Theme Hospital is a business simulation by Bullfrog Productions, published by Electronic Arts for MS-DOS and Windows on 28 March 1997. Mark Webley designed and produced it, with art by Gary Carr. Peter Molyneux was not directly involved because he was busy with Dungeon Keeper.
For research the team visited Royal Surrey County Hospital, Great Ormond Street Hospital and Frimley Park Hospital. Real illnesses were swapped for invented ones: Bloaty Head was based on an allergic reaction Molyneux had, and King Complex started out as Elvis Impersonator until it turned out that Elvis's estate owned the rights. A Saturn version, called Sim Hospital as of October 1995, was cancelled.
Krisalis Software ported the game to the PlayStation; it came out in Europe in February 1998 and in Japan on 18 June 1998. The PlayStation version was later reissued on PlayStation Network, and the PC version returned on GOG in 2012.1
Names and releases
| Region | Title on the box | Platform | Date | Publisher | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA | Theme Hospital | PlayStation | Apr 16, 1998 | Electronic Arts | 1 |
| NA | Theme HospitalPlayStation Network. | PlayStation 3 | Aug 31, 2010 | — | 1 |
| WW | Theme HospitalReleased for MS-DOS and Windows at the same time. | MS-DOS | Mar 28, 1997 | Electronic Arts | 1 |
| EU | Theme HospitalPort by Krisalis Software. | PlayStation | February 1998 | Electronic Arts | 1 |
| JP | テーマホスピタル | PlayStation | Jun 18, 1998 | — | 1 |
| JP | テーマホスピタルBudget re-release for Windows priced at 1,980 yen; publisher not named in the source. | Windows | Mar 18, 2004 | — | 2 |
| EU | Theme HospitalPlayStation version on PlayStation Network. | PlayStation 3 | Jan 31, 2008 | — | 1 |
| JP | テーマホスピタルGame Archives, for PS3 and PSP; a PS Vita version was later released in Japan only. | PlayStation 3 | Oct 28, 2009 | — | 2 |
| WW | Theme HospitalDigital re-release. | Windows | 2012 | GOG.com | 1 |
Also known as: テーマホスピタル JP1Sim Hospital1
Box art by region
NA Theme Hospital
Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: Wikipedia.
Version differences
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GameplayPlayStation
The PlayStation port by Krisalis Software adapts a game designed for the mouse, and reviewers found the D-pad cursor jerky.1
-
GraphicsPlayStation
Absolute PlayStation criticized the PlayStation version's resolution, color palette and an interface it compared to a 16-bit game.1
-
ContentWindows
A patch added multiplayer for up to four players over IPX/SPX, serial cable or modem to the Windows version.1
Translations
-
Spanish Official
Electronic ArtsMS-DOSReleased
The GOG edition lists English, German, Spanish, French, Italian and Swedish, each with audio and text.3
Where to play legally today
-
GOG Purchase
How to run it today
The GOG edition runs in DOSBox on Windows and macOS without DRM. CorsixTH, an open-source remake under the MIT licence, adds support for modern systems, higher resolutions and a level editor.
- CorsixTH on GitHub github.com
Reception
Theme Hospital sold over 4 million copies worldwide and repeatedly reached the top five of budget charts. Critics praised its graphics, humor and gameplay but criticized repetitiveness, the AI and the interface; PC Zone gave it 91%.1
Sources
Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13
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