Bossa Games
British video game developer
Bossa Studios Limited (trading as Bossa Games since 2023) is a British video game developer based in London. It is known for its comedic, physics-based games Surgeon Simulator and I Am Bread.
01History
Bossa was founded in October 2010 by Henrique Olifiers (gamer-in-chief), Roberta Lucca (marketer-in-chief), Ric Moore (technologist-in-chief), and Imre Jele (creator-in-chief). The establishment was formally announced in June 2011, when it had opened its office at the Silicon Roundabout in London, England. Bossa was acquired by the television production company Shine Group in 2011, with the deal announced on 16 September, without disclosing terms. At the time, Bossa had 20 employees, and its first game, Monstermind, launched that same month for the Facebook Platform. Monstermind won the BAFTA award in the "Online, Browser" category in February 2012.
Subsequent games by Bossa were Toy Run and Merlin: The Game, the latter based on the Shine-produced TV series Merlin. Following the commercial success of Surgeon Simulator, Bossa underwent a management buyout process in July 2015 that returned Shine's stake (transferred to Endemol Shine UK after Shine merged with Endemol in December 2014) to the studio's founders.
The company received a US$10 million investment in a series A round in September 2017. Shortly thereafter, they hired former Valve writer Chet Faliszek to lead a new Seattle-based studio for them, working on an unannounced cooperative title.
According to CNBC, Bossa raised between US$10 and 30 million in another investment round in 2019, with NetEase as one of the largest investors in this series, gaining a minority stake in Bossa. Amid complaints against management, Bossa announced it would lay off 10 employees in November 2020.
In August 2022, some of Bossa Studios' intellectual properties, including Surgeon Simulator, I Am Bread, and I Am Fish were sold to TinyBuild for a reported $3 million. The company rebranded to Bossa Games in 2023. In January 2024, Bossa laid off 19 employees, or a third of its total staff. In February 2025, Bossa laid off an undisclosed number of employees and switched its focus to finishing Lost Skies.
02Games
Games developed
| Year | Title | Platform(s) | Publisher(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Monstermind | Facebook Platform | Bossa Studios | |
| 2012 | Toy Run | Facebook Platform | ||
| Merlin: The Game | Facebook Platform | |||
| 2013 | Surgeon Simulator | Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 | Originally titled Surgeon Simulator 2013 | |
| 2014 | Surgeon Simulator Touch | Android, iOS | Port of Surgeon Simulator | |
| Twelve a Dozen | iOS | |||
| Deep Dungeons of Doom | Android, iOS, macOS, Microsoft Windows | |||
| 2015 | I Am Bread | Android, iOS, macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One | ||
| Spy_Watch | iOS | |||
| Outlaw Poker | Android | |||
| 2016 | Surgeon Simulator VR: Meet The Medic | Microsoft Windows | Virtual reality spin-off of Surgeon Simulator | |
| Emily: Displaced | macOS, Microsoft Windows | Sega | Part of Help: The Game | |
| Surgeon Simulator: Experience Reality | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 | Bossa Studios | Virtual reality version of Surgeon Simulator | |
| Worlds Adrift Island Creator | Microsoft Windows | Free creation and playtest tool released alongside Worlds Adrift | ||
| 2018 | Surgeon Simulator CPR | Nintendo Switch | Port of Surgeon Simulator | |
| 2019 | Hogwash | iOS, macOS, tvOS | Apple Arcade exclusive | |
| 2020 | Surgeon Simulator 2 | Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | ||
| 2021 | I Am Fish | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | Curve Digital | |
| 2025 | Lost Skies | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S | Humble Games | |
| Pigeon Simulator | Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X/S | tinyBuild | ||
| 2026 | What Goes Up | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S | Team17 |
Games published
| Year | Title | Platform(s) | Developer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Thomas Was Alone | Android, iOS | Mike Bithell |
| 2017 | Purrfect Date | iOS, Microsoft Windows | Team Bae |
| 2019 | The Bradwell Conspiracy | iOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One | A Brave Plan |
Cancelled
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Bossa Games”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Bossa Games.svg by Bossa Games, PD
- Henrique Olifiers, Gamelab 2018 (29269860488).jpg by Gamelab Congreso Videojuegos, Public domain
Fathomly is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation. Spotted a problem? Tell us.