D-Pad Studio and the Long Development of Owlboy

Who made Owlboy and how long was it in development?

Owlboy was developed and published by D-Pad Studio, the Norwegian independent studio behind the game. According to the official Steam store page, the game launched on November 1, 2016. The same official store description calls it "an adventure 10 years in the making," a phrase that speaks to the project's unusually long road to release.

The studio behind the game

D-Pad Studio is credited as both developer and publisher of the digital release, and the studio's own website and press materials reflect its identity as the game's creator. The team is led by director and creator Simon Stafsnes Andersen, with Jo-Remi Madsen handling business and gameplay programming, Henrik Stafsnes Andersen on engine programming and story, Adrian Bauer on level design, and Jonathan Geer composing the music and sound effects. The official Owlboy game site lists these roles directly.

A development cycle measured in years

The length of development is one of the most frequently noted facts about Owlboy. According to Wikipedia's article on the game, development began in 2007 and the game released in November 2016, giving it a cycle of roughly nine to ten years. Wikipedia also notes that the game was created by D-Pad Studio and is known for this protracted development period.

An interview with the team published by Alternative Magazine Online offers the developers' own explanation for the delays. In that interview, Andersen attributed the long timeline partly to the team being "complete amateurs" when they began, and partly to the pressure of fan expectations after an early demo. He also described an early decision to design the entire game at once, which made later changes far more difficult. These are the developers' recollections as reported by that outlet, not official documentation from D-Pad Studio.

What came after Owlboy

D-Pad Studio has continued to release and announce new projects since Owlboy. In an official Steam announcement, the studio revealed Savant - Ascent Anniversary, a return to its earlier title, and it also announced a new game called Vikings On Trampolines. The studio's press kit collects information on Owlboy, Savant - Ascent, and Vikings On Trampolines in one place.

A note on sourcing

The core facts here — developer, release date, and the "10 years in the making" phrasing — come from D-Pad Studio's own store listing and website. Details about the exact start year of development and the team's reasons for the long cycle are best treated as reported accounts: Wikipedia gives the 2007 start date, and the Alternative Magazine Online interview gives the developers' own explanations. Neither should be read as a formal studio timeline, which D-Pad Studio has not published in the material available here.