GDC Special Edition! How Portugal’s Game Studios Are Making Their Mark At This Year’s Conference
Plus, a quick word from the Portuguese Game Developer Association
Welcome back to Games From Portugal, your monthly update on Portugal's thriving video game development sector. As always, this newsletter is brought to you by eGames Lab, Portugal’s unique e-games development and creative industries cluster.
In anticipation of GDC, we're shifting focus this month to celebrate the exceptional Portuguese game developers who will be at the event next week.
The Video Game Studios and Companies Elevating Portugal’s Gaming Industry at This Year’s GDC
Even if you’re not a hardcore gamer or a seasoned developer, you probably know that the US and Japan are home to some of the world’s most successful video game studios – think Epic Games, Activision, Nintendo, and Square Enix. But just because a region isn’t traditionally associated with gaming doesn’t mean it should be overlooked.
China, for example, was relatively unheard of when it comes to blockbuster video games but is now seen as a major player following the release of Black Myth Wukong, which went on to sell over 25 million units and land a nomination for Game of the Year in 2024. Similar things could be said about Poland, which only became known for its gaming prowess after CD Projekt RED rose to fame with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
Portugal is another such region that is on its way to becoming a major player in the eyes of the global games industry. Portugal’s video game industry is estimated to have reached revenues of around 258 million dollars last year, with the annual growth rate exceeding 11% by 2027. Much of that is fueled by Portugal’s love for mobile games. The country is home to over one million mobile players (around 10.6% of the population), reaching an annual turnover of around 56 million dollars.
“Although still growing and less established than other European markets, the Portuguese gaming industry has seen remarkable progress in recent years, reflecting a dynamic and diverse ecosystem,” says Diogo Rato, Director of the Portuguese Game Developer Association. “Official public data shows that since 2010, the number of studios in Portugal has been increasing year-over-year by more than 20% and a rate of 33% since 2018.”
“Impressively, the revenue generated has observed an even bigger CAGR: since 2010, a CAGR of 41% and since 2018, a CAGR of about 63%. The official turnover was over 48 million Euros in 2023 (the most recent data available). Since 2018, the number of people working in the game industry has grown by approximately 53% each year,” he adds.
One of its biggest strengths is Portugal’s rising reputation as a key tech hub for European startups. This positioning is reinforced by factors such as its high level of security, ranking 7th globally in the Global Peace Index 2023, and its strong English proficiency, placing 8th worldwide according to Education First 2023. Additionally, Portugal stands out for the quality and quantity of its engineering talent, ranking 3rd in Europe, according to Eurostat.
But rather than discussing the many reasons why Portugal’s video game industry is on the rise, let’s focus on the studios already producing incredible games enjoyed by players worldwide. Below, we hear from the Portuguese game companies doing precisely that.
eGames Lab Consortium Members
The following four studios are part of the eGames Lab consortium and will be on the show floor at GDC next week at the Games From Portugal stand (S1349). Be sure to stop by if you’re at the event to learn more about their latest projects.
One Way Eleven: Building a Connection With Players Through Hanno
While One Way Eleven was only officially established in 2023, the studio has more than 17 years of experience designing interactive technology, having originally been divided into two companies: Wow Systems and Fapptory.
The two have worked on over a hundred software projects for different industries, ranging from mobile apps for major brands to designing interactive museum installations, immersive experiences for tradeshows, shopping malls and hotels, and more. However, when gaming saw a massive boom in popularity following the global pandemic, the two companies saw an opportunity to evolve.
“Our vision became clear: to harness the transformative power of video games to create immersive, lasting experiences for everyone, while fostering the gaming industry in Portugal,” says Miguel Campos, CEO of One Way Eleven. “In late 2021, when the European Commission launched funding to accelerate economic recovery post-pandemic, we seized the opportunity to bring this vision to life.”
The studio’s first big project is Hanno, an action-adventure game for PC and consoles powered by Unreal Engine 5. Set in the fictional world of Ashar, the game sees the player take on the role of Vimal, an orphaned teenager from a small village who stumbles upon Hanno – an unusual, white baby elephant – lost and wounded in the forest. As Vimal, players must uncover the story behind Hanno while battling the Asuras, malevolent creatures that have suddenly corrupted the boy’s world.
Campos says the game is inspired by the real story of “Hanno,” the albino elephant gifted by the Portuguese king to the Pope in 1514, and by “The Elephant’s Journey,” a novel by the late Portuguese Literature Nobel prize winner José Saramago. The game also draws inspiration from several beloved fantasy games and animated movies that champion values like friendship and loyalty.
“Hanno is not just about action or mechanics,” Campos says. “With our background in emotional design, we are focused on creating a deep connection between the player and the baby elephant. The goal is for the player to see the elephant not just as a companion, but as a powerful protector and an emotionally engaging character they will genuinely care about.”
Infinity Games: Encouraging Mindfulness Through Mobile
Infinity Games’ portfolio of mobile titles has amassed more than 250 million downloads over the past decade. Still, at this year’s GDC, the studio will showcase a very different kind of project – albeit one that still embodies the studio’s mission of creating experiences for relaxation and stress reduction.
Recently launched on iOS and Android, Infinity Games’ Chill brings elements from various mindfulness apps into an all-in-one subscription app. It offers its users many ways to help manage their mood, improve their focus and unwind – with a particular emphasis on haptics and sound. To give a few examples: users can listen to original songs written by the studio’s composer to encourage mindfulness, run through breathing exercises, add ambiences like rain and birdsong to their favourite songs, or play gentle minigames to unwind.
Infinity Games’ CEO, Muhammad Satar, says that one area of the games industry that he’s excited to explore at this year’s GDC is the impact that AI is having on both development and player experiences. The studio has been actively integrating AI models into its games and apps to unlock “creative and technical efficiencies.” Chill, for instance, leverages OpenAI’s Whisper to generate personalised meditations, and it also features an intuitive chatbot that helps guide users through their relaxation journey.
“These innovations are just the beginning,” Satar says. “We’re eager to see how AI continues to push the boundaries of early development, making game creation more seamless than ever. This year at GDC, besides showcasing our latest projects, we’re going to explore how AI, automation, and new development workflows can make games smarter, more immersive, and more transformative. We look forward to learning, sharing, and shaping what’s next.”
Redcatpig: Revving up Vehicular Combat
From its headquarters on Terceira Island in the Azores, and alongside two other offices in Madeira and Lisbon, developer and eGames Lab consortium member Redcatpig is bringing back a beloved 90’s gaming staple – car combat – and making it bigger and more bombastic than ever before.
If you don’t believe us, just look at the studio’s upcoming title, Hovershock, which combines the automotive mayhem of Twisted Metal, the competitive rush of Rocket League, and throws in some aerial drones for good measure. We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the studio’s other title too, KEO, which trades the skies for a Mad Max-esque battleground where players hurtle around in highly customisable vehicles blasting each other to pieces.
While both titles are still deep in development, early impressions suggest that the studio is set to nail its revival. KEO had more than 100,000 people sign up for its initial closed beta, and there’s been an equally positive response to the title’s nostalgic brand of turbocharged road rage since it entered early access in 2021.
Redcatpig has also earned much recognition from the wider industry, earning various accolades. These include multiple PlayStation Talents awards, an honourable mention from AICEP, and selection as one of Cision’s Most Mediatic Portuguese Startups. The studio also participated at Web Summit 2024 as a Beta Startup – a significant milestone, as it first debuted at the event in 2019 as an Alpha Startup.
WalkMe Mobile Solutions: Transitioning From Mobile to VR
After over a decade developing highly coveted mobile puzzle games, which have amassed more than 40 million downloads worldwide, Portuguese game studio and eGames Lab consortium member WalkMe Mobile Solutions is now looking to give its players an all-new level of perspective with its first-ever virtual reality game.
In Trivia World Quest – a new instalment in one of WalkMe’s most popular mobile puzzle game franchises, Trivia World – players navigate expansive levels that challenge the player in three core areas.
The first of those core areas is the mind. As players progress through each level, they encounter enigmas they must overcome using their wits. Second is the body, with players physically moving to overcome obstacles, such as using a pickaxe to smash a wall. The final area is knowledge. Quest is loaded with thousands of general knowledge questions, which players must answer to progress.
Development of the game, which Gonçalves hopes to launch later this year, has been progressing well so far. The first level will debut to the public at GDC this month on the Games from Portugal stand – be sure to try it if you’re at the event.
Wider Portuguese Game Companies at GDC
Fortis: Making Games Where You Belong
Fortis is a global video game developer and publisher comprised of some of the brightest minds in the business. It has more than 400 talented individuals spread across the globe – many of whom had previously worked at top gaming firms such as Electronic Arts, WB Games, Zynga, Smule and others – with Portugal being just one such location that the studio calls home.
According to its VP of games, Jeferson Valadares, who is also the President of the Portuguese Gaming Association, Fortis was built on a simple idea: that game design can be a competitive advantage.
“It seems obvious, but the market has underinvested in this category relative to the opportunity,” Valadares says. “Capital tends to flow toward opportunities its allocators understand, and said allocators rarely come from a design background. As a result, investment focuses on shifts in platform, changes in business model and inefficiency arbitrages. It’s unsurprising. The patterns are easier to identify, and investments into those categories, particularly when made early in a cycle, have often been successful.”
It’s still early days for most of Fortis’ projects, meaning most of the details are still under wraps, but what we do know is that it is building games where players can feel like they belong. Fortis aim to assemble digital societies that add to our lives – where players can express themselves in meaningful ways and build ties around the interesting differences these choices create.
Anybrain: Combatting Cheating in Online Games
Have you ever been playing a game online and found yourself up against a player who is performing a little too well? You’re not alone. The rise of competitive multiplayer games has resulted in many cases of players finding illegitimate ways of reaching the top of the scoreboard. For example, one of the most common methods of cheating in online games today is using aimbots – a program players can use to lock onto their targets automatically.
But there is one organisation looking to stop cheating: Anybrain. Founded in 2015 by a passionate team of PhDs and engineers trained at Portugal’s University of Minho, Anybrain uses cutting-edge AI to help developers ensure their games are both fun and fair.
“Instead of using kernel level access and being a little intrusive, we aim to only collect data from the human-computer interaction,” explains Anh-Vu Nguyen, CGO at Anybrain. “We collect data like the speed with which a player moves its mouse, or the pressure applied on the keyboard, or the angle of the mobile device where they play the games, and with these metrics (there are more than 200), we develop a biometric profile, unique to each player.”
He adds, “Then, if a player uses a cheat, the way that they play the game will differ from their biometric profile, and they will be flagged. With this approach, we believe we are more prepared to upgrade security in the online gaming environment with a nonintrusive approach and one that is constantly prepared to deal with the latest cheats on the market.”
FRVR: Designing a Platform Where Anyone Can Create, Play, and Share Instant Games.
Over the past decade, games have become tremendous in scope, but at the same time, so have download sizes. Depending on where you live and your access to a fast and stable internet connection, you could be waiting hours for a new game to install. FRVR embodies the very antithesis of that: an instant game distribution platform where every title is playable at the touch of a button – no installs, downloads or barriers in sight.
“Our journey started when Chris Benjaminsen built Solitaire FRVR as an experiment in new game distribution models. He co-founded FRVR with Brian Meidell, and together, they turned this idea into a thriving company,” says Nídia do Carmo, Senior Influencer Marketing Specialist at FRVR. “Since then, we've expanded rapidly, reaching 2 million daily active users and over 70 million players worldwide. We’ve partnered with major platforms like Facebook and Samsung, and we now operate across multiple locations worldwide.”
FRVR’s current major focus is Upit.com, a social platform where anyone can create, play, and share instant games. One of the most interesting aspects of Upit is that it offers AI-powered game creation, which allows almost anyone to make a game – even if they don’t have any technical experience. Plus, it’s all web-based, so games run straight in the browser, making them easy to share and play anywhere. A mobile app version of Upit is also in development, which is set to make the platform even more seamless.
Didimo: Helping Developers to Automate Character Creation
Didimo is a game technology company specialising in automated character creation. With Didimo’s proprietary technology, Popul8, game studios can instantly create thousands of true, game-ready characters to match any style – reducing production time and costs by up to 70%. The tool, which seamlessly integrates with Unreal, Unity and proprietary engines, also automates asset fitting, ensuring seamless adaptation of clothing, hair and accessories.
“Popul8 was built to solve a major challenge: character creation is slow, repetitive, and expensive,” says Verónica Orvalho, CEO of Didimo. “Studios were forced to compromise between quality, speed, and scale. We saw an opportunity to eliminate tedious manual processes while ensuring that every character maintains a studio’s unique artistic vision.”
Lockwood Publishing Lisboa: Building on Playstation Home
The metaverse has become a buzzword in the games industry over the past few years, with titles like Roblox and Fortnite arguably becoming more than just games – they’re social platforms where users can hang out and forge their digital identities. However, while such concepts might seem new to some, many will remember that the earliest examples appeared over a decade ago.
One company that knows this better than most is Lockwood Publishing, which was the leading developer on Sony’s PlayStation Home platform for the PlayStation 3 that launched in 2008. Of course, that was a long time ago, and Lockwood Publishing – headquartered in the UK but with a European base in Lisbon – has since moved on to bigger things.
The studio’s current project is Avakin Life, an endless social world where you can be anything and anyone. There are millions of other users to connect with, more than 26,000 options to personalise your digital self, and a vast array of activities to keep you coming back every day. Users can design the home of their dreams, party on sunlit beaches, dance to real artists, hang out at fashion shows, and much more.
Halli Bjornsson, CEO of Lockwood Publishing, believes Avakin Life is the “leading European Metaverse platform” thanks to its mixture of high-quality visuals, rich events and experiences. He’s got the numbers to back it up, too: Avakin Life has had over 250 million installs, with around 7 million users logging in every month to live out their digital lives.
