Lionhead Studios

United Kingdom Founded 1996 Website

Lionhead Studios was born in 1996 in the quaint, English town of Guildford with the bold aspiration to make ground-breaking, genre-defining games. What began with a mere handful of designers has grown to a team of over a hundred, and now Lionhead is home to some of the most creative and talented industry professionals around. With such talent, we're always aiming to deliver the best adventures and stories for you to experience. Our team is made up of passionate people who simply love games. Many of our veterans have kept this passion burning since the days of Black & White and the first Fable game, and with each project we've enjoyed an influx of new exciting talent to our ranks. As part of Microsoft Studios since 2006, Lionhead stands more ready and dedicated than ever to fulfil its mission. Having built an impressive portfolio of games over the years, we're now working to bring the latest chapter of the Fable story to Xbox One, with Fable Legends.

Lionhead Studios at a Glance

Lionhead Studios operated as a developer based in Guildford, United Kingdom, from 1996 until 2014. They released ten games on PlayPile during their active years between 2001 and 2014. The company did not publish any titles but focused entirely on development work. Their output was heavier in the 2000s with six games, while they produced only three titles in the 2010s before closing. The studio concentrated heavily on role-playing games, which made up eight of their ten releases. They also explored adventure and strategy genres frequently. Their platform reach included PC Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360, each featuring six of their games. They released three versions for Mac and one title for Xbox One. Most of their work appears to be tied to the Xbox ecosystem or personal computers. Quality trends show a generally positive reception across their rated titles. Seven games have an average IGDB rating of 75.3 out of 100. The breakdown shows two great scores above 80, five good scores between 60 and 79, and no mixed or poor ratings. Their top-rated work includes Fable II from 2008 with a score of 82.5 and The Movies from 2005 at 82. Black & White from 2001 and its sequel in 2005 also scored high, landing at 75.1 and 74.6 respectively. Later releases like Fable Anniversary in 2014 and Fable: The Journey in 2012 saw scores drop to the low 70s and mid-60s range. The company started with a small team of designers and grew to over one hundred people by the time they joined Microsoft Studios in 2006. Their later output focused on the Fable franchise, including multiple editions and sequels leading up to their final release in 2014. While their portfolio shows consistent quality without major failures, their production volume slowed significantly in their last decade of operation.

Total Games

75.3

Avg Rating

2001

First Release

2014

Latest Release