Origins
Twisted Pixel Games was founded by CEO Michael Wilford, CTO Frank Wilson and CCO Josh Bear in 2006. Originally working together at High Voltage Software, the trio decided to strike out in order to make more character-driven games.
Before their original IP work, Twisted Pixel often did contracting work for developers such as Midway and Turbine on titles such as NBA Ballers: Chosen One and Blitz: The League II. Since The Maw, Twisted Pixel has only created games based on their own intellectual properties using their internal BEARD engine.
As an independent studio
Twisted Pixel's debut title was The Maw. The title went on to win the PAX 10, as well as many other independent game awards.
With titles like Splosion Man and Comic Jumper, Twisted Pixel gained a reputation for strong characters, quirky gameplay, and full motion video integrated into their titles.
In 2010, the studio grew to two teams in order to support their next set of titles: Ms. Splosion Man and The Gunstringer. The Gunstringer ended up being the studios first original IP released as a physical product instead of a downloadable title, and was included in the Kinect hardware bundle for the 2011 holidays alongside Kinect Adventures.
Microsoft Studios
In October 2011, Microsoft Studios announced it had purchased Twisted Pixel with the intention being to allow the studio to keep its spirit and creativity.
Independent Again
On September 30, 2016, Twisted Pixel announced that it would be an indie studio once again, breaking from Microsoft Studios.
Wilson's Heart was announced exclusively for Oculus Rift during the 2016 E3 conference. Wilson's Heart was named "Best Virtual Reality Game" at the 2016 Gamescom.
Meta
The studio was acquired by Meta in October 2022.
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