Denkiworks, a brand-new indie game studio based in Kyoto, Japan, has just been announced with a brief video featuring the creatives involved.
Some of their prior work includes Cursed to Golf, a roguelike indie standout from 2022. It was renowned for its sprawling imagination, tough difficulty, and superb art design. Here is today’s full announcement and teaser for the new studio from Denkiworks’ official feed:
The teaser above doesn’t feature any grandiose plans or narration from the developers. But this, in turn, reveals a lot about the creatives’ process. And the concentration on their environment does seem to allude to the influence of Kyoto’s culture.
Accordingly, the Denkiworks announcement video was accompanied by a brief teaser for a title about a Tanuki post officer. Here’s the full teaser from the Denkiworks YouTube channel:
As opposed to the high-intensity gameplay loop in Cursed to Golf, the new teaser points to something casual and relaxing.
The music is soothing, the art design is cute, and the world already looks unexpectedly polished. There is definitely something tactile here, with dazzling lighting and a defined personality that demonstrates an authentic passion for the culture that influenced this.
It remains unclear if the gameplay will include open world exploration, or will be driven more by a linear narrative with choices. The hero appears to be somewhere new, and there’s a decent sense of scope with the background.
It’s easy to speculate on a teaser with so much promise. However, given that the studio was only just announced, it will probably take a little while before conclusive features are confirmed.
Because Cursed to Golf was already supported by Thunderful Publishing, there seems to be a great head start for these indie devs. But it’s a courageous and challenging step forward, so hopefully fans will support their first project.
Support LBR and artists by reading more of our Tabletop and Video Game posts!
Leaderboard Reviews 