Imagine Software

Imagine Software at a Glance

Imagine Software started as a British developer in Liverpool in 1982. The company focused heavily on the ZX Spectrum, where it released 26 titles, followed by the Commodore C64 with 19 games and the Amstrad CPC with 13. Their catalog contains 33 entries on PlayPile, split between 29 as a publisher and 12 as a developer. Most of their work falls into the Arcade genre with 25 games, while Shooters make up 14 titles and Platformers account for 9. They also produced Fighting games, Hack and slash titles, Adventure games, Sports, Racing, Simulators, and Strategy games to fill out their list. The data shows a sharp drop in activity after the mid-1980s. Imagine Software released 31 games during the 1980s, but only one title appeared in the 1990s and another in the 2020s. Their original run ended quickly due to financial trouble in 1984, though the brand name continued under Ocean Software until the late 1980s. This history explains why their output is so concentrated in a short period rather than spanning multiple decades of steady production. Quality ratings for Imagine Software are mostly average with no standout masterpieces. Across eight rated titles, they hold an average score of 62.4 out of 100. Their breakdown shows five games rated as good, three as mixed, and none rated as great or poor. MagMax from 1986 leads their list with a 77 rating, followed by Target: Renegade at 76.2. Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja scored 69.8, while Rastan sits at 68.2. Psycho Soldier is the lowest rated of their top titles with a 62.7. Recent entries like Attic Archive in September 2025 suggest the label is still active in some capacity, but the bulk of their recognizable work comes from the late 1980s era. The company was known for high-budget packaging and aggressive advertising when these practices were rare in the industry. Their ambition grew quickly until debts caused a collapse in 1984. Today, you can find their games on platforms ranging from the Atari ST to MSX and modern Windows PCs, but the volume of new content is low compared to their initial burst of activity in the early days of the home computer market.

Release Timeline

Rating Distribution