Lemmings (video game)

Lemmings
Home computer cover art by Adrian Powell[15]
Developer(s)	DMA Design Sunsoft (SNES, SMD) Probe Software (GG, SMS) Psygnosis (CPC, 3DO, ZX) Ocean Software (NES) E&E Software (C64)
Publisher(s)	Psygnosis Sunsoft (SNES, SMD, NES (USA)) Sega (GG, SMS) Atari Corporation (LYNX) Ocean Software (GB, NES (EU)) Philips Media (CD-i)
Designer(s)	David Jones
Programmer(s)	David Jones Russell Kay Mike Dailly
Artist(s)	Gary Timmons Scott Johnston Mike Dailly
Composer(s)	Tim Wright Brian Johnston
Series	Lemmings
Platform(s)	Amiga MS-DOS, Mac OS, Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, CDTV, Acorn Archimedes, PC-98, FM Towns, X68000, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, PC Engine, Mega Drive, Game Gear, Amstrad CPC, Master System, Nintendo Entertainment System, Commodore 64, 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, Atari Lynx, SAM Coupé, Game Boy, CD-i, Amiga CD32, J2ME
Release	14 February 1991 Amiga EU: 14 February 1991[1] NA: 1992 MS-DOS NA: 1991 Mac OS NA: 1991 Atari ST EU: 1991 ZX Spectrum EU: 1991[2] Acorn Archimedes EU: 1991[3] PC-98 JP: 1991[4] CDTV EU: 1992 FM Towns JP: 1992[5] X68000 JP: 1992[6] PC Engine NA: 1992[7] JP: 1992 SNES JP: December 1991[8] NA: March 1992 EU: August 1992[9] Master System EU: November 1992[10] Mega Drive NA: 1992 EU: 14 December 1992[11] Game Gear NA: 1992 EU: December 1992[12] Amstrad CPC EU: 1992 NES NA: November 1992 EU: 19 May 1993 Commodore 64 EU: 1992 NA: 1993 3DO NA: 1993 Lynx NA: 1993 SAM Coupé EU: 1993[13] Game Boy EU: 1993 NA: August 1994 CD-i EU: 1993 NA: 1995 CD32 EU: 1994 J2ME NA: 2005[14]
Genre(s)	Puzzle, Strategy
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Lemmings is a 1991 puzzle-strategy video game developed by DMA Design and published by Psygnosis for the Amiga. It was later ported to numerous other platforms. The game was programmed by Russell Kay, Mike Dailly and David Jones, and was inspired by a simple animation that Dailly created while experimenting with Deluxe Paint.

The objective of the game is to guide a group of anthropomorphised lemmings through a number of obstacles to a designated exit. In any given level, the player must save a specified number or percentage of the lemmings in order to advance. To this end, the player must decide how to assign limited quantities of eight different skills to individual lemmings, allowing them to alter the landscape and/or their own behaviour so that the entire group can reach the exit safely.

Lemmings was one of the best-received video games of the early 1990s. It was the second-highest-rated game in the history of Amstrad Action, and was considered the eighth-greatest game of all time by Next Generation in 1996. Lemmings is also one of the most widely ported video games, and is estimated to have sold around 20 million copies between its various ports. The popularity of the game also led to the creation of several other Lemmings video-games, remakes and spin-offs, and has also inspired similar games. Despite its success, Lemmings lost considerable popularity by the late 1990s, which was attributed in part to the slow pace of gameplay compared to video games of later generations.^[16][17]