Giant Sparrow
| Company type | Independent studio |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Founder | Ian Dallas |
| Headquarters | Santa Monica , United States |
Key people | Ian Dallas |
| Products | The Unfinished Swan, What Remains of Edith Finch |
Number of employees | 3 |
Giant Sparrow is an independent video game studio located in Santa Monica, California, United States. The company specializes in crafting story-rich adventure titles, notably including The Unfinished Swan (2012) and What Remains of Edith Finch (2017).
History
Ian Dallas founded Giant Sparrow in 2009 after moving from a career in television writing—with credits such as Rock Me Baby and Drawn Together—to game development. Pursuing more creative autonomy, Dallas enrolled in a graduate-level game design program at the University of Southern California. During this time, a prototype he created caught the attention of Sony Interactive Entertainment, resulting in a publishing agreement. Dallas subsequently left the university to launch Giant Sparrow within the facilities of Sony’s Santa Monica Studio, securing a three-title development contract that provided Sony with exclusive publishing rights. This arrangement positioned Giant Sparrow as Sony’s second independent studio to receive first-party support, following Thatgamecompany.
By 2024, Giant Sparrow functions with a small core team of three developers, including Dallas, and continues to collaborate closely with Santa Monica Studios throughout its projects.
Games
The studio’s first release, The Unfinished Swan, evolved from Dallas’ graduate project. The game places players in a surreal, predominantly white world, where they control Monroe, who pursues a swan that has escaped from a painting by splattering paint to uncover the surroundings. Initially launched on PlayStation 3 on October 23, 2012, it later became available on PlayStation 4 and Vita through Sony Computer Entertainment in 2014. Ports for Windows and iOS were released by Annapurna Interactive in 2020. The title received BAFTA recognition for both "Best Game" and "Best Debut Game" in 2013.
What Remains of Edith Finch offers a first-person narrative experience that delves into the ill-fated history of the Finch family through episodic storytelling influenced by works such as The Twilight Zone and One Hundred Years of Solitude. Originally envisioned as a diving simulator, it launched on Windows and PlayStation 4 on April 25, 2017. The game earned accolades including "Best Narrative" at The Game Awards and secured the BAFTA "Best Game" award in 2018.
Currently, Giant Sparrow is developing a new title described by Dallas as a collection of brief stories focused on a field biologist and the peculiarities of natural life. This project draws inspiration from nature documentaries by David Attenborough and incorporates mythological elements reminiscent of Spirited Away.
| Year | Title | Publisher | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | The Unfinished Swan | Sony Computer Entertainment (PS3, PS4, Vita) Annapurna Interactive (Windows, iOS) |
PS3, PS4, Vita, Windows, iOS |
| 2017 | What Remains of Edith Finch | Annapurna Interactive | PS4, PS5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, iOS |