Gyeonggi Game Audition 1st Place 'NAMMO': "We Will Do Our Best for Fun

Takes 1st Place in General Division and Gamer's Pick Simultaneously

Gyeonggi Game Audition 1st Place ‘NAMMO’: “We Will Do Our Best for Fun”

Soojin "Eonn" Kim [email protected] Nov 2, 2026 Korean (한국어) KO Add us on

<Joint Feature: Inven X Gyeonggi Content Agency>

NAMMO, an indie game that drew attention with its Korean dark fantasy theme and striking pixel art, won both 1st place in the General Division and the Gamer's Pick at the 2026 Gyeonggi Game Audition, which saw a record number of applicant teams.

Currently in development by Guild Studio, NAMMO is a 2D Soulslike game set against the backdrop of ancient Silla. It plays out as a boss rush and features the Spirit Eye system, which allows players to perceive the soul realm hidden from reality. However, NAMMO was not like this from the beginning. Guild Studio completely overhauled its core system for the sake of the game's "fun". And even now, they continue development while trying out and adding various content.

Following the Gyeonggi Game Audition awards, an opportunity was arranged to talk with Guild Studio CEO Kim Tae-yoon. Despite taking 1st place, he remained humble. He is continuing to work hard for the fun and polish of NAMMO, driving full steam ahead toward a demo release in February 2027 and an official launch in August.

The Most Important Thing Is 'Fun'

1st Place at Gyeonggi Game Audition, Korean Dark Fantasy NAMMO

You won both 1st place in the General Division and Gamer's Pick at the 2026 Gyeonggi Game Audition. How do you feel?

"We brought the exact same build we previously showcased at events. Rather than preparing a visually polished build specifically for the presentation, we approached it with the mindset that people should enjoy focusing on the gameplay itself. Thankfully, visitors at the venue seemed to fully immerse themselves in playing the game, and I think that led to a good result.

A record number of teams applied for this year's Gyeonggi Game Audition. What do you think was the decisive reason NAMMO was chosen amidst such fierce competition?

"From a design perspective, I think the Korean dark fantasy theme felt intriguing. China has works based on Wuxia or Journey to the West, and Japan has many games featuring samurai or ninja, right? I wanted to create a dark fantasy set in Korea. So, based on Silla, we captured the story of Wonhwa.

Another reason, I think, is our core system, the Spirit Eye. Through the Spirit Eye, you can see into the soul realm hidden from reality and discover the boss's weaknesses or true identity. I think people saw a sense of novelty in the process of conquering bosses using this system.

Many indie games have achieved great success after winning at the Gyeonggi Game Audition. Expectations for NAMMO must have increased with this award as well—do you feel any pressure?

"First of all, thanks to winning the Gyeonggi Game Audition, many people recognize us. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Gyeonggi Content Agency.

As for pressure, not really. Rather than thinking about achieving massive success with NAMMO, we want to properly deliver what we want to show and what we believe is fun. We want to create elements that players will enjoy while playing. We want to showcase the theme of Korean dark fantasy within that, rather than approaching it with a grand goal of making a global hit. I believe success might follow if we keep working hard. For now, we are focusing on the game we want to make.

Is there a core element that you decided never to compromise on during the development of NAMMO?

"NAMMO is fundamentally a boss rush game. No matter how interesting the Korean dark fantasy theme is or how appealing the characters are, if we don't do our utmost in what matters most for the genre, I think that would make it a lacking game. It would also be disrespectful to players. That's why, above all else, we refuse to compromise on boss fights. It is also the area we are focusing on most.

Conversely, what has changed the most compared to when you first designed the game?

"The core system itself changed. You know the champion Rek'Sai in League of Legends, right? She detects her surroundings through sound waves, and initially, NAMMO was designed in a similar way. Since the protagonist is blind, we made the field of view dark and allowed surroundings to be perceived through sound waves. Players had to parry attacks based on the waves generated by enemy movements.

We tried to make a game that pursued extreme thrills by parrying attacks under limited visibility. But when we actually built it, it wasn't fun at all. Combat involved briefly catching silhouettes of enemies through sound waves, but at some point, it felt like something was missing. So I asked the dev team to temporarily remove the black vision-blocking overlay. It turned out to be much more fun without it.

That's when the dilemma began. If we remove the vision restriction, how do we express the protagonist's setting? After considering various options, we selected the current Spirit Eye system. Of course, Spirit Eye wasn't an easy choice either. Because we have to render both the real world and the soul realm, the art workload effectively doubled. Everyone, including the art team and dev team, worried whether we could really pull it off.

In the end, however, using the Spirit Eye was overwhelmingly more fun. Since I believe the most important thing in a game is fun, we chose the current system.

Changing the system must have been a huge decision.

"At the time, we had been developing under that design for about two months. We even won the Grand Prize in the Design Category at GIGDC with that concept. Having received recognition for the concept itself, we felt confident. But once we actually built it, it just wasn't fun. It was really disappointing.

In the end, we almost restarted from scratch. When we attended PlayX4 in 2025, we had only been developing with the new system for about four or five months. From a director's perspective, I carefully proposed changing the system, and I think my team members were amazing for accepting it. Two months of work essentially vanished. Despite that burden, I am so grateful to my team for willingly embracing the change.

Were there any elements that inspired you while developing NAMMO?

"There's a character named Leroy in Tekken 7. He's based on Wing Chun, and his movement—blocking enemy attacks and following up with rapid strikes—was so cool. Seeing that helped form the keywords of a visually impaired protagonist and parrying.

As I mentioned for the early vision restriction system, we were inspired by Rek'Sai in League of Legends. After that, we drew a lot of inspiration from Blasphemous and Nine Sols for art and combat.

Last year, I even sent a direct message to the pixel artist of Blasphemous. I asked if the art direction of NAMMO was on the right track, and they replied that it looked amazing and fantastic. Our team members had been worrying a lot about whether our direction was right, so receiving that response felt like a validation. It gave us a huge boost of confidence.

In the case of Nine Sols, I traveled to Taiwan and met the developers twice. I received a lot of feedback on combat and actual gameplay, and gratefully, we are building the game with their advice in mind.

Boss Rush and 2D Soulslike

More Than 10 Bosses and Boss Fights Bursting with Personality

How many bosses are you aiming for at launch?

"Currently, we are thinking of 10 or more. Originally, I confidently talked about 12 or 13, but actually building them proved to be much harder than expected. Properly crafting each boss is by no means an easy task. I believe how much fun each individual boss provides is more important than sheer quantity. We are focusing on fun rather than the number of bosses.

Since the structure involves continuously facing bosses, each encounter must feel distinct. What did you focus on most when designing bosses?

"We are working hard to highlight individuality. During development, sometimes a particular boss turns out extremely fun. When that happens, you naturally start designing other bosses based on that standard. Your mindset gets tied to that framework. In the early stages, that actually happened. That's why we are now trying to bring out each boss's distinct flavor as much as possible.

Since each boss has a different look and form, we want to deliver combat fun suited to them. We are particularly focused on creating variation in attack patterns. Of course, as a 2D side-scrolling game, gimmick elements are also necessary. But fundamentally, our main focus is on action and boss combat.

You describe the game as a 2D Soulslike. Could you explain specifically how you bring out boss individuality in line with those characteristics?

"To be honest, using the term Soulslike makes me a bit nervous. As someone who loves Soulslike games myself, strictly speaking, while there are similarities, part of me feels a bit bashful about using the label.

It shares similarities in the concept of facing powerful bosses and learning attack patterns so the player themselves grows. However, we don't use classic Soulslike level design, death penalty mechanics like losing resources, or traditional leveling systems.

Still, we are trying to deliver key Soulslike traits: intense boss fights and the sense of player growth rather than numerical character stat scaling.

Was there a decisive reason why NAMMO took on its current form as a 2D Soulslike boss rush game?

"Because boss fights are what we can do best. Reinforcing other elements like Metroidvania or platforming features might reach a broader audience. But rather than forcibly expanding into areas we aren't confident in, we felt it was right to focus on what we do well.

Being a pure boss rush game also offers high design freedom when creating bosses. If you try to build other elements, you have to consider boss placements and map designs together, whereas NAMMO can focus solely on the boss battles themselves. I don't mean we are better than other dev teams, but rather that the genre structure allows us to experiment with various ideas. I think players will find fun in that aspect.

Does pure player mechanical skill play the most important role then?

"Not necessarily. We also wanted to create room for strategic approaches. While some bosses rely heavily on mechanical skill and tension, others allow players to use the Spirit Eye to judge which weakness to destroy first and experience tactical fun solving the fight.

We wanted to provide different experiences for every boss. It would be disappointing if all bosses demanded only parrying and dodging in the exact same way. On the flip side, repeating only gimmick interactions or weakness destruction wouldn't be fun either. So we are trying to balance mechanical skill and strategic elements for each boss. Repeating similar experiences over and over eventually hits a wall.

Designing combat so players understand why they died is crucial—how are you balancing difficulty?

"That was one of the hardest parts. Originally, we considered targeting a small niche audience. But as development progressed, the concept of Soulslike itself grew broader, and it felt like making games excessively difficult isn't the trend it used to be.

In the end, we concluded it's difficult to satisfy all players with a single difficulty level. So we plan to divide the difficulty. Currently, we are thinking of two difficulty settings. We hope players new to 2D Soulslike games through NAMMO can fully enjoy it.

If many players request a higher difficulty after launch, we are willing to consider a third setting. Of course, nothing is set in stone yet, and we'll need to see player reactions after launch.

The bosses shown in the trailers released so far look impressive. Will we be able to encounter them at launch?

"As we built the game, even more entertaining bosses than before came to life. Because of that, some bosses from the first trailer might not appear in the full version, while others might appear in different forms or more evolved iterations. Since some players likely wishlisted the game after being impressed by specific bosses in the trailer, we are working hard to deliver an even more satisfying experience.

How is the game structured between boss fights? Are there separate exploration elements?

"The overall structure alternates between story and boss fights. At first, we tried making elaborate maps between bosses and inserted various elements, such as platforming action or puzzles utilizing the Spirit Eye. Players did find those parts fun, but there was a problem: it caused too much fatigue. Players need a breathing room after a boss fight, but having complex platforming or puzzles in between left no time to rest.

So we changed direction. While puzzles or platforming mechanics using the Spirit Eye may appear in certain sections, we don't plan to make every segment that complicated. In the end, boss battles are what matter most in NAMMO, so we intend to balance the sections between them appropriately.

Strategic Depth Brought to Life by the Spirit Eye

A Signature System Used Throughout Combat

Could you explain specifically how the Spirit Eye system differs from general scanning or weakness-checking mechanics?

"Fundamentally, combat is built around parrying, and Spirit Eye acts as a highlight element. However, simply revealing enemy weaknesses wouldn't differentiate it much from other games. That's why we are designing Spirit Eye to be actively utilized across overall combat.

For example, there are platforms in the real world where only traces are visible. Activating Spirit Eye to approach a boss reveals the true form of those platforms, allowing you to step on them during combat. Another boss creates multiple illusions to perform continuous attacks; turning on Spirit Eye allows you to identify the real body among the illusions. In this way, beyond merely showing weaknesses, it is designed to affect boss patterns and combat flow.

The artistic side is also important. NAMMO carries a theme where reality is fake and the soul realm is true. Spirit Eye allows you to perceive the truth, so to speak. When you turn on Spirit Eye, you can see the boss's true appearance or the map's hidden structure. To emphasize the soul realm, I felt it needed to be a overarching theme rather than just a combat assistance system.

Can Spirit Eye be toggled freely during combat? How does it work?

"Of course, there are restrictions. You gain gauge by engaging in combat—such as performing basic attacks or parries—and use that gauge to activate Spirit Eye. What matters is deciding when to use it. You don't have to fill the Spirit Eye gauge completely to activate it.

Activating Spirit Eye drains the gauge over time, so duration is limited. Additionally, activating Spirit Eye consumes a set amount of gauge up front—like an entry fee. Therefore, if you want to use it as efficiently as possible, it's best to save up a lot of gauge before activating. However, depending on the situation, using it immediately with a smaller amount of gauge might be advantageous.

Even if the gauge is only half full, if you decide it's beneficial to destroy a boss's weakness right now, you can activate Spirit Eye then. The same applies when you need to utilize hidden platforms. Judging when and for what purpose to use Spirit Eye is key.

How is the character growth system structured in terms of weapons or skills?

"There is only one weapon. Nammo uses a Buddhist monk's staff (khakkhara), and we have no plans to change that concept. However, there are multiple skills, and we are exploring combat differentiation through add-ons.

Initially, because we wanted to focus as much as possible on boss fights, we refrained from giving the protagonist an overly diverse action kit. Each boss has an intended difficulty curve, and if the protagonist's skills were too varied, we worried it might diminish the distinct fun each boss delivers.

Recently, however, discussions came up about trying bolder ideas. So we are currently testing a simple input command system. Rather than complex inputs, equipping a specific add-on allows a single button to trigger a different action. No matter how different the bosses are, if players only repeat attacking, parrying, and using Spirit Eye in the exact same manner, it could get repetitive. So while it won't be overly flashy action, we are working to add more variation to gameplay.

Even as launch approaches, it seems you are trying out various changes in the combat system.

"With about a year left until launch, we are actually conducting various experiments lately. It's not that we lost our core development direction, but we had many things to ponder. Since a solid baseline of bosses has been built up, we are testing things we've wanted to try. Of course, this is done within bounds that don't harm the game's core direction.

Another big factor is how much the development team has grown. Since this is the first proper game development experience for myself and my team, our skills, understanding of action games, and development know-how were shallow in the beginning. But through building the game, our development experience accumulated and our skills grew. The problem is that our standards have risen accordingly (laughs).

Because of that, we want to try more things and make the game more varied. I don't think NAMMO is a perfect game right now, but I am confident we can make it a much cooler game by official launch.

In previous interviews, you mentioned wanting to convey Korea's unique emotion of "Han" through Nammo and Junjeong. Outside of story, have you attempted to express this through combat or game systems?

"I see "Han" as one of many emotions we aim to convey in the game. NAMMO fundamentally isn't heavily narrative-driven, but we are working to construct a clear narrative arc within it. "Han" is one of the emotions present in that story. While we try to express it as a uniquely Korean emotion, it doesn't define every aspect of the game.

An indispensable part of NAMMO's first impression is its striking pixel art. But readability is crucial in a combat-centric game—what visual considerations are you wrestling with?

"That's exactly what we are pondering right now. I think NAMMO leaves a very strong impression when viewed in still screenshots. On the other hand, video footage feels slightly lacking compared to stills, while actually playing feels even more fun than watching.

So we are deliberating on how to make character movements look smoother, and how overall visuals and motions should harmonize. I don't think we are doing this perfectly yet. In fact, we feel it's lacking, so we are in the stage of striving to bridge that gap.

How far along is development?

"Currently, we expect to release a demo in February 2027 and launch the full game in August.

Do you plan to participate in this year's G-STAR?

"We will be participating as part of the Indie Showcase. However, due to our development schedule, running a full-scale booth will be difficult. For now, we intend to keep our presence minimal. We haven't decided which build to showcase at G-STAR yet. It might be the same build shown at previous events, or it could be different.

Right now, rather than spending a lot of time on events, we strongly prefer to focus on making the game itself better. Once the game stabilizes to a certain extent, we want to participate more actively in various events next year and show more of what we are working on.

How are you gathering player feedback?

"The largest portion comes from feedback from players who tried the game directly at events. In fact, many suggestions have been implemented into the game. Beyond that, we take advantage of opportunities to conduct testing through support programs, applying as much as possible to get assistance.

When developing a game for a long time, I think the hardest part is maintaining objectivity. Developers play the same game countless times, right? At some point, everything starts feeling too easy. Team members and acquaintances also become accustomed to the game and play extremely well. When that happens, it becomes hard to tell whether the current difficulty is actually easy or if developers have simply become overly familiar with the game. That's why external feedback is crucial.

Personally, I want to conduct a Steam Playtest. Players who visit event venues are generally very interested in games and tend to be favorable. People conducting professional playtests are also extremely skilled gamers. So I want to see how more general gamers feel when playing NAMMO. I am curious about many things: whether the difficulty is appropriate, whether combat mechanics are easy to understand, or if there are any uncomfortable parts in gameplay.

To be honest, I want to be criticized a bit. From my perspective, I feel the game's polish is not yet sufficient. So I want more objective evaluations. Ultimately, competition happens on the global market, where our game will inevitably be compared directly with many stellar titles. I feel we still have a long way to go to keep up with those works. We need to work harder.

Finally, please say a word to the players waiting for NAMMO.

"A demo for NAMMO is scheduled to be released in February 2027. There isn't that much time left now, so I hope players give us realistic and honest feedback so the game can improve.

If there are lacking areas, please point them out without hesitation. Although time until official launch isn't very long, we want to incorporate feedback as much as possible and show further growth. Of course, if you enjoy playing NAMMO, we would be truly grateful for that as well.

Originally written in Korean, this article was translated with AI assistance and edited by a native English-speaking editor. Every translation is reviewed by our editorial team before publication. [Read Original]

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Soojin "Eonn" Kim

[email protected]