Serenity Forge

Last updated

Serenity Forge LLC
Company type Private
Industry Video games
Founded2014;10 years ago (2014)
FounderZhenghua Yang
Headquarters
Boulder, Colorado
,
US
Number of employees
24 (2021)
Website serenityforge.com

Serenity Forge LLC is an American video game developer and publisher based in Boulder, Colorado. [1] The studio was founded in 2014 by Zhenghua "Z" Yang. [2]

Contents

History

Upon graduating from the University of Colorado Boulder's Leeds School of Business in 2014, Zhenghua Yang (commonly referred to as Z) formally founded Serenity Forge in Boulder, Colorado, with the mission to "create meaningful games that challenge the way players think," according to the company's official website. [3] [4] Despite his academic background in finance and economics, Yang, a lifelong gamer, decided to pursue a career in video games because he saw more potential and fulfillment in the medium. Prior to graduating college, Yang (under the Serenity Forge brand) released the studio's debut game Loving Life in 2012. [5] Loving Life released for free on online platforms and serves as an autobiographical visual novel detailing Yang's personal experience coping with chronic refractory idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, a rare autoimmune disease that saw him hospitalized for over two years as a teenager. [6] [7]

In 2016, Serenity Forge began publishing games by third-party developers in addition to making its own. The Studio's first publishing releases were Stage 2 Studios' [8] science fiction exploration game Lifeless Planet and developer Ludo Land's narrative puzzle game Four Sided Fantasy. [9]

Games

YearTitleDeveloper(s)Publisher(s)Platform(s)Ref.
2012Loving LifeSerenity ForgeSerenity Forge Microsoft Windows
2014 Lifeless Planet Stage 2 StudiosSerenity ForgeMicrosoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One [10]
Luna's Wandering StarsSerenity ForgeSerenity ForgeMicrosoft Windows [11]
2015Pixel GalaxySerenity ForgeSerenity ForgeMicrosoft Windows [12]
2016Four Sided FantasyLudo LandSerenity ForgeMicrosoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One [13]
2017Mystic MeleeSerenity ForgeSerenity ForgeMicrosoft Windows
Pinstripe Atmos GamesSerenity Forge, Armor Games Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, macOS [14]
2018 A Case of Distrust Ben WanderSerenity ForgeMicrosoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, iOS [15]
The King's Bird Serenity ForgeGraffiti GamesMicrosoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One [16]
Where the Water Tastes Like Wine Dim Bulb Games, Serenity ForgeSerenity Forge, Good Shepherd Entertainment Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, macOS [17]
2020Half Past FateSerenity ForgeWay Down DeepMicrosoft Windows, Nintendo Switch [18]
The Alto Collection Snowman, Serenity ForgeSnowmanMicrosoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One [19]
Neversong Serenity Forge, Atmos GamesSerenity ForgeMicrosoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Apple Arcade [20]
2021Half Past Fate: Romantic DistancingSerenity ForgeWay Down DeepMicrosoft Windows, Nintendo Switch [21]
Cyanide & Happiness - Freakpocalypse (Episode 1)Explosm, Skeleton Crew StudiosSerenity ForgeMicrosoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S [22]
Date Night BowlingSerenity ForgeWay Down DeepMicrosoft Windows [23]
Land of ScreensSerenity ForgeWay Down DeepMicrosoft Windows, Nintendo Switch [24]
Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! Team Salvato, Serenity ForgeSerenity ForgeMicrosoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, macOS [25]
Death's Gambit: AfterlifeWhite RabbitSerenity ForgeMicrosoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One [26]
2022 Arcadian Atlas Twin Otter StudiosSerenity ForgeMicrosoft Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S [27]
2023Smile For MeLimboLaneSerenity ForgeNintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S [28]
Homestead ArcanaSerenity Forge Skybound Entertainment Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X/S [29]
LISA - Definitive Edition Dingaling ProductionsSerenity ForgeMicrosoft Windows, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 [30]
2024Loving Life (Remastered)Serenity ForgeSerenity ForgeMicrosoft Windows, Nintendo Switch [31]
Roman Sands RE:BuildArbitrary MetricSerenity ForgeMicrosoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S [32]
CentumHack The PublisherSerenity ForgeMicrosoft Windows, Xbox Series X/S [33]
KeylockerMoonanaSerenity ForgeMicrosoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 [34]
Slay the Princess — The Pristine Cut Black Tabby GamesSerenity ForgeMicrosoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S [35]

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References

  1. ↑ "Summary: Serenity Forge LLC". Colorado Secretary of State . Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Forbes 30 Under 30 Profile: Zhenghua Yang". Forbes . Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Serenity Forge: About". Serenity Forge. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  4. ↑ Wessling, Catherine (March 4, 2020). "Alumni Spotlight: Zhenghua "Z" Yang - Video Games with a Purpose". Leeds School of Business . University of Colorado Boulder . Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  5. ↑ Roy, Adam (April 9, 2015). "Pixel Galaxy, the Newest Video Game by Boulder's Serenity Forge, Is a Space Shooter With a Twist". Westword . Westword . Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  6. ↑ Wolf, Stephanie (August 25, 2016). "Boulder Game Developer: 'Video Games Saved My Life'". Colorado Public Radio . Colorado Public Radio . Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  7. ↑ Brown, Shelby (May 5, 2020). "Apple Arcade's new Neversong game was inspired by developer's near-death experience". CNET . Red Ventures . Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Stage 2 Studios". Stage 2 Studios. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  9. ↑ Sinclair, Brendan (September 6, 2016). "Forging a new publishing model: Zhenghua Yang's aspirations for Serenity Forge are bigger than just turning a profit". GamesIndustry.biz . Eurogamer . Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  10. ↑ Rignall, Jaz (July 26, 2016). "Lifeless Planet PS4 Review: Quirky Sci-Fi Action Adventure". USgamer . Gamer Network . Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  11. ↑ Leach, Alexander (May 26, 2015). "Luna's Wandering Stars (PC) Review". CGMagazine. CGMagazine Publishing Group]. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  12. ↑ Cunningham, James (October 6, 2015). "Review: Pixel Galaxy". Hardcore Gamer. Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  13. ↑ Walker, John (March 3, 2017). "Belated Wot I Think: Four Sided Fantasy". Rock Paper Shotgun . Gamer Network . Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  14. ↑ Craddock, Ryan (October 24, 2018). "Pinstripe Review". Nintendo Life . Gamer Network . Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  15. ↑ Campbell, Colin (February 12, 2018). "A Case of Distrust is perfect video game noir". Polygon . Vox Media . Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  16. ↑ Bailey, Eric (February 12, 2019). "The King's Bird Review". Nintendo Life . Gamer Network . Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  17. ↑ Favis, Elise (February 28, 2018). "Where The Water Tastes Like Wine: A Soulful Journey Through America". Game Informer . GameStop . Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  18. ↑ Reynolds, Ollie (March 12, 2020). "Mini Review: Half Past Fate - A Great-Looking Rom-Com Adventure Brimming With Personality". Nintendo Life . Gamer Network . Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  19. ↑ Gould, Trevor (December 15, 2020). "Review: The Alto Collection (Nintendo Switch)". Pure Nintendo Magazine . Pure Media, LLC. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  20. ↑ Gardner, Matt (July 24, 2020). "Review: 'Neversong' Is A Must-Play Modern Indie Gaming Classic". Forbes . Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  21. ↑ Reynolds, Ollie (February 14, 2021). "Mini Review: Half Past Fate: Romantic Distancing - A Love Story That's Too Close to Reality". Nintendo Life . Gamer Network . Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  22. ↑ Ogilvie, Tristan (March 11, 2021). "Cyanide & Happiness - Freakpocalypse Review". IGN . Ziff Davis . Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  23. ↑ Romano, Sal (August 25, 2020). "Arcade bowling game Date Night Bowling announced for PC". Gematsu. Gematsu. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  24. ↑ Romano, Sal (August 25, 2020). "Point-and-click adventure game Land of Screens announced for PC". Gematsu. Gematsu. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  25. ↑ Romano, Sal (June 11, 2021). "Doko Doki Literature Club Plus! announced for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC". Gematsu. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  26. ↑ Skrebels, Joe (June 11, 2021). "Death's Gambit: Afterlife Is a Huge Expanded Edition, and It's Coming to Switch - IGN Expo". IGN . Ziff Davis . Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  27. ↑ Romano, Sal (August 27, 2021). "2D isometric strategy RPG Arcadian Atlas launches in 2022 for PC". Gematsu. Gematsu. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  28. ↑ Romano, Sal (December 22, 2022). "First-person point-and-click adventure game Smile For Me coming to PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch in spring 2023". Gematsu. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  29. ↑ "Serenity Forge". serenityforge.com. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  30. ↑ "Serenity Forge". serenityforge.com. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  31. ↑ Serenity Forge (May 20, 2024). Loving Life - Tenth Anniversary Launch Trailer . Retrieved May 20, 2024– via YouTube.
  32. ↑ "Serenity Forge". serenityforge.com. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  33. ↑ "'Unreliable narrative-driven adventure' game Centum announced for Xbox Series, PC". Gematsu. April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  34. ↑ Keylocker Announcement Trailer . Retrieved April 29, 2024– via www.youtube.com.
  35. ↑ "Slay the Princess: The Pristine Cut announced for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC". Gematsu. June 8, 2024. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
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