 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 2009; 16 years ago (2009) |
| Founder | Guillaume Provost |
| Headquarters | Westmount, Montreal ,Canada |
Key people |
|
| Products | |
Number of employees | 80[3] (2021) |
| Parent | Xbox Game Studios (2018–present) |
| Website | compulsiongames |
Compulsion Games Inc. is a Canadianvideo game developer and a studio ofXbox Game Studios based inMontreal. Established in 2009 by ex-Arkane Studios developer Guillaume Provost, the studio developed the 2013puzzle-platform gameContrast, the 2018survival horror gameWe Happy Few and the 2025action-adventure gameSouth of Midnight.
Compulsion Games was founded inMontreal in 2009 by Guillaume Provost, who had previously worked forArkane Studios.[4] To raise funds for their first game, the team of Compulsion Games worked on external projects, includingDarksiders,Dungeon & Dragons: Daggerdale, andArthur Christmas: Elf Run.[5]
In November 2013, Compulsion Games released the puzzle-platform gameContrast for Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. By January 2014, the game had sold more than one million copies.[6] The Xbox One version was eventually released in June 2014.[7]
In February 2015, the company announcedWe Happy Few as its next game.[8] Debuting atPAX East 2015, it received unprecedented hype, which the studio struggled to control. Receiving comparisons toBioShock, the team decided to pivot from the survival mechanics they initially envisioned to a more narrative-based game. In June, Compulsion launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund development, which ultimately exceeded its goal.[9] Microsoft then showcased the game at E3 2016.[10]
The game launched in Early Access on PC and Xbox in July 2016.[11][12] By the summer of 2017, Compulsion had 40 people working on the game and a publishing deal withGearbox Publishing.We Happy Few was given an April 2018 release date.[10] However, by January 2018, it was delayed so Compulsion could rework the first few hours of the game.[13]
AtE3 2018, Microsoft announced it had acquired Compulsion Games, which would become part of Microsoft Studios (now known asXbox Game Studios).[14][15]We Happy Few was finally released in August.[16] Critics praised its aesthetic, art direction, and narrative, but were more mixed about the actual gameplay.[17]
In 2019, after finishing the DLC forWe Happy Few, Compulsion began work on its next game.[18] By October 2021, the studio had further doubled its staff and was working on a narrative, third-person perspective game. It would avoid some missteps fromWe Happy Few, such as using roguelike elements or an early access approach.[19]
South of Midnight was revealed at a June 2023 Xbox Showcase, a third-person action-adventure game set in a magical version of the American South.[20] In January 2025, Microsoft revealed an April release date forXbox Series X and S, PC, andGame Pass.[21][22]
| Year | Title | Platform(s) | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Contrast | Microsoft Windows,PlayStation 4,PlayStation 3,Xbox One,Xbox 360 | Focus Entertainment |
| 2018 | We Happy Few | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One | Gearbox Publishing |
| 2025 | South of Midnight | Microsoft Windows,Xbox Series X/S | Xbox Game Studios |