Photo: Thespaff / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Tim Schafer is an engineer, programmer and computer scientist, born on July 26, 1967 in Sonoma, California, United States. Tim Schafer is 59 years old as of 2026. Schooling on record includes Sonoma Valley High School and University of California, Berkeley. Recorded honors include Game Developers Choice Award - Lifetime Achievement (2018), BAFTA Fellowship (2018) and New York Game Awards (2022).
My Take
Tim Schafer is one of the few game designers I would call a genuine storyteller. A Berkeley-educated mind who chooses warmth and absurd humor over spectacle, he gave us Grim Fandango, Full Throttle, and Psychonauts, work that lingers long after the credits. Founding Double Fine after LucasArts showed real conviction, and the BAFTA Fellowship and lifetime honors only confirm what players already knew. What I value is that he never let prestige drain the playfulness from his games. He makes you laugh and then quietly breaks your heart, a balance almost nobody else manages.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Tim Schafer
- Name (Japanese)
- ティム・シェーファー
- Reading
- てぃむ・しぇーふぁー
- Born
- July 26, 1967 (age 59)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Leo / Goat
- Origin
- Sonoma, California, United States
- Occupation
- engineer / programmer / computer scientist / video game developer / screenwriter
2. Background
- High school
- Sonoma Valley High School
- University
- University of California, Berkeley
Awards & achievements
- 2018 Game Developers Choice Award - Lifetime Achievement
- 2018 BAFTA Fellowship
- 2022 New York Game Awards
3. Links
- Xhttps://x.com/TimOfLegend
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim%20Schafer
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q523191
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Tim Schafer born?
Born July 26, 1967 (age 59).
Where is Tim Schafer from?
Tim Schafer is from Sonoma, California, United States.
What does Tim Schafer do?
Tim Schafer works as engineer, programmer, computer scientist, video game developer, screenwriter.
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