Happy Volcano
- Open roles
- 0
- Founded
- 2013
- Employees
- 11-50
- Offices
- 1
About Happy Volcano
Happy Volcano is an independent video game development studio based in Leuven, Belgium. Founded in December 2013, it develops original games for PC, consoles and mobile devices. Its work spans narrative puzzles, physics-based arcade racing, factory automation and relaxing diorama building, combining stylized visual design with different approaches to interactive play.
The studio's early releases included the mobile arcade game Lava Fever in 2015 and the literary narrative game Winter in 2016. It subsequently developed The Almost Gone, a 2020 isometric puzzle adventure published by Playdigious. The game places narrative exploration within carefully constructed miniature environments, bringing together the studio's interests in storytelling, puzzles and diorama world-building.
Expanding its original games
You Suck at Parking, released in 2022 and published by Curve Games, took the studio into physics-driven arcade racing. Its precision-parking premise combines driving challenges with multiplayer gameplay across PC and consoles.
In 2026, Happy Volcano broadened its catalog with Modulus: Factory Automation, a voxel-based industrial building and logistics sandbox published by Kwalee. It also released Midnight Moments, a self-published cyberpunk diorama builder focused on relaxation. Its development portfolio includes Grave Mistakes, a cooperative dark comedy simulation about managing a funeral home.
Development capabilities
Happy Volcano's capabilities cover full-cycle game design and development, creative direction, technical art, engineering, quality assurance and cross-platform adaptation. Its production toolkit includes Unity, C#, Blender and MagicaVoxel, supporting work in stylized 3D animation, voxel art, narrative design and interactive systems. Beyond commercial game releases, the studio has also created interactive digital installations.
The company remains independently operated and privately held. A minority investment round led by Hiro Capital in February 2021 raised €1.8 million, supporting team expansion and larger development ambitions, including the completion of You Suck at Parking.
More about Happy Volcano
Founders and leadership
The report identifies co-founders Jeroen Janssen as CEO, David Prinsmel as Game Director and Peter Maasen as Technical Director. They previously worked at Leuven advertising agency Boondoggle and initially developed games on weekends. The team moved into full-time independent development in 2017.
Working model
The studio describes a hybrid, remote-friendly model, with Belgian staff using its physical hub while artists, QA engineers and programmers collaborate remotely across Europe and internationally. Midnight Moments was developed by an internal micro-team.
Recognition
- The Almost Gone won Game of the Year, Best Narrative and Best Mobile Game at the 2021 Belgian Game Awards. The report also identifies the game as an Apple Design Award finalist, without supplying a year for that recognition.
- Pixel Picasso won Best Applied Game at the 2019 Belgian Game Awards.
Creative collaborations
Winter was written with Belgian author Joost Vandecasteele and showcased at the 2016 Frankfurt Buchmesse. Pixel Picasso was an augmented reality floor-projection memory game developed for Leuven's And& Festival.
Notable credits
8 creditsOffices
Where Happy Volcano is based
- Sluisstraat 79, 3000 Leuven, BelgiumLeuven, Flanders, Belgium
Leuven office
HeadquartersAbout this office
Overall headquarters and registered office in De Hoorn, a converted historic brewery in the Vaartkom district. The studio serves as a creative hub for Belgian staff and coordinates international remote development.
Open roles
Find your next role at Happy Volcano