Frictional Games

Frictional Games at a Glance

Frictional Games is an independent Swedish developer based in Helsingborg that has been active since 2001 with operations continuing through at least 2026. Founded officially on January 1, 2007 by Thomas Grip and Jens Nilsson, the studio has released a total of 11 games listed on PlayPile. They act as both publisher and developer for most of their titles, with seven credits as a publisher and ten as a developer. Their catalog spans over two decades but shows a steady output rather than explosive growth. The company released four games in the 2000s, three in the 2010s, and three in the 2020s so far. The studio focuses heavily on the Adventure genre with nine titles, followed closely by Indie and Puzzle games with nine and eight releases respectively. They have only one Shooter entry in their library. Their work is available across multiple platforms but remains strongest on PC Microsoft Windows, which features all eleven games. Linux support is also robust with six ports, while PlayStation 4 and Xbox One each host five titles. Mac users can play five games, with three on Nintendo Switch and two on newer consoles like PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Quality trends for Frictional Games are generally positive. Their average IGDB rating sits at 78.3 out of 100 across seven rated titles. The breakdown shows two great ratings above 80 and five good ratings between 60 and 79. There are no mixed or poor ratings in their catalog. Their highest-rated game is Amnesia: The Dark Descent from 2010, which holds a score of 83.5. Soma from 2015 follows closely with 81.9. Other well-regarded entries include Penumbra: Black Plague (79.9), Amnesia: The Bunker (79.2), and Amnesia: Rebirth (78.5). Output consistency varies slightly over time but remains reliable. Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs from 2013 received a lower score of 69.9, which is still within the good range. Recent releases like Amnesia: The Bunker in June 2023 and Ontos scheduled for December 2026 continue this pattern of solid survival horror experiences. The developers maintain a personal blog called In The Games Of Madness to discuss their life and game design choices, though this does not affect the core gameplay data available here. Their specialization in survival horror is clear from their top titles like Amnesia and Penumbra.

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