Editing Psychonauts (section)

{{short description|2005 platform video game}}
{{about|the video game||Psychonaut (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2016}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Psychonauts
| image = Psychonautsbox.png
| developer = [[Double Fine Productions]]{{efn|[[Budcat Creations]] helped with the PlayStation 2 port.}}
| publisher = [[Majesco Entertainment]]{{efn| The Windows (Steam), Mac OS X and Linux ports are self published by [[Double Fine Productions]], along with the PS2 version on PS2 classics for PS3 and as a classic title for PS4. The Windows (Xbox Live) and the Original Xbox ports on Xbox Live Marketplace  are published by [[Microsoft Studios]].}}
| director = [[Tim Schafer]]
| producer = 
| designer = Erik Robson
| programmer = {{Unbulleted list|David Dixon|Kee Chi|Anna Kipnis|[[Brad Muir]]}}
| artist = {{Unbulleted list|[[Scott Campbell (artist)|Scott Campbell]]|[[Peter Chan (artist)|Peter Chan]]<br>[[Nathan Stapley]]|Guarav Mathur}}
| writer = {{Unbulleted list|Tim Schafer|[[Erik Wolpaw]]}}
| composer = [[Peter McConnell]]
| series = ''[[Psychonauts (video game series)|Psychonauts]]''
| platforms = {{ubl|[[Microsoft Windows]]|[[Xbox (console)|Xbox]]|[[PlayStation 2]]|[[Mac OS X]]|[[Linux]]|}}
| released = {{Collapsible list
| title      = {{nobold|April 19, 2005}}
| '''Microsoft Windows''', '''Xbox'''{{Video game release|NA|April 19, 2005|EU|February 10, 2006}}
| '''PlayStation 2'''{{Video game release|NA|June 21, 2005<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=David |date=2005-05-26 |title=Psychonauts Gold for PS2 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/05/26/psychonauts-gold-for-ps2 |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref>|EU|February 10, 2006}}
| '''Mac OS X'''{{vgrelease|WW|September 29, 2011<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-09-29 |title=Double Fine releases Psychonauts app |url=https://www.engadget.com/2011-09-29-double-fine-releases-psychonauts-app.html |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=Yahoo News |language=en-US}}</ref>}}
| '''Linux'''{{vgrelease|WW|May 31, 2012<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-05-31 |title=Humble Indie Bundle V includes Psychonauts, Limbo, Superbrothers, Amnesia, Bastion (as a bonus) |url=https://www.engadget.com/2012-05-31-humble-indie-bundle-v-includes-psychonauts-limbo-superbrothers.html |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=Engadget |language=en-US}}</ref>}}
}}
| genre = [[Platformer|Platform]]
| modes = [[Single-player video game|Single-player]]
}}

'''''Psychonauts''''' is a 2005 [[platformer|platform game]] developed by [[Double Fine Productions]] and published by [[Majesco Entertainment]] for [[Microsoft Windows]], [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]] and [[PlayStation 2]].

Set in a [[Retrofuturism|retro-futuristic]] version of the 1980s, ''Psychonauts'' follows Razputin (Raz), a young boy gifted with psychic abilities, who runs away from a circus to try to sneak into a summer camp for those with similar powers to become a "Psychonaut", a spy with psychic abilities. He finds that there is a sinister plot occurring at the camp that only he can stop. The game is centered on exploring the strange and imaginative minds of various characters that Raz encounters as a Psychonaut-in-training/"Psycadet" to help them overcome their fears or memories of their past, so as to gain their help and progress in the game. Raz gains use of several psychic abilities during the game that are used for both attacking foes and solving puzzles.

''Psychonauts'' was based on an abandoned concept that studio founder [[Tim Schafer]] had during his previous development of ''[[Full Throttle (1995 video game)|Full Throttle]]''. The game was initially backed by [[Microsoft]]'s [[Ed Fries]] as a premiere title for the [[Xbox (console)|original Xbox console]], but several internal and external issues led to difficulties for Double Fine in meeting various milestones and responding to testing feedback. Following Fries' departure in 2004, Microsoft dropped the publishing rights, making the game's future unclear. Double Fine was able to secure [[Majesco Entertainment|Majesco]] as a publisher a few months later allowing them to complete the game after four and a half years of development.

The game was well received, but publisher Majesco   encountered a severe financial loss after the game's release and departed from the video game market''. Psychonauts'' has earned a number of industry awards and gained a [[cult following]]. It has since been cited as one of the [[List of video games considered the best|greatest video games ever made]]. In 2011, Double Fine acquired the rights for the title, allowing the company to republish the title through [[digital distribution]] with updates for modern gaming systems and ports for [[Mac OS X]] and [[Linux]]. Double Fine reported that their own sales of the game have far exceeded what was initially sold on its original release, with cumulative sales of nearly 1.7 million {{as of|2015|December|lc=y}}. A sequel, ''[[Psychonauts 2]]'', was announced at [[The Game Awards 2015|The Game Awards]] in December 2015 and was released on August 25, 2021.