| Terry Cavanagh | |
| Birth Place: | Tydavnet, County Monaghan, Ireland |
| Known For: | VVVVVV Super Hexagon Dicey Dungeons |
| Occupation: | Video game designer |
| Alma Mater: | Trinity College |
Terry Cavanagh (; born 1984) is an Irish video game designer based in London, England. He has created over two dozen games, most notably VVVVVV, Super Hexagon, and Dicey Dungeons.[1]
After studying mathematics at Trinity College in Dublin, Cavanagh worked briefly as a market risk analyst before moving to focus on game development full-time in 2007. While he received some attention in the press for his "serious and arty" indie games, financially, things were not going well and Cavanagh was just about ready to throw in the towel when he released VVVVVV, which ended up a surprise hit, giving him the freedom to continue developing games.[2]
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020, he gave away 1000 copies of three of his games for free in the hope it would "offer a distraction" to those in need of it.[3]
Many of his titles share a primitive, minimalist retro aesthetic.[4] He is credited as a programmer for Alphaland, a platform game by Jonas Kyratzes.[5]
Cavanagh has stated that he prefers the personal nature of independent game development, its smaller scale enabling the personality of the creator to shine through in the final product.[6]
Cavanagh cites the 1997 Japanese RPG Final Fantasy VII as his favorite game, crediting it as his inspiration for becoming a video game developer. In 2009 Cavanagh named interactive fiction writer Adam Cadre as his favorite developer.[7]
| Game | Platform | Release date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| XOLDIERS | Microsoft Windows | 2008 | |
| Squish | Microsoft Windows | 2008 | |
| Self Destruct | Microsoft Windows | 2008 | |
| Transport Stories | Microsoft Windows | 2008 | |
| Never Opened | Microsoft Windows | 2008 | |
| We Love Mind Control Rocket | Microsoft Windows | 2008 | |
| Judith | Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux | 2009 | |
| Pathways | Microsoft Windows | 2009 | |
| Airplane Adventures | Adobe Flash | 2009 | |
| The Baron's Volcano Party | Adobe Flash | 2009 | |
| DAS PÜZZELSPIELEN | Adobe Flash | 2009 | |
| Nun Squad | Microsoft Windows | 2009 | |
| Bullfist | Adobe Flash | 2009 | |
| Nanny ZERO | Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X | 2009 | |
| Deterministica | Adobe Flash | 2009 | |
| Airplane Adventures 2: The Return | Adobe Flash | 2009 | |
| The Best Years of my Life | Adobe Flash | 2009 | |
| Bullet Time | Adobe Flash | 2009 | |
| Don't Look Back | Microsoft Windows, iOS, Android, OUYA | 2009 | |
| Radio Silence | Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Unity | 2010 | |
| N.O.T.T.U.B. | Adobe Flash | 2010 | |
| Sumouse | Microsoft Windows | 2010 | |
| Kozachok | Adobe Flash | 2010 | |
| Going Forward | Adobe Flash | 2010 | |
| Bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonnerronn tuonnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnuk | Adobe Flash, OUYA | 2010 | |
| memrrtiks, suashem | Adobe Flash | 2010 | |
| Phobiaphobiaphobia | Adobe Flash | 2010 | |
| Red Sky | Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Unity, | 2010 | |
| Bridge | Adobe Flash | 2010 | |
| VVVVVV | Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation Vita, iOS, Android, OUYA | 2010 | |
| American Dream | Microsoft Windows, OUYA | 2011 | |
| Hero's Adventure | Adobe Flash | 2011 | |
| Oiche Mhaith | Adobe Flash, OUYA | 2011 | |
| At a Distance | Microsoft Windows | 2011 | |
| Super Hexagon | iOS, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Android, Blackberry 10, Linux, OUYA | 2012 | |
| ChatChat | Adobe Flash | 2012 | |
| Hexagon | Adobe Flash, OUYA | 2012 | |
| Harmonilr | Adobe Flash | 2012 | |
| Griefer | Adobe Flash | 2012 | |
| Notsnake | Adobe Flash | 2012 | |
| Collapse | HTML5 | 2013 | |
| Fountain | Adobe Flash | 2013 | |
| Naya's Quest | Adobe Flash | 2013 | |
| Experiment 12 | Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X | 2013 | |
| Maverick Bird | Adobe Flash | 2014 | |
| Moving Stories | Adobe Flash | 2014 | |
| GRAB THEM BY THE EYES | Adobe Flash | 2015 | |
| Copycat | Adobe Flash, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux | 2015 | |
| Constellation Machine | Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Adobe Flash | 2016 | |
| Tiny Heist | Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, online | 2016 | |
| Dicey Dungeons | Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch | 2019 | |
| Climb the Giant Man Obby | Roblox | 2021 | |
| Anyone Could Be Struck By Lightning At Any Time | Roblox | 2021 | |
| Triangle Run | Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux | 2021 | |
| Mr. Platformer | Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux | 2023 | |
| State Machine | Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux | TBA |