Red Thread Games
{{Short description|Norwegian video game developer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Notability|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Red Thread Games
| logo = Red Thread Games logo.png
| caption =
| founder = Ragnar Tørnquist
| foundation = 2012
| location = Oslo, Norway
| key_people = Ragnar Tørnquist
Dag Scheve
Martin Bruusgaard
Rakel Johnsen
Quintin Pan
Audun Tørnquist
| industry = Video games
| owner =
| parent =
| homepage = {{URL|redthreadgames.com}}
}}
Red Thread Games is a Norwegian video game developer based in Oslo. Their first release was Dreamfall Chapters, the episodic sequel to Dreamfall: The Longest Journey, released in five episodes between 2014 and 2016.
The team consists of several veterans from the Norwegian game industry, primarily former employees of Funcom. The team has previously worked on The Longest Journey, Dreamfall, Age of Conan, The Secret World and other titles.
History
{{Undue weight section|date=April 2025|to=grants and funding}}
Red Thread was founded in September 2012 by Ragnar Tørnquist, creator of The Longest Journey and Dreamfall sagas, and The Secret World and Anarchy Online universes.{{Cite web |last=Sinclair |first=Brendan |date=2012-11-01 |title=Ragnar Tørnquist founds Red Thread Games |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/ragnar-tornquist-founds-red-thread-games |access-date=2024-01-24 |website=GamesIndustry.biz |language=en}}
On 1 November 2012, Tørnquist announced that the long-awaited sequel to Dreamfall was on its way from his new development studio{{cite tweet|user=ragso|author=Ragnar Tørnquist|number=263997600536088578|date=1 November 2012|title=Yep, it's finally official. The sequel to #Dreamfall is on its way from my new development studio Red Thread Games. More information soon!}} after obtaining the first of several development grants from the Norwegian Film Institute for the pre-production of Dreamfall Chapters.{{cite web |url=http://www.nfi.no/bransje/tildelinger/tildelinger2012/interaktive_produksjoner/dr%C3%B8mmefall-kapitler/ |title=Drømmefall Kapitler - NFI |accessdate=28 May 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101131837/http://www.nfi.no/bransje/tildelinger/tildelinger2012/interaktive_produksjoner/dr%C3%B8mmefall-kapitler/ |archivedate=1 November 2013 }} Norwegian. Retrieved 28 May 2013
On 8 February 2013, a Kickstarter campaign was launched for Dreamfall Chapters which closed at USD$1,538,425, almost doubling their goal of $850,000.{{Cite web|url=http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/redthread/dreamfall-chapters-the-longest-journey|title=Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey}} Ultimately the game would receive 4.5 million NOK in grants (approx. $423,000) from the Norwegian Film Institute.{{cite web|url=https://www.nfi.no/tildelinger-2016-til-2020/produksjon/spill/drommefall-kapitler |title=Drømmefall Kapitler |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202032704/https://www.nfi.no/tildelinger-2016-til-2020/produksjon/spill/drommefall-kapitler |archive-date=2 December 2022 }}
On 30 October 2013, RTG announced that they had begun working on a new game titled Draugen, a first-person survival horror set in the 1920s Norway.{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-10-30-dreamfall-dev-announces-first-person-survival-horror-draugen|title=Dreamfall dev announces first-person survival horror Draugen|last=Yin-Poole|first=Wesley|date=30 October 2013|work=Eurogamer|accessdate=30 October 2013}} The development was funded through grants from the Norwegian Film Institute totaling 4 million NOK (approx. $375,000),{{cite web|url=https://www.nfi.no/tildelinger-2016-til-2020/produksjon/spill/draugen |title=Draugen |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003230540/https://www.nfi.no/tildelinger-2016-til-2020/produksjon/spill/draugen |archive-date=3 October 2023 }} as well as a grant of 150,000 Euros from the EU's Creative Europe project.{{cite web|url=https://culture.ec.europa.eu/creative-europe/projects/search/details/577689-CREA-1-2016-1-NO-MED-DEVVG |title=Search - Culture and Creativity }} The game also received 150,000 NOK (approx. $14,000) from Viken Filmsenter.{{cite web|url=https://vikenfilmsenter.no/tildeling/draugen/ |title=DRAUGEN – Viken filmsenter }}
In 2024, the company released Dustborn. Development was funded by the Norwegian Film Institute with grants totaling 15,818,500 NOK (approx. $1.4 million),{{cite web|url=https://www.nfi.no/tildelinger-old/utvikling-og-produksjon/dustborn |title=Dustborn |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240817141701/https://www.nfi.no/tildelinger-old/utvikling-og-produksjon/dustborn |archive-date=17 August 2024 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.nfi.no/en/allocations?query=dustborn&year=&program=&grant=&format=&page=1|title=Post-2020 NFI}} as well as a grant of 150,000 Euros from the EU's Creative Europe project.{{cite web|url=https://culture.ec.europa.eu/creative-europe/projects/search/details/612346-CREA-1-2019-1-NO-MED-DEVVG |title=Search - Culture and Creativity }} The game also received 300,000 NOK (approx. $28,000) from Viken Filmsenter.{{cite web|url=https://vikenfilmsenter.no/stort-spillfokus-i-arets-siste-tildelingsrunde/ |title=Stort spillfokus i årets siste tildelingsrunde – Viken filmsenter }}
Since 2016, the company has been working on Svalbard, which has received 11,020,000 NOK (approx. $1.05 million) from the Norwegian Film Institute as well as 150,000 Euros from Creative Europe.{{cite web|url=https://www.nfi.no/tildelinger-2016-til-2020/produksjon/spill/svalbard |title=Svalbard |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217114558/https://www.nfi.no/tildelinger-2016-til-2020/produksjon/spill/svalbard |archive-date=17 December 2023 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.nfi.no/en/allocations?query=svalbard&year=&program=&grant=&format=&page=1|title=Post-2020 NFI}}{{cite web|url=https://culture.ec.europa.eu/creative-europe/projects/search/details/619700-CREA-1-2020-1-NO-MED-DEVVG |title=Search - Culture and Creativity }} The game also received an unknown amount from Viken Filmsenter and Epic MegaGrants.{{cite web|url=https://svalbardgame.com/|title=Svalbard Game }}
The company is also working on Project M, an untitled RPG which has received 7.3 million NOK (approx. $640,000) from the Norwegian Film Institute,{{cite web|url=https://www.nfi.no/spill/prosjekt-m |title=Prosjekt M - NFI}} as well as Hello Sunshine, which has received 2,195,000 million NOK (approx. $206,000).{{cite web|url=https://www.nfi.no/spill/hello-sunshine|title=Hello Sunshine - NFI}}
Games
- Dreamfall Chapters (2014–2017)
- Draugen (2019){{cite web|url=https://www.draugengame.com/|title=Draugen official website|publisher=Red Thread Games|accessdate=22 June 2018}}
- Dustborn (2024){{cite web|url=https://www.gematsu.com/2024/03/dustborn-launches-august-20|title=Dustborn launches August 20|last=Romano|first=Sal|date=21 March 2024|work=Gematsu|accessdate=26 March 2024}}
- Hello Sunshine (TBA){{cite web |last1=Romano |first1=Sal |title=Red Thread Games announces mystery survival RPG Hello Sunshine for PC |url=https://www.gematsu.com/2025/03/red-thread-games-announces-mystery-survival-rpg-hello-sunshine-for-pc |website=Gematsu |access-date=13 March 2025 |date=13 March 2025}}
- Svalbard (TBA)
- Project M (TBA)
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.redthreadgames.com/ Red Thread Games website]
Category:Companies based in Oslo
Category:Indie game developers
Category:Norwegian companies established in 2012