History
Compulsion Games was founded in Montreal in 2009 by Guillaume Provost, who had previously worked for Arkane Studios. [4] To raise funds for their first game, the team of Compulsion Games worked on external projects, including Darksiders , Dungeon & Dragons: Daggerdale, and Arthur Christmas: Elf Run. [5]
In November 2013, Compulsion Games released the puzzle-platform game Contrast 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 announced We Happy Few as its next game. [8] Debuting at PAX East 2015, it received unprecedented hype, which the studio struggled to control. Receiving comparisons to BioShock , 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 with Gearbox 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]
At E3 2018, Microsoft announced it had acquired Compulsion Games, which would become part of Microsoft Studios (now known as Xbox 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 for We 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 from We 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 for Xbox Series X and S, PC, and Game Pass. [21] [22]
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