Factsheet
Based In
Taipei, Taiwan
Founding Date
March, 2012
Website
Press / Business Contact
Description
Sunhead Games is a Taiwan-based studio founded in 2012, creating unique, innovative video games with an independent spirit. Sunhead has released A Ride into the Mountains, The Swords, and Carto.
History
The Beginning
Sunhead Games was founded in 2012 by Lee-Kuo Chen and Chia-Yu Chen, having met while working together at another game studio. With a shared interest in indie games, they started working on their own projects together.
A Ride into the Mountains
The first commercial release by Sunhead Games, developed over one year. Having only worked as programmers, the team was less familiar with other development disciplines. They used simple elements to convey authentic emotions, adopting a pixelated graphic style and synthesized sound effects and music in order to support a delicate story. A Ride into the Mountains launched on mobile platforms in 2013, an archery-driven action/adventure game.
The Swords
Shortly after launching A Ride into the Mountains, the Sunhead duo attended a game jam where they met another indie developer, Allen Lee. They had a fruitful collaboration and decided to invite him to join their next project as the artist. Not able to devote themselves full-time to the project, most of the work was done during the team’s leisure time, with weekend meetings to discuss progress. After two years and hundreds of cups of coffee, The Swords launched on mobile platforms, a minimalist action game of wuxia and ink wash painting.
Carto
After making two action games for mobile platforms, the team decided to try their hand at another genre, and target PC and console platforms at launch. This would lead them to create Carto, a charming puzzle adventure game. A more complex project in every way, it necessitated an expansion of the team, bringing in artist Kuan Hung Chen, audio designer Eddie Yu, and writer / business developer Nick Suttner. They also enlisted the support of Humble Games and X.D. Network as publishers, and additional help for porting, localization, etc. After more than four years of work, the game was completed and launched on all major PC and console platforms.
Now
The team is currently in a recovery/hibernation phase, with no projects in active development. But who knows what might happen in the future!
Videos
Images
Logo & Icon
Awards & Recognition
- IGF - Excellence in Visual Art Finalist (Carto, 2021)
- IGF - Seumas McNally Grand Prize Honorable Mention (Carto, 2021)
- IGF - Excellence in Design Honorable Mention (Carto, 2019)
- Experimental Gameplay Workshop - Official Selection (Carto, 2019)
- BitSummit - Visual Excellence Award (Carto, 2018)
- Indieplay Awards - Excellence in Game Design (Carto, 2020)
- Indieplay Awards - Best Game Grand Prize Nominee (Carto, 2020)
- Indieplay Awards - Best Narrative Nominee (Carto, 2020)
- Anifilm Festival - Best Computer Game for Children (Carto, 2021)
- The Webby Awards - Games: Family & Kids - Nominee (Carto, 2021)
- Day of the Devs: GDC Edition - Official Selection (Carto, 2019)
- Day of the Devs - Official Selection (Carto, 2018)
- GDC Indie MEGABOOTH Showcase - Official Selection (Carto, 2018)
- Tokyo Game Show - Official Selection (Carto, 2018)
- Taipei Game Show - Official Selection (Carto, 2018)
- The MIX Indie Showcase At TGDF - Official Selection (Carto, 2018)
- TGDF Indie Space - Official Selection (Carto, 2018)
- Apple App Store "Best of 2016" in Taiwan (The Swords, 2016)
- Google Play "Best of 2016" in Taiwan (The Swords, 2016)
- IGF China 2015 - Best Mobile Game (The Swords, 2015)
- Indie Stream Award 2015 - Special Recognition Award (The Swords, 2015)
- Game on Weekend 2015 - Best Game (The Swords, 2015)
- GMGC 2016 - Indie Pitch Arena Winner (The Swords, 2016)
- Indie Prize Awards Asia 2016 - Best Game Design Nominee (The Swords, 2016)
- Red Bull’s Mobile Game Of The Year Award 2016 - #8 (The Swords, 2016)
- App Store "Best of 2013" in Taiwan & Hong-Kong (A Ride into the Mountains, 2013)
- GameApe Mobile Game Award - Silver Award in Taiwanese Games (A Ride into the Mountains, 2013)
- Gamezebo The Best Games of 2013 (A Ride into the Mountains, 2013)
Selected Articles
If Goldilocks sought a puzzle game, she’d end up playing Carto
Ari Notis , Kotaku
It’s the ideal game for sitting curled up in 20 blankets and drinking tea while solving some map puzzles
Julia Lee , Polygon
The mechanic is so clever I'm surprised it's never been quite done like this
Papa Niero , Destructoid
Mobile Games to Make Time Fly
Kit Eaton , The New York Times
'The Swords' Is a Short Game With a Simple Title That Hides a Wealth of Beauty
Nick Dinicola , PopMatters
Become a sword master and defeat your foes in The Swords
Christine Chan , AppAdvice
The Swords - A cut above the rest?
Harry Slater , Pocket Gamer
A Ride Into the Mountains is a very impressive game that makes the most of old-school graphics by creating a compelling storyline.
Jason Parker , CNET
'A Ride into the Mountains' is a beautiful, challenging adventure
Andrew Webster , The Verge
This isn't a novelistic game. It's poetic. It doesn't say much, but it says it with quiet elegance.
David Clarke , TouchArcade
A Ride into the Mountains is a picturesque, archery-based, epic adventure
John Polson , IndieGames.com
Team & Repeating Collaborators
- Lee-Kuo Chen - Design
- Chia-Yu Chen - Programming
- Kuan Hung Chen - Art
- Eddie Yu - Sound