# The Chinese Room
**The Chinese Room** is a British independent video game development studio based in Brighton, England, known for narrative-driven first-person games such as *Dear Esther* (2012), *Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs* (2013), *Everybody's Gone to the Rapture* (2015), and *[Still Wakes the Deep](https://www.edgepedia.org/still-wakes-the-deep)* (2024).[1](https://amnesia.fandom.com/wiki/The_Chinese_Room) The studio was founded in 2007 out of a doctoral research project at the University of Portsmouth backed by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, and it takes its name from the philosophical thought experiment of the same name.[2](https://www.thechineseroom.co.uk/the-chinese-room) • [3](https://xn--meb.pisz.pl/The_Chinese_Room)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2007, from a Doctoral research project at the University of Portsmouth, backed by the Arts and Humanities Research Council[2](https://www.thechineseroom.co.uk/the-chinese-room) |
| Location | Brighton, UK[1](https://amnesia.fandom.com/wiki/The_Chinese_Room) |
| Breakthrough title | *Dear Esther* (2012), which sold roughly 830,000 to 840,000 copies by 2019[4](https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/document/3252556) |
| Major releases | *Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs* (2013), *Everybody's Gone to the Rapture* (2015), *Little Orpheus* (2020), *Still Wakes the Deep* (2024), *Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2* (2025)[2](https://www.thechineseroom.co.uk/the-chinese-room) |
| Awards | Six BAFTAs overall, including three for *Still Wakes the Deep*[2](https://www.thechineseroom.co.uk/the-chinese-room) |
| Ownership | Subsidiary of Sumo Group from 2018; independent again through a management buyout completed in July 2025[5](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/rpg/after-7-years-and-the-increasingly-likely-chance-itd-be-sold-off-vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2-developer-the-chinese-room-is-once-again-an-independent-studio/) |
| Size | 55 developers as of July 2025[6](https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/the-chinese-room-is-independent-again-following-management-buyout) |
## Origins and *Dear Esther*
The studio grew out of academic research. Dan Pinchbeck, a researcher based at the University of Portsmouth, created *Dear Esther* in 2007 as part of a project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council to explore experimental gameplay and storytelling.[7](https://highlike.org/text/the-chinese-room/) The underpinning research led directly to the formation of The Chinese Room in 2007, with Pinchbeck as Creative Director.[8](https://impact.ref.ac.uk/casestudies/CaseStudy.aspx?Id=15738)
*Dear Esther* began as a free modification for *Half-Life 2* in 2008 and, after winning numerous awards, was turned into a stand-alone game by the studio, released commercially on Steam in 2012.[9](https://www.routledge.com/rsc/downloads/unprotected_159848_Williams_Chapter_10.pdf) • [4](https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/document/3252556) By 2019 it had sold around 830,000 to 840,000 copies.[4](https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/document/3252556) The game is widely identified as a prototypical "walking simulator", a genre label for exploration-focused games that de-emphasize traditional challenge mechanics in favor of story and atmosphere.[10](https://kotaku.com/everybodys-gone-to-the-rapture-the-kotaku-review-1723137676)
## *Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs*
The studio's second major release was a collaboration with [Frictional Games](https://www.edgepedia.org/frictional-games), the Swedish creator of the *Amnesia* franchise.[11](https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/postmortem-the-chinese-room-s-i-amnesia-a-machine-for-pigs-i-) Originally pitched as a short two-to-three hour experience titled *We are the Pig*, the project expanded so much that development stretched from the planned 12 months to 24 months.[11](https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/postmortem-the-chinese-room-s-i-amnesia-a-machine-for-pigs-i-)
Frictional took a hands-off approach early on, giving The Chinese Room freedom to experiment with the established formula. The studio removed the series' sanity meter, judging that a gauge telling players when to be scared was fundamentally flawed, and later scrapped a planned "Infection" system that failed to integrate convincingly.[11](https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/postmortem-the-chinese-room-s-i-amnesia-a-machine-for-pigs-i-) The inventory was also removed to keep players within active gameplay.[11](https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/postmortem-the-chinese-room-s-i-amnesia-a-machine-for-pigs-i-) The game was released in September 2013 and proved divisive among players, though it received predominantly strong critical praise.[11](https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/postmortem-the-chinese-room-s-i-amnesia-a-machine-for-pigs-i-) • [12](https://videogamescritic.com/studio/the-chinese-room?role=developer)
## *Everybody's Gone to the Rapture* and later work
*Everybody's Gone to the Rapture*, released on April 14, 2016, is a first-person exploration game set in the fictional [Shropshire](https://www.edgepedia.org/shropshire) village of Yaughton, where the player follows balls of light that replay moments before the inhabitants' disappearance.[13](https://store.steampowered.com/app/417880/Everybodys_Gone_to_the_Rapture/) • [14](https://time.com/3990057/everybodys-gone-to-the-rapture/) Published for PlayStation 4 in partnership with Sony, it won the studio BAFTA and TIGA awards.[2](https://www.thechineseroom.co.uk/the-chinese-room) Reviewers noted its very slow walking speed and absence of combat, puzzles, or inventory, and some questioned whether it should be called a game at all.[14](https://time.com/3990057/everybodys-gone-to-the-rapture/)
**Later releases.** *Little Orpheus* followed in 2020 to critical acclaim, receiving an Apple Design Award and [D.I.C.E. Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/d-i-c-e-awards) nominations.[2](https://www.thechineseroom.co.uk/the-chinese-room) *Still Wakes the Deep*, a narrative horror game set on a Scottish oil rig in December 1975, was released in June 2024 and won three BAFTA awards.[2](https://www.thechineseroom.co.uk/the-chinese-room) • [15](https://www.thechineseroom.co.uk/games/still-wakes-the-deep) The studio took over development of *Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2* in 2020 and released it on October 21, 2025.[16](https://www.gamesradar.com/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2-guide/) • [2](https://www.thechineseroom.co.uk/the-chinese-room)
## Independence, ownership, and current projects
The Chinese Room joined Sumo Group in 2018.[2](https://www.thechineseroom.co.uk/the-chinese-room) In July 2025, facing the prospect of being sold by Sumo, which was pivoting away from developing its own games, the studio completed a management buyout facilitated by the venture capital firm Hiro Capital, regaining independence under studio head Ed Daly.[5](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/rpg/after-7-years-and-the-increasingly-likely-chance-itd-be-sold-off-vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2-developer-the-chinese-room-is-once-again-an-independent-studio/) The divestment process involved an undisclosed number of layoffs, leaving the studio with 55 developers.[6](https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/the-chinese-room-is-independent-again-following-management-buyout)
In February 2026, the studio announced a publishing deal with Lyrical Games for an unannounced original title, with Lyrical providing financing while the studio retains creative autonomy and intellectual property ownership.[17](https://www.thechineseroom.co.uk/games/unannounced-new-project)
## References
1. [The Chinese Room | Amnesia Wiki](https://amnesia.fandom.com/wiki/The_Chinese_Room)
2. [About - The Chinese Room](https://www.thechineseroom.co.uk/the-chinese-room)
3. [The Chinese Room - Encyklopedia internetowa](https://xn--meb.pisz.pl/The_Chinese_Room)
4. [Chapter 7 Case Study 1: Dear Esther, Kent Academic Repository](https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/document/3252556)
5. [After 7 years... The Chinese Room is once again an independent studio, GamesRadar+](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/rpg/after-7-years-and-the-increasingly-likely-chance-itd-be-sold-off-vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2-developer-the-chinese-room-is-once-again-an-independent-studio/)
6. [Update: The Chinese Room confirms layoffs after regaining independence, Game Developer](https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/the-chinese-room-is-independent-again-following-management-buyout)
7. [The Chinese Room | highlike](https://highlike.org/text/the-chinese-room/)
8. [REF Case Study: The Chinese Room](https://impact.ref.ac.uk/casestudies/CaseStudy.aspx?Id=15738)
9. [History of Digital Games, Routledge chapter PDF](https://www.routledge.com/rsc/downloads/unprotected_159848_Williams_Chapter_10.pdf)
10. [Everybody's Gone to the Rapture: The Kotaku Review](https://kotaku.com/everybodys-gone-to-the-rapture-the-kotaku-review-1723137676)
11. [Postmortem: The Chinese Room's Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, Game Developer](https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/postmortem-the-chinese-room-s-i-amnesia-a-machine-for-pigs-i-)
12. [The Chinese Room: indie developer rating, VideoGamesCritic](https://videogamescritic.com/studio/the-chinese-room?role=developer)
13. [Everybody's Gone to the Rapture on Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/417880/Everybodys_Gone_to_the_Rapture/)
14. [Why Everybody Should Play Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, Time](https://time.com/3990057/everybodys-gone-to-the-rapture/)
15. [Still Wakes The Deep - The Chinese Room](https://www.thechineseroom.co.uk/games/still-wakes-the-deep)
16. [Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2: Everything we know so far, GamesRadar+](https://www.gamesradar.com/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2-guide/)
17. [We have signed a publishing deal with Lyrical Games for an unannounced new title - The Chinese Room](https://www.thechineseroom.co.uk/games/unannounced-new-project)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Video games and digital play › Game industry › Developers and studios › Individual studio profiles › European studios*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license