Edinburgh-based indie studio Ant Workshop celebrated their 8th birthday last week; a significant milestone, particularly for a smaller studio in a post-Covid world.
The studio has grown significantly since its initial launch in 2015, releasing three games, with a fourth, Dungeon Golf, currently in the works.
Worthy Work
Kicking things off with their 2017 debut, Taps Aff: The Scottish Summertime Simulator, Ant Workshop set the tone with a humorous mobile game soaked in local flavour. Featuring simple, tap-based controls, the game created a clever pun together with its title, and featured Scottish slang alongside lawsuit-baiting orange-and-blue drink cans.
2018’s Binaries stepped things up a notch, presenting a neon-tinged minimalist title that nevertheless proved to be a formidable challenge. The game was released on PC and every major console, expanding Ant Workshop’s reach.
Finally, 2019 saw the release of Dead End Job, a twin-stick shooter that threw in roguelike elements and a 90’s cartoon aesthetic for good measure. Appearing on PC and console, as well as Apple Arcade, it proved to be the Workshop’s most widespread title yet.
Tunnel Vision
It’s a strong portfolio to be sure, but Ant Workshop has no intention of slowing down. Their current project, Dungeon Golf, is an ambitious fusion of turn-based dungeon crawling, mini golf, and couch co-op, slated for release later this year.
The project received the backing of Chroma Ventures, the new publishing arm of 4J Studios, and the team has “spent the last year in stealth mode quietly working” on the game, living up to their studio name nicely.
Happy Birthday, Ant Workshop. Here’s to another eight years!