16 video games which were made in Scotland including RollerCoaster Tycoon

While many know that Dundee is the birthplace of Grand Theft Auto and Lemmings, there have been many other games made in Scotland worth remembering.

Scotland has long been a hub of video game innovation and there are hundreds of companies developing and publishing games across the country.

Dundee is home to one of the best games development courses in Europe and there are often references to the success of early exports such as Grand Theft Auto and Lemmings.

But there are many more exciting games to have been made in Scotland, and we've pulled together a list of just 16 of them.

Observation

Starting off strong, Observation is a BAFTA award winning game developed by Glasgow-based studio NoCode. who are currently developing the upcoming Silent Hill: Townfall. However in their 2019 sci-fi thriller you play as S.A.M (Systems Administration and Maintenance), the space station's omniscient artificial intelligence, and must uncover what happened to Dr Emma Fisher and her crew. Observation is available on PC, PlayStation and Xbox.

Cloudpunk

Cloudpunk took home three prizes from the Scottish Games Awards in 2022. Image: ION Lands

The winner of three Scottish Games Awards, Cloudpunk was created by Scottish developers working for international company ION Lands. The neo-noir game sees players delivering packages around the cyberpunk city. It was originally released in 2020 and is available on PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch.

Crackdown

Action-adventure game Crackdown was developed for Xbox 360 in 2007 by Dundee developer Realtime Worlds, which was founded by David Jones - the same man who created Grand Theft Auto and Lemmings. Boasting an impressive pedigree, the game was received well by critics and gamers alike and sparked the wider Crackdown series, though Realtime Worlds went into administration in 2010.

Bloons

The Bloons series initially began its life as a browser based game developed by Ninja Kiwi, however when looking to take the game as an iPhone app they partnered with Dundee firm Digital Goldfish, which is now known as Ninja Kiwi Europe.

From The Depths

From The Depths is an action game developed in Scotland. Image: Brilliant Skies

Since its 2020 release action game From The Depths has garnered plenty of positive reviews with its unique mashup of simulation, building, real-time strategy and role playing. Developed by University of Aberdeen physics graduate Nick Smart, who worked for a defence company for a decade, From The Depths took home Technical Achievement from the first ever Scottish Games Awards.

The Ship: Remasted

The Ship is a murder mystery game set aboard a 1920s cruise, and was first released in 2006 by Edinburgh-based developer Outerlight. After the company was dissolved in 2010, the rights to The Ship series were acquired by Glasgow-based entertainment company Blazing Griffin who remastered the game and re-released it in 2016.

Strange Sickness

Strange Sickness, developed by Common Profyt Games, is a historical game based on Aberdeen's real medieval records. Made by an Aberdeen-based studio the game has garnered critical acclaim for its historically accurate take on the "strange sickness" which swept Aberdeen in 1498.

Autonauts

Autonauts took home a TIGA Games Industry Award in 2017 for best Educational Game. Image: Denki/Curve Games

A relaxed resource management game, Autonauts was made by Dundee studio Denki and players must build, create and automate their colonies. It was released in 2019 to positive reviews and can be played on PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Switch.

Causeway

A short but sweet game, Causeway was created by the Yarn Spinner collective - a group of developers mainly based in Scotland - and is an experimental branching narrative experience. The smallest decisions make large impacts here, and the game is available on PC for free.

Solas 128

A screenshot from Solas 128, which won an award for its Audio production during the 2022 Scottish Games Awards. Image: Amicable Animal/Armor Games Studios

Made by Amicable Animal, an Edinburgh based studio, interconnected puzzle game Solas 128 won a BAFTA Scotland award in 2021. It is available on PC or on Switch.

Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick

An older entry to this esteemed list, Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick was released in 2003 on Xbox and PlayStation 2. Made by Edinburgh-based studio VIS Entertainment, which was dissolved in 2005, the action hack and slash game was based on the Evil Dead movie series.

H.E.D.Z

Also by VIS Entertainment, Head Extreme Destruction Zone or H.E.D.Z was a PC game originally released in 1998 to mixed reviews. Now classed as abandonware, there are many who have enjoyed playing the game for nostalgia in recent years.

Monstrum

Monstrum II is a survival horror developed by Team Junkfish. Image: Team Junkfish

The first game in this survival horror series was released in 2015 by Dundee and Singapore based studio, Junkfish. Monstrum is set on a derelict cargo ship and the player must escape a series of AI driver predators while also facing permadeath. The multi-player follow up, Monstrum II, was released in 2022 and both games are available on PC.

RollerCoaster Tycoon

The classic PC game which spawned an iconic series, RollerCoaster Tycoon was created by Scottish developer Chris Sawyer in 1999. Players must build and modify their theme parks to improve their park's value and ranking, much like his earlier work Transport Tycoon from 1994. He would step away from the industry for several years and many of the following games in the RollerCoaster Tycoon series only loosely involved Sawyer, he would eventually release a mobile version of the game in 2016. The classic edition of the game and all of its expansion packs is available on PC.

PHOGS!

Phogs! is a puzzle platformer made in Scotland. Image: Bit Loom Games/Coat Sink

Made by Bit Loom Games in Dundee, Phogs! is a puzzle game where you play as two-headed dog Red and Blue, either solo or with a friend. It was released in 2020 and has been well received by gamers and critics, even being nominated for a BAFTA in 2021.

Viewfinder

Viewfinder will soon be released on PlayStation. Image: Sad Owl Studios/Thunderful Publishing

In Viewfinder, a first-person shooter, players must reshape reality and bring pictures to life by placing objects into the world. The surreal puzzle platformer was created by Sad Owl Studios, and its Scotland-based developer Matt Stark who began the project while in university, and was released in 2023.