Hyper Luminal Games mark 10th anniversary with launch of Pine Hearts on new cosy-game publishing platform

Hyper Luminal Games mark 10th anniversary with launch of Pine Hearts on new cosy-game publishing platform

A video games studio formed by Abertay University graduates is celebrating the launch of its first original game in five years on their new cosy-game publishing platform, marking the culmination of 10 years of growth and success.

Hyper Luminal Games today release heartfelt narrative-adventure Pine Hearts on both Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam, via their own publishing platform Little Nook.

The milestone moment follows on from a track record of success and growth for the Dundee-based company, which has grown from a small team of student developers who met at Abertay to become one of the city’s largest games industry employers.

A heart-tugging love letter to all those who have experienced loss, Pine Hearts offers a cosy and comforting refuge in which players can reminisce on treasured memories.

Set in and around the picturesque grounds of the Pine Hearts Caravan Park, it features a full cast of charming, caring characters, a cornucopia of whimsical activities, and beautiful Scottish scenery to explore.

Players hop into the hiking boots of lead character Tyke and set off on an adventure full of mystery and memories, wholesome encounters and some light puzzle solving.

Over the course of the game, players meet other campers, make friends, have cookouts and even track down a mysterious monster in the woods.

Hyper Luminal’s team of around 85 games developers take on a variety of work for hire projects, however Pine Hearts is the studio’s first original release in five years, taking their own game to market through their innovative new publishing platform Little Nook.

Co-founded by CEO Stuart Martin and Creative Director Rob Madden, graduates of Professional Masters in Games Development, Hyper Luminal employs a diverse team of talented developers and has created over 50 new roles in the last three years alone.

The team is dedicated to providing a safe, creative, and collaborative environment that encourages personal growth for staff and the studio has been recognised for its commitment to inclusivity and accessibility.

Stuart and I are eternally grateful for having graduated at Abertay University. We would not be celebrating the company's 10th anniversary this year in Dundee and have created the number of jobs we have in the city we call home, without the teaching and support at this world class educational institute. As a business, we’ve been on a real journey of discovery and development since leaving Abertay - we’re so proud of how far the team has come and to be publishing Pine Hearts in our tenth anniversary year is a really special moment for us.

For more information on Pine Hearts follow Little Nook on X (formerly Twitter). Want to follow in Hyper Luminal's footsteps? Check out the video games design courses from our School of Design and Informatics.