Swedish Eclipsium praised by The New York Times

At Sweden Game Conference in autumn 2024 a new Gothenburg studio in Science Park Skövdes startup program, Sweden Game Startup, pitched a game concept after winning both Best Audio and Game of the Year. Semih Parlayan, one of the creators behind the hit game Raft, saw the potential in the group from the games programme at Yrgo who go by the name Housefire Games. This spring they secured their first investment.

Around the same time Emil Forsen was appointed CEO. Shortly after, a publishing agreement was signed with Critical Reflex and Housefire Games has since grown to nine employees plus two contractors. On 19 September this year they released the horror title Eclipsium on Steam, and during the last weekend of October the game was highlighted in The New York Times.

“The investment has meant everything to us and to the development of Eclipsium. Before that we worked full time without salary and Eclipsium was a completely different game. After the investment we were able to bring in Max Friberg as Creative Director, scrap years of legacy, sharpen our pipelines and deliver a much more mature and thematically cohesive experience in just four months,” says Emil Forsen, CEO at Housefire Games.

Eclipsium is a psychological and psychedelic PC horror experience where narrative and audio visual expression take centre stage. There are no monsters to fight. Instead you are thrown into a psychological thriller where you try to decode thick layers of symbolism while the sound design makes the hair on your arms stand straight up.

Since launch, the game has sold 30 000 copies and has received more than 1 300 Steam reviews. The largest audience is in the United States and ahead of Halloween The New York Times published “5 Disturbing Games for Halloween Weekend”, featuring Eclipsium among the selected titles.

“It is of course incredible to be mentioned in The New York Times. We have not seen any measurable sales effects yet, but it definitely gives us bragging rights,” Emil laughs, and continues:

“Game development is not only entertainment but an art form, and our goal with Eclipsium has always been to deliver an experience that is both emotional and unsettling. And judging from the reviews on Steam it seems like we made it.”

Eclipsium is now complete and ready for horror fans around the world to dive into. But the studio is not slowing down. They are already working on a new project under the working title Star Requiem, this time an adventure driven action experience.

“We do not want to make only horror. Housefire aims for short development cycles and a wide range of genres connected through strong audio visual spectacles. It is important to have fun, keep evolving and stay curious and unafraid. That is how we build a games industry that protects and focuses on what makes games such a unique cultural expression,” says Emil.

Through Sweden Game Startup the team has worked closely with business coach Kristina Bjorkman, who has been an important sounding board.

“Housefire Games is a team that truly fought to get to where they are today. It has been a joy to follow their journey, see them grow and release their first game,” she says.

“We are incredibly grateful for Science Park Skövdes startup program. It is an amazing opportunity to get help with company formation and support for pitching, investment and marketing. My main advice to anyone who wants to start making games is: Just do it. Nothing is stopping you, so get started today. It has never been more accessible,” Emil concludes.