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Our Studio

Founded in 2009, Compulsion Games started as a handful of dreamers in an old gramophone factory. Now an Xbox Games Studio, we continue to strive to build hallucinatory adventures in worlds strange but provocatively familiar. World-building and rich storylines are our passion, and we are devoted to building experiences that feel handcrafted.

1st Image of the Compulsion Studio
2nd Image of the Compulsion Studio

Travel Through Time

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2009

Journey begins

Compulsion Games is incorporated in May 2009 as a home office providing services to other game studios. We work on a number of other game projects with THQ and Atari.

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2010

Contrast Prototypes

Contrast has a rough prototype of the mechanics, along with some animations, level designs and code, all built by the founder but no team.

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2013

Canadian Game Awards

Contrast launches and wins Most Innovative game of the year at the Canadian Game Awards. Compulsion Games now has 7 developers and a leak in the office.

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2015

Team Begins To Grow

We announce the title and the beginning of our Kickstarter campaign for We Happy Few at PAX East. People are intrigued. We are now 12 developers. The heating in the office occasionally fails.

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2016

Microsoft E3 Showcase

We publicly show the intro to We Happy Few for the first time during the Microsoft E3 showcase. The smashing piñata scene makes a splash. We are 25 developers.

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2018

Microsoft Acquires Compulsion

Compulsion Games is officially acquired by Microsoft, now part of Xbox Game Studios. We are 38 developers. We Happy Few is banned in Australia for its portrayal of drug use. The ban is reversed after an appeal and We Happy Few launches globally.