Eipix Entertainment

Lore & Background

Eipix Entertainment began as an indie company, with early projects including the sci-fi race and shooter Pyroblazer and eco-themed puzzle adventure Ziro. After several independent projects, the company worked as an outsourcing firm, porting and making games for other developers. In 2011, Eipix shifted its focus to casual games, primarily hidden object puzzle adventure (HOPA) titles published through Big Fish Games. Starting with Final Cut: Death on the Silver Screen Collector's Edition in 2012, Eipix developed more than 80 HOPA titles, including sequels to Mystery Case Files, Dark Parables, and Hidden Expedition, as well as original series like Final Cut, Dead Reckoning, and Vermillion Watch. The company also developed sequels to the text-based game Lifeline, beginning with Lifeline: Whiteout.

Reader's Guide

Eipix Entertainment's significance lies in its prolific output of hidden object puzzle adventure games, a genre that thrived on casual gaming platforms. By taking over development of major franchises like Mystery Case Files, Dark Parables, and Hidden Expedition, Eipix sustained and expanded these series for years, reaching a dedicated audience. The company also diversified into free-to-play games, self-publishing on mobile platforms, virtual reality with Althora, and voice-controlled games for Amazon Alexa. Its acquisition by Playrix in December 2019 marked the end of its independent era. Eipix's legacy is tied to the HOPA genre's popularity in the 2010s, and its work kept several beloved series alive during that period.

Did You Know?

• Eipix developed more than 80 hidden object puzzle adventure titles starting with Final Cut: Death on the Silver Screen Collector's Edition in 2012.
• The company's first VR game, Althora, was released on May 11, 2017.
• Eipix co-founded Imagine Incredible in 2016, a project for in-house production and distribution of comic books.
• The company's first independent self-published release was the free-to-play game Hoppy Land on August 31, 2016.

From Indie Roots to Casual Gaming Powerhouse

Eipix Entertainment traces its origins to 2005 in Novi Sad, Serbia, where it launched as an independent studio with ambitions that spanned multiple genres. Its earliest titles reflected a broad creative range: Pyroblazer blended science-fiction racing with shooter mechanics, while Ziro offered an eco-themed puzzle adventure. These early experiments established the studio's willingness to explore different gameplay spaces. However, the path forward was not linear. After a period of working as an outsourcing partner—porting and building games on behalf of other developers—Eipix made a pivotal strategic pivot in 2011. The studio returned to developing its own titles but narrowed its focus decisively toward the casual gaming space, specifically hidden object puzzle adventure games. That same year, it began publishing through Big Fish Games, and the following year marked a milestone with Final Cut: Death on the Silver Screen Collector's Edition. This shift set the trajectory for what would become one of the most prolific HOPA developers in the industry.

Mastering the Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure Genre

By 2019, Eipix had shipped more than eighty hidden object puzzle adventure titles, making it one of the most prolific studios in the genre. Beyond its own original series—Final Cut, Dead Reckoning, and Vermillion Watch—the company took on stewardship of several beloved franchises. In the Hidden Expedition line, players follow a female explorer and spy working for H.E.L.P., a society devoted to preserving ancient treasures and civilizations. Eipix produced thirteen entries in that series between 2013 and 2019, covering stories from the Smithsonian Hope Diamond to Neptune's Gift. The studio also assumed production of Dark Parables sequels starting with the eighth installment, collaborating with original creator Blue Tea Games on The Little Mermaid and the Purple Tide before independently developing titles like Queen of Sands and Requiem for the Forgotten Shadow. When Blue Tea Games reclaimed the series at the fourteenth entry, Eipix remained involved in a programming capacity. Additionally, the studio extended its reach into the text-based Lifeline franchise with Lifeline: Whiteout, published by Big Fish Games.

Expanding Beyond the Puzzle Box

While HOPA titles formed the backbone of Eipix's output, the studio consistently pushed into new formats and platforms. In 2016, it released Free the Witch, its first free-to-play title, and simultaneously transitioned into self-publishing. That autumn and winter saw a rapid succession of independent mobile releases: Hoppy Land on the iTunes App Store in late August, Nom Nom in early October, and Spiny Core in mid-December. The following year brought a foray into virtual reality with Althora, a VR puzzle adventure launched in May 2017. Eipix also explored voice-controlled gaming, shipping Path of Discovery: Europa for Amazon Alexa devices in October 2017. In June 2018, the studio announced Walk the Fort, a new core game developed by one of its internal divisions. Across all these efforts, Eipix maintained a multi-platform presence spanning PC, Mac, iOS, and Android, demonstrating a commitment to meeting players wherever they chose to engage.

Comics, Collaboration, and a New Chapter

Eipix's ambitions extended well beyond video games. In 2016, the studio co-founded Imagine Incredible, a venture dedicated to producing and distributing comic books in both physical and digital formats. The project's first series, Lightstep Chronicles, successfully crowdfunded on Kickstarter in 2017, and a video-game adaptation of the comic was subsequently approved for funding through the Creative Europe MEDIA Programme, with Eipix handling development. This cross-media initiative highlighted the studio's broader creative vision and its ability to build narrative worlds across multiple formats. The company's independent journey, however, reached a natural conclusion in December 2019, when Eipix was acquired by publisher Playrix. The acquisition folded one of Serbia's most active game developers into a larger corporate structure, bringing its extensive HOPA catalog, VR experience, and multi-platform expertise under a new umbrella while preserving the Novi Sad-based team's creative output.