PlaySide Studios

PlaySide Studios is an Australian video game developer and publisher working across PC, console, mobile and immersive platforms. Founded in Melbourne in 2011, the company combines development of its own intellectual property with work-for-hire, co-development and third-party publishing. Its development presence spans Melbourne and the Gold Coast, supported by remote team members around the world.

Original games and franchises

The studio's original game portfolio includes the dark fantasy survival strategy title Age of Darkness: Final Stand, the action game Kill Knight and Defend The Bits TD. In October 2021, PlaySide acquired the Dumb Ways to Die franchise and expanded its activities across games, brand extensions and social media campaigns. Its work on the franchise includes titles such as Dumb Ways to Climb and Dumb Ways to Build.

Licensed entertainment projects also form part of its development work. These include Legally Blonde: The Game, created in partnership with MGM, and Cars: Lightning League, developed with Disney/Pixar. A multi-year license and development agreement with Warner Bros. Interactive, secured in December 2023, led to Game of Thrones: War for Westeros.

Development and publishing

PlaySide offers development support from concept through launch, combining engineering, design, creative direction, art and animation. Its capabilities include game porting, platform optimization, quality assurance and post-launch live operations, alongside virtual and augmented reality experiences. Work-for-hire and co-development partnerships have included entertainment and gaming companies such as Activision Blizzard, Meta, Take-Two Interactive, Paramount, Netflix Games and Nickelodeon.

Through its internal PlaySide Publishing division, the company also signs and publishes games from independent developers worldwide. This includes MOUSE: P.I. For Hire, the rubber hose-style first-person shooter developed by Polish studio Fumi Games. That publishing role sits alongside PlaySide's own development activities and support for external productions, giving the business several routes to bringing games to market.