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1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/logo_74.png]]
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3Housemarque is a VideoGame development company founded in 1995 as the result of a merger between two Finnish studios, Bloodhouse and Terramarque. Based in Helsinki, Finland, they are one of the oldest game studios in the country. They got their start developing games for various systems, but only truly broke out with the release of ''Super Stardust HD'' on the Platform/PlayStation3. Since then they have been developing games for several platforms, but are best known for working with Creator/SonyInteractiveEntertainment. In June 2021, they became a first-party studio to Sony.
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5The company's games feature a variety of settings and styles, but a good number of them like to emphasize {{scoring|Points}} in some manner, and the company is especially known for their love for ShootEmUp and arcade-style games. Aside from ''Super Stardust'', they are also known for the Platform/PlayStation4 launch title ''Resogun'', ''VideoGame/DeadNation'' and the very well-received ''Nex Machina'', considered one of their finest games to date.
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7Despite critical acclaim that many of their games enjoyed, they also tend to [[AcclaimedFlop sell rather poorly]], a situation the studio is painfully aware of. This led them to announce in 2018 that for the time being they were abandoning the arcade shooter genre to focus on a larger, triple-A title with a partner. In June 2020, they revealed their long-awaited next project, ''Returnal'', to be published by their long-time partners Sony. A critical and commercial success, ''Returnal'' was followed by Sony announcing that they have acquired Housemarque into their organization; at the time of the acquisition, Housemarque was the 13th studio of Sony, and its first acquisition since 2019's Creator/InsomniacGames.
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9They are close friends with fellow Finnish game developer Creator/RemedyEntertainment, and the two constantly exchange compliments and praises to each other's games on social media.
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11!!Video games developed by Housemarque:
12[[index]]
13* ''Super Stardust'' series
14** ''Super Stardust'' (1996)
15** ''VideoGame/SuperStardustHD'' (2007)
16** ''Super Stardust Portable'' (2008)
17** ''Super Stardust Delta'' (2012)
18** ''Super Stardust Ultra VR'' (2016)
19* ''Alien Incident'' (1996)
20* ''VideoGame/TheReap'' (1997)
21* ''Supreme Snowboarding'' (1999)
22* ''Transworld Snowboarding'' (2002)
23* ''Floboarding'' (2003)
24* ''Gizmondo Motocross 2005'' (2005)
25* ''Golf: Tee It Up!'' (2008)
26* ''VideoGame/DeadNation'' (2010)
27** ''Dead Nation: Apocalypse Edition'' (2014)
28* ''[[VideoGame/Outland2011 Outland]]'' (2011)
29* ''Furmins'' (2012)
30* ''Resogun'' (2013)
31* ''Alienation'' (2016)
32* ''VideoGame/NexMachina'' (2017)
33* ''Matterfall'' (2017)
34* ''VideoGame/{{Returnal}}'' (2021)
35[[/index]]
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37!!Tropes that apply to Housemarque and its games:
38* BulletHell: With their focus being on arcade ShootEmUp, most of Housemarque's games has bullet hell sequences.
39* CultClassic: Housemarque games don't tend to sell particularly well due to their niche audience, but they are very well-received and held in high regard by arcade shooter enthusiasts.
40* EverythingTryingToKillYou: Their most well-known games features endless waves of hostile aliens, machines and other threats with the one goal of destroying the player.
41* ExcusePlot: The majority of their games only have a basic premise to justify the action. Seems to be [[AvertedTrope averted]] with ''VideoGame/{{Returnal}}'' which features a fully-voiced protagonist and a mystery surrounding the setting.
42* NintendoHard: A staple of their games.
43* SceneryPorn: Many of their games like ''VideoGame/SuperStardustHD'', ''VideoGame/{{Resogun}}'', ''Alienation'', ''Nex Machina'', and ''VideoGame/{{Returnal}}'' are like this, featuring colorful explosions and dense special effects.
44* SpaceFighter: Featured in ''Super Stardust HD'' and ''Resogun''.

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