At PlayXpo 2026, a booth for a horror game was quietly drawing attention. It is 'The Way Home', the debut work of Studio Incomplete Combustion. Set in a Korean school in the 2010s, this survival action horror adventure was recognized for its potential by winning the 'Indie Wavemakers Secret Level Awards' at the Taipei Game Show held this past January.

At PlayXpo 2026, a demo build of approximately 15 minutes was unveiled. A student who fell asleep with their head on their desk as usual wakes up to find the same day repeating infinitely in a school where both teachers and friends have disappeared. The protagonist must gather resources, observe threats, and find a way to escape this extraordinary space. We were able to meet and hear the story of Kim Kyung-pil, CEO of Studio Incomplete Combustion, who is creating this work with only two people in Cheongju, at the PlayXpo 2026 venue. Studio Incomplete Combustion's booth ©INVEN Reporter Kim Kyu-man. They chose a somewhat unique setting: a Korean school in the 2010s. I am curious about the starting point. Actually, 'The Way Home from School' originated from a very personal experience of mine. There was a moment when a familiar space I used to frequent suddenly felt unusually out of the ordinary and distant. This was because I was going through a difficult personal period at the time, but looking back, that sensation of the surroundings rippling was a very significant experience in terms of horror. You know how some of the more niche horror films have an atmosphere that seems to have captured that terrifying experience exactly as it is? So, I started from the perspective of wondering, 'Could this kind of sensation be possible in a game?' Since both the department head and I attended school in Korea, the school is the most familiar space for us, and it was also appealing to create. There are many layers to express within a small space, such as a gymnasium and a library. The background is 'Chungbuk The name 'Eunhye High School' is also impressive. The region of Chungbuk seems to be related to the support from the Chungbuk Global Game Center, so what is the meaning of the school name? It is true that the region of Chungbuk reflects our gratitude for the support projects to some extent. However, the name 'Eunhye High School' was a concept we had from the beginning, but I wanted to play a bit of a prank with it ironically. I felt that if we created an absurd environment and atmosphere and then named the school 'Eunhyeropda' (meaning 'graceful'), it might actually be more annoying. I named it that way because I liked that paradoxical sense. Visitors demonstrating the game ©INVEN Reporter Kim Kyu-man While planning 'Going Home,' what was the feature of the game that you agonized over the most, and what do you want to highlight the most? I would say it's the atmosphere. Horror can have various strengths, such as a good story or good direction, but among games, I consider works like 'Backroom' or 'Exit 8' to be representative examples of successful differentiation through visuals alone. I believe that horror can exist solely through visuals. I made that judgment and focused heavily on that aspect. In fact, it took the longest time for the visual understanding between me and the manager to align. The description on the Steam store page says 'gather resources to escape,' which gives it a survival game feel. What is the specific genre? Yes, that is correct. However, we are not playing a full-fledged survival game that requires a large amount of items. If you look at the predecessors of this genre and the current leaders, such as the 'Resident Evil' or 'Silent Hill' series—especially 'Resident Evil'—the ammo limits are always extreme. We wanted to create an environment where resources are clearly scarce in that way. For example, if you were fighting in close combat with the most common weapon, a mop, and it broke, you would need tape to put it back together. Then you have to farm those tapes or purchase them from 'vending machines' that act as shops. Through this structure, we subtly laid out the slogan that you 'must gather resources.'

Also, since 'White Day' was so much fun when I was young, we mixed in nearly half of that puzzle-like element and the pure taste of adventure. If the survival action horror is about a 6, I think the adventure elements are about a 4.

I took a quick look, but I felt that the weapon designs were very realistic. The details, such as the mop handle missing the blade, are impressive. I'm curious how you decided on the direction for the weapon design. This is actually a question I've been asked a lot by players, in a good way. Generally, using guns, or even melee weapons like baseball bats or steel pipes, is the efficient and easiest path. That's true from an indie perspective as well. However, I felt it would be a bit lacking if we went that way. Although it isn't clearly evident since the protagonist is in first person, she is a female student. Unless it's a special case like Kang Ho-dong, it's rare for a student to be naturally gifted with physical prowess. I wanted to make that aspect stand out, and I also thought about "what it would be like if I were actually dropped into that environment." You might be lucky enough to pick up a hammer in the equipment room, but I tried to think of what you would likely pick up right away in the classroom. As I did that, not many things came to mind. So, the actual weapon in the game is a fire extinguisher, Archery is incorporated through the setting that the protagonist's friend is a former member of the archery club, and the number of arrows is limited. The mop is the result of thinking about a weapon that one might actually pick up and use if they were dropped in that situation. You could say we aimed for an everyday sensibility. The monster that briefly appeared in the demo was also impressive, and the feature that its weakness is visible when it charges toward the player was intriguing. I am also curious about the direction of this monster design. When 'Lethal Company' was a hit, the structure of understanding and overcoming creatures through observation was appealing. That aligns well with my preferences, so I designed our creatures that way as well. To put it in more fundamental terms, in terms of design, we are focusing on visualizing human trauma. Functionally, we designed it so that weaknesses can be found through observation; each creature has slightly different gimmicks, and the structure is such that the later you observe, the harder it becomes to clear. The big-mouthed creature shown in the demo is no exception; while it charges at you with a group of enemies, it is very fast and threatening, but there is a pause in between, and its weakness is actually revealed while it is charging. It is a system where an opportunity opens up when you seize that moment without running away. Monsters that require 'observation', such as those whose weaknesses are revealed only when they run towards you ©Studio Incomplete Combustion We participated in the Taipei Game Show this January. I heard this was your first offline event. How was it? Actually, that was when our offline events began, so this PlayXpo is our second. We went in a somewhat unfinished state, not fully prepared, but fortunately, there were quite a few Koreans there, and the locals were also very kind. We received much more attention than we expected. I didn't expect it at all, but we won the Visual category at the 'Indie Wave Makers Secret Level Awards.' It’s a sad yet funny anecdote; without that award, I think our booth would have been very shabby. The posters were hard to see, and the tape kept falling off. Thanks to the award, more people came to visit, so fortunately, we were able to wrap things up well. The booth itself was quite poor, barely big enough to fit a single laptop, but I felt that was the identity of the event, and I was actually satisfied with the aspects outside of the facilities. I've been there a few times myself, and I noticed that Taiwan has a high level of interest in indie games. That's right. There are actually a lot of talented people in Taiwan. Since Taipei is the capital, I got the impression that many overseas buyers also participate in the Taipei Game Show. It seemed like there was a power emanating from that region and that city. © Studio Incomplete Combustion First off, to give you an overall assessment, we prepared a game that is quite challenging for a horror game. To use an analogy, some people might like mint chocolate while others dislike it. We essentially pushed hard with a system that could be polarizing, but fortunately... I was grateful that you enjoyed it. I also received a lot of feedback. It wasn't just a matter of the difficulty being high; there were criticisms that the information regarding the need for observation was insufficiently conveyed. In fact, we worked on fixing that part until early this morning, yesterday. Since you pointed out all at once the parts that are invisible no matter how hard we develop in Cheongju, I once again felt the charm of receiving feedback on-site. It was really great to be able to simultaneously verify whether the direction is correct and whether the system is well-structured to fit that direction. What is the current level of completion for the game? I would say the current level of completion is about 45%. However, for this exhibition build, we boldly cut it down to a 15-minute runtime. We significantly restricted the number of items and environmental change factors, based on the judgment that it would be impossible to convey all information within a short period of time. Please keep in mind that there are differences from the main story. © Studio Incomplete Combustion We would also like to hear about your plans, such as the future release schedule. We are currently developing the game with the goal of an official release sometime next year. However, since we are a two-person team and must maintain this concept and atmosphere to the end, we are keeping open the possibility that the schedule may be adjusted to some extent. Since it is your first work, I imagine you must feel a stronger attachment to it. What kind of work do you hope 'The Way Home' will turn out to be? That’s right. As stated in our mission statement, we believe that games must be fundamentally fun. We have a lot we want to convey, but I think the most important thing is that it feels fun first. After that, I am not sure how much of the experience of feeling out of place in an everyday space will be conveyed, but I hope it will. I believe that kind of emotional horror is fully possible, so I am putting my utmost effort into that aspect. On a side note, is there a special reason why you decided to apply to the Chungbuk Global Game Center? Usually, those who start a business are the ones who have secured a lot of reserves. We also used our reserves; we weren't completely deprived, but we didn't have as much as others. Also, we take pride in our technical capabilities, and we decided that to maintain them, it had to be our full-time job rather than a side hustle. While searching for an environment where we could fully concentrate, we found the game support program. Although the Chungbuk Global Game Center is not in Seoul, we prepared thoroughly with the determination to move down there if we were selected. Fortunately, they recognized our sincerity, so we packed our bags and came down immediately. I heard that the Chungbuk Global Game Center is a space transformed from an old tobacco company factory, so I found it interesting. What is your life as a developer like there? We are a bit of a night owl, and not all offices have windows. When we work without much light, time really flies by. It feels like being trapped in a 'Hyper-Time Chamber' and then coming out... Is it because time goes by too fast because you're busy? I think I can put it this way (laughs). Lastly, is there anything you would like to say through this interview? First of all, I sincerely thank everyone who came here today, and those who enjoyed it even more than I expected and left so many comments. I wasn't very articulate at the time, so I couldn't fully convey my gratitude. I would also like to thank the department head who works with me, and the Chungbuk Global Game Center for making this project possible. If I just say this, it sounds too much like a typical professional response. Just kidding, but thank you very much.