Let yourself be captivated by the masters of the adventure genre. Pendulo Studios, the creative minds behind unforgettable games like Runaway, The John Yesterday case and Blacksad: Under the Skin, take you on a journey through their incredible worlds full of secrets, puzzles and unparalleled charm.
The studio
Rafael Latiegui, Ramon Hernaez and Felipe Gomez Pinilla are the founders of Pendulo Studios in Madrid in 1994. With Igor: Objective Uikokahonia, the studio's games started. The game was similar to the Lucas Arts games. Then came the Hollywood monsters, in which monsters found their way into an alternative Hollywood. In 2001, Pendulo Studios released the first part of the trilogy Runaway: A Road Adventure. The games followed Runaway 2: The Dream of the Turtle and Runaway: A Twist of FateIn 2007, the developer announced a freeware version of Igor: Objective Uikokahonia at the Adventure Developers Online Conference.
Contrary to popular belief, Pendulo Studios is not a large developer. The small development studio is dependent on larger publishers. Rafael Latiegui, chief graphic designer, tried to get a new game off the ground with a crowdfunding campaign. This was counteracted by budget cuts from previous backers. Problems with game financing arose due to game piracy. Game sales were so bad that crowdfunding became the studio's only solution for their new game. The lack of success drove the studio in a new direction for their own games.
A game disaster with Day One
In 2012, the studio presented Day One, another adventure game. The studio planned to finance it through crowdfunding. The desired €300.000 was not raised. The studio even aimed for €700.000 in total. Only 923 backers were found for the game. The studio postponed production indefinitely. Rafael Latiegui tried to get the game off the ground with a relatively tight budget of €300.000.
He tried to involve the players in the production and to get them involved in crowdfunding. Pendulo Studios still wanted to ensure a high quality of the game. The fans could help create content, which also had to be coordinated with the production. For the chief graphic designer, it was a new dimension in game production. Rafael Latiegui used player feedback as a positive aspect of game development. He hoped for positive and negative reviews in order to make the game as optimal as possible. In addition, there was a close contact between developers and players.
Despite the success of the Runaway games, Pendulo Studios had to struggle to finance Day One struggled with visibility. Hardly anyone heard about the planned production. Investors missed the project, which meant that an important source of income for financing was missing. The game itself was only available on Kickstarter.
The Pendulo Studios as an educational institution
Pendulo Studios promised to support the game Day One courses and internships. They even supported educational institutions that offered translation courses.
The developer promised merchandise such as silver pins, hand-made and numbered, as well as calendars for 2013. A The Art of Pendulo studio book and a best of the soundtracks were also planned. Hand-made wallpapers were part of the studio's merchandise repertoire. T-shirts, posters and PVC prints were to follow.
The new beginning with Yesterday and Yesterday Origins
Instead of Day One To realize the project, the studio focused on the established Yesterdayuniverse. In 2012 Yesterday, a dark thriller adventure that sold well. In 2016, Yesterday Origins a prequel/sequel that further expanded on the story of John Yesterday. With the support of Microids, the studio was able to build on its previous successes.
New partnership with Microids and expansion
To Yesterday Origins Pendulo intensified its collaboration with Microids. This resulted in several new projects:
- 2018: Blacksad: Under the Skin – A noir-style adventure based on the well-known comic series BlacksadDespite some technical problems, the game was received positively.
- 2022: Alfred Hitchcock: Vertigo – A narrative adventure game loosely inspired by Hitchcock's classic. The game featured a complex story with psychological elements.
- 2023: Tintin: The Cigars of the Pharaoh – A video game adaptation of Hergé's Tintin, which again focused on story-driven gameplay.
Conclusion
Pendulo Studios has established itself over the years as a creative and diverse development team known for its unique graphics, captivating stories and distinctive humor in the adventure gaming world. Their games offer a varied range of experiences, from light, humorous adventures to darker, more serious stories. They are an enrichment for anyone interested in adventure games and deep narratives.
The games from Pendulo Studios
Hollywood Monsters 2: The Next Big Thing
Runaway 2: The Dream of the Turtle
Tintin: The Cigars of the Pharaoh
Go to the Pendulo Studios website.
Originally posted on 2018-01-01 15:47:00.
