Guild Studio, which made an impressive debut at PlayX4 2025, has returned with a booth at PlayX4 2026 for its new 2D Soulslike title, 'NAMMO.' Over the past year, the game has been updated with a new boss, and both its art and controls have been further refined to welcome visitors.

'Nammo' is a Korean-style dark fantasy Soulslike game inspired by the Wonhwa (Source Flower) system of the Silla Dynasty during the reign of King Jinheung. According to historical records, in 576, King Jinheung appointed two beautiful women, Nammo and Junjeong, as 'Wonhwa' to lead over 300 young Nangdo warriors in order to cultivate talent. However, jealousy and conflict arose between the two, and eventually, Junjeong lured Nammo to her home, got her drunk, and murdered her by throwing her into a river, leading to the abolition of the Wonhwa system. Starting from this tragic legend, Guild Studio has reinterpreted the story, focusing on 'Nammo,' who loses her eyes to the person she trusted most, only to gain the 'Spirit Eye'—an ability to see into the world of souls—and sets out to uncover the truth.

INVEN met with Guild Studio CEO Kim Tae-yoon at PlayX4 2026 to discuss the development progress over the past year and the core design philosophy of the project.

It has been a year since our last interview. I am curious about how the development has progressed since then.

" We are currently developing the game with a team of nine. We have created significantly more bosses compared to last year. However, we ran into an issue: while each boss is fun on its own, lining them up like a conveyor belt made the experience too exhausting. Many players gave us feedback saying, "The bosses are fun, but the difficulty is too high and overwhelming." So, we are now adding simple events and story segments in between, which is gradually increasing the game's volume.

Could you take this opportunity to revisit the starting point and core motivation behind the 'NAMMO' project?

" One of the biggest reasons is that China has martial arts (Wuxia) and Japan has samurai and ninja—mainstream concepts that represent their cultures. Since Korea lacks a distinct equivalent, I thought, 'Why don't we push the concept of the Silla Hwarang.'

While researching the Hwarang system, I found the 'Wonhwa system' that preceded it to be fascinating. It is a historical record of two women leading the Hwarang's Nangdo, and we wanted to showcase the relationship between Nammo and Junjeong. At the same time, we wanted to provide players with fun—a kind of dopamine hit—through our art and combat, such as boss fights. We pondered the intersection of these two elements and decided on the direction of a 'Silla dark fantasy boss rush game.'

Given the Silla Dynasty setting, I imagine the research and visual reference work must have been quite challenging.

" We visited the Gyeongju National Museum and took hundreds of photos, and we read both the 'Samguk Sagi' and 'Samguk Yusa.' However, we didn't just transplant 'pure Silla' as it was; we set it in a fictional world with different timelines and architectural styles. You can think of it as a world built as an homage to Silla rather than a direct recreation.

The Steam store page description mentions a dynamic where two people who grew up like sisters end up in a tragedy, which is very intriguing. Could you explain the character names and their relationship in more detail.

" We used the actual names of the two women from the Wonhwa system, Nammo and Junjeong. In historical records, they were jealous of each other, leading one to kill the other. We wondered how to make this more interesting, so we started the story with a scene where Nammo is suddenly called out by Junjeong—whom she trusted like an older sister—only for Junjeong to slash Nammo's eyes.

Nammo loses her sight without knowing why, wakes up blind in a cave, and must navigate the game from there. Rather than a simple story of jealousy, we wanted to capture a more tragic tone and the traditional Korean sentiment of 'Han.'

The fact that the game starts with the protagonist being blind is impressive, but also puzzling. How can you play the game if you cannot see? Since the setting is that she sees spirits instead of the physical world, I am curious how this connects to the overall game system.

" After the protagonist becomes blind, she awakens the 'Spirit Eye,' which allows her to see the spirit world. When you open the Spirit Eye, you can use in-game controls to reveal hidden platforms, traps, and secret paths. You can also identify the true nature and weaknesses of bosses; destroying those weaknesses can cause permanent damage, massive hits, or stagger opportunities, similar to part-breaking in 'Monster Hunter.' The Spirit Eye is also designed to allow access to story branches and hidden elements.

It was particularly interesting that the Spirit Eye system acts as a story-branching device to verify whether an ally is truly an ally. I would like to hear what you focused on most when designing this system.

" Our biggest principle was, in fact, 'let's focus on the boss rush.' We want to include plenty of story and various in-game events, but since we believe boss rushing is what we do best, we prioritized the thrill of boss combat. We are working by reinforcing other elements on top of that foundation.

Does that mean the Spirit Eye system, which reveals the true nature of NPCs or allies, also acts as a story branch? Are you planning for multiple endings.

" Yes, we are preparing multiple endings. Since each ending leads to a completely different conclusion, we hope you look forward to them.

Does that mean the ending could change depending on whether I used the Spirit Eye to verify someone's identity or simply passed them by.

" Yes, that is a possibility. (Laughs)

Looking at the trailers and demo footage, the bosses don't look normal—they are either consumed by madness or have monstrous forms. What did you put the most effort into regarding boss design.

" The hardest part was pursuing sufficient intimidation and a grotesque atmosphere without crossing a certain line. It needs to be perceived as 'overwhelming' and 'dark fantasy,' but one wrong move and it becomes purely repulsive. We put a lot of effort into adjusting that intensity.

Could you give us a hint if there is a boss you are personally most fond of.

" That would be our... well, it's a spoiler. (Laughs) Yes, it's a spoiler, so it's hard to say.

The 2D Soulslike genre has become a highly competitive space recently. With so many formidable titles already out there, what do you consider to be the unique selling point of 'Nammo'.

" The most unique feature is definitely the 'Spirit Eye system.' First, it allows for a different approach to combat compared to typical Soulslikes, adding a new layer of depth. The second point is the theme.

'K-Pop Demon Hunters' did well recently, and I felt that interest in K-content itself has been rising. I believe a fresh, new theme like Silla dark fantasy is a key point and a competitive advantage for the game.

Conversely, there aren't many indie game developers in Korea making 2D Soulslike action that looks 'cool' at a glance. I'd like to hear about the most difficult and rewarding parts of taking on this genre head-on.

" As you said, there are many talented predecessors, so I worried a lot about 'how to beat them.' However, genres like Metroidvania need to accommodate a wider user base, which imposes many constraints on minor details or boss difficulty. Because we chose the 'boss rush' format, we were able to differentiate ourselves in terms of difficulty and boss fun.

That said, while not finalized, we are considering adding an easier difficulty mode. We are trying to find a balance so that it doesn't become a game only for hardcore enthusiasts.

The most rewarding part is when users enjoy the game at events like this. When making a game, our team often debates productively every day, asking, "Is this really fun?" or "Is this cool?" But seeing users enjoy it in person at the venue is truly gratifying. I feel a great sense of reward not just from them playing the game, but from them participating in booth events and giving positive feedback.

The line for demo tickets at your booth is quite long. If you felt any difference in user feedback between last year's PlayX4 and this year's, what was most impressive.

" Overall, we received a lot of positive comments regarding the improvements in art and controls. Also, we brought a new boss, and while this one is quite difficult and not yet fully polished, users have been working hard to beat it and providing feedback, giving us insights like, "I didn't know boss design could be done this way." It's a huge help in our decision-making and direction. In terms of reaction, I could feel that we have gained a certain level of viral reach and awareness.

The release date is currently listed as 'TBD.' How far along is development, and is there anything you can share about the release timing.

" We have completed about 70% of the pure boss rush design we originally planned. As simple events, mid-bosses, and short stories are added, the volume is gradually increasing. We are aiming for a release next August. We also plan to run a crowdfunding campaign at the end of this year, so we ask for your interest.

Lastly, could you share a word for the gamers who are looking forward to 'Nammo'.

" The support from those who take an interest in and attend events like this is a huge source of strength for us developers. It’s not just about the energy; the positive feedback we receive is often actually reflected in the game. We will strive to be a developer and create a game that grows alongside our players.