HumaNature Studios

HumaNature Studios is an American independent video game developer and publisher based in Oakland, California, founded by Greg Johnson. Johnson is the co-creator of the original ToeJam and Earl on the Sega Genesis in 1991, and HumaNature Studios was formed specifically to bring the franchise back with a new entry funded through Kickstarter. ToeJam and Earl: Back in the Groove is the studio’s primary released title.

Greg Johnson and ToeJam and Earl

Greg Johnson co-created ToeJam and Earl with Mark Voorsanger at Johnson Voorsanger Productions, releasing the original game for the Sega Genesis in 1991. The game followed two alien rappers stranded on a shattered Earth, combining roguelike exploration with a funk soundtrack and a distinctive personality that made it a cult favorite on the Genesis. Two sequels followed in the 1990s before the franchise went dormant. Johnson kept the ToeJam and Earl rights and eventually founded HumaNature Studios to develop a proper follow-up.

ToeJam and Earl: Back in the Groove

ToeJam and Earl: Back in the Groove was funded through a Kickstarter campaign in 2015 that raised over $500,000, significantly exceeding its $400,000 goal. The game returned to the roguelike structure of the original rather than the linear gameplay of ToeJam and Earl in Panic on Funkotron, featuring the procedurally generated levels, funk soundtrack, and cooperative play that defined the first game. It released on March 1, 2019 for PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, co-published with Limited Run Games. The game received generally positive reviews from fans of the original, with particular praise for its faithfulness to the source material. Limited Run Games handled physical cartridge and disc releases.