Deck13 Explained

Deck13 Interactive GmbH
Former Name:TriggerLab GmbH (2001–2002)
Type:Subsidiary
Industry:Video games
Predecessor:Artex Software
Hq Location City:Frankfurt
Hq Location Country:Germany
Area Served:Worldwide
Num Employees:90[1]
Num Employees Year:2024
Parent:Focus Entertainment (2020–present)
Subsid:Deck13 Hamburg
Deck13 Montreal

Deck13 Interactive GmbH (formerly TriggerLab GmbH) is a German video game developer and publisher based in Frankfurt. The company was founded in July 2001 by the team behind Artex Software, a studio that primarily developed video games for RISC OS, such as . Originally bearing the name TriggerLab, the company was renamed to Deck13 after the release of its first game, Stealth Combat, in 2002. Deck13 is best known for developing the action role-playing games Lords of the Fallen and The Surge. Deck13 also operates a Hamburg-based subsidiary studio, Deck13 Hamburg.

History

Deck13 is the successor to Artex Software, a development team that created the game Ankh for RISC OS.[2] The company was founded as TriggerLab in 2001 by Jan Klose and Florian Stadlbauer.[3] TriggerLab developed Stealth Combat, which was first released in Germany on 25 February 2002; shortly thereafter, on 2 April 2002, the company was renamed as Deck13 Interactive.[4] The name "Deck13" was derived from "DM-Deck16", a game map from Unreal Tournament (1999).[5]

In 2005, the humorous adventure game Ankh was released, which was a remake of the 1997 game by Artex Software. As the product sold very well and won several awards (especially in Germany), the sequel was produced and released almost exactly one year later, reusing elements of the previous title. In August 2007, the adventure game Jack Keane was released which was similar to the Ankh series in terms of graphics and gameplay but which was set in England and colonial India. The third part of the Ankh series, The Battle of the Gods, was released in Germany on 19 November 2007. One of their latest games, the role-playing game called Venetica was released in September 2009 and was the first RPG to be published by the company. Afterwards, Deck13 Interactive was working on Blood Knights, a comic hack-and-slash for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, which was released in 2013.[6]

In 2015, Deck13 released Lords of the Fallen in co-operation CI Games. While a sequel was announced by the publisher, Deck13 was not named as the developer.[7] Instead, the studio was announced to be working with Focus Home Interactive on the then-upcoming The Surge.[8] In September 2016, managing director Florian Stadlbauer announced that he had left the company and had since replaced by Mathias Reichert.[9]

In June 2020, Focus Home Interactive acquired the company for €7.1 million.[10]

In February 2021, Deck13 opened a development studio in Montreal.[11]

Games developed

YearTitlePublisher(s)
2002Stealth CombatModern Games, Cryo Interactive
2004Carnival Cruise Lines Tycoon 2005: Island HoppingActivision Value
2005AnkhBHV Software, Viva Media
Luka und das geheimnisvolle SilberpferdPolizeiliche Kriminalprävention der Länder und des Bundes
2006Xider
2007Jack Keane10tacle Studios, Strategy First
Daedalic Entertainment, Xider
2008Luka und der verborgene SchatzPolizeiliche Kriminalprävention der Länder und des Bundes
2009VeneticaDTP Entertainment
2010Astragon
Jade Rousseau: The Secret Revelations – Episode 1: The Fall of Sant' AntonioPhenomedia
Reading the DeadAstragon
2011HauntedDTP Entertainment, Viva Media
2012Jack Keane 2: The Fire WithinAstragon
2013Blood KnightsKalypso Media
2014Moorhuhn: Tiger and ChickenKoch Media
Lords of the FallenCI Games
2015ImagorasStädel Museum
2017The SurgeFocus Home Interactive
2019The Surge 2Focus Home Interactive
2023Atlas FallenFocus Entertainment

Cancelled

Games published

YearTitleDeveloper(s)Ref
2015The Adventures of Bertram Fiddle – Episode 1: A Dreadly BusinessRumpus Animation
Super Sky Arena (early access)Hammer Labs
Super Snow FightPatrick God
2016ObliteracersVarkian Empire
Hover Cubes: Arena (early access)Gametology
Flat HeroesParallel Circles
The Shape of Heart (early access)Dragon Whisper Games
2017Shift HappensKlonk Games
The Adventures of Bertram Fiddle – Episode 2: A Bleaker PredicklementRumpus Animation
2018WartilePlaywood Project
To Hell with HellLazurite Games
vridniXUncanaut
CrossCodeRadical Fish Games
2019The ShatteringSuperSexySoftware
2020ResolutiionMonolith of Minds
2022LunisticeA Grumpy Fox[12]
Chained EchoesMatthias Linda

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Die größten Games-Studios in Deutschland 2024 . de . The largest game studios in Germany in 2024 . Petra . Fröhlich . 15 August 2024 . GamesWirtschaft . 15 August 2024 . 15 August 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240815103001/https://www.gameswirtschaft.de/wirtschaft/groesste-games-studios-deutschland-2024-150824/ . live.
  2. Web site: Adventures in Germany and Beyond round table (Part 1) – Page 2 . Ingmar . Böke . 12 March 2018 . Adventure Gamers.
  3. Web site: "Das nächste große Ding" im Visier . de . Aiming for "the next big thing" . 20 August 2016 . Frankfurter Neue Presse.
  4. Web site: News . de . 2002 . TriggerLab . 3 September 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20021008171759/http://www.triggerlab.de/Deutsch/newsger.html . 8 October 2002 . dead.
  5. Web site: Company / Deck13 Interactive . Deck13 Interactive GmbH . https://web.archive.org/web/20230329171908/https://www.deck13.com/company/ . 2023-03-29 . 2023-06-29 . The small team back then came up with the name Deck13, inspired by the Unreal Tournament Map Deck 16. .
  6. Web site: Blood Knights: Launch-Trailer mit Alysa zum heutigen Xbox 360-Release . Blood Knights: Launch trailer with Alyse for today's Xbox 360 release . Tom . Sauer . 1 November 2013 . . de . 23 September 2016.
  7. Web site: Lords of the Fallen 2 to launch in 2017 . Robert . Purchese . 29 May 2015 . . 23 September 2016.
  8. Web site: Latest Deck13 game officially announced as The Surge . 7 August 2015 . . 23 September 2016.
  9. Web site: Deck 13-Crew segelt künftig ohne Florian Stadlbauer . Deck 13 crew to sail without Florian Stadlbauer going forward . 1 September 2016 . GamesWirtschaft . de . 23 September 2016.
  10. Web site: Focus Home Interactive acquires Deck13 Interactive . 25 June 2020 . Gematsu.
  11. Web site: Deck13 Interactive opens Montreal studio . 8 February 2021 . Gematsu.
  12. Web site: LeClair . Kyle . 2022-05-07 . 3D Platforming Throwback Lunistice Receives Release Date - Hardcore Gamer . 2022-11-17 . hardcoregamer.com . en-US.