Balloon Studios

Balloon Studios is an independent video game developer based in Totnes, Devon, United Kingdom. Founded by Belgian developer and programmer Laure De Mey, it creates peaceful, narrative-rich puzzle and exploration games. Its work combines historical settings with welcoming, non-violent play, emphasizing accessibility, environmental discovery and gentle puzzle solving.

The studio develops original intellectual property in-house rather than offering external work-for-hire services. Its capabilities span game design, narrative design, programming, 3D art and worldbuilding. Historical environments and botanical puzzles are central to its debut project, with storytelling unfolding through exploration and the player's interpretation of the surrounding world.

Historical worlds and botanical discovery

Its debut game, Botany Manor, is a first-person exploration-puzzle adventure set in England in 1890. Players take the role of Arabella Greene, a retired botanist completing a botanical treatise. The game connects plant-based puzzles with a narrative about the societal barriers faced by women in nineteenth-century science.

Developed by Balloon Studios and published by Whitethorn Games, Botany Manor launched on April 9, 2024, for PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions followed on January 28, 2025. Its serene atmosphere, gentle mechanics and historical storytelling established the studio's approach to accessible puzzle adventures.

Continuing development

As of October 2026, Balloon Studios is developing a second, unannounced historical puzzle game. The project continues its interest in narrative exploration and immersive historical themes. Across its released and developing work, the studio focuses on relaxed experiences that combine discovery, environmental puzzles and stories grounded in the past.