Compulsion Games

{{Infobox company

| name = Compulsion Games Inc.

| logo = Compulsion Games Logo.svg

| type = Subsidiary

| industry = Video games

| founded = {{Start date and age|df=yes|2009}}

| founder = Guillaume Provost

| hq_location = Westmount

| hq_location_city = Montreal

| hq_location_country = Canada

| key_people = {{Unbulleted list|Guillaume Provost (studio head)|David Sears (creative director){{cite web |url=https://wccftech.com/we-happy-few-devs-trying-to-maintain-creativity-at-microsoft-isnt-as-hard-as-people-think-it-is/ |title=David Sears, creative director of Compulsion Games, and his studio, talk about the acquisition of Microsoft |first=Uros |last=Pavlovic |date=20 December 2019 |website=Wccftech |access-date=January 14, 2021 |archive-date=10 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110101453/https://wccftech.com/we-happy-few-devs-trying-to-maintain-creativity-at-microsoft-isnt-as-hard-as-people-think-it-is/ |url-status=live }}|Whitney Clayton (art director){{cite web |url=https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/montreals-compulsion-games-acquired-by-microsoft|title=Microsoft picks up Montreal's Compulsion Games: 'We get to just create'|first=Christopher|last=Curtis|date=28 June 2018|website=Montreal Gazette|access-date=October 16, 2023}}}}

| products = {{unbulleted list|Contrast|We Happy Few|South of Midnight}}

| num_employees = 80{{cite web |url=https://www.gamereactor.eu/compulsion-has-doubled-in-size-and-is-developing-a-third-person-game/ |title=Compulsion has doubled in size and is developing a third person game |first=Jonas |last=Mäki |date=10 September 2021 |website=Gamereactor |access-date=11 September 2021}}

| num_employees_year = 2021

| parent = Xbox Game Studios (2018–present)

| website = {{URL|https://compulsiongames.com/}}

}}

Compulsion Games Inc. is a Canadian video game developer and a studio of Xbox Game Studios based in Montreal. Established in 2009 by ex-Arkane Studios developer Guillaume Provost, the studio developed the 2013 puzzle-platform game Contrast and the 2018 survival horror game We Happy Few.

History

Compulsion Games was founded in Montreal in 2009 by Guillaume Provost, who had previously worked for Arkane Studios.{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/8-rising-indie-developers-watch/ |title=8 rising indie developers to watch |first=Henry |last=Gilbert |date=14 August 2013 |website=GamesRadar+ |access-date=July 5, 2019 |archive-date=17 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190117231038/https://www.gamesradar.com/8-rising-indie-developers-watch/ |url-status=live }} 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.{{cite web |url=https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2018/05/24/we-happy-few-australian-classification-board-ban-related-to-drugs/ |title=We Happy Few Slapped With Aussie Classification Board Ban |first=Uros |last=Pavlovic |date=24 May 2018 |website=PlayStation LifeStyle |access-date=July 5, 2019 |archive-date=9 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209180105/https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2018/05/24/we-happy-few-australian-classification-board-ban-related-to-drugs/ |url-status=live }}

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.{{Cite web |last=Dunning |first=Jason |date=2014-01-30 |title=Contrast on PS3 and PS4 Passes 1 Million Downloads |url=https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2014/01/29/contrast-on-ps3-and-ps4-passes-1-million-downloads/ |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=PlayStation LifeStyle |language=en-US}} The Xbox One version was eventually released in June 2014.{{Cite web |last=Nelson |first=Major |date=2014-06-26 |title=Contrast is Now Available on Xbox One |url=https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2014/06/26/contrast-is-now-available-on-xbox-one/ |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=Xbox Wire |language=en-US}}

In February 2015, the company announced We Happy Few as its next game.{{Cite web |last=Martin |first=Michael |date=2015-02-09 |title=Contrast Developer Compulsion Games Teases Its Next Game |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/02/09/contrast-developer-compulsion-games-teases-its-next-game |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=IGN |language=en}} 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.{{Cite news |last=Matulef |first=Jeffrey |date=2015-06-04 |title=We Happy Few launches on Kickstarter |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/we-happy-few-launches-kickstarter |access-date=2025-02-12 |work=Eurogamer.net |language=en}} Microsoft then showcased the game at E3 2016.{{Cite web |last=Conditt |first=Jessica |date=2017-08-17 |title=How 'We Happy Few' plans to avoid the pitfalls of 'No Man's Sky' |url=https://www.engadget.com/2017-08-17-we-happy-few-fans-feedback-release-date-gearbox-compulsion-interview.html |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=Engadget |language=en-US}}

The game launched in Early Access on PC and Xbox in July 2016.{{Cite news |last= |date=2019-05-15 |title=We Happy Few developer Compulsion on E3 hype, drugs and Early Access |url=https://mcvuk.com/business-news/media-pr/we-happy-few-developer-compulsion-on-e3-hype-drugs-and-early-access/ |access-date=2025-02-12 |work=MCV |language=en |issn=1469-4832}}{{Cite web |last=Biery |first=Thomas |date=2016-07-26 |title=We Happy Few is now out on early access |url=https://www.polygon.com/2016/7/26/12285130/we-happy-few-early-access-xbox-preview-windows-pc-steam-gog-humble-store |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}} 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. However, by January 2018, it was delayed so Compulsion could rework the first few hours of the game.{{Cite web |last=Hall |first=Charlie |date=2018-01-19 |title=We Happy Few delayed once again |url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/1/19/16909936/we-happy-few-delayed-again-new-female-character |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}

At E3 2018, Microsoft announced it had acquired Compulsion Games, which would become part of Microsoft Studios (now known as Xbox Game Studios).{{cite web |last=Grubb |first=Jeff |date=10 June 2018 |title=Microsoft Game Studios just added five new studios including Ninja Theory |url=https://venturebeat.com/2018/06/10/microsoft-game-studios-just-added-five-new-studios-including-ninja-theory/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180610210145/https://venturebeat.com/2018/06/10/microsoft-game-studios-just-added-five-new-studios-including-ninja-theory/ |archive-date=10 June 2018 |access-date=July 5, 2019 |website=VentureBeat}}{{cite web |last=Romano |first=Sal |date=10 June 2018 |title=Microsoft acquires Undead Labs, Playground Games, Ninja Theory, and Compulsion Games |url=https://gematsu.com/2018/06/microsoft-acquires-undead-labs-playground-games-ninja-theory-and-compulsion-games |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209123913/https://gematsu.com/2018/06/microsoft-acquires-undead-labs-playground-games-ninja-theory-and-compulsion-games |archive-date=9 February 2019 |access-date=July 5, 2019 |website=Gematsu}} We Happy Few was finally released in August.{{Cite web |last=Sliva |first=Marty |date=2018-06-10 |title=E3 2018: We Happy Few Release Date Announced |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/06/10/e3-2018-we-happy-few-release-date-announced |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=IGN |language=en}} Critics praised its aesthetic, art direction, and narrative, but were more mixed about the actual gameplay.{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Ivy |date=2018-08-10 |title=We Happy Few: Critical Consensus |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/we-happy-few-critical-consensus |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=GamesIndustry.biz |language=en}}

In 2019, after finishing the DLC for We Happy Few, Compulsion began work on its next game.{{Cite web |last=Van Allen |first=Eric Van |date=2019-12-17 |title="We Had to Make the Chicken and the Egg at the Same Time:" A We Happy Few Postmortem |url=https://www.vg247.com/we-had-to-make-the-chicken-and-the-egg-at-the-same-time-a-we-happy-few-postmortem |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=VG247 |language=en}} 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.{{cite web | url = https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/xboxs-compulsion-games-is-working-on-a-third-person-single-player-game/ | title = Xbox's Compulsion Games is working on a 'third-person single player game' | first = Jordan | last = Middler | date = 17 October 2021 | accessdate = 17 October 2021 | work = Video Games Chronicle }}

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.{{Cite web |last=Stedman |first=Alex |date=2023-06-11 |title=South of Midnight, New Game From We Happy Few Developer, Unveiled at Xbox Showcase |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/south-of-midnight-new-game-from-we-happy-few-developer-unveiled-at-xbox-showcase |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=IGN |language=en}} In January 2025, Microsoft revealed an April release date for Xbox Series X and S, PC, and Game Pass.{{Cite web |last=Stedman |first=Alex |date=2024-06-09 |title=South of Midnight Reveals New Trailer, Showing Gameplay and Lively Animation - Xbox Showcase 2024 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/south-of-midnight-reveals-new-trailer-showing-gameplay-and-lively-animation-xbox-showcase-2024 |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=IGN |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Valentine |first=Rebekah |date=2025-01-23 |title=South of Midnight Release Date Revealed at Xbox Developer Direct |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/south-of-midnight-release-date-revealed-at-xbox-developer-direct |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=IGN |language=en}}