Dundee has a global reputation for its gaming industry, and for good reason.
While most know that it is the birthplace of Grand Theft Auto and Lemmings, there are many other games made in the city worth celebrating.
Dundee is also known as a destination for video games education, with Abertay University regularly ranked best university in Europe for the subject.
With more than a dozen video game companies based in the city, it continues to be a hub for innovative new games.
Here’s a roundup of some of the most popular video games – old and new – with links to Dundee.
1) Lemmings, DMA Design
We couldn’t write an article on video games in Dundee and fail to mention the game which first put Dundee on the digital map.
Lemmings, developed by Dundee games studio DMA Design (Now Rockstar North), was launched in 1991.
It was one of the most successful videogames of the early nineties, and has gone on to sell over 20 million copies worldwide.
The iconic puzzle-style game was born out of the then Kingsway Amateur Computer Club, where its creators met as teenagers.
Programmers Russell Kay, Mike Dailly and David Jones were said to be inspired by a simple animation that Mike created while experimenting with Deluxe Paint.
2) Monstrum, Junkfish
The first game in this popular horror series was published in 2015 by Dundee and Singapore based studio, Junkfish.
Monstrum finds players stranded aboard a vast, derelict ship filled with traps, environmental hazards, and another passenger in the shape of a terrifying and deadly beast.
Its sequel, Monstrum 2, came out in 2022 and both games are available on PC.
3) Bloons, Ninja Kiwi
Popular game Bloons was released in 2007 by Dundee games studio Ninja Kiwi, which is run by Abertay graduates David Hamilton and Barry Petrie.
The company was bought by Swedish digital entertainment company Modern Times Group (MTG) in a deal worth up to £135 million in 2021.
The Bloons series is the company’s most successful creation.
It involves players using monkeys, armed with various tools, to pop as many “bloons” (balloons) as possible.
4) Minecraft (Console version), 4J Studios
Minecraft, originally created by Swedish programmer Markus ‘Notch’ Parson, was developed by 4J Studios in Dundee for a variety of consoles, including PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo.
The gaming phenomenon is the best-selling console game. It has sold more than 200 million times worldwide.
Minecraft-related videos have even surpassed one trillion views on YouTube.
4J Studios is run by Chris van der Kuyl and Paddy Burns.
5) Pine Hearts, Hyper Luminal
New games are always coming out of Dundee – including Pine Hearts, released by local company Hyper Luminal Games earlier this month.
Described as a “heart-tugging love letter to all those who have experienced loss”, Pine Hearts offers a cosy refuge in which players can reminisce on treasured memories.
Kayleigh MacLeod, an expert in games at Abertay University, believes Pine Hearts will be a hit.
She said: “Pine Hearts taps into the ‘cosy games’ trend which is really popular at the moment.
“People just want to have a nice time playing games, playing a puzzle or something like that.”
6) Autonauts, Denki
Autonauts was launched by Dundee studio Denki in 2019.
The resource management game can be played on PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Switch, sees players build, create and automate.
They start by establishing a colony, crafting bots and teaching them via Scratch-style programming to build an “ever-evolving autonomous paradise of agriculture, industry and enlightenment”.
7) Phogs!, Bit Loom Games
Phogs!, a cutesy puzzle game, was released by Bit Loom Games in Dundee in 2020.
The BAFTA-nominated game is a cutesy puzzle game where the player plays as two-headed dog Red and Blue, either solo or with a friend.
It can be played on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Google Stadia.
8) The Baby in Yellow, Team Terrible
The Baby in Yellow, released by Dundee games studio Team Terrible in 2021, has been a huge hit.
In this comedy horror game where the player must look after a suspicious baby and survive his attempts to take control.
Spooky horror-style games are a popular genre of games coming out of Dundee right now.
9) Crackdown, Realtime Worlds
Action-adventure game Crackdown was developed in 2007 by Dundee developer Realtime Worlds.
The company was founded by David Jones – the same man who created Grand Theft Auto and Lemmings.
Crackdown sees players assume the role of a high-tech policeman who must assassinate a series of crime bosses in a single city.
10) Island Saver, Stormcloud Games
Island Saver, a free-to-play action-adventure game developed by Dundee Stormcloud Games, was released in 2020.
Aimed at children aged 6-12, the game sees players help a group of islands who have been hit by plastic waste.
Players must wash away “gloop”, collect litter and earn coins.
Since its launch, the game has been downloaded more than 5 million times and was Nominated for “Best Educational or Serious Game” in the prestigious TIGA Game Awards 2020.
11) Grand Theft Auto (GTA), DMA Design
And of course, we couldn’t forget to mention Grand Theft Auto (GTA) – one of Dundee’s most successful exports of all time.
The action-adventure video game, launched in 1997, was created by David Jones and Mike Dailly and their DMA Design colleagues including Keith Hamilton, Steve Hammond, Russell Kay and Brian Baglow.
In the GTA series, gamers control criminals and attempt to increase their standing by completing missions in various virtual cities.
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