According to IGN, Dino Patti, the Co-founder of Playdead Studios, is departing to pursue other career opportunities. On his Twitter page, he wrote that he was “leaving to seek new challenges.”
In a statement given to gamesindusty.biz, he said
It’s been amazing journey, where I’ve been lucky to work with some extremely talented people and partners,” said Patti. “I feel that I’m leaving the company in a state where it can definitely manage itself, and I wish best of luck to Arnt and the rest of the team in the future.
Playdead Studios originally started when Patti’s friend and co-founder of the aforementioned Studio, Arnt Jensen, drew up some sketches and came up the idea for the game Limbo. When Jensen presented the idea to Patti, they realized that a project this ambitious would need a larger development team. The two developers funded Playdead studios out of pocket and with the help of government grants. Eventually, they were able to secure other deals to garner further funds.
The studio he helped create may only be known for two games, but both of those games have garnered critical acclaim, accolades, and a huge following. Limbo, the studio’s debut title, was a 2D puzzle platformer well known for its unique art direction and storytelling. Limbo put players in the shadowy shoes of an unnamed child in a dark and dangerous forest.
Critics praised the game for its use of silhouettes and monochromatic color scheme. The title would go on to win numerous awards including including Game Informer’s “Best Downloadable,” GameSpot’s “Best Puzzle Game,” and Kotaku’s “The Best Indie Game.”
This year, the studio released the game Inside: another grim puzzle platformer which utilized a shadowy film noir-esque art style. Unlike Limbo, which utilized and engine unique to the game, Inside was achieved using the Unity engine to make development easier. Players again took on the role of a small unnamed child in a bleak and dangerous world. However, the main gimmick of Inside was the ability to control corpses to solve puzzles. Also unlike Limbo, Inside featured multiple endings.
Inside garnered positive reviews similar to Limbo. In a previous article, we went over the reviews other publications had given the game. Most said that the game was a worthy successor to Limbo.
Shortly after the release of Inside, Patti left the studio after selling his shares to Jensen. He claimed that he was leaving Playdead “in a state where it can definitely manage itself.” Patti leaves behind a company he spent almost a decade with.