Hazelight Studios is one of those gems in the gaming industry that feels like it popped up out of nowhere with a bang. The studio was founded by Josef Fares, a Swedish filmmaker-turned-game-director who’s got this fiery passion for storytelling. He’s the same guy who famously threw shade at the Oscars during The Game Awards—legendary moment! The studio officially started in 2014, right after Fares left his film career to dive headfirst into games. What’s wild is how quickly they made an impact—their first game, 'Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons,' was already under his belt (though developed with Starbreeze), but 'A Way Out' in 2018 solidified their rep for innovative co-op narratives. Fares’ background in film totally bleeds into Hazelight’s work; everything feels cinematic but deeply interactive. I still get chills remembering the emotional gut punches in 'It Takes Two.'
Honestly, it’s rare to see a studio so laser-focused on cooperative gameplay, and Fares’ vision is unmistakable. He’s like the auteur of gaming, unafraid to take risks. The fact that Hazelight’s games force you to rely on another player—no solo option—is ballsy but so refreshing. Makes you wonder what they’ll cook up next.
Josef Fares, this loud, charismatic Swedish-Lebanese creative, launched Hazelight Studios back in 2014. Before games, he was making waves in film, which explains why his projects like 'A Way Out' and 'It Takes Two' feel like playable movies—but in the best way possible. I love how his studio challenges the norm; their games demand two players, no AI fill-ins, which creates this raw, unfiltered connection between players. It’s genius, really—forcing collaboration in an era where single-player epics dominate. Fares’ energy is infectious, too; remember his 'bleep the Oscars' rant? Pure gold. Hazelight’s success proves there’s room for bold ideas in AAA spaces.
The story behind Hazelight Studios is kinda inspiring. Josef Fares, a filmmaker with zero game dev experience, decided in 2014 to pivot hard into gaming—and thank goodness he did. His studio’s debut, 'A Way Out,' was this split-screen co-op prison-break adventure that felt like nothing else at the time. Fares’ philosophy is all about shared human experiences, which is why his games ditch solo play entirely. Even 'It Takes Two,' their 2021 hit, makes you need a partner, weaving mechanics into metaphors for relationships. It’s wild how his film sensibilities translate so well into interactive drama. Also, gotta admire his audacity—dude publicly trashed the Oscars mid-presentation and still got standing ovations. Hazelight’s trajectory feels like a rebellion against gaming conventions, and I’m here for it.
Josef Fares founded Hazelight in 2014, swapping film reels for game engines. His background’s evident in how his games—'A Way Out,' 'It Takes Two'—prioritize emotional, co-op storytelling. No solo campaigns, just pure player interdependence. Love or hate it, you can’t ignore his vision.
2026-05-05 02:40:50
10
View All Answers
Scan code to download App
Related Books
The Haven Of Shadows
Mayemura Special
10
2.8K
In a world where the broken are hunted and the powerful are feared, refuge is a dangerous promise.
Alejandro was never meant to lead. Bound to an ancient force known as Inferno, burdened with power that bends wards, spirits, and history itself, he becomes Alpha not by ambition, but by necessity.
When the unwanted, the cursed, and the discarded begin to arrive at his mountain stronghold, the Haven of Shadows is born. It became a sanctuary for vampires, witches, rogues, humans, and beings too dangerous to exist anywhere else.
At its heart stood Zenith a nineteen year old human luna. A healer whose touch mends more than flesh.The one thing powerful enough to ground a god.
As Alejandro’s fated mate and Luna of the Haven, Zenith becomes the calm within the storm, altering scents to make enemies live as family, healing wounds the world refuses to acknowledge, and reminding monsters of the humanity they have buried.
Together, they build something fragile and unprecedented. A home without hierarchy, a family without fear. But sanctuary never goes unnoticed.
As war looms and loyalty is tested, Alejandro must decide how much of himself he is willing to surrender to protect the woman who reminds him he is still a man, and the home that proves monsters can choose something better.
Emma Caldwell's ordinary life as a librarian in Willow Creek is turned upside down when she receives an enigmatic invitation to the reading of a stranger's will at Haverstone Manor. What begins as an inexplicable summons quickly spirals into a labyrinth of secrets, danger, and intrigue. As Emma delves deeper into the manor's mysteries, she discovers she's not the only one with a stake in its secrets. Fellow guests, each with shadowy motives, vie for a piece of the late Lord Haverstone's enigmatic legacy.
Amid ancient symbols, cryptic maps, and peculiar artifacts, Emma uncovers the existence of a machine designed to manipulate time itself. Guided by clues left by the deceased lord, Emma must navigate a gothic maze of shifting alliances, hidden chambers, and eerie warnings. Her companions, including a sardonic teenager and a glamorous but cunning relative of Haverstone, are as unpredictable as the dangers lurking in the shadows.
When betrayals come to light and an old foe reveals their true intentions, Emma finds herself the reluctant guardian of a power that could reshape existence—or destroy it. As the stakes rise, she must unravel the truth about Haverstone’s experiments and decide whom she can trust, all while racing to prevent the manor’s secrets from falling into the wrong hands.
Blending gothic suspense, unexpected humor, and thrilling twists, "Haverstone's Legacy" is a gripping tale of mystery and courage, where every choice could mean the difference between salvation and catastrophe.
A dark, clinical neo-noir thriller, The Architect of the Shadows strips away the glamour of Hollywood to expose the brutal friction between digital consolidation and physical reality.
For decades, Silas Thorne Danielson—a ruthlessly brilliant logistics coordinator with a calculated detachment from human empathy—has operated an invisible shadow utility. Using non-networked legacy hardware and shell-company registries, he has quietly absorbed independent cinematic libraries, systematically dismantling the legacy of aging action star and stunt coordinator Sebastian Sorgentone to hide multi-million-dollar maritime assets.
But when an automated federal audit loop paralyzes Silas’s digital infrastructure, the conflict fractures out of the cloud and into the physical world. Trapped by a looming federal dragnet, Silas must head south to a lead-lined Cold War salt silo in Key Largo to retrieve the physical backup arrays that can reset his network. Waiting for him are Sebastian and his estranged brother Francis, mobilizing six tons of un-trackable military iron to drag the slick corporate architect into a landscape where digital logic fails, and only physical endurance and raw mass matter.
Meanwhile, across the country, Sebastian’s daughters navigate the wreckage of their family’s financial collapse, shifting from targets of the system to the pragmatic components that will ultimately help seal it shut. Grounded in a grim, industrial realism, the narrative explores the heavy price of family survival, the unyielding weight of memory, and the permanent closing of a system that tried to turn human blood into data entries.
Just as the calm of the sea before a vicious storm, the Dark Yozas have started attacking again after a century of peace in the City of Light, this time however, discreetly.
Achilles Franco is a junior college students that belongs in a clan that has been blessed with the ability of True Sight. With his help, the Light Yozas will distinguish the enemies and try to restore the peace once again.
In the heart of a modern metropolis lies Elysium, an exclusive BDSM club where the wealthy and powerful shed their masks and surrender to forbidden desires. By night, behind velvet curtains and gilded cages, Dominants and submissives dance in a dangerous symphony of pleasure and pain. Shadows of Desire follows a cast of lost souls drawn into Elysium’s seductive orbit: a newcomer aching to submit, a jaded Master with a dark past, a cunning Dominatrix guarding her secrets, a switch torn between roles, and a voyeur hungry for more than just watching. As decadent play turns to emotional entanglement, bonds of trust deepen – until whispers of betrayal begin to echo through the opulent chambers. In this world of consensual extremes, where ecstasy and agony blur, one hidden traitor threatens to destroy the sanctuary that binds them all. Secrets, obsessions, and power collide in a fast-paced, darkly seductive romance. Will love and loyalty survive when the truth comes to light, or will the betrayal lurking in the shadows shatter the fragile trust that holds Elysium together?
"Jared and Laynie have been together for years. When Jared gets a great job opportunity in New York he uproots his and Laynie's life and moves out there. Laynie immediately notices Jared's change in personality. He becomes both emotionally and physically abusive towards her.One night, after what seems to be a break-in goes wrong, Jared wakes up in the hospital only to learn he has lost a year of his memories. This includes hurting the one person he swore he would protect with his life. Now Laynie and Jared must get back to who they were before everything went wrong and get to the bottom of the reason behind all the pain.Darkness is created by D.S. Tossell, an EGlobal Creative Publishing signed author."
Hazelight Studios has carved out such a unique niche in the gaming world with their focus on cooperative gameplay. Their debut title, 'A Way Out' (2018), was a breath of fresh air—forcing two players to work together in split-screen to escape prison and survive on the run. The storytelling was cinematic, almost like playing a heist movie. Then came 'It Takes Two' (2021), which won Game of the Year and totally deserved it. The way it blended mechanics with emotional narrative, all while requiring two players to collaborate creatively, was genius. I still replay sections with friends just to see their reactions to the whimsical level designs.
What stands out about Hazelight is their insistence on local co-op in an era where online multiplayer dominates. There’s something magical about sharing a couch, bickering over puzzles, and celebrating tiny victories together. Josef Fares, the studio’s director, has this infectious passion for pushing boundaries—like how 'It Takes Two' transforms mundane tasks (fixing a vacuum, gardening) into absurdly fun challenges. I’m low-key obsessed with their ability to make cooperation feel essential, not just optional.
Hazelight Studios has always been this fascinating little powerhouse in the gaming world, hasn't it? After 'It Takes Two' won Game of the Year, I've been glued to any whisper about their next project. While they haven't officially announced anything, their track record suggests they're definitely cooking up something. Josef Fares, their director, has this knack for creating co-op experiences that feel fresh—like how 'A Way Out' and 'It Takes Two' redefined narrative-driven multiplayer. Given their 3–4 year dev cycle, it wouldn't surprise me if they're deep in prototyping right now.
What excites me most is their commitment to emotional storytelling. Even if details are scarce, I'd bet their next game will again force players to collaborate in unexpected ways. Maybe they'll dive into VR? Or expand beyond split-screen? Whatever it is, I’m already clearing my schedule for launch day.
Hazelight Studios has always been this fascinating little bubble in the gaming industry to me. They're the team behind gems like 'It Takes Two' and 'A Way Out,' but they operate with this tight-knit, almost indie vibe despite their AAA-level output. From what I've gathered over the years, they've kept their team intentionally small—probably under 100 people? It's wild how they punch above their weight with such polished co-op experiences. I remember reading an interview where Josef Fares mentioned preferring a compact team to maintain creative control. That philosophy really shines in their games' unique storytelling and mechanics. Makes you appreciate how much passion goes into every frame when studios prioritize quality over bloated headcounts.
Hazelight Studios? Oh, that’s the brilliant team behind 'It Takes Two' and 'A Way Out'—games that totally redefined couch co-op for me. They’re based in Stockholm, Sweden, nestled in that creative Nordic hub that’s given us so many innovative studios. I love how their games feel like interactive movies, packed with emotional storytelling and gameplay that forces you to truly collaborate. Stockholm’s vibe must seep into their work—there’s a sleek, minimalist elegance to their designs, but also this warmth in the character dynamics. Makes me want to book a trip just to soak up the inspiration!
Funny thing, I first played 'It Takes Two' during a snowstorm, huddled under blankets with my sibling. The game’s whimsical yet heartfelt tone felt like a perfect match for Sweden’s cozy yet cutting-edge culture. Hazelight’s location feels oddly fitting—a place where winter nights are long, maybe encouraging those deep, narrative-driven projects that make you laugh and cry in equal measure.