Indie developer Studio BBB is set to launch its award-winning 2D puzzle adventure game, MONOWAVE, globally on September 17 for PC and Nintendo Switch, marking a major step in its international expansion.

Indie game developer Studio BBB (CEO Lim Gwon-young) announced on the 13rd that its emotion-based 2D puzzle adventure game, MONOWAVE, will officially launch on PC and Nintendo Switch on September 17.

This new title, co-published globally with Japanese indie game publisher Phoenixx, follows the adventure of 'Mono,' a newly born guardian spirit of emotions, as they restore balance to a crumbling world by harnessing the powers of four emotions: 'Happiness,' 'Sadness,' 'Anger,' and 'Anxiety.' Since formalizing their partnership in March, the two companies have focused on multilingual localization and global promotion. Alongside the announcement of the release date, they have unveiled a new trailer that provides a detailed look at the game's emotion-based play mechanics.

The newly released video highlights the core system where the protagonist, 'Mono,' navigates terrain by shifting between various emotions and solves puzzles by interacting with surrounding spirits through song. In the game, activating 'Happiness' allows the character to jump higher than usual, while using 'Sadness' causes the character to melt, enabling them to pass flexibly through narrow gaps.

Players must combine these four unique emotional skills to overcome environmental puzzles, such as using 'anger' to kick off walls or 'anxiety' to detect hidden dangers. These emotional powers extend beyond movement; when conveyed to nearby spirits through song, they trigger interactions that open new paths, such as spirits breathing fire to melt ice or launching the protagonist to higher ground.

In the full version, players explore four worlds where the artwork and puzzle mechanics shift according to each emotional theme. Instead of traditional combat, players experience a peaceful journey of restoring world harmony through emotional resonance. The game’s quality is further elevated by its unique line art—reminiscent of scratch art—neon color design, and an original soundtrack that shifts organically based on the player's emotional state.

With its unique gameplay, MONOWAVE won the grand prize of ₩50 million at the 2025 Gyeonggi Game Audition. It has also been recognized globally as a finalist for the 'Games for Impact' award at gamescom 2025 and the 'Creative Overkill' category at the devcom Awards, and it won 'Best Student Game' at the Taipei Game Show Indie Game Awards.

A free Chapter 1 demo is currently available on Steam, offering about an hour of gameplay where players can experience basic mechanics and the first boss fight in the anxiety-themed 'Jumbled Jungle.' Ahead of the official launch, Studio BBB will showcase a playable build at the Korea Indie Game Showcase during gamescom 2026 in Cologne, Germany, from August 26 to 29.

CEO Lim Gwon-young stated, "MONOWAVE started as a small student project, and my team and I have spent over three years refining it. I am deeply moved to finally announce the release date and share it with the world." He added, "This launch is a significant first step for Studio BBB as an indie developer. We are putting the finishing touches on the game to ensure the emotions and gameplay we've poured into it are fully conveyed to players. We ask for your continued interest and support for Studio BBB and MONOWAVE as we begin this journey."

MONOWAVE will launch on PC and Nintendo Switch on September 17 with support for 10 languages, including Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese. Versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S are planned for release in 2026. Further details are available on the Steam store page.