A new UK studio established by games publishing veteran Darryl Still, alongside former colleagues Matt DC and James Deputy, has inked its first deal with multi-award-winning, independent studio Aardman
Sunset Sugar Studios will initially focus on the super popular Pixel Puzzles franchise, created by Matt DC and which has over four million players around the world. Already available on Steam, the series will also be available on PlayStation and Xbox formats going forward.
Working with brands will be a key focus for Sunset Sugar Studios, and already the company has signed a prestigious licensing deal with Aardman – with Pixel Puzzles Aardman scheduled for release on Steam today (March 26th).
The game will feature iconic scenes from Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and more, boasting 26 free puzzles with piece counts ranging from 96 to 425.
Sunset Sugar Studios’ Publishing Director Darryl Still – who boasts an impressive 35+ year career in the UK and international games industry – said: “It’s great to be back with the launch of Sunset Sugar Studios, and with the opportunity to take the incredibly popular Pixel Puzzle games to an even wider audience.
“Our goal when we chose to set up Sunset Sugar was to work with the biggest names in licensing – and we’ve done that from the off with our first deal with Aardman. We are delighted to be working with them, and to have the chance to recreate their worlds into the Pixel Puzzle environment.”
Hannah McFarlane, Licensing Executive at Aardman offered: “We are delighted to be partnering with Pixel Puzzles, collaborating on a range of online jigsaw puzzles featuring much-loved Aardman characters. The traditional format of jigsaws mixed with online gaming is a popular and growing market and is a great addition to the portfolio of digital Aardman games. We are looking forward to showcasing these games to our current fanbase who will love interacting with the iconic characters as well as attracting new fans from the world of online gaming.”
To find out more about Pixel Puzzle Aardman, click here.
About Aardman
Aardman is an employee-owned company, based in Bristol (UK) and co-founded in 1976 by Peter Lord and David Sproxton. An independent, multi-Academy Award® and BAFTA® award winning studio, it produces feature films, series, advertising, games and interactive entertainment. Current animated productions include the feature length sequel Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget and a brand new Wallace & Gromit film for 2024.
Its productions are global in appeal, novel, entertaining, brilliantly characterised and full of charm reflecting the unique talent, energy and personal commitment of the Aardman team. The studio’s work – which includes the creation of much-loved characters including Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Timmy Time and Morph – is often imitated, and yet the company continues to lead the field producing a rare brand of visually stunning content for cinema, broadcasters, digital platforms and live experiences around the world. Recent celebrated projects include the Academy Award® and BAFTA® nominated short film Robin Robin, International Emmy® award winning Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas, BAFTA® nominated preschool series The Very Small Creatures and the brand new CGI comedy series for kids Lloyd of the Flies.
The studio runs the Aardman Academy which has a commitment to nurturing talent by delivering excellence in film and animation training and mentoring. The Aardman Academy offers a variety of courses from intensive one-day workshops teaching production skills and storyboarding, to comprehensive twelve-week courses for professionals in craft based subjects from model making to animation.
In November 2018 it became an Employee Owned Organisation, to ensure Aardman remains independent and to secure the creative legacy and culture of the company for many decades to come. www.aardman.com