 Logo since August 2019 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 2009; 17 years ago (2009) |
| Founders |
|
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Key people | Amir Rao (studio operations) |
| Products | |
Number of employees | 25[1][2] (2025) |
| Website | supergiantgames.com |
Supergiant Games, LLC is an American independentvideo game developer andpublisher based inSan Francisco. It was founded in 2009 by Amir Rao and Gavin Simon, and is known for the gamesBastion,Transistor,Pyre,Hades andHades II.
Supergiant Games was formed in 2009 by Amir Rao and Gavin Simon, both previously ofEA Los Angeles, where they were involved with theCommand & Conquer series.[3] After agreeing to leaveElectronic Arts, the duo moved into the same house, and began to work on a new game together. ArtistJen Zee became Supergiant's third member, and, later, its art director.[4] Musician and composerDarren Korb was hired for audio and music work.[5][6] All told, the company had only seven permanent staff in 2009, all whom still are with Supergiant as of 2025.[2] The studio employed a number of freelance programmers and developers at various times during the development of their first game.[7][8]
Their first game,Bastion, received high critical praise, being listed among several "Game of the Year" lists from game journalists.[9] It was first shown in mid-development at the 2010Penny Arcade Expo as one of many highlighted indie games.[10] This attracted several publishers who wanted to help distribute the game; Supergiant choseWarner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, leading to the game's distribution onXbox Live Arcade and also as a premiere title during the 2011 "Summer of Arcade" promotion.[11]
In March 2013, Supergiant announced their next title,Transistor, released on May 20, 2014. A promotion video was released on March 19.[12] The game's protagonist, Red, is a singer in the cyberpunk city of Cloudbank who loses her voice and her bodyguard in a traumatic incident but gains a powerful USB-like sword.[13][14] The game features a similar isometric viewpoint toBastion[15] and was also met with critical acclaim.[16]
In April 2016, the studio announced their third game,Pyre, released on July 25, 2017, forMicrosoft Windows,Linux andPlayStation 4. It was described as a party-basedrole-playing game.[17] In a break from their previous games,Pyre does not use an isometric viewpoint; the player's party travels across a2Doverworld, and combat takes place in a separate arena. The combat system is also very different, being described as "fantasy basketball" with which the victors of games called Rites can receive absolution for past crimes and return from their exile in a wasteland called the Downfall to their country of origin, the Commonwealth.[18]Pyre was again regarded fondly by critics and was namedGame Informer's best indieRPG for that year.[19]
Supergiant's next game,Hades, was revealed atThe Game Awards 2018 and released on September 17, 2020, following anearly access release from December 2018.Hades is an actionroguelite game based onGreek mythology, where the playable characterZagreus uses a combination of weapons, magic, and abilities to defeat enemies inprocedurally-generated dungeons and escape from his father, Hades.[20]Hades was met with critical acclaim, selling over 1 million copies and reaching "universal acclaim" status on Metacritic,[21][22] with several awards won. It was nominated for nine awards atThe Game Awards 2020, including forGame of the Year;Hades would end up winning two awards for Best Independent Game and Best Action.Hades wound up winning theGame of the Year awards at the17th British Academy Games Awards, the24th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, and the21st Game Developers Choice Awards.[23]
AtThe Game Awards 2022, Supergiant announcedHades II. Like the originalHades, it is a roguelite game based on Greek mythology and it was available in early access during its development from May 6, 2024 until its official release.[24][25][26] The game's protagonist isMelinoë, daughter of Hades and younger sister of previous protagonist Zagreus, who has been raised by the witch Hecate to take down the Titan Chronos after his attack on Melinoë's family left them imprisoned and unreachable.[27][28]Hades II was released on September 25, 2025, and was met with similar praise asHades.[2]
| Year | Title | Platform(s) | Genre(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Bastion | Windows,macOS,Linux,PlayStation 4,PlayStation Vita,Switch,Xbox 360,Xbox One,iOS | Action role-playing |
| 2014 | Transistor | Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Switch, iOS,Apple TV | Action role-playing,turn-based strategy |
| 2017 | Pyre | Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4 | Action role-playing,sports |
| 2020 | Hades | Windows, macOS, Switch, Xbox One,Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4,PlayStation 5, iOS | Action role-playing,roguelike |
| 2025 | Hades II | Windows, macOS, Switch,Switch 2 | Action role-playing,roguelike |
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