Skip to main content

10 Hispanic game studios you need to know

For technological and sometimes even cultural reasons, many of the most important names in the history of video games originated in Europe, North America and Asia. However, this has changed, and an increasing number of Latin American studios have entered the gaming industry with high-quality products. Digital distribution has allowed smaller teams to reach global audiences. There are many examples: Video games created in Uruguay, Mexico, Chile, and Colombia are already challenging others created by teams with much more experience.

Hispanic Heritage Month 2020
To celebrate the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the cultural, historical, and technological achievements of the United States, Digital Trends has put together this collection of exclusive features and in-depth reporting from our industry-leading Digital Trends Español team — translated for your convenience, of course. SEE MORE
Hispanic Heritage Month

Ace Team (Chile)

Zeno Clash Video Game
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ace Team is one of the longest-running Latin American studios. Founded in 2002 by brothers Andrés, Carlos, and Edmundo Burdeau, it started with the development of mods for popular games until 2009, when tit made itself known for Zeno Clash, a first-person action title released for PC and Xbox 360.

However, Ace Team would gain more prominence with Rock of Ages, a unique game starring a giant rock that had to destroy castles. From then on, Ace Team games always stood out for their aesthetics, and became known all over the world as they were distributed by companies such as Atlus or Sega.

Ironhide Game Studio (Uruguay)

Kingdom Rush Video Game
Image used with permission by copyright holder

In Uruguay, there is another studio that for more than a decade has succeeded in a way that has gone unnoticed by many people. This is Ironhide Game Studio, creator of the Kingdom Rush franchise, which after its first release as a Flash game, made the leap to cell phones and found its place in the world.

Kingdom Rush became such a hit that Ironhide signed an agreement with Apple to create a title for the Apple Arcade service: Legends of Kingdom Rush, a spinoff of the main saga that uses tactical strategy game mechanics. but with humor and a much more cartoonish and light style.

Dreams Uncorporated (Colombia)

Cris Tales Video Game
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The 2021 title Cris Tales was released on practically every platform. At first glance, Cris Tales looks like an old-school JRPG, but presented in a way that is in line with current times.

Cris Tales turned out to be a very good game and, for many, it was surprising to learn that the title was developed in Colombia by Dreams Uncorporated. Generally, games of this style are developed in Asia, where the genre was born, but Cris Tales is another example of the level of talent in the region.

Lienzo (Mexico)

Aztech Video Game
Image used with permission by copyright holder

In 2018, Mexican studio Lienzo launched a video game with a rare theme: The original Latin American peoples. In the case of Mulaka, the setting revolved around the Tarahumara, a community settled in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, where the studio is also based.

Mulaka was generally very well-received by critics and the public, and the studio seems to be interested in continuing to explore Mexican indigenous culture, judging by the name of its next game due to arrive in 2022: Aztech Forgotten Gods, an action game that reimagines the Aztec Empire in a modern and almost futuristic vision.

Aquiris Game Studio (Brazil)

Horizon Chase
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Brazilian team Aquiris Game Studio, established in 2007, has a striking résumé of developing video games for brands such as Cartoon Network and Looney Tunes, which speaks well of the way they work.

But what is perhaps the studio’s greatest success was born from a title of its own: Horizon Chase, an arcade-style racing game inspired by 1980s and ’90s classics such as Top Gear and Out Run. Horizon Chase was originally a mobile-exclusive title, but over the years, it made the leap to PlayStation 4 and PS5 and has been recognized for its impeccable presentation and nostalgic spirit.

Dual Effect and Abstract Digital Works (Chile)

Tormented Souls Video Game
Image used with permission by copyright holder

These studios are mentioned together because they have one of the region’s most successful video games released in the last year, an old-school survival horror called Tormented Souls.

Tormented Souls is a return to the roots of Resident Evil or Alone in the Dark, back when the genre was just beginning. The results were so good that any work by the studio will generate expectations because it is not every day that a group of practically unknown developers risks making their first work in a genre so beloved by its fans.

MercurySteam (Spain)

Lords of Shadow Video Game
Image used with permission by copyright holder

In 2010, Konami released a new entry in their storied Castlevania franchise. However, instead of developing it in Japan, Konami handed it over to a Spanish studio that hadn’t been heard from much until then. The game in question? The remarkable Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, a three-dimensional hack-and-slash reimagining of the Belmont saga.

Lords of Shadow raised the profile of MercurySteam, which in addition to developing a sequel — which was not as well-received as its first part — was asked by Nintendo to develop two titles in the Metroid franchise. The first was Metroid: Samus Returns, a reimagining of Metroid II, and soon it will release Metroid Dread on Nintendo Switch, a new and completely original entry.

Nimble Giant Entertainment (Argentina)

Quantum League Video Game
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Argentine studio Nimble Giant Entertainment is one of the few that belongs to a larger conglomerate, in this case, to Embracer Group, formerly known as THQ Nordic.

Nimble Giant Entertainment was born in 2002, and one of its first successes was Regnum Online (now renamed to Champions of Regnum), an MMO-like game that is still going strong in a free-to-play format. In 2017, Nimble launched a shooter game called Quantum League that is inspired by titles like Overwatch.

HyperBeard Games (Mexico)

Clawbert Video Game
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Mexican studio HyperBeard Games, founded in 2014, is one of the most respected mobile game developers in the region.

HyperBeard specializes in video games with a very striking and special aesthetic. In addition to creating its own games, it also helps smaller studios to publish, localize, and refine their creations. HyperBeard has a wide portfolio of mobile titles with simple mechanics that have been appreciated by audiences around the world.

The Game Kitchen (Spain)

Blasphemous Video Game
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Until a few years ago, the Spanish studio The Game Kitchen had gone unnoticed — until it launched one of the most interesting and striking indie titles of recent years: Blasphemous, an action game that mixes elements of the classic metroidvania genre with others more typical of Dark Souls.

The setting of Blasphemous was appealing to many Spanish-speaking players, as it deals with topics very typical of the Catholic religious culture that dominates the continent. Blasphemous became a kind of cult hit that, two years after its release, is still being discovered by new players.

Victoria Montenegro Caspe
Victoria is a professional English-Spanish translator, with more than seven years of experience. She has a university degree…
The best iPhone games in 2023: 31 games you need to play right now
Playing Asphalt 9: Legends on the iPhone 14 Plus.

When you have the best iPhone, you pretty much have infinite possibilities for keepingbusy and entertained, no matter where you are. Sure, the iPhone may not be marketed as a gaming phone specifically, but it's pretty powerful — especially with the A17 Pro in the latest iPhone 15 Pro. That new processor means the Apple mobile gaming experience is only getting better and better, with Apple's new chip being able to play console-level games like Assassin's Creed Mirage and the Resident Evil 4 remake.

While those games aren't available yet, there's no shortage of great games to play. But when the App Store has over a million apps, how are you supposed to find the best games to play? Don't worry -- we're here to help! Since there are a ton of games out there — and not every game is a winner — it's definitely hard to find games that are worth your time and energy. Whether you're looking for a simple match 3, an MMORPG, a dungeon crawler, or even something to just relax with, here are the best iPhone games you can play right now.

Read more
PS5 slim vs. PS5: everything you need to know about the new PS5 model
The slimmer PS5 console laying on its side.

Sony consoles have always gotten multiple versions and editions ever since the original PlayStation 1. As technology becomes cheaper and more advanced, refreshed models that are both smaller and less expensive to produce typically come out a couple of years into a console's life cycle, and we have now hit that point for the PS5. The PS5 slim, as it is being referred to, is a smaller version of the launch models, and will eventually become the standard unit available to consumers once the stock of existing PS5s runs out. However, is this version worth getting if you're an existing owner, or is it only for new purchasers? There's also the question about which of the two versions to buy. To answer all these questions, let's compare the PS5 slim to the OG PS5.
Specs

Let's start with the most important part, which is whether or not there's more power under the hood of the PS5 slim compared to the launch models. No, the PS5 slim is not in any way more powerful than an existing PS5. This is not a PS5 Pro, which is currently just a rumor. Games will not look, run, or play any better or worse on either version. The only difference in terms of specs is that the slim versions have slightly more storage space at 1 TB compared to 825GB, which is just a small 175GB upgrade. There's nothing here that makes it worth buying a new system when you can expand the storage of your console yourself.
Size
Obviously, a slim model would mean that this new version would be smaller than the frankly comically large launch version. While that's true, it isn't a huge reduction in size. The PS5 Slim disc version weighs 3.2 kilograms (18% less that the original PS5) while the discless version weighs 2.6kg (24% less), and both are 30% smaller by volume.
Versions
Once again, you will have the option to choose between an all-digital and standard version of the PS5 Slim. However, unlike the original discless PS5, the new version will give you the option to add a disc drive later on if you purchase a separate detachable drive.
Price
The current PS5 models are priced at $400 and $500 for the digital and standard versions, respectively. While the PS5 slim standard version that includes the disc drive will remain at $500, the discless version will get a price increase to $450. This price increase had already been seen in other territories outside the U.S., but will now be introduced here once these new versions launch. It is also worth mentioning that the detachable disc drive you can get to upgrade your discless version will cost $80, meaning you would spend more to buy the digital version and add the drive than you would by simply buying the version with the drive already included.

Read more
Do you need to play the first two Baldur’s Gate games before playing 3?
A female adventurer with scales on her face.

Baldur's Gate 3 is officially out of early access and first impressions imply that it could be one of the best games of 2023. While there aren't many scored reviews out (critics only had a few days with the game before launch), several "reviews in progress" have shared some glowing thoughts on the massive computer role-playing game (CRPG). We've published our own early thoughts, which align with the critical consensus, noting that it could very well be the best Dungeons & Dragons video game ever.

With so much hype around the release, there's a question that might spring to mind: Do you have to play Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate 2 before playing 3? That would involve going back to play two enormous games from over 20 years ago, which seems like an overwhelming task. If that's stressing you out, don't worry: There's great news for newcomers.
Do you have to play Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 before playing Baldur's Gate 3?

Read more