# Hothead Games

Hothead Games Inc. was an independent Canadian video game developer based in Vancouver.

## History

The studio was founded in 2006 by Steve Bocska, Vlad Ceraldi and Joel DeYoung, all three of which were formerly employed by Radical Entertainment. Bocska left the company in 2007. On 10 March 2009, Ian Wilkinson, who had been president and chief executive officer of Radical Entertainment since its foundation in 1991 until 2008, became president and chief executive officer of Hothead Games, replacing Ceraldi. In turn, Ceraldi became the studio's director of game development, while DeYoung moved from his chief operating officer position to director of game technology.
Following the conclusion of the DeathSpank series and the departure of its creator Ron Gilbert in 2011, Hothead Games shifted its development focus entirely to mobile games in response to market trends surrounding mobile devices. In 2015, Hothead Games expanded by opening a studio in Halifax, Nova Scotia with an initial development team of 25 people, putting the company's employee count at 130. In 2019, Hothead Games established a publishing arm to promote third-party free-to-play titles.
On 14 October 2021, Embracer Group announced that its subsidiary DECA Games had acquired the Hothead Games titles Hero Hunters and Kill Shot Bravo. In January 2022, Vlad Ceraldi left Hothead Games to fill the CEO position of independent game developer Offworld Industries. In December 2024, president and CEO Ian Wilkinson announced on LinkedIn that the company had filed for bankruptcy and would close down.

## Games developed

| Year | Title | Platform(s) | Publisher(s) |
| 2008 | Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One | macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Hothead Games |
| 2008 | Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode Two | macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Hothead Games |
| 2010 | DeathSpank | macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Electronic Arts |
| 2010 | DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue | macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Electronic Arts |
| 2011 | Swarm | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Ignition Entertainment |
| 2011 | Kickin Momma | iOS | Hothead Games |
| 2011 | The Baconing | macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Hothead Games |
| 2011 | Kard Combat | iOS | Hothead Games |
| 2011 | Sea Stars | Android, iOS | Hothead Games |
| 2012 | Big Win Soccer | Android, iOS | Hothead Games |
| 2012 | Big Win Hockey | Android, iOS | Hothead Games |
| 2012 | Big Win Baseball | Android, iOS | Hothead Games |
| 2012 | Big Win Basketball | Android, iOS | Hothead Games |
| 2013 | Rivals at War | Android, iOS | Hothead Games |
| 2013 | Rivals at War: 2084 | Android, iOS | Hothead Games |
| 2013 | Big Win Racing | Android, iOS | Hothead Games |
| 2014 | Rivals at War: Firefight | Android, iOS | Hothead Games |
| 2014 | Kill Shot | Android, iOS | Hothead Games |
| 2015 | Big Win Football 2016 | Android, iOS | Hothead Games |
| 2015 | Boom Boom Football | Android, iOS | Hothead Games |
| 2015 | Kill Shot Bravo | Android, iOS | Hothead Games |
| 2016 | Boom Boom Soccer | Android, iOS | Hothead Games |
| 2017 | Kill Shot Virus | Android, iOS | Hothead Games |
| 2017 | Mighty Battles | Android, iOS | Hothead Games |
| 2018 | Hero Hunters | Android, iOS | Hothead Games |
| 2018 | Forged Fantasy | Android, iOS | Hothead Games |
| 2019 | Idle Golf Tycoon | Android, iOS | Hothead Games |
| 2019 | Idle Property Manager Tycoon | Android, iOS | Hothead Games |
| 2020 | Super Hit Baseball | Android, iOS | Hothead Games |
| 2020 | Box Office Tycoon | Android, iOS | Hothead Games |
| 2024 | Big Win Football 2024 | Android, iOS | Hothead Games |