Thoughtfish
- Open roles
- 0
- Founded
- 2013
- Employees
- 11-50
- Offices
- 1
About Thoughtfish
Thoughtfish is an independent game development and interactive technology studio founded in Berlin in 2013. Its work connects digital play with physical environments through context-aware software, location-based experiences and spatial computing. The studio develops original games and provides development services across mobile, PC, console and immersive platforms.
At the centre of its technology offering is COALA, short for Context-Aware Location Assessment. This proprietary engine enables games and gamified applications to incorporate real-world information into their mechanics. That approach underpins the studio’s early location-based and augmented-reality work, including the exploration games WILD and WILD 2 and the collectible card battler Fightlings. Alongside its own productions, Thoughtfish offers COALA as middleware for other developers.
Games across physical and virtual spaces
The studio’s portfolio extends into virtual reality, mixed reality and multiplayer worlds. Living Room is a mixed-reality ecosystem simulator for Meta Quest 2, 3 and 3S that turns home furniture into ecological islands populated by interactive wildlife. Its related Living Room: Pet Party experience brings the property to Meta Horizon.
How to God explores god simulation in virtual reality, while Earthscaper is a persistent sandbox MMO that translates real-world locations into shared spaces for collaborative play. The company also develops for Roblox, with projects including Treasure Mania! Pet Cave Adventure and My Cute Pet Zoo, and has produced the VR arcade shooter PewPew Arena.
Development capabilities
Thoughtfish’s services cover front-end and back-end engineering, gamified applications and XR development spanning VR, MR and AR. Its production capabilities also include UI/UX design, monetization systems, 2D and 3D art, asset creation and animation. Digital strategy and technical consulting complement this development work.
Together, these capabilities support projects in games, immersive entertainment, location-based experiences and interactive software, combining game production with tools that connect software to real-world context.
More about Thoughtfish
Leadership and company history
- Founder Christina Maria Barleben serves as CEO and managing director. Before entering game development, she worked as an M&A/IPO attorney.
- The business converted from its original entrepreneurial corporate form to a GmbH on September 8, 2014, following an increase in statutory share capital.
Technology in practice
COALA can integrate GPS mapping, localized weather, temperature, real-time lighting and geographic points of interest into game mechanics in real time.
Recognition and collaboration
- How to God was nominated for Best Innovation and Technology at the German Computer Game Awards.
- Thoughtfish co-developed Horror in the Library: The Book of Souls with Blue Donut Studios.
Notable credits
12 creditsOffices
Where Thoughtfish is based
- Karlsruher Str. 8, 10711 Berlin, GermanyBerlin, Germany
Berlin Headquarters & Studio
HeadquartersAbout this office
Operational headquarters and physical production studio for game development, engineering and management. The statutory registered address is separate from the studio premises.
Open roles
Find your next role at Thoughtfish