falsework

What falsework does

falsework is a Los Angeles-based game and animation studio that produces original interactive works and commissioned art installations at the intersection of fine art, entertainment, and technology. The studio's portfolio spans five distinct products: 'Spider Lily,' a cinematic adventure game on Steam set in the afterlife; 'SNAKEPIT [USA],' a narrative puzzle game interrogating social media; 'Anti-Gone,' a mixed reality performance premiered at Sundance New Frontier in 2020; 'Other Spring,' a theory-fiction worldbuilding docufiction project premiered in 2023; and 'Declaration of Dependence,' an interactive installation commissioned for the Maltese Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2026. Beyond its own IPs, falsework operates a worldbuilding consultancy that builds 'playful production structures for storytelling' for clients in live events, music, education, entertainment, and fine art.

The studio's underlying technology stack centres on Unreal Engine 5 for real-time rendering and game-environment construction, motion-capture technology (Noitom MoCap) for performer integration, and mixed-reality systems that combine physical stage and digital environment. These capabilities are deployed in three revenue streams: one-time game sales via Steam (Spider Lily wishlist), professional-services consultancy fees for worldbuilding and production work, and commissioned art production for galleries, biennales, and museums. The customer base is institutional and project-based—Arts Council Malta, Onassis Culture, and Hyundai Motor Company are the named counterparties—and marketing is conducted primarily through festival premieres (Sundance, Venice Biennale, Ars Electronica) and organic social channels rather than paid acquisition.

Name

falsework

Legal name

falsework

Website

https://false.work

Company type

Private

Founded year

2026

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

falsework is a Los Angeles game and animation studio producing original games, mixed reality performances, and commissioned art installations for cultural institutions, alongside a worldbuilding consultancy serving live events, education, entertainment, and fine art clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Interactive Media & Game Studio

NAICS

Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (33993)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAHACAM

Stop-Motion & Hybrid Animation

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Media Technology & Services (Post-Production, VFX, Animation, Streaming Infrastructure)/Animation & Motion Graphics (2D/3D)

SECONDARYMPAHACAD

3D Product/Explainer Animation

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Media Technology & Services (Post-Production, VFX, Animation, Streaming Infrastructure)/Animation & Motion Graphics (2D/3D)

SECONDARYMPAFAKAM

Outsourced Art/Audio Production Services (2D/3D, Animation, VFX, Audio/VO)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Gaming & Interactive Entertainment (Video Games, Esports)/Gaming Operations & Services (QA, Localization, LiveOps, Customer Support)

Keywords

• Game development studio
• Interactive installations
• Mixed reality performances
• Worldbuilding consultancy
• Animation production services

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Game Development & Sales: Development and distribution of original games such as Spider Lily, SNAKEPIT, and other interactive experiences sold through platforms like Steam.
2. Consultancy Services: Worldbuilding and production consultancy services for clients across live events, entertainment, education, and fine art sectors.
3. Commissioned Art Production: Production of commissioned interactive installations and mixed reality performances for cultural institutions and galleries.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

falsework is a Los Angeles-based game and animation studio that develops and sells original games (Spider Lily, SNAKEPIT [USA]), interactive installations (Declaration of Dependence), mixed reality performances (Anti-Gone), and theory-fiction worldbuilding projects (Other Spring), while also operating a worldbuilding and production consultancy serving clients in live events, education, entertainment, and fine art.

Product overview

falsework is a game + animation studio in Los Angeles that creates works of art using technology. Their portfolio consists of five distinct products: Spider Lily (a cinematic adventure game set in the afterlife), SNAKEPIT [USA] (a narrative puzzle game about social media), Anti-Gone (a mixed reality performance premiered at Sundance 2020), Other Spring (a speculative worldbuilding docufiction project by zzyw), and Declaration of Dependence (an interactive installation for Venice Biennale 2026). Beyond producing their own games and installations, the studio operates as a consultancy specializing in worldbuilding, delivering specialized production services for clients in live events/music, education, entertainment, and fine art.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Spider Lily A cinematic adventure game set in the afterlife where a twelve-year-old girl who awakens in purgatory forms a soul bond with a golden fish whose eyes have been taken by ravens. The companions embark on a journey to escape death through the mysterious landscape of what lies beyond life. Sold to consumers via Steam.
• SNAKEPIT [USA] A narrative puzzle game centered on the gaps and distortions created by social media, set around a fictionalized version of early 2000s social media sites. Players take on the role of an administrator reviewing photos, videos, timestamps, and user comments to uncover buried truths within a suburban house setting.
• Anti-Gone A mixed reality performance by Theo Triantafyllidis set in a post-climate change world, based on a graphic novel by Connor Willumsen. It explores a couple navigating a world of environmental catastrophe and late-capitalist culture clinging to civilization's ruins. Commissioned by Onassis Culture and premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2020: New Frontier.
• Other Spring A speculative docufiction worldbuilding project by zzyw that critically examines the mediating effects of computational media, automation, and artificial intelligence on society, inspired by the ancient Chinese fable 'The Peach Blossom Spring'. Premiered May 2nd, 2023, and sponsored by Hyundai Motor's 5th VH Award.
• Declaration of Dependence An interactive installation by Adrian MM Abela structured as a stage with three temporal zones, featuring spinning coins representing the future and a drawing depicting the past, with Malta personified within a game engine. Commissioned for the Malta Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2026 by Arts Council Malta.
• Worldbuilding & Production Consultancy A consultancy service offered by the studio that delivers specialized, quality production at all stages, building playful production structures for storytelling. The studio has worked with a wide range of clients across live events/music, education, entertainment, and fine art sectors.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship.

• Arts Council MaltaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Arts Council Malta commissioned and funded 'Declaration of Dependence' for the Maltese Pavilion at Venice Biennale 2026. falsework provided production services including technical direction, animation, and interactive installation development. This is a major cultural commission representing the studio's highest-profile institutional work.
• Onassis CultureflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Onassis Culture commissioned Anti-Gone, a mixed reality performance set in a post-climate change world, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2020: New Frontier. falsework served as key collaborator and producer.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• thatgamecompany: Independent game studio behind Journey, Flower, and Sky: Children of the Light. Closely comparable as a small, art-driven studio producing emotionally resonant, narrative games that frequently appear in cultural and museum contexts.
• MediaMolecule: Sony-owned studio behind LittleBigPlanet and Dreams, known for blending game development with creative tools and artistic expression. Comparable on the game-engine-as-creative-medium positioning falsework uses for installations.
• Playdead: Small Danish studio behind Limbo and Inside. Comparable as an art-house narrative game studio releasing distinctive, atmospheric titles on Steam with a tight creative team.
• Giant Sparrow: Independent studio behind The Unfinished Swan and What Remains of Edith Finch. Comparable as a small narrative-first game studio whose single-IP, art-driven titles can scale into broader cultural recognition.
• Campo Santo: Acquired by Valve; original makers of Firewatch. Comparable as a small, art-driven narrative game studio recognized for premium cultural positioning despite minimal commercial output.
• The Chinese Room: UK studio behind Dear Esther and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, now part of Sumo Group. Comparable as a small narrative/artistic game developer with a track record of cultural-institution-adjacent storytelling.
• Blur Studio: Animation and VFX studio producing cinematic content for games, film, and interactive media. Comparable on the real-time, game-engine-driven animation and short-form narrative production side of falsework's offering.
• teamLab: Interdisciplinary art collective producing large-scale digital and immersive installations using projection, real-time rendering, and interactivity. Comparable on the technology-art hybrid production model that drives falsework's installation and mixed reality practice.
• Annapurna Interactive: Publisher specializing in artistic, narrative, and experimental indie games (What Remains of Edith Finch, Outer Wilds, Stray). Comparable as a curator and partner for the kind of art-forward interactive experiences falsework develops.
• Meow Wolf: Immersive art installation company creating large-scale, technology-driven narrative experiences for permanent and traveling exhibitions. Directly comparable to falsework's Declaration of Dependence-style gallery/installation work using game engine and real-time technology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/falsework-studio
• Instagraminstagram.com/falsework__
• Xx.com/falsework888

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about falsework