Croteam

Croteam is a video game development studio based in Zagreb, Croatia, known for the Serious Sam action series and The Talos Principle puzzle games. Founded in 1992, the studio develops games and 3D technology, combining first-person game design with software engineering, proprietary engine development and work in Unreal Engine 5.

The team began making games for the Commodore Amiga and PC. Its first commercial release was the soccer simulator Football Glory in 1994, followed by 5-A-Side Soccer and Save the Earth. It subsequently shifted toward fast-paced 3D action, establishing an international audience with Serious Sam: The First Encounter in 2001 and The Second Encounter in 2002.

Action and philosophical puzzles

The Serious Sam games centre on large combat arenas, swarming enemies and tongue-in-cheek humour. Croteam continued developing the series through sequels, high-definition remakes and virtual reality releases, including Serious Sam 3: BFE, Serious Sam 4 and adaptations of the earlier encounters.

With The Talos Principle in 2014, the studio expanded into first-person puzzles built around philosophical themes. The series continued with Road to Gehenna, The Talos Principle 2 in 2023 and The Talos Principle: Reawakened in 2025. The latter two projects marked Croteam's adoption of Unreal Engine 5 after its long history of developing games with its proprietary Serious Engine.

Development capabilities

Croteam's capabilities span full-cycle game development, game design, software engineering, 3D engine programming, platform porting and virtual reality adaptation. Its work covers PC, console and VR platforms, and the studio also contributes technical advice and production support to independent game projects.

Devolver Digital acquired Croteam in October 2020 after a publishing partnership that began in 2008. Croteam continues as an active development studio within Devolver, with the supplied research describing the acquisition as preserving its creative independence.