Team17

Overview

Formed from the merger of 17-Bit Software and Team 7, Team17 emerged from the Amiga scene with technical excellence and business savvy. Games like Alien Breed and Superfrog established their reputation; Worms (1995) created a franchise that sustains the company decades later.

Fast facts

• Founded: 1990, Wakefield, UK.
• Origins: demo scene and Amiga game development.
• Breakthrough: Worms (1995) became global phenomenon.
• Status: publicly traded, now also a publisher.

Key games

Game	Year	Platform	Notes
Full Contact	1991	Amiga	Early success
Alien Breed	1991	Amiga	Top-down shooter
Project-X	1992	Amiga	Technical showcase
Superfrog	1993	Amiga	Platform mascot attempt
Worms	1995	Multi	Defining franchise
Alien Breed 3D	1995	Amiga	FPS on 68000

Amiga excellence

Team17 pushed Amiga hardware:

• Project-X: parallax scrolling, massive sprites, quality audio
• Alien Breed 3D: Doom-style gameplay on stock Amiga
• Consistent technical quality across titles

Worms phenomenon

Andy Davidson created Worms and submitted it to a competition Team17 ran:

Year	Version	Platform	Innovation
1995	Worms	Multi	Core gameplay
1997	Worms 2	PC	Enhanced weapons, editor
1999	Worms Armageddon	PC	Definitive 2D version
2003	Worms 3D	Multi	Third dimension

Business model evolution

Team17 adapted to industry changes:

• 1990s: Amiga publisher and developer
• 2000s: Multi-platform development
• 2010s: Became publisher for indie games
• 2020s: Public company, diverse portfolio

Games published (selection)

As publisher, Team17 brought many indie hits:

• Overcooked series
• The Escapists
• Blasphemous
• Moving Out

Legacy

Team17 demonstrates longevity through:

• Technical excellence on limited hardware
• One franchise that became evergreen
• Evolution from developer to publisher
• Survival through multiple industry shifts

See also

• Commodore Amiga
• UK Gaming Boom
• Andy Davidson