{{short description|Norwegian game designer (born 1970)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = Ragnar Tørnquist | image = File:Ragnar Tørnquist at E3 2013.jpg | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1970|7|31}}<ref name="RTb_2003-08">{{cite web|url=http://www.ragnartornquist.com/blogger/2003/08/i-celebrated-my-birthday-yesterday-by.html|title=I celebrated my birthday yesterday...|access-date=11 June 2009|author=Tørnquist, Ragnar|date=1 August 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040205154728/http://ragnartornquist.com/2003_08_01_thoughtsarchive.html#105974282948874084|archive-date=5 February 2004}}</ref> | birth_place = Oslo, Norway | education = University of Oslo<br>Tisch School of the Arts<ref name="ACG_int" /> | occupation = Video game designer, producer, writer | years_active = 1994–present | employer = Funcom; Red Thread Games | notable_works = ''The Longest Journey'' series<br/>''Anarchy Online''<br/>''The Secret World'' | children = 1<ref name="RTb_374" /> | style = }}
'''Ragnar Tørnquist''' (born 31 July 1970) is a Norwegian video game designer and writer. He has been working for Funcom in Oslo since 1994, and founded his own studio Red Thread Games in November 2012.
==Biography== Tørnquist studied art, history and English at St Clare's, a school in Oxford, from 1987 to 1989. From 1989 to 1990, he studied philosophy and English at the University of Oslo. After that, from 1990 to 1993 he attended the Undergraduate Film and Television department at the New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.<ref name="ACG_int">{{cite web|url=http://www.adventureclassicgaming.com/index.php/site/interviews/231/|author=Jong, Philip|access-date=15 June 2007|publisher=AdventureClassicGaming.com|title=Interview with Ragnar Tørnquist on "Modern Adventure"|date=4 November 2006}}</ref> His influences included Joss Whedon and Neil Gaiman.<ref name="Böke">{{cite web|url=http://www.adventuregamers.com/articles/view/24090|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130304061953/http://www.adventuregamers.com/articles/view/24090|url-status=usurped|archive-date=4 March 2013|title=Dreamfall Chapters – Ragnar Tørnquist|last=Böke|first=Ingmar|date=1 March 2013|work=Adventure Gamers|access-date=1 March 2013}}</ref>
In 1994, he returned to Oslo, Norway and started working for Funcom as producer, designer, writer, and level-editor of the video game adaptation of ''Casper''.<ref name="JA_int">{{cite web|url=http://www.justadventure.com/Interviews/Ragnar_Tornquist/Ragnar_Tornquist.shtm|author=Sluganski, Randy|access-date=15 June 2007|publisher=JustAdventure.com|title=Interview with Ragnar Tørnquist|archive-date=10 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610135459/http://www.justadventure.com/Interviews/Ragnar_Tornquist/Ragnar_Tornquist.shtm|url-status=dead}}</ref> He felt that a new term was needed for a new generation of adventure games since "the classic point-and-click 'graphical adventure' is dead... The point of the 'modern adventure' [...] is to bring adventure gaming back into the mainstream, and to use technology and gameplay advances to bring the genre forward into the 'next generation'."<ref name="ACG_int" />
On 1 November 2012, Funcom announced that Tørnquist founded an independent game development studio Red Thread Games, which will continue developing ''The Longest Journey'' IP under license from Funcom. Simultaneously, Tørnquist stepped down as the Game Director of ''The Secret World'' to devote more time to the third entry in ''TLJ'' series, ''Dreamfall Chapters'', while still working on ''TSW'' as the Creative Director.<ref name="DFChapters_preprod">{{cite web|title=Pre-Production Begins On New Game In ''The Longest Journey'' Saga|url=http://www.funcom.com/news/pre_production_begins_on_new_game_in_the_longest_journey_saga|publisher=Funcom|date=1 November 2012|access-date=1 November 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104071005/http://www.funcom.com/news/pre_production_begins_on_new_game_in_the_longest_journey_saga|archive-date=4 November 2012}}</ref>
Tørnquist is married<ref name="Walker">{{cite web|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2008/08/20/ragnar-tornquist-on-dreamfall-faith/|title=Ragnar Tørnquist On… Dreamfall & Faith|last=Walker|first=John|date=20 August 2008|work=Rock, Paper, Shotgun|access-date=6 August 2017}}</ref> and has one daughter.<ref name="RTb_374">{{cite web|url=http://ragnartornquist.com/?p=374|title=Breaking news! Unannounced surprise project just released!|access-date=30 August 2007|author=Tørnquist, Ragnar|date=29 August 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080627191719/http://ragnartornquist.com/?p=374|archive-date=27 June 2008|quote=On Sunday [26 August 2007], I became the proud father of a baby girl...}}</ref><ref name="Walker"/>
==Games== * ''Casper'' (1996) * ''Dragonheart: Fire & Steel'' (1996) * ''The Longest Journey'' (1999) * ''Anarchy Online'' (2001) * ''Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'' (2006) * ''The Secret World'' (2012) * ''Dreamfall Chapters'' (2014–16) * ''Draugen'' (2019) * ''Dustborn'' (2024) * ''Svalbard'' (TBA<ref name="svalbard">{{cite web|url=https://www.ragnartornquist.com|title=RAGNAR TØRNQUIST - WRITER. DIRECTOR. DESIGNER.|access-date=2021-07-25}}</ref>)
== Written works ==
=== Novels === * ''Anarchy Online – Prophet Without Honour'' (2001)
=== Short stories === * ''Rules are Rules''
=== Screenplays === * ''In the Dark Places''
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Twitter}} * {{imdb name|id=0868203}} * {{moby developer|id=121473}} * [http://www.redthreadgames.com/ Red Thread Games website]
{{The Longest Journey}} {{Funcom}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tornquist, Ragnar}} Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:The Longest Journey Category:Norwegian male bloggers Category:Norwegian video game designers Category:People educated at St. Clare's, Oxford Category:New York University Tisch School of the Arts alumni Category:University of Oslo alumni Category:Video game writers Category:Norwegian voice directors