New studio Gardens established by Journey and What Remains of Edith Finch veterans
Studio aims to create "vibrant online games that foster meaningful multiplayer moments and relationships."
Gardens—a new studio founded by designers of games like Journey, What Remains of Edith Finch, Blaseball, Sky: Children of the Light, and more—has officially announced its establishment.
The remote-first studio was founded by Chris Bell (Journey, What Remains of Edith Finch, Sky: Children of the Light, Way), Lexie Dostal (Dustforce), and Stephen Bell (Blaseball, What Remains of Edith Finch), alongside a talented team of developers from projects such as Spider-Man, Ratchet & Clank, Skyrim, the Fallout series, Ashen, and The Hobbit.
Gardens’ core mission is to create “vibrant online games that foster meaningful multiplayer moments and relationships between players around the world.”
The studio’s name comes from the kinds of game worlds it wishes to create.
“These artfully-crafted, living environments will be designed to foster rich multiplayer interactions while relying on care by their communities in order to thrive,” reads the press release. “They are games that aspire to cultivate lasting friendships (like Journey, Sky, or Way before them) while encouraging players to be considerate of each other and the world they inhabit together.”
Gardens’ first game promises to build upon the special ways its members have designed and shared online experiences in the past, with players crossing paths in a “mysterious and magical world” driven by the concept art of ma-ko, art direction by Leighton Milne (Ashen, The Hobbit), and an art team led by Ryan Benno (Marvel’s Spider-Man, Ratchet & Clank).
Veteran developers who have already joined the Gardens team include:
- Executive producer Sarah Sands (Fullbright, Nike, DirectTV)
- Lead artist Ryan Benno (Marvel’s Spider-Man, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us, Ratchet & Clank)
- Principal engineer Rose Dale (The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Fallout 3, Fallout 4)
- Senior engineer Roldan Melcon (Blaseball, Where Cards Fall)
- Gameplay engineer Tonia Beglari (Monster Hunter World: Iceborne XR Walk, The Under Presents)
- Art director Leighton Milne (Ashen, The Hobbit)
The studio has currently raised $4.5 million in an oversubscribed July 2021 Seed round, with plans to grow for years to come.
Gardens is currently hiring for multiple positions, including 3D artist, animator, and engineer roles.
Visit the studio’s official website here.