Nitrome

Nitrome Games Limited is a British independent video game developer based in London. The company makes Unity-based games[1] (previously Flash-based) for Internet Browsers while they also release games for Mobile. Their games are recognizable by the pixel art design and cartoon like appearance, along with a jingle to the start of every game and the use of chiptune. Nitrome was started in 10 August 2004 by Matthew Annal and Heather Stancliffe, two graphic designers, intending to create games for mobile phones. Instead, the company began taking on commissions Internet-based flash games. Some of the games of Nitrome have characters which are inspired by other characters from video games, TV shows, and others. Nitrome's games are published on their website and are often available to license on other websites such as Miniclip, MTV Arcade and Friv.

Nitrome Games Limited
Private
IndustryVideo games
Founded10 August 2004 (10 August 2004)
Founders
  • Matthew Annal
  • Heather Stancliffe
Headquarters
London
,
England
Key people
  • Jonathan Roy Annal
  • Matthew Annal
Websitenitrome.com

History

Nitrome's creation stemmed from a conversation between Matthew Annal and Heather Stancliffe, in which Annal suggested that they make a game for mobile phones. Stancliffe was initially hesitant, but was persuaded that it could be a successful idea.[2] The temporary website for their upcoming project was first launched on 3 April 2005,[3] with a preview video of Chick Flick, their intended first game.[4] Since then, Nitrome has made 146 flash games, their 135th game being Turn-Undead, released on 7 October 2014, and are venturing into mobile phone and PC gaming, as their current flash games aren't providing enough revenue. In September 2011, Annal was joined by his brother, Jonathan Roy Annal. On 24 November 2011 Nitrome released their 100th game, Nitrome Must Die, in which players shoot enemies from the previous 99 games that Nitrome has made before Nitrome Must Die. Their 136th game is Endless Doves.[5] In 2015, Nitrome made history by releasing their 140th game, Fluffball, their unreleased game from 2007, and their 141st game, Silly Sausage in Meat Land, sequel to their 2011 game, Silly Sausage. Also in 2015, their 142nd game Cooped Up, was released,[6] followed by Green Ninja, Vault, Beneath the Lighthouse, and ultimately, their first published game, Ultimate Briefcase, in 2016. In 2017, a teaser for the game "Bomb Chicken" was released. In 2018, it was revealed that same game would arrive on the Nintendo Switch, ultimately being a big milestone for Nitrome.

Games

The games made by the company are divided into four main categories. "Hearted"[7] are the games that have received the most hearts from the heart button upon every game, and are thus considered the most popular. "All Games"[8] is a list of all games produced by Nitrome, while "Multiplayer games"[9] are designed for more than one person to play at once. Last, Touchy, released in 2012, featured games that are playable on Nitrome's mobile phone app, Nitrome Touchy. Games can be in more than one category. On 8 July 2015 Nitrome announced that Nitrome Touchy was officially discontinued. All links and services related to Touchy were taken down.[10] Turn-Undead was the final Touchy game, released October 2014.

Nitrome has made games for MTV Arcade,[11] PCH Games and Miniclip.

Most of the games are divided into levels (usually between 10 and 100), and also give the player the option to replay any level they have completed, even if they have lost. Some games also feature the concept of bosses.

In July 2009, Nitrome Limited released Twin Shot 2, their first game to use MochiCoins, a system allowing players to pay for extra content in browser games.[12] Matthew Annal said that Nitrome were "trialling" and that they "don't intend to use it in every game".[13] They used MochiCoins again in B.C. Bow Contest, which they have updated twice. MochiCoins, however, were discontinued by Mochi Media, preventing Nitrome from using them in any more of their games.[14] As a result, Twin Shot 2 and B.C. Bow Contest were updated so their extra content would instead be paid with in-game currency.

Since 2014, Nitrome's game development has focused on producing mobile games.

Commercial titles
  • Tower Fortress (2017) (developed by Keybol)
  • Bomb Chicken (2018)
  • Gunbrick: Reloaded (2020)
  • Shovel Knight Dig (2021; co-developed and published by Yacht Club Games)

References
  1. "Nitrome | Made with Unity". Made with Unity. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  2. "about us". Nitrome Limited. 2006-06-19. Archived from the original on 2005-04-06. Retrieved 2009-02-04. One day Mat[thew] said to Heather: "Y'know all this web stuff's ok, but wouldn't it be great if we could just make whatever we wanted?" [...] "I don't think anyone's gonna give us free reign [sic] to do just do whatever we want!" [...] "Well, why don't we make a mobile phone game?"
  3. "Web Page Launched". Nitrome Limited. 2005-04-03. Archived from the original on 2005-04-06. Retrieved 2009-02-04. We've launched our temporary web page today.
  4. "Chick Flick Video". Nitrome Limited. 2005-04-03. Archived from the original on 2005-04-06. Retrieved 2009-02-04. Exclusive first showing of our soon-to-be-finished java mobile phone game.
  5. http://www.nitrome.com/blog/articles/1192/
  6. http://www.nitrome.com/blog/articles/1312/
  7. "Nitrome - Hearted games".
  8. "Nitrome - All Games".
  9. "Nitrome - Multiplayer Games".
  10. http://www.nitrome.com/blog/articles/1339/
  11. "MTV Arcade".
  12. Annal, Matthew (2009-07-20). "Twin Shot 2: Good and Evil". Nitrome Limited. Retrieved 2009-07-20.
  13. Annal, Matthew (2009-06-25). "Twin Shot 2... more info". Nitrome Limited. Retrieved 2009-07-20.
  14. Annal, Matthew (2012-07-19). "Mochi Coins to be Discontinued!". Nitrome Limited.
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