Lucid Games

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Lucid Games Limited
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryVideo games
PredecessorBizarre Creations
Founded21 February 2011; 10 years ago (2011-02-21)
Founders
  • Mark Craig
  • Andy Davidson
  • Chris Davie
  • Nick Davies
  • Craig Howard
  • Jeff Lewis
  • Paul Morrissey
  • Pete O'Brien
  • Pete Wallace
  • Chad Wright
Headquarters
Liverpool
,
England
Key people
  • Pete Wallace
    (managing director)
  • Andy Davidson
    (finance director)
  • Brian Woodhouse
    (head of business development)
Number of employees
>150 (2021)
ParentLucid Entertainment Group (2020–present)
Websitelucidgames.co.uk

Lucid Games Limited is a British video game developer based in Liverpool. The studio was founded in February 2011 by former employees of Bizarre Creations, which had been shut down a week earlier. Notable games developed by Lucid Games include Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions (2014) and Destruction AllStars (2021).

History[]

Lucid Games was founded by Mark Craig, Andy Davidson, Chris Davie, Nick Davies, Craig Howard, Jeff Lewis, Paul Morrissey, Pete O'Brien, Pete Wallace, and Chad Wright.[1][2] Most of them had previously been employed at the developer Bizarre Creations in various capacities, including Wallace as development manager and O'Brien as senior producer.[3][4] Following the poor commercial performance of its game Blur, Bizarre Creations' parent company, Activision, had sought to sell the studio but was unsuccessful in finding a buyer, consequently announcing in January 2011 that it would shut down the studio.[4][5] According to Wallace, Bizarre Creations' staff had been aware of impending layoffs but had not expected the studio to be closed.[5] Bizarre Creations was disestablished on 18 February 2011, leaving 200 people unemployed.[6] Lucid Games was subsequently formed in Liverpool on 21 February 2011.[7] Wallace and Davidson became the new company's managing director and commercial director, respectively.[5] The establishment was supported by Liverpool Vision, a local economic development company that sought to keep Bizarre Creations' talent in the Liverpool area.[3] Wallace stated that he intended for Lucid Games to "get back to the levels of innovation and creativity at Bizarre [Creations] that made Activision so keen to acquire it" and hoped to employ up to fifty former Bizarre Creations staff.[5][6] Within its first year, the company grew from eight employees to twenty-eight and moved from a temporary office to a permanent one in the Liverpool city centre.[7]

Lucid Games hired Brian Woodhouse, Bizarre Creations' former studio director, as head business development in July 2016.[8] By 2019, after eight years of expansion, the company had grown past 100 employees.[9] In October 2020, Lucid Games and its separately held publishing arm, Lucid Publishing, were organised as subsidiaries of Lucid Group Entertainment.[10] By June 2021, Lucid Games employed 150 people.[2]

Games developed[]

Year Title Platform(s) Publisher(s) Notes Ref(s).
2012 Travel Bug PlayStation Vita Sony Computer Entertainment [11]
Pixel Smash: Christmas Edition Android, iOS Lucid Games [8]
2013 Jacob Jones and the Bigfoot Mystery: Episode 1 – A Bump in the Night Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation Vita Sony Computer Entertainment, Lucid Games [12][13]
2K Drive iOS 2K Sports [14]
Santa's Magic Sack Android, iOS Lucid Games [15]
2014 iFruit PlayStation Vita Rockstar Games Port development [16]
PlayStation Vita Pets: Puppy Parlour Android, iOS Sony Computer Entertainment [17]
Jacob Jones and the Bigfoot Mystery: Episode 2 – Field Trip! Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows Lucid Games [18]
Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One Activision, Aspyr [19]
2015 Goat Simulator PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One Double Eleven Port co-development [20]
Happy Happy Donuts Android, iOS Lucid Games [21]
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories Android, Fire OS, iOS Rockstar Games Port development [8]
2016 We're Going on a Bear Hunt Android, Fire OS, iOS Channel 4 [22]
2018 Switchblade PlayStation 4 Lucid Publishing [23]
2021 Destruction AllStars PlayStation 5 Sony Interactive Entertainment [23]

References[]

  1. ^ "About us". Lucid Games. 7 January 2013. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013.
  2. ^ a b Wallace, Chris (23 June 2021). "DEVELOP/JOBS: Lucid Games – "One of the stand-out things about Lucid for me is how I instantly felt part of the team."". MCV/Develop. Archived from the original on 23 June 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  3. ^ a b Martin, Matt (25 February 2011). "Former Bizarre Creations staff form Lucid Games". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on 3 March 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  4. ^ a b O'Connor, Alice (25 February 2011). "Bizarre veterans form Lucid Games". Shacknews. Archived from the original on 3 March 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d Yin-Poole, Wesley (25 February 2011). "Ex-Bizarre devs form Lucid Games". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 3 March 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  6. ^ a b Bradford, Matt (26 February 2011). "Ex-Bizarre Creations staffers form new UK studio, Lucid Games". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on 3 March 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Happy Birthday Lucid". Lucid Games. 21 February 2012. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012.
  8. ^ a b c Riaz, Adnan (25 July 2016). "Brian Woodhouse Becomes Lucid Games' Head of Business Development". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  9. ^ "Meet the best places to work in the UK video games industry – Best Mid-sized Companies". GamesIndustry.biz. 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  10. ^ "Lucid Entertainment Group Limited – Annual Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2021". Lucid Entertainment Group. 21 December 2021. pp. 4, 31. Retrieved 26 December 2021 – via Companies House.
  11. ^ Tach, Dave (28 November 2012). "Harvest insects and send them to Vitas around the world with Travel Bug". Polygon. Archived from the original on 18 January 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  12. ^ Cook, Dave (14 May 2013). "Jacob Jones and the Bigfoot Mystery hits PS Vita, iOS this week". VG247. Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  13. ^ Brown, Mark (16 May 2013). "New releases round-up: Jacob Jones, Frozen Synapse, Fast & Furious 6, and more". Pocket Gamer. Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  14. ^ Slater, Harry (5 September 2013). "2K Drive leaves Apple's approvals pit lane and accelerates onto the App Store". Pocket Gamer. Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  15. ^ "Advent 2013 – Santas Magic Sack". Lucid Games. 2013. Archived from the original on 20 May 2016.
  16. ^ "iFruit for PlayStation®Vita". Lucid Games. 2014. Archived from the original on 20 May 2016.
  17. ^ "PlayStation®Vita Pets: Puppy Parlour". Lucid Games. 2014. Archived from the original on 25 August 2014.
  18. ^ Hearn, Rob (8 August 2014). "The best iPhone and iPad games this week – Time Tangle – Adventure Time, and more". Pocket Gamer. Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  19. ^ O'Connor, Alice (14 November 2014). "Polygonal Pew Pew – Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions". Rock Paper Shotgun. Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  20. ^ "Goat Simulator". Lucid Games. 2015. Archived from the original on 4 July 2016.
  21. ^ "Happy Happy Donuts". Lucid Games. 2015. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015.
  22. ^ "We're Going on a Bear Hunt". Lucid Games. 2016. Archived from the original on 15 April 2017.
  23. ^ a b West, Josh (2 February 2021). "Before Destruction AllStars, Lucid Games wanted to resurrect an old PlayStation franchise". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on 2 February 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2021.

External links[]

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