Studio BBB Officially Releases New Puzzle Game 'MONOWAVE

Indie game developer Studio BBB (CEO Gwonyeong Lim) has officially released MONOWAVE, a new 2D puzzle-adventure game themed around emotion and empathy, on Steam and Nintendo Switch platforms.

Studio BBB (CEO Gwonyeong Lim) officially launched the 2D puzzle adventure MONOWAVE on Steam and Nintendo Switch on September 17. Presented in partnership with Japanese publisher Phoenixx, the game has a regular price of 10,800 won, and can be purchased for 9,720 won with a 10% launch discount. It supports a total of 10 languages, including Korean, with an estimated playtime of around 7 to 8 hours. Meanwhile, development is ongoing for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions with a target release within 2026.

MONOWAVE depicts the journey of the Guardian spirit Mono as they soothe the four Emotion Spirits representing Anxiety, Anger, Sorrow, and Happiness, saving a world thrown into chaos. The protagonist Mono can touch 'Source Plants' to change states, using special abilities such as detecting dangerous traps with Anxiety or climbing walls with Anger. Additionally, they can melt their body with Sorrow to pass through narrow gaps and jump high with Happiness. Completing four boss battles against each Emotion Spirit unlocks a second movement skill, allowing players to freely use a total of 8 abilities. The 18 types of spirits found throughout the game react in various ways to Mono's emotion songs—such as breathing fire or creating platforms—adding depth and fun to the puzzle-solving experience.

Featuring scratch art-style graphics and an original soundtrack, the title offers secret stages accessed via hidden paths and a codex system for collecting information. It also supports single-screen two-player co-op, where one player controls Mono and the other controls Prism to navigate obstacles together. Originating from a student group at Sogang University and refined over three years, the game drew early attention by winning the 20th Gyeonggi Game Audition in 2025, taking home Best Student Game at the Taipei Game Show Indie Game Awards, and being nominated in the Games for Impact category at Germany's Gamescom Awards 2025.

CEO Gwonyeong Lim stated, "Presenting MONOWAVE after refining it for three years feels like taking an exam and waiting for the report card. We are grateful to everyone who enjoyed and supported our game at domestic and international exhibitions. We hope the story we wanted to share through emotion and empathy reaches even a single person." Meanwhile, Studio BBB (CEO Gwonyeong Lim) is participating in Tokyo Game Show 2026, held at Makuhari Messe in Japan from September 17 to 21, running playable demos for visitors at the Phoenixx booth (09-C64) in Hall 9's Indie Game Area.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated with the help of AI. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. [Read Original]

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Chanhwi "Charliee" Kim

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