Abstract
Problem: How did Troika Games get its name, and what does it actually mean?
Approach: Tim Cain recounts the origin story directly, correcting common misconceptions about the name's connection to Russia or communism.
Findings: The name "troika" was first used as a nickname for Tim Cain, Leonard Boyarsky, and Jason Anderson while they worked together at Interplay on Fallout. When they later founded their own company, they adopted it because its literal meaning — three horses abreast with none in the lead — perfectly represented their philosophy of treating art, code, and design as equal disciplines.
Key insight: Troika's name wasn't chosen for its Russian origins but because it symbolized the founders' core belief that no single discipline (art, code, or design) should dominate the others — all three must contribute equally to make a great game.
The Word Itself
Troika is a Russian word meaning a carriage drawn by three horses running abreast — none of the horses is the lead horse. Tim shows a Russian chocolate box featuring two troika carriages, given to him by friends Larry and Maria. He also mentions his chocolate blog (maintained for about 30 years), where searching "troika" turns up both that box and a troika-branded chocolate bar that he describes as "one of the worst chocolate bars I'd ever eaten."
The Nickname at Interplay
Despite being a Russian word, the Russian meaning had nothing to do with why they picked it. Tim notes that Leonard Boyarsky likely has Russian heritage (though he hedges — "might be Polish, I'm pretty sure it's Russian").
While working on Fallout at Interplay, Tim Cain, Leonard Boyarsky, and Jason Anderson worked extremely tightly together. Leonard served as what would today be called the art director, creating much of Fallout's visual look. Jason excelled at the technical side — figuring out how to make art work in the engine, particularly the challenge of rendering dirt, dust, and rust in an era when 3D art defaulted to shiny plastic and metal. Tim, as producer, would bring both of them along to approve box cover art, ads, and manual layouts. He specifically needed their eyes because he is color blind.
Someone at Interplay started referring to the three of them as "the troika" — because they were always together, always doing things as a unit. Tim had never heard the word before and initially thought the person said "barista." The person corrected him: "No, troika — because you three are always together."
Tim reflects that tight, inseparable professional groups were unusual at Interplay, which made their dynamic stand out. They complemented each other: art, programming, and design were all represented across the three of them.
From Nickname to Company Name
After Tim quit Interplay, Leonard and Jason soon followed. They initially planned to just look for new jobs, but started tossing around the idea of making a game themselves — that's when the Arcanum concept emerged.
Over a few months, they decided they needed to form a company (an LLC) and began brainstorming names. Tim notes that his records from this period are frustratingly incomplete — he can't find a single note on the name discussions or early logo ideas, despite knowing there were many.
During the brainstorming, someone jokingly suggested: "We could just call ourselves Troika" — referencing their old Interplay nickname. Then they realized it was more than a joke. The literal definition — three horses abreast with none in the lead — perfectly captured their philosophy.
The Philosophy Behind the Name
At Troika, they committed to never pushing one discipline over another. They wouldn't be "design-forward," "code-forward," or "art-forward." They believed that to make a good game, art, code, and design all have to be done together, synchronized — you shouldn't create an art style inappropriate for your setting, or mechanics that don't work with your chosen art style.
Troika meant: art, code, and design on equal footing, all contributing equally, none considered most important — all necessary "to get that carriage where it wants to be."
The Communist Accusation
They did get pushback. Troika operated with a flat hierarchy, equal pay, and royalties split equally among everyone. When combined with the Russian company name, someone asked: "Are you a bunch of Communists?"
Tim says it honestly hadn't occurred to them. They weren't making a political statement — they just wanted to be fair in how they treated people and how they approached game development.
Summary
Tim's final word: "Yes, it's Russian. No, it has nothing to do with Russia, and it had nothing to do with communism. It was basically a funny nickname that we realized represented our idea of not ever promoting code, design, or art over the other two."
References
- Tim Cain. YouTube video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mvH-sWq9Zo