View source for Frozenbyte

{{short description|Finnish video game developer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox company
| name          = Frozenbyte, Inc.
| logo          = Frozenbyte logo.png
| native_name   = Frozenbyte Oy
| native_name_lang = fi
| type          = [[Limited company]] ({{Lang|fi|[[osakeyhtiö]]}})
| foundation    = {{start date and age|2001|df=y}}
| location      = [[Helsinki]], Finland
| num_employees = ~60
| num_employees_year = 2024
| industry      = [[Video game industry|Video games]]
| products      = {{Unbulleted list|''[[Shadowgrounds]]'' series|''[[Trine (video game)|Trine]]'' series}}
| homepage      = {{URL|https://www.frozenbyte.com/}}
| footnotes     = <ref>{{cite web|title=About {{!}} Frozenbyte|url=https://www.frozenbyte.com/about-frozenbyte|publisher=Frozenbyte|access-date=16 December 2020}}</ref>
}}

'''Frozenbyte, Inc.''' (natively '''Frozenbyte {{Lang|fi|Oy|italic=no}}''') is a Finnish [[video game developer]] founded in 2001 and based in [[Helsinki]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.kauppalehti.fi/yritykset/yritys/frozenbyte+oy/1736734-3 |title=Frozenbyte Oy |website=[[Kauppalehti]] |language=fi |access-date=9 October 2023}}</ref> {{As of|2020|12}}, it had approximately 130 employees. Frozenbyte's first commercial game was ''[[Shadowgrounds]]'' for [[Microsoft Windows]]. Both ''Shadowgrounds'' and its follow-up ''[[Shadowgrounds: Survivor]]'' were released for [[Linux]] in 2009, ported by IGIOS and published by [[Linux Game Publishing]]. They and all their later games use an [[game engine|engine]] that has been known internally as Storm3D, originally by Finnish programmer Sebastian Aaltonen.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://github.com/Frozenbyte/Jack-Claw/blob/master/LICENSE.txt|title=Jack Claw License|website=[[GitHub]]|author=Frozenbyte|access-date=2024-01-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cheesetalks.net/frozenbyte2.php|title=Cheese talks to: Frozenbyte (about Trine and other things)|last=Bush|first=Josh|website=Cheese Talks|date=2012-05-03|access-date=2024-01-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://rudyfaile.com/2020/04/22/custom-game-engines-a-small-study/|title=Custom Game Engines: A Small Study|first=Rudy|last=Faile|date=2020-04-22|access-date=2024-01-26}}</ref>

Frozenbyte's next commercial game, ''[[Trine (video game)|Trine]]'' was released in 2009 for Microsoft Windows in 2009, and has since been ported to Linux, [[OS X]], the [[PlayStation Network]], and Nintendo eShop. The game spawned four sequels, ''[[Trine 2]]'' which was released on Microsoft Windows, OS X, [[PlayStation 3]], and [[Xbox 360]] in December 2011, Linux in March 2012, and Wii U eShop in November 2012, and ''[[Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power]]'' which was released via [[Steam (service)|Steam]] [[Early access]] in August 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/trine-3-is-out-in-early-access-next-week/|title=Trine 3 is out in Early Access next week|last=Savage|first=Phil|date=April 26, 2015|work=[[PC Gamer]]|access-date=April 26, 2015}}</ref> A fourth installment, ''[[Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince]]'' was released in October 2019.<ref name=":0" /> The fifth installment ''[[Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy]]'' was released in 2023.

A ''[[Humble Indie Bundle]]'' sale started on 12 April 2011, and featured five games from Frozenbyte, including ''Trine'', ''Shadowgrounds'', and ''Shadowgrounds: Survivor'', for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. It also contained an executable version along with source code for an unfinished game, ''Jack Claw'', and a pre-order for their upcoming game, ''{{ill|Splot|qid=Q122901648}}''.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://kotaku.com/#!5791097/this-might-be-the-best-indie-bargain-of-2011 | title = This Might Be The Best Indie Bargain Of 2011 | first = Luke | last = Plunkett | publisher = [[Kotaku]] | date = 11 April 2011 | access-date = 11 April 2011 }}</ref> As of August 2021, ''Splot'' has still to be published, and buyer's libraries on [[Humble Bundle]] say "There are no full release builds planned of ''Splot'' for Windows, Mac, and Linux".{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}

On 4 December 2015, the company announced ''[[Shadwen]]'', a [[stealth game]] where time moves only when the player moves.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-12-04-trine-developer-frozenbyte-reveals-fantasy-stealth-game-shadwen |title=Trine developer Frozenbyte reveals time-manipulating stealth game Shadwen |first=Jeffery |last=Matulef |work=[[Eurogamer]] |date=4 December 2015|access-date= 4 December 2015}}</ref>

On 28 May 2019, the company announced a new upcoming game ''[[Starbase (video game)|Starbase]]'', a [[Science fiction|sci-fi]] [[Massively multiplayer online game|MMO]] that was allegedly in development in secret for five years prior.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.frozenbyte.com/2019/05/starbase-a-new-sci-fi-mmo-game-by-frozenbyte-revealed/|title=Starbase – A New Sci-Fi MMO Game By Frozenbyte Revealed! {{!}} Frozenbyte|website=www.frozenbyte.com|access-date=20 July 2019}}</ref>

==Games developed==
*''[[Shadowgrounds]]'' (2005)
*''[[Shadowgrounds: Survivor]]'' (2007)
*''[[Trine (video game)|Trine]]'' (2009)
*''[[Trine 2]]'' (2011)
*''{{ill|Splot|qid=Q122901648}}'' (2014)<ref>{{cite web | url = http://frozenbyte.com/games/splot/ | title = Official website saying game is set for 'early 2014 release' | first = Mikael | last = Haveri | date = 2 November 2012 | access-date = 2 November 2012}}</ref>
*''[[Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power]]'' (2015)
*''[[Shadwen]]'' (2016)
* ''[[Has-Been Heroes]]'' (2017)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.frozenbyte.com/games/has-been-heroes/ |title=Has-Been Heroes {{!}} Frozenbyte|website=www.frozenbyte.com |access-date=13 January 2017}}</ref>
* ''[[Nine Parchments]]'' (2017)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-08-15-frozenbyte-announces-new-co-op-dungeon-crawler-nine-parchments|title=Frozenbyte announces co-op twin-stick wizardry game Nine Parchments|first=Jeffery|last=Matulef|work=[[Eurogamer]]|date=15 August 2016|access-date=17 August 2016}}</ref>
*''[[Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince]]'' (2019)<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.frozenbyte.com/2018/10/trine-4-confirmed/ |title=Trine 4 Confirmed! {{!}} Frozenbyte|website=www.frozenbyte.com | last=KaiFB | date=24 October 2018 |access-date=9 November 2018}}</ref>
*''[[Starbase (video game)|Starbase]]'' (2021)
*''[[Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy]]'' (2023)

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website|https://www.frozenbyte.com/}}

{{Frozenbyte}}
{{Portal bar|Companies|Finland|Video games}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Privately held companies of Finland]]
[[Category:Video game companies established in 2001]]
[[Category:Finnish companies established in 2001]]
[[Category:Companies based in Helsinki]]
[[Category:Video game companies of Finland]]
[[Category:Video game development companies]]


{{Europe-videogame-company-stub}}
{{Finland-company-stub}}