# Boffo Games

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**Boffo Games** was a [video game developer](/source/Video_game_developer) founded in 1994 by [Steve Meretzky](/source/Steve_Meretzky), Mike Dornbrook, and Leo DaCosta. The logo was designed by Gayle Syska, formerly of [Infocom](/source/Infocom). Boffo produced two games, *[Hodj 'n' Podj](/source/Hodj_'n'_Podj)* and *[The Space Bar](/source/The_Space_Bar)*, before closing its doors in 1997. *Hodj 'n' Podj* was originally designed for [Media Vision](/source/Media_Vision) but it divested all of its multimedia interests following a securities-fraud scandal and the title was purchased by [Virgin Interactive](/source/Virgin_Interactive). *The Space Bar* was originally to be published by [Rocket Science Games](/source/Rocket_Science_Games) (RSG) but [SegaSoft](/source/SegaSoft) bought out RSG and became the [game's publisher](/source/Video_game_publisher).

## History

In late 1993,[1] designer [Steve Meretzky](/source/Steve_Meretzky) began to consider founding an independent game development studio with his friends Mike Dornbrook and Leo DaCosta. The three of them had gone to the [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/source/Massachusetts_Institute_of_Technology) together, and Meretzky had worked with Dornbrook at [Infocom](/source/Infocom) and with DaCosta during the 1990s.[2]

Following the 1989 closure of Infocom, Meretzky worked on a contractual basis for companies such as [Legend Entertainment](/source/Legend_Entertainment).[1] However, Meretzky later called this period of remote work "creatively unsatisfying" and sometimes "frustrating".[3][2] He preferred to work on location with a team,[3] and he decided that he no longer wanted "to design games for someone else thousands of miles away."

The involvement of Dornbrook, a [business school](/source/Business_school) graduate, made the idea of an independent company more viable. According to Meretzky, the final impetus for the project came when Dornbrook read an article about [Media Vision](/source/Media_Vision)'s new game division,[2] founded in mid-1993 under record label executive [Stan Cornyn](/source/Stan_Cornyn).[4] As Cornyn was an acquaintance of Dornbrook's,[2][5] Dornbrook was able to secure a New York meeting with the executive's [second-in-command](/source/Second-in-command), Linda Rich.[2]

## List of games made by Boffo

- *[Hodj 'n' Podj](/source/Hodj_'n'_Podj)*
- *Reverse Alien* (cancelled)[6]
- *[The Space Bar](/source/The_Space_Bar)*

## References

1. Shif, Gil Alexander (November 23, 2000). ["Steve Meretzky"](https://web.archive.org/web/20050324032240/http://cdmag.com/articles/030/176/meret_inter.html). *[Computer Games Magazine](/source/Computer_Games_Magazine)*. Archived from [the original](http://cdmag.com:80/articles/030/176/meret_inter.html) on March 24, 2005. Retrieved June 12, 2019.

1. Garneau, Brenda (August 1997). "Interview; Steve Meretzky: Der Urvater schenkel klopfender Adventures". *Power Play*

1. Jong, Philip (May 3, 2001). ["Steve Meretzky"](http://www.adventureclassicgaming.com:80/index.php/site/interviews/169/). *[Adventure Classic Gaming](/source/Adventure_Classic_Gaming)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20060615004251/http://www.adventureclassicgaming.com/index.php/site/interviews/169/) June 15, 2006 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 12, 2019.

1. McGowan, Chris (June 12, 1993). "HomeVideo; CD-ROM Unit in Field of Media Vision". *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. Vol. 105, no. 24. pp. 59, 60.

1. Dornbrook, Mike (May 1998). [*Look Before You Leap: The Rise and Fall of Boffo Games*](http://gdcvault.com/play/1013993/Look-Before-You-Leap-The). [Computer Game Developers Conference](/source/Game_Developers_Conference). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20161014135015/http://gdcvault.com/play/1013993/Look-Before-You-Leap-The) October 14, 2016 at the Wayback Machine.

1. Meretzky, Steve (November 19, 2001). ["Building Character: An Analysis of Character Creation"](https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/building-character-an-analysis-of-character-creation). *[Gamasutra](/source/Gamasutra)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120513001455/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/131887/building_character_an_analysis_of_.php?page=1) May 13, 2012 at the Wayback Machine.

## External links

- [Boffo Games, Inc.](http://www.boffo.us/)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Boffo Games](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boffo_Games) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boffo_Games?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.