Supermassive Games Ltd is a British video game development studio located in Guildford, Surrey, England. Initially involved in developing children's games and downloadable content for them, the studio became famous for narrative interactive horror games, such as Until Dawn, The Dark Pictures Anthology, The Quarry and The Casting of Frank Stone.
History[]
Supermassive Games was found in 2008 by Pete Samuels, who have previously worked at Psygnosis and Electronic Arts. Originally, the studio served as a second-party developer for Sony Interactive Entertainment (previously known as Sony Computer Entertainment), with it's first works were downloadable content for Media Molecule's LittleBigPlanet, and games using the PlayStation Move motion controller including Sackboy's Prehistoric Moves and Start the Party!. In 2012-2013, Supermassive Games partnered with BBC Worldwide and released Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock and Walking with Dinosaurs: Wonderbook. The former game was intended to be the first part of the "Doctor Who" trilogy, but was poorly received, prompting the BBC to cancel the series.
Supermassive Games' breakout title Until Dawn, the interactive survival horror inspired by slasher films, was also initially envisioned as a PlayStation Move title, although all motion controls were dropped when it was retooled into a PlayStation 4 game. Until Dawn was released in 2015 and became an unexpected success for Sony, leading to Supermassive Games expanding its universe with two more games for PlayStation VR, spin-off Rush of Blood and prequel The Inpatient. In 2018, Supermassive Games released two non-horror games, Bravo Team for PSVR and Shattered State for Google Daydream, which, however, didn't gain as much popularity as other games of that time and were poorly received.
Supermassive Games returned to the horror genre after partnering with publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment. Inspired by multiple horror anthologies, the studio decided to make its own series called The Dark Pictures Anthology, which, unlike all of the studio's previous titles (except Doctor Who and Shattered State), became available for platforms other than PlayStation. The Dark Pictures began with the release of Man of Medan in 2019, followed by Little Hope in 2020, House of Ashes in 2021, and The Devil in Me in 2022, which concluded the first season of the series. In 2023, the studio developed the first spin-off for the anthology, Switchback VR (which is also a spiritual successor of Until Dawn's spin-off, Rush of Blood), released exclusively on PlayStation VR2.
In 2022, during the development of The Devil in Me, Supermassive Games announced that they are also developing The Quarry, a stand-alone '80s-style horror title envisioned as a spiritual successor of Until Dawn and cousin of The Dark Pictures Anthology. The game was released on June 10 of the same year, with publisher being 2K Games. In March 2021, the Danish entertainment company Nordisk Film, under Nordisk Games division, purchased a 30.7% stake in the studio. In July 2022, Nordisk Games fully acquired Supermassive Games, making it a subsidiary of the Denmark-based company.[1]
In 2024, taking a break from The Dark Pictures, Supermassive Games made a collaboration with Behaviour Interactive, known for their 4v1 online survival horror game Dead by Daylight. Together the studios released a horror title set in the DbD universe, The Casting of Frank Stone.
Currently, Supermassive Games is working on two projects, both to be released in 2025: Little Nightmares III, the third installment of the Little Nightmares series; and Directive 8020, the fifth installment and second season debut of The Dark Pictures Anthology. From now on, Supermassive Games is no longer working with Bandai Namco Entertainment and will publish the anthology independently.
Description[]
| “ | We are a BAFTA-winning game studio, developing innovative storytelling titles. We have released a number of successful titles and are best known for the critically acclaimed PS4 hit Until Dawn, The Dark Pictures Anthology - a series of stand-alone, horror games - and teen-horror game The Quarry. Our most recent releases are The Devil in Me - the season one finale of The Dark Pictures - and Switchback VR on PS VR2.
Founded in 2008, the studio is now home to over 350 talented individuals working across a range of storytelling titles. In 2022 Supermassive Games was fully acquired by Nordisk Games, part of the Egmont Group, and we look forward to even more exciting times with them alongside us. The studio has received numerous awards, including a BAFTA for Until Dawn and recognition from our trade body TIGA. The studio also works with GamesAid, other charities and educational establishments. With a passion to deliver high-end interactive drama, Supermassive Games is carving a unique and exciting path in the games industry. |
” |
– Description from official site[2] | ||
Projects[]
| 2009-2010 | LittleBigPlanet (DLC) | PlayStation 3 | Sony Computer Entertainment |
| 2010 | Big Match Striker | PC | |
| Tumble | PlayStation 3 | ||
| Start the Party! | |||
| Sackboy's Prehistoric Moves | |||
| 2011-2012 | LittleBigPlanet 2 (DLC) | ||
| 2012 | Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock | PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PC | BBC Worldwide |
| Killzone HD | PlayStation 3 | Sony Computer Entertainment | |
| 2013 | LittleBigPlanet PS Vita (DLC) | PlayStation Vita | |
| Walking with Dinosaurs | PlayStation 3 | ||
| 2015 | Until Dawn | PlayStation 4 | |
| 2016 | Until Dawn: Rush of Blood | PlayStation VR | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
| Tumble VR | |||
| 2017 | Hidden Agenda | PlayStation 4 (PlayLink) | |
| 2018 | The Inpatient | PlayStation VR | |
| Bravo Team | |||
| Shattered State | Google Daydream | ||
| 2019 | The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan | PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC | BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment |
| 2020 | The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope | ||
| 2021 | Little Nightmares II | Stadia | |
| Little Nightmares II (Enhanced Edition) | PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC | ||
| The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes | PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC | ||
| 2022 | The Quarry | 2K Games | |
| The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan (Enhanced Edition) | BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment | ||
| The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope (Enhanced Edition) | |||
| The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me | |||
| 2023 | The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR | PlayStation VR2 | Supermassive Games |
| 2024 | The Casting of Frank Stone | PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC | Behaviour Interactive |
| 2025 | Little Nightmares III | PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC | BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment |
| The Dark Pictures Anthology: Directive 8020 | PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC | Supermassive Games |
References[]
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| Staff & Production | |
| Miscellaneous | |