Boffo Games
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Founder | Steve Meretzky, Mike Dornbrook, Leo DaCosta |
| Defunct | 1997 |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Hodj 'n' Podj, The Space Bar |
Boffo Games was a video game developer established in 1994 by Steve Meretzky, Mike Dornbrook, and Leo DaCosta. The company’s logo was created by Gayle Syska, who previously worked at Infocom. During its operation, Boffo released two titles: Hodj 'n' Podj and The Space Bar, before ceasing operations in 1997. Initially, Hodj 'n' Podj was developed under contract for Media Vision, which later sold off its multimedia division following a securities fraud incident; the game was subsequently picked up by Virgin Interactive. Meanwhile, The Space Bar was set to be published by Rocket Science Games (RSG), but after RSG was acquired by SegaSoft, publishing responsibilities transferred to SegaSoft.
History
In late 1993, designer Steve Meretzky planned to create an independent development studio together with Mike Dornbrook and Leo DaCosta. The trio had all studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Meretzky had previously collaborated with Dornbrook at Infocom and worked alongside DaCosta during the 1990s.
Following the closure of Infocom in 1989, Meretzky took on contract roles with companies such as Legend Entertainment, but found remote work creatively unfulfilling and preferred working directly with teams onsite. Dornbrook’s expertise in business operations helped make the new venture viable. The project gained traction after Dornbrook learned about the launch of a new gaming division at Media Vision in mid-1993, headed by record executive Stan Cornyn. Since Cornyn was an acquaintance, Dornbrook arranged a meeting with his deputy Linda Rich to discuss potential collaboration opportunities.
List of games developed by Boffo
- Hodj 'n' Podj
- Reverse Alien (cancelled)
- The Space Bar
References