Don't Nod Entertainment

Don’t Nod is a French video game developer and publisher based in Paris, founded in June 2008 by Herve Bonin, Aleksi Briclot, Alain Damasio, Oskar Guilbert, and Jean-Maxime Moris, all former employees of Criterion Games, Ubisoft, and Electronic Arts. They almost went bankrupt after Remember Me underperformed, then rebuilt themselves around Life is Strange. They rebranded from DONTNOD Entertainment to Don’t Nod in May 2022.

Don’t Nod Origin Story

Remember Me and Near-Bankruptcy

Don’t Nod’s first game was Remember Me, set in a future Neo-Paris where a resistance fighter can manipulate memories. Sony originally planned to publish it but dropped it in 2011. Capcom published it in June 2013. Sales were poor. In January 2014 the studio filed for judicial reorganization in France. CEO Guilbert clarified it was a restructuring, not bankruptcy.

Life is Strange Saves the Studio

While in restructuring, Don’t Nod received French agency funding for a new IP originally called What If. They pitched it to publishers and Square Enix agreed to publish it as an episodic title. Life is Strange released in five episodes throughout 2015 and became a hit, winning over 75 Game of the Year awards.

Don’t Nod Key Games

Remember Me (2013)

A cyberpunk action game with a fascinating memory manipulation mechanic. Mixed reception at launch but has built a cult following over the years.

Life is Strange (2015)

Max Caulfield is a photography student who discovers she can rewind time. Built on the rewind mechanic briefly explored in Remember Me. Don’t Nod’s most beloved game. The Life is Strange IP has since moved to Deck Nine.

Vampyr (2018)

An action RPG set in 1918 London during the Spanish flu. You play as a doctor who has become a vampire. The tension between your hunger and your desire to help was a clever design hook. Published by Focus Home Interactive.

Lost Records: Bloom and Rage (2025)

Don’t Nod’s narrative adventure about four friends in 1995 who reunite thirty years later to confront a secret from their past. Well received and the direction Don’t Nod is heading as they expand self-publishing.