# Broderbund Software <small style="color: gray">Last updated: January 17, 2026</small> ## Overview Broderbund Software (originally Brøderbund) was a major American software publisher founded in 1980 by Doug and Gary Carlston. The company was known for educational software (*Carmen Sandiego* series, *The Print Shop*) and games (*Prince of Persia*, *Myst*). Broderbund was acquired by The Learning Company in 1998. ## Sierra Connection Broderbund competed with Sierra in the adventure and strategy game markets during the 1980s and early 1990s. The company published several strategy games that share thematic elements with Sierra's offerings, including games by developers who also worked with Sierra. **Notable Connection:** After Activision lost the rights to Cyan's *Myst*, Broderbund published the game in 1993, making it one of the best-selling PC games of all time. ## Games Published (Sierra Archive) | Year | Game | Developer | |------|------|-----------| | 1987 | [[1987 - The Ancient Art of War at Sea\|The Ancient Art of War at Sea]] | Evryware | | 1990 | [[1979 - Galactic Empire\|Galactic Empire]] | Coktel Vision | ## Legacy The Broderbund brand continued under various owners after the 1998 acquisition. Currently, the Broderbund product line is managed by [[Publishers/Encore Software\|Encore Software]] under a licensing agreement announced in 2008. ## Related - **Current Brand Manager:** [[Publishers/Encore Software\|Encore Software]] ## References [^ref-1]: [Wikipedia - Broderbund](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broderbund) - Company history and notable games [^ref-2]: [MobyGames - Brøderbund Software, Inc.](https://www.mobygames.com/company/14/br%C3%B8derbund-software-inc/) - Game database profile [^ref-3]: [MobyGames - Brøderbund history](https://www.mobygames.com/company/14/br%C3%B8derbund-software-inc/history/) - Corporate timeline [^ref-4]: [The Strong Museum - Preserving the Brøderbund Story](https://www.museumofplay.org/blog/preserving-the-broderbund-story/) - Archive donation and history [^ref-5]: [The Strong Museum - Family Ties: A Short Story of Brøderbund](https://www.museumofplay.org/blog/family-ties-a-short-story-of-broderbund/) - Edutainment legacy [^ref-6]: [Computer History Museum - Broderbund Software](https://www.computerhistory.org/brochures/a-c/broderbund-software/) - Founding and Myst/Riven success [^ref-7]: [The Print Shop Club - Interview with Doug Carlston](https://theprintshop.club/2021/07/12/the-family-business-an-interview-with-broderbund-software-founder-doug-carlston/) - Founder interview [^ref-8]: [The Strong Museum Archives - Brøderbund Collection](https://archives.museumofplay.org/repositories/3/resources/37) - Company name origin [^ref-9]: [The Digital Antiquarian - Brøderbund](https://www.filfre.net/2012/08/broderbund/) - Founding history [^ref-10]: [DOS Games Archive - Brøderbund Software](https://www.dosgamesarchive.com/profile/broderbund-software/) - Carmen Sandiego and early hits [^ref-11]: [Company Histories - Broderbund Software](https://www.company-histories.com/Broderbund-Software-Company-History.html) - Mattel acquisition [^ref-12]: [Wikipedia - Mattel Interactive](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mattel_Interactive) - Learning Company acquisition [^ref-13]: [Grokipedia - Broderbund](https://grokipedia.com/page/Broderbund) - Company overview [^ref-14]: [Broderbund Official Site](https://www.broderbund.com/) - Current brand presence [^ref-15]: [Games Database - Brøderbund Publisher](https://www.gamesdatabase.org/publisher-br%C3%B8derbund_software) - Published games catalog