Melbourne House

An Australian video game developer and publisher active from the late 1970s, known for text adventures and racing games.

Driving

Racing

Action

Simulation

Founded

1977

Acquired

2006

HQ

Melbourne, Australia

Parent

Krome Studios

Known for

Adventure / Role-playing / Strategy

12

Games

1984–2007

Years

6

Platforms

$15.37

Ø CIB

+10%

24M change

About

Melbourne House developed early text adventures like Sherlock (1984) and Terrormolinos (1985), alongside action games like Bazooka Bill (1985). In the late 1990s and 2000s, the studio produced the strategy game KKND Krossfire (1999) and racing titles such as Test Drive Le Mans and Looney Tunes: Space Race.

Founded in Australia, the studio pioneered interactive fiction by implementing complex logical parsers and graphic illustrations in Sherlock (1984) and the satirical comedy Terrormolinos (1985) for 8-bit home computers. Simultaneously, the developer expanded into action-oriented gameplay with the side-scrolling combat title Bazooka Bill (1985).

Following acquisitions by Mastertronic and later Infogrames, the developer transitioned from 2D microcomputer software to advanced 3D console architecture. This shift facilitated the post-apocalyptic tactical gameplay of KKND Krossfire (1999) on Windows and PlayStation. The studio subsequently specialized in high-performance racing simulations, utilizing proprietary game engines to deliver the critically acclaimed Test Drive Le Mans (2000), also distributed as Le Mans 24 Hours (2000). This technical expertise in physics and rendering was adapted for the Warner Bros. license in Looney Tunes: Space Race (2000), also known as Space Race (2000). This cel-shaded Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 title integrated classic cartoon aesthetics with competitive multiplayer racing mechanics, establishing the studio's capability to translate established animated intellectual properties into interactive three-dimensional environments.