[edit]Amir Rao, co-founder of Supergiant Games, in 2012
Supergiant Games was formed by Amir Rao and Gavin Simon in 2009. Both had been working at the Los Angeles studio of Electronic Arts, involved with the Command & Conquer series.[2] In 2009 they agreed to quit their job, move into the same house, and begin to work on a new game together. Artist Jen Zee became the studio's third member, and, later, its art director.[3] Musician Darren Korb was hired for audio and music work.[4][5] They employed a number of freelance programmers and developers at various times during the development of their first game.[6][7]
Their first game, Bastion, received high critical praise, including being listed among several "Game of the Year" lists from game journalists.[8] It was first shown in mid-development at the 2010 Penny Arcade Expo as one of many highlighted indie games.[9] This attracted several publishers who wanted to help distribute the game; Supergiant Games chose Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, leading to the game's distribution on Xbox Live Arcade and also as a premiere title during the 2011 "Summer of Arcade" promotion.[10]
In March 2013, Supergiant Games announced their next title, Transistor, released on May 20, 2014. A promotion video was released on March 19.[11] The game features a female protagonist, Red, in a cyberpunk-like city, who has acquired a powerful weapon that she is nearly killed for possessing.[12] The game features a similar isometric viewpoint to Bastion[13] and was also met with critical acclaim.[14]
In April 2016, Supergiant Games announced their third game, Pyre, released on July 25, 2017, for Microsoft Windows, Linux and PlayStation 4. It was described as a party-based role-playing game.[15] In a break from their previous games, Pyre does not use an isometric viewpoint; the player's party travels across a 2Doverworld, and combat takes place in a separate arena. The combat system is also very different, being described as "fantasy basketball".[16]Pyre was again regarded fondly by critics and was named Game Informer's best indie RPG for that year.[17]
AtThe Game Awards 2022, Supergiant announced Hades II. Like the original Hades, it is a roguelite game based on Greek mythology and it is currently being developed in early access.[22][23]
