Ever looked at a stumbling, brightly colored bean and wondered who on earth dreamt this up? It’s a weird premise. 60 players, neon obstacle courses, and physics that feel like walking through a vat of syrup. When you're asking who made Fall Guys, the answer isn't just one person sitting in a dark room. It was a collective effort by a London-based studio called Mediatonic.
They weren't always the giants they are now. Before the beans took over the internet in the summer of 2020, Mediatonic was a work-for-hire studio. They did good work, sure, but they weren't exactly a household name. Then came a pitch. Jeff Tanton, the Creative Director at the time, and Joe Walsh, the Lead Designer, started kicking around an idea inspired by chaotic game shows like Takeshi’s Castle and Wipeout. They called it Fool’s Gauntlet.
It was messy. It was ridiculous. It was perfect.
The Mediatonic Evolution
Mediatonic didn't just stumble into success. Founded in 2005 by Dave Bailey and Paul Croft, the studio spent years building a reputation for quirky, polished games. We're talking about a history that includes everything from Amateur Surgeon to Hatoful Boyfriend. They knew how to handle "weird."
When they started developing Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, they had a specific vision. They wanted a battle royale that didn't involve shooting people in the face. Honestly, the gaming world was getting a bit tired of the hyper-competitive, sweaty atmosphere of Fortnite and PUBG. Mediatonic saw a gap. They saw a need for pure, unadulterated slapstick comedy.
Developing the game wasn't a straight line. They had to figure out how to make 60 players move on a single screen without the servers melting into a puddle of silicon. It was a technical nightmare. They used the Unity engine, which is flexible, but stretching it to handle that much physics-based chaos was a massive feat of engineering.
The Devolver Digital Factor
You can't talk about who made Fall Guys without mentioning Devolver Digital. They’re the publishers. If Mediatonic provided the soul, Devolver provided the megaphone. Devolver has a knack for picking games that are just slightly "off" in the best way possible. They saw the potential in the bean.
During the marketing phase, they leaned hard into the "chaos" aspect. They didn't try to sell it as a high-skill e-sport. They sold it as a game where you'd probably fail, and it would be hilarious when you did. This was a stroke of genius. It lowered the barrier to entry. Everyone felt like they could play, even if they'd never touched a controller before.
Why the Design Actually Works
The beans. Let's talk about the beans. Lead Artist Oliver Hindle is largely credited with the iconic look. The character design had to be simple. It had to be customizable. Most importantly, it had to look funny when it fell over.
The physics were intentionally "clunky." If the controls were too precise, the game wouldn't be funny. You need that slight delay, that wobbliness, to make the obstacles feel threatening. It’s the difference between a professional athlete running a race and a toddler trying to navigate a bouncy castle. The latter is objectively more entertaining to watch.
- Weight Matters: The beans have a specific center of gravity that makes them tip.
- The Grab: A simple mechanic that added a layer of "griefing" which players loved (and hated).
- Color Palettes: Inspired by 90s toy aesthetics and candy shops.
The team spent months iterating on the "Big Yeetus." It’s a giant hammer. It serves no purpose other than to launch players into the stratosphere. Why? Because it’s funny. That was the guiding principle for the entire dev team. If it didn't make them laugh in the office, it didn't make it into the game.
The Epic Games Acquisition
By 2021, the game was a global phenomenon. It was so big that Epic Games—the people behind Fortnite and the Unreal Engine—stepped in. They bought Tonic Games Group, the parent company of Mediatonic.
This changed things.
Some fans were worried. They thought the "indie" spirit of the game would vanish under a corporate giant. But the acquisition meant more resources. It meant the game could go free-to-play, which it eventually did in June 2022. This move exploded the player base even further, bringing the chaos to Xbox and Nintendo Switch.
While the ownership changed, the core team at Mediatonic stayed at the helm for a long time. They continued to design the seasons, the costumes, and the increasingly complex maps. It’s a testament to the original vision that the game survived such a massive transition without losing its identity.
Common Misconceptions About the Creators
A lot of people think Fall Guys was made by a tiny team of three people in a garage. It wasn't. While the initial spark came from a few leads, by the time the game launched, dozens of artists, programmers, and QA testers were involved.
Another weird rumor? That the game was a "rip-off" of Gang Beasts. While both use physics-based characters, the goals and gameplay loops are entirely different. Gang Beasts is a brawler; Fall Guys is a race. They share DNA, sure, but they’re different species. Mediatonic has always been open about their inspirations, citing games like Mario Party as a huge influence on the "mini-game" structure.
What Happened After the Hype?
The "Summer of Beans" eventually faded, as all viral trends do. But the game didn't die. Far from it. Mediatonic shifted focus to user-generated content. They introduced "Creative Mode," allowing players to build their own levels.
This was a pivot born of necessity. Making high-quality levels takes time. Letting the community do it? That provides an infinite stream of content. It’s the Roblox model, and it’s kept the game relevant long after the initial novelty wore off.
The people who made Fall Guys understood something fundamental about gaming: competition is fun, but shared failure is a bonding experience. Getting knocked off a ledge by a giant swinging banana is frustrating, but doing it alongside 20 other people makes it a comedy routine.
Real-World Impact and Legacy
Mediatonic’s success story is a blueprint for mid-sized studios. They didn't try to out-graphics Call of Duty. They focused on a unique "feel" and a visual style that was unmistakable.
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- Total Players: Crossed 50 million within weeks of going free-to-play.
- Collaborations: Everything from God of War to SpongeBob SquarePants.
- Charity: Their "Battle of the Brands" raised $1 million for SpecialEffect.
The studio's ability to engage with their community on social media—largely led by a very "online" brand voice—helped bridge the gap between developer and player. They leaned into the memes. They embraced the "Big Yeetus." They made the players feel like they were part of the joke, not just the punchline.
Actionable Takeaways for the Curious
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of Mediatonic or even try your hand at level design, here’s how to engage with the legacy of the people who built the Blunderdome:
- Explore the Creative Construction: Open the "Fall Guys Creative" tool. It gives you a direct look at the building blocks the developers used to create the original maps. You'll quickly realize that "simple" physics are incredibly hard to balance.
- Study the Pitch: Search for Jeff Tanton’s public talks or Twitter threads about the original pitch deck. It’s a masterclass in how to sell a "weird" idea to a publisher.
- Check the Credits: Take a moment to scroll through the in-game credits. You’ll see names like Joe Walsh and Oliver Hindle, but also hundreds of others who handled the server architecture and localization that made the global launch possible.
- Follow the Indie Scene: Keep an eye on Devolver Digital’s roster. The same energy that brought us Fall Guys is usually present in their other picks, like Cult of the Lamb or Inscryption.
The story of the beans is still being written. Even as the industry shifts and studios evolve, the core idea—that a game can be colorful, silly, and wildly frustrating all at once—remains a pillar of modern gaming. Mediatonic proved that you don't need grit to have greatness. Sometimes, you just need a bean and a dream.