Supermassive Games

Supermassive Games Limited is a British video game developer headquartered in Guildford, Surrey. The studio has carved out a niche in interactive horror, blending cinematic storytelling with player-driven choices. Founded in 2008 by Pete Samuels and a team of former employees from Electronic Arts and Criterion Games, the company initially worked on smaller projects before finding its footing in the horror genre. Their breakout title, Until Dawn, released in 2015 for PlayStation 4, became a critical and commercial success, selling over 2 million copies and earning a devoted fanbase for its branching narrative and the ability to kill off any of the eight playable characters. That success led to a partnership with Bandai Namco Entertainment for The Dark Pictures Anthology, a series of standalone horror games that began with Man of Medan in 2019. The Quarry, published by 2K Games in 2022, brought a summer camp slasher vibe to a wider audience, while The Casting of Frank Stone, a collaboration with Behaviour Interactive, tied into the world of Dead by Daylight in 2024. Supermassive's games are known for their use of motion capture and performance capture, with actors like Hayden Panettiere, Rami Malek, and David Arquette lending their likenesses. The studio's focus on choice-driven horror has made it a key player in the genre, though not without some mixed critical reception for its later titles.

In August 2026, the studio announced its third round of layoffs in three years, affecting up to 75 employees. The company cited the need to ensure sustainability following the mixed commercial reception of Directive 8020, a sci-fi thriller released earlier that year. Despite these cutbacks, Supermassive continues to develop new projects, including Little Nightmares III, a collaboration with Tarsier Studios published by Bandai Namco. The studio remains an independent entity, known for its high-fidelity motion capture storytelling and its ability to attract top-tier talent to its projects. [edit]