Game studios have to face a lot of player wrath. But when we ran a bounty asking our Just About Video Games community members to nominate the best UK game studios, they were all too keen to let the criticism bandwagon pass by and hop on the praise express, with thoughtful plaudits directed at the UK’s best of the best. Just About Video Games is composed of video gaming superfans and professionals, the majority of whom are based in the UK - making it one of the most informed communities to explain what makes the following UK studios so praiseworthy.
Below, you’ll find the best UK game studios, nominated for the quality of their games, their innovative practices, their studio philosophy, and more:
Rare
Rare by name, rare by nature. Rare is one of those one-in-a-million studios that can produce cult hits across radically different genres, all while maintaining a near-flawless reputation. Here’s TheGreatestBanana12 explaining what makes it great:
“Maker of classic hits like Banjo Kazooie, Perfect Dark, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, and GoldenEye 007, Rare has been making games for almost 40 years, but their shining star today is Sea of Thieves, a game that’s still growing and evolving after six years. The developers are just as big fans of the game as the players, and it shows. You can tell they have a passion for making the best game they possibly can, and the community that has built up around it is really something special.”
As often stated in our Just About EVE Online community, the best ship is friendship - a philosophy that Rare has admirably (admiral-ably?) woven into Sea of Thieves at every level. Rare has also repeatedly been voted as one of the best UK game studios to work for; it’s known to value its employees. Standing as evidence of that is one of the most moving, poignant easter eggs we’ve ever come across. Check out Konquest explainer below, then watch the video; it’s not often that gaming easter eggs will give you goosebumps:
“It’s thanks to Sea of Thieves that Rare wins my vote; let me explain why. I’ve played on and off since release, and I’ve always loved the soundtrack, in particular Becalmed. In March 2020, James ‘Jim’ White, a member of the development team, passed away at a very young age. A year later, they inserted an easter egg that I think must be the most meaningful and heartfelt in any game. It’s enough to make a grown man cry. Over the years, it’s brought many pirates - myself included - together, and helped them make new friends. Thank you, Glitterbeard, aka Captain James White, we will remember you.”
Creative Assembly
If you’re into strategy games, you probably can’t even read the words 'Total War' without getting an uncontrollable urge to play it. Much like Rare, Creative Assembly has been developing hits for three decades, and though strategy is very much its specialty, it’s dipped its toes into at least one very different genre to immense acclaim - a fact which impresses a number of our Just About Video Games community members. First up, here’s Scrbzy take:
“Creative Assembly is my pick; it develops the popular Total War series, including my personal favourite: Warhammer 2. It consistently hits the mark with its games. You might try to argue that its games are similar in build. To which I would retort, ‘Alien: Isolation’. It’s truly the scariest game I’ve played. It’s so atmospheric and does an amazing job of making you feel defenceless. Clearly I’m not the only one to recognise its greatness as it’s won numerous accolades.”
avrona sees Creative Assembly’s greatness too. They add: “The fact that it can pull off something like Alien with little prior experience in the genre shows just how adaptive it can be.”
Laser-Bicep gives a whole list of reasons for why Creative Assembly “is so special”:
“Firstly, its games: Rome Total War made up some of my earliest PC gaming memories; Alien: Isolation is hands-down the scariest and most original horror game I’ve played; and then there’s Halo Wars 2, which I’ve heard is great also.
“Secondly, its company philosophy. It’s what you would call a craft-led studio; it prioritises depth, detail, and authenticity in its games. Just look at the historical accuracy and meticulous research that defines the Total War games. I’ve read that it empowers its team with free time to explore creativity; something many studios don’t. Perhaps that’s why Total War’s blend of turn-based strategy and real-time battles revolutionised the genre.
“Finally, it’s known for community engagement and high levels of support.”
Rockstar North
As Avrona notes, “you have to give props to Rockstar for creating some of the world’s biggest franchises.” And props are exactly what our community has given it. The first of said props comes from EveOnlineTutorials:
“Why Rockstar North? Just look at these titles: Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, Max Payne 3! The sheer ability of the studio is staggering. There’s been various acquisitions and asset sales over the years, but it always kept its core values.”
Fras_Shoyo is a huge fan too. They wrote a lengthy piece explaining why. It’s too long to share here, but here are a few key phrases that should give you the picture: “unparalleled freedom in meticulously crafted worlds”, “a cultural phenomenon”, “commitment to quality”, “vast and immersive narrative-driven experiences”, and finally, “built on a foundation of ambition, attention to detail, and a willingness to invest time in development”.
Playground Games
Like Rare, Playground Games has been voted as a top UK gaming company to work for. Also like Rare, the quality of its games speaks for itself, chiefly the widely praised Forza racing games. While Sinclair isn’t a huge lover of sports cars, they can’t deny Forza’s slick appeal:
“Playground Games FTW! I love all of the Forza series. If I want to chill and drive away looking at gorgeous in-game scenery, my go-to game is Forza Horizon 5! Here’s one of my favourite screenshots of my car:
Now a part of Xbox Game Studios, Playground Games is trying its hand at something completely different: the reboot of the Fable franchise. Being put in charge of such a treasured IP, especially when it’s not in Playground’s traditional wheelhouse, is a great indication of the trust that Microsoft has in the team.
Jagex
Next up, we’ve got Jagex: long-standing bastion of the MMORPG. Both RuneScape and Old School RuneScape have healthy player counts to this day, an impressive feat when one considers that they were released in 2001 and 2013 respectively. The fact that Jagex, through innovation and community caretaking, has resisted the sharp decline in popularity of other MMOs is testament to the quality of the studio. Here’s Makster explaining what makes RuneScape so iconic:
“I want to shine a light on Jagex, a smaller studio but one I’m sure everyone on Just About Video Games knows. I think everyone in the ‘00s either played RuneScape or knew someone who was obsessed with it - spending countless nights grinding levels, trying to acquire RuneScape GFs and BFs (girlfriends and boyfriends), participating in holiday events, and begging their parents for membership.
“Runescape is part of our DNA at this point. Like a meme, gamers and netizens understand the need to trim armour, the dangers of the wilderness, Rune Scimis, and having someone try to scam you out of your password.
“It’s impressive that Runescape is still part of the zeitgeist, outlasting the MMO boom of the ‘00s and early teens. And despite the updates, better graphics, and inclusion of a story, we all just still want to chop wood, fish, cook, and travel that path from Lumbridge to Falador to see the king.”
Team17
As with Jagex, Team17 doesn’t put flashy graphics at the forefront of its gaming offering. Its most famous games are all about silliness, whimsy, and unabashed fun. Technically speaking, Team17 is an indie gaming label as opposed to a traditional studio. The 90+ games they represent include true classics like the original Worms, playful scream-at-the-screen hits like Overcooked, and quirky but brilliant gems like Lovecraftian fishing sim Dredge.
Shovel nominated Team17 for this list, and it’s all the richer for it:
“These folks have actually made me look forward to local co-op games in an era when it’s hard to find a good one. They’re the masterminds behind games like Moving Out and Overcooked. I’ve played those games so much; I love them! Team17 is behind some of the biggest indie games on PC and console.”
Codemasters
Playground Games isn’t the only British studio to have made top-tier racing games. Here’s Josh B explaining Codemasters’ commitment to the genre:
“Codemasters has developed some amazing games over the years and is a company that keeps its standards high. Its racing sims are brilliant; with five-star reviews for its F1 licensed games and the Dirt franchise speaking for themselves. Codemasters’ love for the genre and the time it puts into crafting its games is easy to see in those detailed and immersive sims.”
It takes the same attention to detail into its numerous forays into other genres too. Here’s Josh once more:
“Fans of tactical shooters will know about Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, a game I sunk many hours into on PS3. The more realistic approach to the shooter genre set it apart from the competition at the time. Another favourite of mine from this amazing team was Second Sight on PS2. It’s a well-crafted paranormal action title with some fun plot twists and entertaining telekinetic powers to get to grips with. It’s the variety and quality of the games produced by Codemasters that makes them stand out most for me!”
Did we miss any praiseworthy UK video game studios? Tell us about them in the comments! Some text has been amended for brevity; you can find the original wording at the bounty post. If you’d like to win prizes and get featured in our next article, check out our list of active video-gaming bounties. Cover image courtesy of Rare.
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