The German game developer Daedalic Entertainment developed a lot of point & click adventures. He now also works as a publisher.
The development studio Daedalic Entertainment
Carsten Fichtelmann founded the Studio Daedalic Entertainment and thus one of the most successful German development studios for computer games in Hamburg. The most successful games include Edna & Harvey: The Breakout, The whispered world and Deponia.
Before founding his development studio, Fichtelmann worked at dtp entertainment. He took on the roles of Marketing Director and Head of Product Management. The name of the studio is derived from Greek mythology. The inventor and artist Daedalus is the inspiration for the name. From the beginning, the studio was committed to publishing narrative games.
On June 5, 2008, the development team released the adventure game "Edna Breaks Out". Creative Director Jan Müller-Michaelis provided the basis for this game with his diploma thesis. The successful game received several awards.
This was followed by the game implementation of 1½ Knights: In Search of the Ravishing Princess Herzelinde – In search of the ravishing Herzelinde. The not so successful game was given a new look by the studio The whispered world a heartwarming fairy tale. On October 8, 2010, A New Beginning It deals with climate change and its consequences. In 2011, the studio released the sequel to Edna & Harvey: The Breakout with Harvey's new eyes. Three years later, Deponia, which received several awards.
In May 2014, the German publishing group Bastei Lübbe acquired the majority stake of 51% in the company. This turned out to be a new growth strategy for the publishing house. The studio thus focused on new marketing opportunities in the areas of books, comics, audio and film. The company doubled its sales from 2013 to 2015. Carsten Fichtelmann was the sole managing director of the company.
A branch was founded in 2014 under the name Studio West GmbH. The studio's focus should be positioned outside of the adventure genre for the branch. In September 2015, Bastei Lübbe sold some shares in the developer, reducing them to 48%. The company sold 3% of the shares to Blue Sky Tech Limited. The management of Bastei Lübbe was criticized in 2016 for having polished the balance sheet. It was alleged that the new buyer, a London shell company, was under the control of Bastei Lübbe.
In 2016, the developer drastically reduced the number of 150 employees through layoffs and non-renewal of contracts. This was linked to the fact that, despite new titles, costs rose compared to revenues. The managing director of Bastei Lübbe Thomas Schierack resigned his post in September 2017 due to accounting errors and losses. Bastei Lübbe's digital strategy was declared a failure.
Carel Halff acted as his successor and announced a review of all of the company's digital strategies. They demanded that the developer provide evidence of the benefits for Bastei Lübbe Verlag. The studio then published The pillars of the earthSince the expectations for Bastei Lübbe Verlag were not fulfilled, the company reduced its shares.
The studio released further titles with Shadow Tactics: Blades of Shogun and The Long Journey Home and increased its turnover to 9 million, which represented an increase of 40%. Despite this, the company did not achieve the expected profits and between 2017 and 2018, more people from the production staff were laid off. Overall, the number of employees was halved to just under 80. In January 2018, the headquarters of Studio West was moved from Düsseldorf to Wuppertal.
The development studio refocused on games outside the adventure genre. This was marked by the dismissal of authors such as Kevin Mentz and Matthias Kempke. Further dismissals in the creative department. The production of the game was stopped. The Devil's Men The game was released in 2014 for The pillars of the earth paused.
In February 2018, another branch, Bavaria GmbH, was opened. Stephan Harms took over the management and took on the role of Chief Operating Officer. Oliver Machek took over the studio management and the work of Creative Director. He was originally the founder of Klonk Games UG. His employees moved over to the studio. The new game was planned Superlatent, with government funding of €150.000.
In March 2019, the studio announced the implementation of an action adventure based on the book The Lord of the Rings and Gollum at the center of events. The game is to be released under the title "Gollum" and is planned for 2021. The parent company Bastei Lübbe therefore suspended the search for a buyer or joint venture partner for the company. In May 2020, Bastei Lübbe sold 41% of the shares to Carsten Fichtelmann and Stephen Harms in a management buyout. The company retained a minority stake of 10% in the developer. The book value was reported at €4,9 million, although the purchase price was €410.000.
“Daedalic Entertainment 2023: New games and big changes”
Studio Daedalic, known for its creative and often innovative games, has seen a number of significant developments and projects in 2023. A highlight was the release of “Children of Silentown” on January 11, 2023 for PC and consoles. This dark adventure game tells the captivating story of Lucy, a young girl growing up in a remote village. The game has attracted attention for its atmospheric setting and gripping storyline.
Daedalic also presented an exciting range of new games for the year at Daedalic Days 2023, including an impressive circus horror title and a deck-building adventure. This event clearly showed how diverse and creative Daedalic's offering was for the year.
Another notable game released this year is Barotrauma. Released on March 13th, it offers a unique gaming experience as a 2D co-op submarine simulator in space, combined with elements of survival horror and role-playing. In this game, players have to control their submarine, complete missions, fight monsters, repair leaks, operate machines, manage weapons and craft items.
Despite these successes, the studio also experienced challenges. One significant change was the closure of its development department in June 2023, which affected 25 of the over 90 employees. This decision followed the poor reception and performance of the game ultimately developed by Daedalic, "The Lord of the Rings: Gollum"This change marks a turning point for Daedalic, which will focus on publishing rather than internal development.
These developments demonstrate how Studio Daedalic is adapting to the changing conditions and challenges of the market while continuing to play an important role in the gaming industry.
The games by Daedalic Entertainment
Adventure
1½ Knights: In Search of the Ravishing Princess Herzelinde – In search of the ravishing Herzelinde
The black eye
The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav
Deponia range
Edna series
Whispered World series
Puzzles
Ravensburger Puzzles Digital 1
Role play or strategy
Strategy games
Hidden object
Derrick: Murder in the flowerbed
Robin Hood: King of the Outlaws
The Chronicles of Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night's Dream
Games as a publisher:
Here you can find all articles about games that Daedalic Entertainment published as a publisher.
Action
Inculinati: An extraordinary strategy game inspired by the Middle Ages
Wildcat Gun Machine: Immerse yourself in an action-packed adventure
Adventure
1954 Alcatraz - A breathtaking escape from the world's most infamous prison!
AER: Memories of Old - Discover the mysteries of the Old World
Ankh: The curse of the Scarab King / Battle of the gods
Bone: Escape from Boneville – your ticket to a magical world full of adventure
Candle: An Artistic Masterpiece from Teku Studios
Children of Silentown – Immerse yourself in a magical world
CryoFall – Explore the icy wilderness and survive
Decay: The Mare – Immerse yourself in the nightmare
Dead Synchronicity – Tomorrow comes Today
eXperience 112 – Uncover the mystery behind the lost research ship
Face Noir – A journey into the dark world of 1930s New York
Felix the Reaper - death by order
Full Pipe: An Adventure in the Puzzle Underground
Gemini Rue: A Glimpse into the Dark Future – A Narrative Masterpiece
Glitchpunk - Enthusiasm for the 3 factions in the steampunk adventure?
Holy potatoes! A weapon shop ?!
Holy Potatoes! We're in Space ?!
Sam & Max: In the Devil's Theater
Sherlock Holmes - The Hound of Baskerville
Sherlock Holmes - The Mystery of the Mummy
Sherlock Holmes - The Mystery of the Persian Carpet
Sherlock Holmes - The Mystery of the Silver Earring
Sherlock Holmes - The Wake of the Awakened
Sherlock Holmes - Nemesis
Sherlock Holmes is chasing Jack the Ripper
Sherlock Holmes: Ultimate Collection
Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People
Wallace & gromit's grand adventures
Wallace & Gromit – Bumblebee Curse
Wallace & Gromit – holidays underground
Wallace & Gromit - The Dog Plot
Wallace & Gromit – license to putt
RPG
Magin - The Rat Project Stories
Digital
Caravan
Strategy
Shadow Tactics - Blades of the Shogun
Zombie Rollerz – Pinball Heroes
Holy potatoes! What the hell ?!
Daedalic Entertainment vs. Pendulo Studios: An Adventure Comparison
Daedalic Entertainment and Pendulo Studios are both renowned developers in the adventure genre, but their approaches differ significantly. Daedalic, known for titles such as "Deponia" or "The Whispered World", is characterized by its detailed, hand-drawn graphics and often humorous, profound stories. Their games offer a unique mix of humor, emotion and complex puzzles. Pendulo Studios on the other hand, famous for her play “Runaway: A Road Adventure", focuses on a more cinematic narrative with more realistic characters and environments. Their games are characterized by exciting plots and classic point-and-click puzzles, coupled with a strong narrative component. While Daedalic stands out for its distinctive artistic style and storytelling techniques, Pendulo impresses with its film-like adventures and carefully constructed stories.
Continue to Developer and publisher's website
Originally posted on 2019-08-31 16:19:35.
