OUR STORY
Back in 2018, Sam made the initial sketches for a management game where the player protects their base from waves of approaching enemies. But Sam's coding abilities were limited. So, he learned as he went along. While this inevitably resulted in disorganised code, it allowed time for the game’s concept and mechanics to mature. Because Sam was only able to work on the game during time off from university, progress was gradual. After 18 months and a period of beta testing, Final Outpost was ready to release onto the App Store.
Exceeding all expectations, Final Outpost reached 100,000 downloads within two months. Initial traction came from a small marketing campaign, which then grew from discovery on the App Store. Feedback was hugely positive; the Final Outpost Discord server was filling up with new members as the average rating from over 2,000 reviews reached 4.4/5. Sam released a number of patches during this time and began work on a significant content update with his friend Ewan later in the year. Final Outpost 1.1 introduced a host of new features, reworked mechanics, and UI improvements.
At the same time, demand for an Android version of the game was rapidly accelerating. To realise this, Sam founded Exabyte Games with Ewan and his brother, Ben. Our nascent Unity development team led by Ben entirely re-engineered Final Outpost for both iOS and Android, releasing Final Outpost 1.2 in August 2021. The update came with dynamic lighting effects, pathfinding, new resources and buildings, seasons, multi-language support, and much more.
Embracing the excitement of Final Outpost 1.3, which introduced dynamic weather and Game Center support, the team shifted gears to enhance graphics and refine the player experience. Our talented graphical artist, Harriett, re-imagined every character and building, seamlessly blending the game world and user interface. Driven by the invaluable feedback and enthusiasm of the Final Outpost community, we're inspired to continuously expand the game as we enter our 6th year of development.
While we remain dedicated to delivering regular updates that breathe new life into the game, our gaze now turns toward the future of Exabyte Games. Grounded in our core values, we are exploring exciting new game concepts that will shape both our upcoming releases and Exabyte Games itself.
MEET THE TEAM
Sam Clothier
Game Publisher, Developer & Designer
Meet Sam, the creator of Final Outpost who made the exciting transition from neuroscientist to game developer. He leads the company while playing a critical role in our technical and creative teams.
Self taught in Swift, Python, and now C#, he designed, built and published the popular mobile title Final Outpost in 2020 and currently works with our cross-platform Unity development team.
Fluent in German, Sam indulges in Formula 1, listens to Nothing But Thieves, and explores all sorts of PC games in search of innovation.
Ben Clothier
Lead Game Developer
Ben grew up playing games as much as he could, often competing with Sam for access to the family computer. Through this he developed a passion for programming and game design that led him to obtain a Computer Science degree at the University of Southampton.
Proficient in Unity, Ben leads the development team on all projects as our Lead Game Developer.
Over the years he has enjoyed exploring a vast array of game genres and experiences as a player. Though as a developer, the domains of simulation, management, and emergent narrative capture his particular interest. Outside of this, Ben finds joy in both playing the piano and climbing.
Ross Popovs
Game Developer
Ross has worked with Unity for over 8 years and has been supporting the development of Final Outpost ever since the first Android release in 2021.
When not working on Final Outpost, his daytime job is at the University of Southampton teaching Unity and other tools for Game Design students. Inspired by games such as Portal, Superliminal, and Firewatch, he hopes to create experiences which innovate gameplay and tell fantastic stories.
Ross is always up to start a Minecraft server and join friends for Overwatch. Outside of gaming, he enjoys Eurovision and Avatar.
Harriett Lewis
Graphic Artist
Having lived around the world, Harriett has been inspired by a multitude of art styles. She currently works full-time as a Graphic Designer, where she develops her skills in animation and design across the Adobe Suite and more.
Working at Final Outpost as a Graphic Artist, Harriett hopes to bring to life exciting new characters and worlds for players to witness.
Harriett is also studying towards her Masters degree in Illustration at Falmouth University, where she is exploring and expanding her illustration practice.
Ewan Hart
Marketing and Design
With a background in Digital Marketing and ongoing studies in Graphic Design at Nottingham Trent University, Ewan's primary focus lies in creating amazing content and managing our website and social media accounts.
Ewan has been part of the Final Outpost team since 2020, joining Ben and longtime friend Sam to establish the branding behind the game. Together, they are setting the foundation for content creation that will shape the company's future for years to come.
In his downtime, Ewan watches Formula 1 and the NBA, supports Forest Green Rovers FC, and listens to The Weeknd. He's also actively seeking thrilling experiences to conquer his fear of heights.
JJ Snedden
QA Tester
JJ's journey into the realm of technology began in their early years, immersed in playing and observing video games on the family PS2.
With a degree in Computer Science from the University of Southampton, JJ is our QA tester, helping the development team find and eliminate bugs for future game updates.
While their main interests lie with computing and engineering, they love playing games with friends, water sports and skiing. They are also hoping to try scuba diving this year!