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Broderbund Software

Last updated: May 8, 2026

Overview

Broderbund Software (originally Brøderbund) was a major American software publisher founded in 1980 by Doug and Gary Carlston.12 The company was known for educational software (Carmen Sandiego series, The Print Shop) and games (Prince of Persia, Myst).34 Broderbund was acquired by The Learning Company in 1998.56

Sierra Connection

Broderbund competed with Sierra in the adventure and strategy game markets during the 1980s and early 1990s.78 The company published several strategy games that share thematic elements with Sierra’s offerings, including games by developers who also worked with Sierra.910

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.1112

Games Published (Sierra Archive)

Legacy

The Broderbund brand continued under various owners after the 1998 acquisition.1314 Currently, the Broderbund product line is managed by Encore Software under a licensing agreement announced in 2008.15

References

Footnotes

  1. Wikipedia - Broderbund - Company history and notable games ↩

  2. The Digital Antiquarian - Brøderbund - Founding history ↩

  3. MobyGames - Brøderbund Software, Inc. - Game database profile ↩

  4. DOS Games Archive - Brøderbund Software - Carmen Sandiego and early hits ↩

  5. MobyGames - Brøderbund history - Corporate timeline ↩

  6. Company Histories - Broderbund Software - Mattel acquisition ↩

  7. The Strong Museum - Preserving the Brøderbund Story - Archive donation and history ↩

  8. Wikipedia - Mattel Interactive - Learning Company acquisition ↩

  9. The Strong Museum - Family Ties: A Short Story of Brøderbund - Edutainment legacy ↩

  10. Grokipedia - Broderbund - Company overview ↩

  11. Computer History Museum - Broderbund Software - Founding and Myst/Riven success ↩

  12. Broderbund Official Site - Current brand presence ↩

  13. The Print Shop Club - Interview with Doug Carlston - Founder interview ↩

  14. Games Database - Brøderbund Publisher - Published games catalog ↩

  15. The Strong Museum Archives - Brøderbund Collection - Company name origin ↩

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