Portal's 2024 in review

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You’re probably like us. Scratching your head and wondering what on earth happened to the last 12 months. Can it possibly be December again? Is this right?

Well, it is. And as 2024 comes to a close, it can mean only one thing: it’s time for our annual year in review.

So, with a mince pie in one hand, a generous sherry in the other and a Santa hat perched atop your head, let’s dive into Portal’s 2024 stand-out moments.

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Let's get interactive

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We’ll start with our pals at Paradox. It’s been another busy year for the team, and we’re delighted to have accompanied them every step of the way.

Highlights include the release of Millennia, a 4X strategy game that sees players guide their nations through 10,000 years of history.

We supported the PC title’s March launch with video ads, website assets and a rather swish Steam takeover. You can read all about it in our case study.

Millennia launched with critical praise from the likes of The Gamer and Wargamer, who described it as “compelling” and “innovative”, respectively.

As always, Paradox continues to offer unparalleled support for its games. Two well-received expansions have been released for Millennia already, with more on the way. We can’t wait to see what’s next!

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2024 also saw the Paradox team bring their acclaimed deckbuilder, Across the Obelisk, to console platforms. 

Working closely with the Swedish publisher’s paid media, senior marketing and internal creative teams, we created compelling video ads and refreshed the game’s storefront description to support the console launch. Take a look at our case study for all the details.

‍Across the Obelisk is a rarity in the deckbuilder space, with online co-op setting it apart from the competition. With crossplay as part of the package, now everyone can strategise together no matter which platform they own.

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A big thank you and our best festive wishes to everyone at Paradox for another wonderful year!

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Portal power

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Who loves pizza more? The Portal crew or the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Difficult to say, but we can tell you that we had a wonderful time partnering with Super Evil Megacorp on the PC and console release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate.

‍Splintered Fate had already enjoyed a hugely successful mobile debut. But the game’s appearance on Switch this summer and Steam in November has taken it to new heights. 

The fast-paced roguelike is the proud owner of a much-coveted Very Positive user review tag on Steam. And the critics have been just as enthusiastic, with Bleacher Report lauding it as “the best TMNT game ever.”

High praise indeed. And we were proud to play a small part in its success, producing an array of video ads, accolade trailers, a Nintendo sizzle reel and more. Check out the case study for all the details.

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Turning the tables

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From turtles to tabletop. In the summer, we teamed up with Asmodee on an extensive marketing campaign to promote the French distributor’s vast range of board games.

Tabletop sales have ballooned in recent years, and it was an honour to partner with the industry’s leading publisher. Using a novel polaroid concept, our work was seen at major travel points all over the UK and online across social media platforms.

This campaign allowed us to really stretch our creative muscles, with video, design, copywriting and strategy all coming into play. For more, cast your eye over our case study.

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Lock, stock and barrel

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Back in the world of video games, the summer also found us collaborating with team Thunderful on the announcement and launch of their highly anticipated strategy sequel, SteamWorld Heist II.

Millions of gamers saw our bright and beautiful custom key art thanks to its IGN homepage placement. Meanwhile, our innovative “Guy Ritchie” video supported the game’s launch. You can find out more in our case study.

The campaign certainly paid off. Heist II has been a massive hit with the fans, evidenced by its Overwhelmingly Positive Steam tag, something only a fraction of games can boast. Congratulations to everyone at Thunderful!

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On the hunt

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It’s been another wonderful year for Avalanche’s Hunter: Call of the Wild. The hunting sim continues to dominate the genre with regular updates and expansions for its passionate community.

We supported the Avalanche team on the release of one such expansion, the beautiful Sundarpatan Nepal Hunting Reserve.

One comprehensive campaign combined video ads, key art, display banners, in-console units and social media assets. Read our case study to learn how we did it.

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Catching some Z's

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This summer, we enjoyed a proud moment when we teamed up with The Pokémon Company on their popular sleep-tracking app, Pokémon Sleep.

Part game, part lifestyle app, Pokémon Sleep gives players the familiar thrill of collecting the famous magical creatures while encouraging positive real-world sleep routines.

Our video ads were a massive hit with the Pokémon Company team and helped to bring the mobile game to new audiences in the UK and other major European territories.

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Gods galore

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In the spring, we partnered with Hi-Rez Studios to produce website designs for SMITE 2, the follow-up to 2014’s smash hit MOBA.

With millions of fans set to pore over every detail of the new game’s home, we knew our work needed to reach the highest standards.

Taking detailed information, we produced designs that were attractive to the eye, giving the eager community everything they needed to get excited about the brand-new title. Our case study has all the info.

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Packing a punch

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We’ll end at the beginning. All the way back in January, we partnered with Bandai Namco on the pre-order and release of the incredible Tekken 8.

Our designs literally lit up the streets of London with their LED-powered placement on the capital’s buses and roadside spots. It’s always a thrill to see your work out in the real world, so do make sure to read our case study for the whole story.

‍Tekken 8 became a monster hit, selling over two million copies worldwide in its first month and attracting acclaim amongst critics and fans alike. Well done to everyone at Bandai Namco; you smashed it.

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Portal news

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2024 was big for our partners and big for us, too. 

We welcomed Jake Evans to the team as senior designer, and he immediately hit the ground running with some fabulous creative output. Jake’s talent is matched by his enthusiasm and attention to detail in everything he does; we’re lucky to have him.

2024 also saw us nominated for an MCV Award. We thoroughly enjoyed the awards dinner, and while we didn’t win, our doodle challenge was the talk of the event, engaging almost half of the audience, who shared their great (and slightly less great) drawings with us.

You can find many of the entries we received and details of our specially designed word search that was included in the official MCV Awards brochure in this case study. Give it a whirl.

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Full steam ahead for 2025

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That’s a wrap for 2024. However you celebrate this month, we hope you have a fantastic break and a brilliant new year.

Between mince pies, make sure to find us on X, LinkedIn or Instagram, and let us know your thoughts on another year in games. See you in 2025!