virtual world, most recently with a series of games for Mattel, Team Hot Wheels Apptivity.
Bossa Studios
The studio has only been in operation since the end of 2010, but in the last year it has won plaudits and a passionate audience for its innovative social game Monstermind, grown its London team considerably, and even been acquired by NewsCorp’s Shine Group.
ShortRound Games
This Brighton independent studio formed by former Disney Black Rock team members has already established a reputation with its first title Extraction: Project Outbreak, a game that was swiftly picked up by Chillingo and was met with positive reviews.
Six to Start
This year saw the South London studio release its first commercial retail game in the form of Zombies, Run!. The game blends the workout of a run with the horrors of a zombie film by sending fitness fanatics running from hordes of the living dead moaning and groaning at users through their headphones.
Toxic Games
This UK team founded by former classmates released its first game release Q.U.B.E this year. Notable given the team had no programming expertise. The game arrived in January as the first Indie Fund game on Steam and made a return on investment in only four days, marking the transition of Toxic Games from a student hobby to a fully-fledged indie.
We R Interactive
This year marked the release of the studio’s first game I AM PLAYR, which lets users live out the life of a professional footballer. This propelled the studio into the spotlight. May saw the launch of a mobile version. We R’s swift and talented decisions have won it key investment support and third-party backers.