{{Short description|British video game developer}} {{Use British English|date=March 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}} {{Infobox company | name = Twilight | logo = Twilight logo.png | type = Private | industry = Video games | founded = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1990|05|01}} | founders = {{Unbulleted list|Stuart Cook|Mark Mason|Jason McGann|Andy Swann|Peter Tattersall}} | defunct = {{End date|1997}} | fate = Dissolved | hq_location_city = Harrogate | hq_location_country = England | key_people = {{Unbulleted list|Stuart Cook|Mark Mason}} }}
'''Twilight''' was a British video game developer based in Harrogate.
== History == Twilight was founded by Stuart Cook, Mark Mason, Jason McGann, Andy Swann, and Peter Tattersall. They worked together at Enigma Variations, a studio based in Harrogate, where they mostly created games based on licensed properties in short timespans.<ref name="Retro Gamer 244" /> In 1989, Mason was fired, leading Cook, McGann, Swann, and Tattersall to leave the company in early 1990.<ref name="Retro Gamer 215" /><ref name="Retro Gamer 243" /> The five founded Twilight on 1 May 1990. While trying to come up with a company name, Tattersall began humming the theme music of ''The Twilight Zone'', leading them to settle on the name "Twilight". He also created the company's logo, taking inspiration from Roger Dean with the aim of making it easily representable on a Commodore 64.<ref name="Retro Gamer 244" />
The company rented its first office in a mid-terrace house on Mayfield Grove in Harrogate. Its first game was ''Delta Charge'', a port of ''Delta'' from the Commodore 64 to the ZX Spectrum, released by Thalamus Ltd. Throughout 1990, Twilight attracted projects from multiple publishers, including several titles from licensed properties for Hi-Tec Software. Having hired Mark Barker, Wayne Billingham, Dave Box, Noel Hines, Rob Holman, Andy Severn, Martin Severn, and James Smart, the company operated with two development teams, one working for 8-bit platforms while the other began exploring games for 16-bit platforms. Twilight ultimately moved into proper offices within Harrogate.<ref name="Retro Gamer 244" />
In 1994, shortly after finishing ''Alfred Chicken'' for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, McGann and Tattersall left Twilight to form Hookstone.<ref name="Retro Gamer 244" /><ref name="Retro Gamer 215" /> Twilight subsequently agreed to transfer the rights to ''Alfred Chicken'', which McGann had conceived, to Hookstone.<ref name="Retro Gamer 215" /> Swann also left the company around this time. In the following years, Cook and Mason continued to run the company, which saw a significant decline in development projects. Following the cancellation of ''Frog Dude'' and a game in the style of ''Fantasy Quest'' for Telstar, Twilight struggled with the transition to 3D video games. Cook and Mason paid off and fired all staff, and the company was ultimately shut down in 1997.<ref name="Retro Gamer 244" />
==Games== *''Delta Charge'' (1990, Thalamus Ltd) *''Ruff & Reddy in the Space Adventure'' (1990, Hi-Tec Software) *''Atom Ant'' (1990, Hi-Tec Software) *''Plotting'' (1990, Ocean Software) *''Yogi Bear & Friends: The Greed Monster'' (1990, Hi-Tec Software) *''Rod Land'' (1991, Sales Curve Interactive) *''Quick Draw McGraw'' (1991, Hi-Tec Software) *''Darkman'' (1991, Ocean Software) *''WWF WrestleMania'' (1991, Ocean Software) *''Mega Twins'' (1992) *''Bonanza Brothers'' (1992) *''Video Kid'' (1992, Gremlin Graphics) *''Cool World'' (1992, Ocean Software) *''Yogi's Treasure Hunt'' (1993) *''Frog Dude'' (cancelled) *''Alfred Chicken'' (1993)
==References== {{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="Retro Gamer 215">{{cite magazine |title=The Making of: Alfred Chicken |first=Stuart |last=Gipp |magazine=Retro Gamer |issue=215 |date=29 December 2020 |publisher=Future Publishing |pages=70–73}}</ref>
<ref name="Retro Gamer 243">{{cite magazine |title=Studio Profile: Enigma Variations |first=Richard |last=Hewison |magazine=Retro Gamer |issue=243 |date=16 February 2023 |publisher=Future Publishing |pages=44–49}}</ref>
<ref name="Retro Gamer 244">{{cite magazine |title=Studio Profile: Twilight |first=Richard |last=Hewison |magazine=Retro Gamer |issue=244 |date=16 March 2023 |publisher=Future Publishing |pages=46–51}}</ref>
}}
Category:1990 establishments in England Category:1997 disestablishments in England Category:Defunct video game companies of the United Kingdom Category:Video game companies disestablished in 1997 Category:Video game companies established in 1990 Category:Video game development companies