Private company

Spellbound Entertainment

Former German video game developer

Spellbound Entertainment AG was a German video game developer based in Offenburg. The company is best known for the Desperados series. They also developed Arcania: Gothic 4 (part of the Gothic series) and later its expansion, Arcania: Fall of Setarrif.2 It ceased to exist in 2012.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1994Founded1
  • Industryvideo game industry1
  • HeadquartersOffenburg1
  • Founded inOffenburg1
  • Websitewww.spellbound.de
  • Legal formAktiengesellschaft1

Spellbound Entertainment AG was a German video game developer based in Offenburg. The company is best known for the Desperados series.2

The story

Spellbound was founded in 1994 by Armin Gessert. They created video games for Windows computers, and other gaming systems.

In 2012 the company went into administration and closed. On 13 July 2012, the studio re-opened as Black Forest Games, employing 40 of the former 65 staff members.

Games developed

Perry Rhodan: Operation Eastside (1995; Fantasy Productions)

Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive (2001; Infogrames)

Untitled Desperados addon (unreleased)

Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood (2002; Mindscape, Free verse, Wanadoo Edition)

Airline Tycoon (1998–2003; Infogrames, Monte Cristo, RuneSoft)

Smoking Colts (2003; Spellbound Entertainment)

Read the full text

Starsky & Hutch (2003; Empire Interactive)

Chicago 1930 (2003; Wanadoo Edition)

Desperados 2: Cooper's Revenge (2006; Atari)

Helldorado (2007; Viva Media)

Giana Sisters DS (2009; Destineer, DTP Entertainment)

Arcania: Gothic 4 (2010; JoWooD Entertainment, DreamCatcher Interactive)

Arcania: Fall of Setarrif (2011; Nordic Games)

Desperados Gangs (cancelled)

From Wikipedia’s article on Spellbound Entertainment, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Products and brands

  • Desperados
  • software

Listed on Wikidata.1

Timeline

  1. 2012Dissolved Dissolved1
  2. 1994Founded Founded in Offenburg1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3