Team17
Worms creators
Notable Games
Company History
Team17 Digital Limited was founded in 1990 in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. Emerging from the vibrant European demo scene and Amiga development community, Team17 established itself as one of the premier Amiga developers before achieving global recognition with the Worms franchise.
The studio's early Amiga games — including the Alien Breed series (top-down shooters inspired by the Alien films), Project-X (a demanding shoot-em-up), and Superfrog (a platformer rivaling Sonic) — showcased technical expertise and polished gameplay that rivaled any developer on the platform. Body Blows (1993) attempted to compete with Street Fighter II, demonstrating Team17's ambition.
Worms (1995) transformed Team17 from a respected Amiga studio into an international brand. The turn-based artillery game, featuring teams of weaponized cartoon worms, was immediately accessible yet strategically deep. Players took turns navigating destructible terrain, using absurd weapons (exploding sheep, holy hand grenades, concrete donkeys) to eliminate opposing teams. Local multiplayer made Worms a party game staple across platforms.
The franchise expanded through numerous sequels — Worms Armageddon (1999) and Worms World Party (2001) are particularly celebrated — selling tens of millions of copies across virtually every gaming platform. In the 2010s, Team17 pivoted to become a major indie game publisher, bringing titles like Overcooked, The Escapists, Moving Out, and Blasphemous to market. This transformation made Team17 one of Europe's most successful gaming companies, listing on the London Stock Exchange in 2018.
Behind the Scenes
Team17's origins in the Amiga scene profoundly shaped their development philosophy. The Amiga community emphasized technical excellence, demo-scene aesthetics, and competitive showmanship — games needed to impress knowledgeable audiences. This heritage gave Team17 games their polished feel and attention to visual and audio detail.
The creation of Worms began when designer Andy Davidson submitted the game (then called Total Wormage) to a Blitz BASIC programming competition. Team17 recognized its potential and worked with Davidson to develop the concept into a full release. The game's success lay in its combination of strategic depth, personality, and accessibility. The squeaky worm voices, procedural name generation, and explosive weapons created memorable moments that players would discuss and share.
The destructible terrain system was technically impressive and gameplay-defining — every explosion permanently changed the battlefield, creating emergent strategic situations. The wind system added unpredictability that kept matches tense. Unlike many contemporary games, Worms remained engaging for both novices (who could still land lucky shots) and experts (who could calculate pixel-perfect grenade angles).
Team17's transformation into a publishing powerhouse demonstrates adaptation to industry changes. As AAA development costs increased and independent developers struggled with marketing and distribution, Team17 offered a middle path: professional publishing support while allowing creative independence. Their curated selection of games — focusing on accessible multiplayer and cooperative experiences — reflects learned expertise in what makes games resonate with audiences. The shift from developer to publisher represents one trajectory for successful small studios navigating the modern games industry.
About Team17
Team17 is an active game development company founded on January 1, 1990 and headquartered in .
Known for creating iconic titles such as Worms, Worms Armageddon, Overcooked! (publisher) and more, Team17 has left an indelible mark on the video game industry.