Digital Eel is a self-funded independent video game development team located in the Seattle, Washington area. The group was formed in 2001 by Rich Carlson, Iikka Keranen and Bill "Phosphorus" Sears as a self-described "labor of love between three friends who like to make games together."

Digital Eel has released one game per year on average since 2001 (not including the Mac OS X Boiler Plate Special, a special compilation for Mac users released in 2004). The group has recently finished creating a boardgame, Eat Electric Death!, published by Shrapnel Games, and Soup du Jour, a 2D matching game with "rubbery physics." Digital Eel is currently working on an unannounced project slated for release in late 2008.

Digital Eel games have earned consistent high review scores and several noteworthy accolades including three Independent Games Festival awards for Dr. Blob's Organism and Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space.

Design philosophy

The "Digital Eel philosophy," as stated in an IGF event program, is playfully sarcastic if not disarming:

The video game industry takes itself too seriously, therefore game names should be as silly as possible.

Considering the offbeat nature of many of their games, and their humor, Digital Eel's philosophy seems centered around the beliefs that games should be unique and unusual, light-hearted and fun.

Development team

  • Rich Carlson (design, sound, music and art)
  • Iikka Keränen (design, code and art)
  • Bill "Phosphorus" Sears (primary artist)
  • Ed Zavada (Mac ports)

Testers

The Digital Eel QA crew are referred to as the Fearless Testers in the credits for each game.

Principal testers

  • Kevin Matheny
  • John Slade
  • James Sterrett

Main crew

  • James Cook
  • Bob Dalgliesh
  • James Ernest
  • Thomas & Zoe Flint
  • Bruce Ladewig
  • Chris Laskowski
  • Duncan McPherson
  • Joe Pallai
  • Brian Uhrig
  • Thom Wetzel
  • Ed Zavada

Guest testers

  • Greg Costikyan
  • Chris Cummings
  • Jim Price
  • Richard Rouse III
  • Colton Sears
  • Corbin Sears

Games

  • Soup du Jour (Windows, 2007)
  • Eat Electric Death! (boardgame, 2007)
  • Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space (Windows & Mac, 2005 & 2006)
  • Mac OS X Boiler Plate Special (Mac, 2004)
  • Digital Eel's Big Box of Blox (Windows & Mac, 2003)
  • Dr. Blob's Organism (Windows & Mac, 2003)
  • Strange Adventures In Infinite Space (Windows, Mac & Pocket PC, 2002)
  • Plasmaworm (Windows, 2001)