Atelier 801

Atelier 801 is an independent French video-game development company founded in 2011 by programmer Jean-Baptiste Le Marchand, known online as Tigrounette, and designer Mélanie Christin, known as Melibellule. The studio grew out of the unexpected success of Transformice, a browser-based multiplayer platform game that the two creators developed as a side project and first shared on an online forum in 2010. Its simple premise, collaborative mechanics, cartoon presentation, and strong word-of-mouth appeal enabled the game to attract a large international audience very quickly. Before forming Atelier 801, Le Marchand had developed Extinction, a platform that included games such as Aaaah!, Bouboum, and Forteresse. Christin and Le Marchand had also worked at Ankama. Transformice's rapid growth created more demand than the creators could handle in their spare time, leading them to leave their previous employment and establish Atelier 801 so they could work on the game full time. The company initially operated from a business incubator in Tourcoing associated with the La Ruche network and moved to Lille in January 2013. Transformice remains the company's defining property. The game centers on players controlling mice that cooperate or compete to collect cheese and reach a designated exit, with level design and player interaction forming much of the experience. According to the cited company history, Transformice had accumulated 105 million accounts by 2020. Atelier 801 expanded the property through additional games, including the mobile title Run for Cheese and the later project Transformice Adventures. The studio also developed and published games outside the core Transformice setting, such as Nekodancer, Dead Maze, Antarès, and Tomb Rumble. The company's catalog reflects a focus on online multiplayer experiences across browser, desktop, and mobile platforms. Its earlier releases were associated with Windows, macOS, and Linux, while Run for Cheese was designed for iOS and Android. Dead Maze extended the studio's work into survival and massively multiplayer gameplay, combining a contemporary zombie setting with crafting systems. The studio also participated in animation and transmedia development through Transformice: The Cartoon Series, produced with Cross River Productions and Believe Digital. Atelier 801 has experienced both expansion and project setbacks. It received a regional Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2013 and revived earlier Le Marchand projects during the same period. In 2019, a Kickstarter campaign for Transformice Adventures was cancelled approximately two weeks after launch, and eight employees were laid off, although development of the game reportedly continued. Mélanie Christin left Atelier 801 in 2022. Publicly documented information is limited regarding the company's current management, ownership, financial performance, and later release plans, but the studio is associated with an active game-development business and an enduring international player community.

Atelier 801 emerged from the independent game-making work of Jean-Baptiste Le Marchand and Mélanie Christin. Le Marchand, a programmer known online as Tigrounette, had previously developed Extinction, a platform containing Aaaah!, Bouboum, and Forteresse. Transformice began in 2010 as a side project involving Le Marchand and Christin, who contributed design work. They shared the game on an online forum, where it spread rapidly through player recommendation. The response exceeded the creators' expectations. Transformice required substantial ongoing attention as its player population expanded, and Le Marchand and Christin spent evenings and weekends responding to the demand while still employed at Ankama. In 2011, they left their jobs and founded Atelier 801, allowing them to support Transformice as a full-time commercial game. The company subsequently hired additional staff and established itself as an independent studio. Atelier 801 initially operated from a business incubator in Tourcoing within the La Ruche network. In January 2013, it moved to Lille. The company received the Nord region's Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2013. During this early expansion period, it also revived Bouboum and later Fortoresse, both connected to Le Marchand's earlier development work. In 2014, the studio released Nekodancer, a massively multiplayer musical game, and launched Run for Cheese for iOS and Android. Run for Cheese was the first mobile game set in the Transformice universe. The studio broadened the Transformice property beyond games in 2015 by co-producing Transformice: The Cartoon Series with Cross River Productions and Believe Digital. It also began developing Dead Maze, a survival massively multiplayer game set in a contemporary world affected by zombies. Dead Maze introduced crafting and survival systems and was released on Steam on 13 February 2018. In May 2019, Atelier 801 sought crowdfunding for Transformice Adventures, another title based in the Transformice universe. The Kickstarter campaign was cancelled roughly two weeks after it began. Although the project reportedly remained in development, the episode was followed by the layoff of eight employees. The studio released Antarès in July 2019 and later released the multiplayer platform game Tomb Rumble on Steam in 2021. Mélanie Christin left Atelier 801 in 2022. The available reference material does not identify a successor, current executive structure, ownership changes, or a later corporate reorganization. Atelier 801's documented history therefore remains centered on the creation and continuing influence of Transformice, its expansion into desktop, browser, mobile, animation, survival, and platform-game projects, and its role as a French independent multiplayer-game developer.

• 2022

  Co-founder Mélanie Christin departs

  [1]Atelier 801en.wikipedia.org

  Mélanie Christin left Atelier 801 after serving as co-founder and designer.

• 2021

  Tomb Rumble is released

  [1]Atelier 801en.wikipedia.org

  The multiplayer platform game Tomb Rumble was released on Steam.

• 2019

  Transformice Adventures crowdfunding campaign is cancelled

  [1]Atelier 801en.wikipedia.org

  A Kickstarter campaign for Transformice Adventures was cancelled approximately two weeks after launch; eight employees were laid off, while development reportedly continued.

• 2019

  Antarès is released

  [1]Atelier 801en.wikipedia.org

  Atelier 801 released Antarès in July.

• 2018

  Dead Maze launches on Steam

  [1]Atelier 801en.wikipedia.org

  The studio released its zombie survival massively multiplayer game Dead Maze on Steam on 13 February.

• 2015

  Transformice animated series project begins

  [1]Atelier 801en.wikipedia.org

  Atelier 801 co-produced Transformice: The Cartoon Series with Cross River Productions and Believe Digital.

• 2014

  Nekodancer and Run for Cheese releases

  [1]Atelier 801en.wikipedia.org

  The studio released Nekodancer and launched Run for Cheese, its first mobile game and the first Transformice-universe title for iOS and Android.

• 2013

  Move to Lille and regional entrepreneurship award

  [1]Atelier 801en.wikipedia.org

  The company moved from its Tourcoing incubator location to Lille and received the Nord region's Entrepreneur of the Year award.

• 2013

  Bouboum and Fortoresse revivals

  [1]Atelier 801en.wikipedia.org

  Atelier 801 revived Bouboum and later Fortoresse, games originating from Le Marchand's earlier development work.

• 2011

  Atelier 801 is founded

  [1]Atelier 801en.wikipedia.org

  The creators left Ankama and established Atelier 801 to work full time on Transformice.

• 2010

  Transformice is shared publicly

  [1]Atelier 801en.wikipedia.org

  Jean-Baptiste Le Marchand and Mélanie Christin posted the Transformice side project on an online forum, where it began spreading through word of mouth.

An independent developer focused on accessible, community-driven multiplayer games with humorous visual design and international online reach.

• Multiplayer platform game · 2010

  Transformice

  Transformice is Atelier 801's signature browser-based multiplayer platform game. Players control mice attempting to collect cheese and reach an exit, with cooperation, level design, and interaction among players central to the experience. The game spread rapidly after its 2010 public posting and became the foundation of the studio's business and broader entertainment universe. The cited company history reports 105 million accounts by 2020.

• Multiplayer game · 2013

  Bouboum

  Bouboum was one of the games associated with Jean-Baptiste Le Marchand's earlier Extinction platform. Atelier 801 revived the title in 2013 as part of its early effort to extend the studio's catalog beyond Transformice and bring earlier multiplayer concepts back to players.

• Multiplayer game · 2013

  Fortoresse

  Fortoresse was another earlier Le Marchand game revived by Atelier 801 after Bouboum. The available material identifies the revival as occurring a few months after the 2013 Bouboum revival, but does not provide additional product or service details.

• Massively multiplayer musical game · 2014

  Nekodancer

  Nekodancer was released in 2014 as a massively multiplayer musical game. It represented an early attempt by Atelier 801 to apply its online community and multiplayer expertise to a concept separate from the Transformice setting.

• Mobile game · 2014

  Run for Cheese

  Run for Cheese was Atelier 801's first mobile game and the first title set in the Transformice universe. It was released for iOS and Android in October 2014, extending the studio's best-known property from browser and desktop environments to mobile devices.

• Survival massively multiplayer game · 2018

  Dead Maze

  Dead Maze is a survival massively multiplayer game set in a contemporary world populated by zombies. Its design combines online play with survival and crafting systems. The game was developed by Atelier 801 and released on Steam on 13 February 2018.

• Multiplayer game

  Transformice Adventures

  Transformice Adventures is a planned game set in the Transformice universe. Atelier 801 sought Kickstarter funding for it in May 2019, but cancelled the campaign approximately two weeks after launch. The cited history states that the game remained in development after the campaign ended, without documenting a final release.

• Video game · 2019

  Antarès

  Antarès was released by Atelier 801 in July 2019. The available reference identifies the release but does not provide enough detail to describe its genre, platforms, mechanics, or continuing availability.

• Multiplayer platform game · 2021

  Tomb Rumble

  Tomb Rumble is a multiplayer platform game released on Steam in 2021. It forms part of Atelier 801's continuing focus on online platform experiences, although the available source does not give further information about its content or commercial performance.

• 2019Transformice Adventures Kickstarter

  International online crowdfunding market

  Atelier 801 used Kickstarter to seek support for Transformice Adventures, a new game in the Transformice universe.

  Outcome. The campaign was cancelled about two weeks after launch. The game reportedly remained in development, and eight employees were laid off after the cancellation.

  Source

• 2019

  Cancellation of Transformice Adventures crowdfundingOther

  Background

  The studio attempted to finance Transformice Adventures through a Kickstarter campaign.

  Action taken

  Atelier 801 cancelled the campaign approximately two weeks after it began.

  Aftermath

  Development reportedly continued, but eight employees were laid off after the campaign cancellation.

  Source

• 2015

  Expansion into animated entertainmentStrategy

  Background

  Transformice had become Atelier 801's central intellectual property and provided an opportunity to reach audiences beyond interactive games.

  Action taken

  Atelier 801 co-produced Transformice: The Cartoon Series with Cross River Productions and Believe Digital.

  Aftermath

  The project extended the Transformice property into animated content, although the available source does not document its audience or commercial results.

  Source

• 2014

  Expansion into mobile gamingProduct launch

  Background

  After developing browser and desktop multiplayer games, Atelier 801 sought to extend its best-known universe to mobile devices.

  Action taken

  The company released Run for Cheese for iOS and Android in October 2014.

  Aftermath

  Run for Cheese became the first mobile title in the Transformice universe and the studio's first mobile game.

  Source

• 2011

  Founding a dedicated independent studioStrategy

  Background

  Transformice's rapid, unexpected growth created more player demand than its creators could manage alongside their jobs at Ankama.

  Action taken

  Jean-Baptiste Le Marchand and Mélanie Christin left Ankama and founded Atelier 801 to develop and operate Transformice full time.

  Aftermath

  The decision established the company around Transformice and enabled it to hire additional staff and broaden its catalog.

  Source

1. 1Atelier 801en.wikipedia.org