Annapurna Interactive

Annapurna Games, LLC, doing business as Annapurna Interactive,[1] is an American video game publisher. The company is a division of Annapurna Pictures, and was founded in 2016. Some notable games released by the company include Sayonara Wild Hearts, What Remains of Edith Finch, Kentucky Route Zero, Gorogoa, Donut County, Outer Wilds, and Journey.

Annapurna Interactive
Annapurna Interactive
TypeDivision
IndustryVideo games
FoundedDecember 1, 2016 (2016-12-01)
FounderMegan Ellison
Nathan Gary
James Masi
Headquarters
West Hollywood, California
,
US
Key people
Nathan Gary
Kelsey Hansen
Neale Hemrajani
Evan Icenbice
Jeff Legaspi
Deborah Mars
James Masi
Jon McElroy
Adam Root
Joshua Sarfaty
Nathan Vella
ParentAnnapurna Pictures
Websiteannapurnainteractive.com/games/

History

The company was founded as a division of Annapurna Pictures on December 1, 2016 as Annapurna's attempt to expand into the interactive game industry. The company's early staff was composed of existing Annapurna executives, producer Neale Hemrajani and Technology Head James Masi along with several video game veterans, including Nathan Gary, Deborah Mars, Hector Sanchez, and Jeff Legaspi, who had worked in Sony Interactive Entertainment and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.[2] Jenova Chen also served as the company's advisor. The company aimed to publish games that are "personal, emotional, and original".[3]

On the day of establishment, the company announced several publishing deals it had signed with several independent developers. Games ultimately published include Gorogoa, What Remains of Edith Finch, an untitled project (later revealed as Wattam) from Keita Takahashi, and an unannounced game (later revealed as Florence) from Ken Wong, the designer of Monument Valley.[4] In 2017, Annapurna announced that it would begin publishing more independent games, including The Artful Escape, Ashen, and Telling Lies.[5][6][7]

On May 7, 2020, it was announced that Nathan Vella, the former president of Capybara Games, had joined the executive team.[8]

The company established an internal development studio, located in Los Angeles, in October 2020.[9]

Games
YearTitleDeveloper(s)Platform(s)Ref.
2017 What Remains of Edith Finch Giant Sparrow Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Flower Thatgamecompany Microsoft Windows, iOS [10]
Gorogoa Buried Signal Microsoft Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
2018 Florence Mountains iOS, Android, Microsoft Windows, MacOS, Nintendo Switch [11]
Donut County Ben Esposito Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, macOS, iOS, Android, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch [12]
Gone Home Fullbright Nintendo Switch, iOS [13]
Ashen A44 Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
2019 Outer Wilds Mobius Digital Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 [14]
Journey Thatgamecompany Microsoft Windows, iOS
Telling Lies Sam Barlow, Furious Bee Microsoft Windows, macOS, iOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Sayonara Wild Hearts Simogo Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, macOS, iOS, tvOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One [15]
Wattam Funomena Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4
2020 Kentucky Route Zero Cardboard Computer Linux, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
If Found... Dreamfeel Microsoft Windows, macOS, iOS, Nintendo Switch [16]
I Am Dead Hollow Ponds, Richard Hogg Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch
The Unfinished Swan Giant Sparrow Microsoft Windows, iOS
Due Process Giant Enemy Crab Microsoft Windows
The Pathless Giant Squid Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, macOS, iOS, tvOS [17]
2021 The Artful Escape Beethoven & Dinosaur Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, macOS, iOS, tvOS, Xbox Series X/S [18]
Last Stop Variable State Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S [18]
12 Minutes Luis Antonio Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S [19]
Maquette Graceful Decay Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4
Stray BlueTwelve Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4
Solar Ash Heart Machine Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 [20]
Open Roads Fullbright Microsoft Windows

Two limited edition box sets of eight games: Donut County, Kentucky Route Zero, Outer Wilds, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Wattam, What Remains of Edith Finch, Telling Lies, and Gorogoa, celebrating the first five years of the publisher, will be released for the PlayStation 4 by Annapurna and iam8bit, to be available in late 2020.[21]

References
  1. "Annapurna Interactive - PRIVACY POLICY". Annapurna Pictures. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  2. Sprangler, Todd (December 1, 2016). "Megan Ellison's Annapurna Pictures Launches Video Game Division". Variety. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  3. Sinclair, Brandon (December 1, 2016). "Annapurna Pictures gets into game publishing". Gameindustry.biz. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  4. Dornbush, Jonathon (December 1, 2016). "Annapurna Pictures Announces Video Game Publishing Division Annapurna Interactive". IGN. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  5. D'Anastasio, Cecilia (30 March 2017). "A Musical Indie Game Starring A Teen With A Cosmic Guitar". Kotaku. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  6. Cosimano, Mike (June 11, 2017). "Open-world RPG Ashen is the next game from Annapurna Interactive". Destructoid. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  7. Chalk, Andy (July 14, 2017). "Her Story creator reveals new game will be called Telling Lies". PC Gamer. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  8. Takahashi, Dean (7 May 2020). "Annapurna Interactive hires indie game veteran Nathan Vella as a top executive". VentureBeat. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  9. Dealessandri, Marie (October 29, 2020). "Annapurna Interactive launches internal development studio". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  10. Chalk, Andy (2019-02-14). "Flower, the 2009 PS3 hit, is finally on PC". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2019-02-23.
  11. "Florence is a game about love from the designer behind Monument Valley". The Verge. Retrieved 2018-01-05.
  12. de Rochefort, Simone (June 16, 2017). "Donut County: How I learned to love being a hole". Polygon. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  13. McCarthy, Katy (August 22, 2018). "Gone Home on Switch Delayed to September". Eurogamer. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  14. Takahashi, Dean (March 15, 2018). "Outer Wilds is about backpacking in outer space". Venture Beat. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  15. "Sayonara Wild Hearts". Simogo. 2018-12-07. Retrieved 2018-12-08.
  16. "If Found — dreamfeel". dreamfeel. Retrieved 2019-10-23.
  17. "The Pathless Out in Holiday 2020 for PS4, PS5, and PC". GamingBolt. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  18. Borthwick, Ben (November 19, 2020). "12 Minutes, The Artful Escape and Last Stop delayed to 2021". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  19. "ABOUT". TWELVE MINUTES. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  20. Dornbush, Jonathon (March 13, 2019). "Solar Ash Kingdom: Hyper Light Drifter Devs Reveal New Game". IGN. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  21. Van Allen, Eric (September 10, 2020). "Annapurna Interactive Is Releasing an Eight Game Box Set to Celebrate Its First Five Years". USGamer. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
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