Everyone has that one favorite game that makes them think, 'I want to make something like this.' Some even go on to create games, following in those footsteps or imitating what they love. But to quietly hold onto that vision for eight years, refining and sharpening it into something entirely new, is no small feat. The small Korean studio CIRCLEfromDOT is doing exactly that.

Development began in 2018 with Hotline Miami as the starting point. However, it wasn't just something to imitate; it served as a benchmark for gauging the game's fun and the tension of development. From that core idea, the game expanded into 'a Cyborg John Wick in Hotline Miami,' a neon-noir city called Kusan, and began to develop its own unique identity.

Circle From Dot is currently in the final stages of polishing 'Kusan: City of Wolves,' aiming to go beyond just completing the game and ensure that anyone who plays it feels it was 'worth every penny.' We sat down with the development team to hear the story behind the game, which is set for release on July 30.

eight Years of Development, and a 'Cyborg John Wick in Hotline Miami'

I understand that Circle From Dot was founded in 2018. With 'Kusan: City of Wolves' launching after about eight years, this must be a special moment for you. How are you and the studio feeling as the release date approaches?

"Honestly, rather than feeling happy, I still feel a great deal of tension. Since we've been working on this for so long, as the release gets closer, I keep thinking, 'It could be even better if we just tweaked this a little more.'

Right now, we are focused on final improvements based on as much playtesting and feedback as possible. The team atmosphere is similar. We are all exhausted, but at the same time, we are holding on until the end because we want to show the game in the best possible state to those who have waited so long for it.

How did CIRCLEfromDOT and the development of Kusan begin? Was Kusan the goal from the very start?

"It started with four friends. Two of us are still together today. Rather than thinking about creating a massive project from the beginning, we were more focused on 'making a game that we felt we could make, were allowed to make, and above all, wanted to make.' That was the concept that became Kusan.

Actually, the name 'Kusan' was chosen quite lightly at first. But as we developed the world and characters, it became the heart of the game and ended up staying until the end.

Both when you first revealed the game and in your recent community posts, you haven't hidden your respect and homage to Hotline Miami. How much of an influence did Hotline Miami actually have on the game's development?

"It was our starting point and our benchmark. After much trial and error, our initial concept became, 'What if a Cyborg John Wick went on a mission in Hotline Miami?' We continued to use Hotline Miami as a standard throughout development.

We constantly pondered what the core of this genre was, what needed to be kept, and how much we could vary things while maintaining that tension and rhythm. Whenever we made something that didn't feel fun, we would play Hotline Miami again and ask ourselves, "Why is this fun, and why is ours still lacking."

In terms of core gameplay, it was truly a textbook reference for us.

The term 'homage' itself expresses both respect and a desire for differentiation. You must have put a lot of effort into highlighting Kusan's unique features. How would you summarize the core values that make Kusan unique?

"I believe Kusan's core value is the experience of anyone being able to become a 'Cyborg John Wick.' John Wick prepares before entering the battlefield and constantly improvises during combat to survive. We wanted to implement that fantasy within the flow of Hotline Miami-style hardcore top-down action. The core of Kusan is the sensation of analyzing a stage, choosing your weapons, reading enemy positions and movement patterns, and then, once combat begins, breaking through the situation by quickly chaining punches, knives, guns, and the 'War Hand.'

Whether that intended sensation is well-conveyed to players will be confirmed through feedback after launch, but that was the direction we held onto most importantly throughout the development process.

The basic gameplay is based on a top-down perspective where you eliminate enemies in succession without getting hit. It provides a familiar experience through high speed and repetitive play via retries upon death. Nevertheless, you are also seeking differentiation from similar games with features like the 'War Hand's' ranged 'Charge Punch,' the 'Quantum Knife' throwing weapon, and firearms held from the start of a stage. What was the core goal of these various action elements?

"The 'Cyborg John Wick' concept I mentioned earlier served as the benchmark for our action elements. For example, the 'Quantum Knife' was inspired by the action scenes in 'John Wick' that left a strong impression on me—specifically, moments where he neutralizes an enemy in front of him with one hand while simultaneously taking out another in a different direction. The Quantum Knife is our attempt to abstract that kind of moment into a gameplay mechanic.

Unlike standard melee attacks or firearms, the Quantum Knife can be used while performing other actions and can quickly target nearby enemies. So, we wanted to make it possible to play in a way where you punch an enemy in front of you while throwing a knife at an enemy behind you, or shoot an enemy on the right while keeping an enemy on the left in check.

Ultimately, the goal of the various action elements wasn't just to pack in a lot of skills, but to give the player the sensation of dominating the battlefield more spectacularly and flexibly. I would be grateful if players could discover other 'Cyborg John Wick'-like elements for themselves while playing the game.

Beyond simple attacks, there are action-heavy elements like using the War Hand to nullify gunfire. Hotline Miami-style games are known for strategic, puzzle-like gameplay. What do you think is the clear differentiator that action elements like parrying will bring?

"As you said, Hotline Miami-style games have a strong puzzle-like nature. The fun of judging which enemy to take out first, which path to move along, and which weapon to use is important.

That part is important in Kusan as well. However, we wanted to add a more accessible action fantasy to it. The ability to block attacks and deflect bullets with the War Hand allows the player to go beyond simply avoiding threats and instead turn those threats back into their own flow of attack.

We thought these elements were the differentiators that would make Kusan feel a bit more mainstream and more like an action game. We wanted to create a game that you solve like a puzzle, but once mastered, you can push through like a scene from an action movie.

Designing Hardcore Top - Down Action - From the War Hand to Boss Battles

As mentioned, level design is important in a genre with such strong puzzle elements. What was the most important part of your stage design?

"The most important thing was the balance between unfairness and challenging difficulty.

Kusan is a difficult game. But when players die, we wanted them to feel, "I should take out that enemy first next time," "I should enter from a different direction," or "I should be careful of that timing," rather than feeling, "This was unavoidable."

The next most important thing was making various strategies possible. Rather than forcing one single correct answer, we wanted players to be able to attempt different approaches based on their weapon usage and skill builds. This is a point we have continued to refine through playtesting.

The quantity and scale of stages are also important. How are you approaching the conception of each stage and the overall clear strategy?

"In the beginning, we placed 'buildup stages' where players can learn the basic rules and combat rhythm. Afterward, we tried to constantly vary enemy placement, terrain, and combat situations so that it wouldn't feel repetitive despite the countless deaths and retries.

We explored a lot why Hotline Miami doesn't feel boring even when repeating short stages. At the same time, in Kusan, we wanted to capture the feeling of 'John Wick's battlefield.' We wanted to create a flow where every time a player clears a room and moves to the next space, they are thrown into a slightly more dangerous and spectacular situation.

I think AI reaction is also an important factor in determining the game's difficulty and play direction. How sensitively does the AI actually detect player actions? I'm also curious about the level of difficulty you are aiming for.

"AI and difficulty were among the things we adjusted the most until the very end. If enemies are too dull, the tension drops; conversely, if they are too fast and accurate, players might feel it's unfair. So, we are aiming for a "challenging but not discouraging difficulty" while constantly adjusting enemy reaction speed, detection range, and attack timing.

Kusan is not a game that is easily cleared, but I hope it becomes a game that anyone can eventually beat if they try enough and understand it. And I think it's important to maintain the strong internal motivation that helps them endure that process—the sensation that "I think I can do it if I try just a little more."

I think boss battles are a great way for Kusan to show off its action. Could you introduce the characteristics of the boss battles and how players can enjoy a different atmosphere with each boss.

"For boss battles, we were inspired a lot by Sekiro. The intense back-and-forth, the approaches using various means, and the patterns that make you realize your own mistakes when you die—thinking, "Ah, I shouldn't have made that judgment just now"—were impressive.

Kusan's boss battles aimed for that same sensation. We wanted to create high-focus combat different from regular stages by utilizing the War Hand, Quantum Knife, firearms, and terrain.

We also put a lot of effort into delivering catharsis at the end of those intense fights. I would be very grateful if you could check the details for yourself while playing.

Since bosses generally fall to simple hits, I think difficulty adjustment is important. Are you thinking of a different play style compared to regular stage strategies?

"If it's important to quickly identify and clear out multiple enemies in regular stages, in boss battles, the intense back-and-forth with a single strong opponent is key.

Even John Wick bleeds, gets thrown to the floor, and gets hit by cars when he meets a strong opponent, but he fights to the end. We wanted to capture that sensation of persistent combat in Kusan's boss battles as well.

Also, we made it so that players who deeply understand the game can take down bosses much faster and more stylishly in their own way. We are also continuing to refine the direction and feedback so that such advanced strategies don't look like mere accidents or bugs, but are accepted as intended play.

In twin-stick shooters where you control attack direction and movement separately, many say pad controls are relatively more difficult than keyboard + mouse. Since it's being released on multiple platforms, I assume you had concerns about this. How is it in reality?

"Because we had multi-platform release in mind from the start, we supported controller aiming from the early stages of development.

The twin-stick shooter method can feel more difficult to control with a pad compared to keyboard + mouse. So, we conducted several playtests and consistently improved the controller feel. I think it has reached a satisfactory level in the recent demo, and negative feedback regarding controller controls has decreased significantly in surveys.

However, Kusan has some aim assist to help with stylish play, but there were some who didn't want this. So, we prepared options in the official version to adjust aim assist according to your play style.

Neon Noir - The Atmosphere and Aesthetics of the City of Kusan

The city of Kusan, which serves as the game's background, is set in a near-future, blood-red Eastern port city. It doesn't depict one specific region, but it stands out for being exotic at times and complex at others. The Korean advertisements and phrases are also impressively depicted. Were there any real cities you referenced to create the city, or an atmosphere you were aiming for?

"Busan, where our company is located, was the starting point. We started with the imagination of what kind of city it would become if a war broke out in a near-future Busan, war supplies were left abandoned after the armistice, and those supplies flowed into the underworld, gathering money and greed.

However, we thought that if it only felt too Korean, it might feel unfamiliar to overseas users. So, we also referenced the night streets of other Asian cities like Hong Kong and Tokyo, and the images of East Asian neon cities seen in movies and photos.

As a result, Kusan became a port city that mixes the sentiments of various Asian cities and near-future imagination, starting from Busan, rather than a space that moved one specific city as it is.

The graphic novel-style story direction and gloomy atmosphere reveal a quite decadent vibe. It seems to be the reason why you describe the game as neon noir amidst cyberpunk colors. I'm curious about the direction of neon noir the developers are pursuing and how you tried to reveal that in the game.

"Visually, we wanted the feeling of placing intense colored light on top of the dark sentiment of black-and-white noir. It was an image of a dark and heavy world where neon spreads sharply within it.

Narratively, we placed a protagonist with ambiguous boundaries between good and evil at the center, like a typical noir, and placed exaggerated and colorful characters like in a comic book. So, in our own way, we accepted this as 'neon,' or a new noir, and created it.

While maintaining neon colors here and there, it also maintains much more serious tones. Through this, I get a weighty feeling that fits noir. How did you consider and develop parts that affect gameplay, such as overall art direction and visibility?

"Considering the game's theme, we referenced various movies, photo books, and graphic novels. Especially because there was a strong focal point like John Wick, the direction of colors, lighting, and atmosphere we should pursue was relatively clear.

However, in the process of actually implementing that on the game screen, many experiments and repetitions were needed. Kusan is a game where atmosphere is important, but it is also an action game that requires quick judgment. So, we tried to balance the noir atmosphere with lighting and colors while ensuring that players, enemies, bullets, and dangerous elements are as readable as possible. The balance between atmosphere and visibility was one of the most difficult parts throughout development.

Objects have a strong pixel art feel, but backgrounds and lighting effects have a smoother feel, and it's implemented in high resolution overall. Were there any technical challenges or difficulties? Also, what kind of sensibility were you trying to obtain by implementing a pixel art atmosphere in such high resolution?

"While maintaining the rough sensation of pixel art, we wanted to give it a more sophisticated and urban feel. Rather than a completely retro screen, we aimed for "sophisticated retro" where pixel art and modern lighting/effects are mixed.

Because we used a lot of lighting to bring out the atmosphere, the programmer suffered a lot in terms of optimization. At the same time, the artist also did a lot of experiments to create that atmosphere.

As a result, I think this method fit well in creating Kusan's own neon noir atmosphere. I feel fortunate that many people look at it favorably.

How did you come up with the direction for the story cutscenes? Also, what parts did you want to emphasize or convey with this direction?

"The influence of Max Payne, released in 2001, was significant. The rough-touch cutscenes and the protagonist's low-pitched narration in the middle of missions were very impressive. In Kusan, we also wanted to capture the characters' expressions, thoughts, and emotions more concretely through cutscenes like comics or graphic novels. Rather than cutting the flow with long videos in the middle of fast-paced action, we thought a method of conveying the story with strong images and cut compositions suited Kusan.

However, at first, there was a feeling that gameplay and cutscenes were a bit separated. So, we went through many adjustments so that the connection between the game and cutscenes felt natural.

Game music, such as music or sound effects that will be embedded in the player's mind during repetitive play, is also an important element. In particular, Loptimist, who left a big mark on the scene, participated in the composition. How did you come to work together? I'm also curious about how you coordinated opinions to emphasize the game's atmosphere during work.

"Around 2018, I contacted him blindly via Instagram DM. I said, "I want to make a game like this, and I want to use your songs." I didn't get a reply for about a month, so I thought it was impossible, but he replied later. It turned out he didn't use the DM function well, so he didn't know he had received a message. After that, the contract proceeded relatively quickly.

Since Loptimist has been active for a long time, he already possessed a lot of songs, and he shared them generously. Every time we made a stage, we listened to those songs and chose the one that best fit the atmosphere of the scene.

I think music played a huge role in creating Kusan's dark and strong city atmosphere.

Violence, the City of Wolves, and the Characters Within

Hotline Miami 1 and 2 were games with different tones, showing the approach and interpretation of violence itself, and violence and its consequences from various angles. Kusan also continues its unique violence in terms of in-game gore and the way enemies are subdued. At the same time, how is the violence interpreted by Kusan and its depiction in the game achieved?

"Regarding this, we tried to treat 'violence' as a manifestation of a fantasy that cannot be achieved in reality, in a lighter and more cheerful way, completely the opposite.

In Quentin Tarantino's movies, there is violence where blood splatters exaggeratedly and is expressed with a cinematic and cartoonish texture rather than being realistic. I felt that such expression was genre-like, exhilarating, and a kind of pleasantness.

In Kusan as well, most violence depictions aimed for that direction. When a player breaks through a difficult situation and subdues an enemy, we wanted it to be accepted as a reward and catharsis of an action game rather than unpleasant, realistic violence.

The protagonist, Jin, is depicted as a retired soldier suffering from war trauma. How will this depiction blend with Kusan's violence and story?

"Jin is a character who can wield relentless violence, but at the same time, he is not a character free from that violence. He suffered pain from the war, and the motives and longings derived from that experience make the game and story move forward. Also, Kusan's major conflict is deeply connected to that past.

From the player's perspective, Jin might look like a very strong and skilled character, but Jin in the story is already a character with many wounds. The process of such a character entering the center of violence again is an important part of Kusan's narrative.

Since the gameplay itself has a strong impression, it seems that interest will be focused more on gameplay than the narrative part before release. In reality, it seems that a fairly large-scale story will be drawn through the meeting with a girl who can blow up the whole city with a mental explosion. Is there anything you want to emphasize in terms of narrative or story that you couldn't show in the demo or test version?

"After the demo, the identity of the final boss and more diverse characters begin to be revealed in earnest. It can be seen as the section corresponding to the adventure part after the introduction. In that process, we can show more of the chemistry between various characters, not just the relationship between Jin and Haru. There is Haru's cute side, and there is also the dark side of an unexpected character.

In the demo, the first impression of action must have looked strong. In the full game, I hope you also enjoy the relationships between the characters surrounding that action and the city's conflict.

Various characters appear, and unique character depictions and character traits are emphasized. How did you capture the characters' traits? Also, who is the character you have special affection for, and why?

"If I were to pick characters I have special affection for, they are the final boss and Nemo.

The final boss was designed around the question of what kind of person someone becomes when their sense of justice is pushed to the extreme and hardens into a misguided conviction. I drew inspiration from characters like General Hummel in 'The Rock.' I wanted to make him a compelling figure until the very end, but we adjusted him based on internal feedback to ensure he didn't simply come across as being glorified in his final moments.

Nemo is a character I really enjoyed working on. I created him by mixing various unique references into an image like John Wick's weapon sommelier. Various homage elements are also included, such as posing like JoJo or hiding in a box. I hope players also enjoy his unique ideology and actions.

Various characters are depicted as animals. Why did you draw the characters as animals?

"At first, I thought it would help to depict violence a little more lightly and genre-like. If expressed as realistic human characters, the impression of violence might have come across much more directly and heavily.

Animal characters also had the advantage of showing each character's personality or impression more intuitively. It also fit well in making the whole city feel like a kind of jungle. In the initial design, I referenced Caravan Palace's 'Lone Digger' music video. The influence still remains strong in some actual characters.

What is the meaning of the city of Kusan and the subtitle 'City of Wolves'? Is it a double-meaning expression that also refers to the world where the above animals live?

"As revealed in the early demo, there are not many characters favorable to the protagonist Jin in Kusan. Even Ain, who gives the request, is a character whose status as an ally or enemy is ambiguous. The subtitle 'City of Wolves' took its meaning from the French idiom 'the hour between dog and wolf.' It means the time at dusk when you cannot tell if the animal seen beyond the twilight is a dog favorable to me or a wolf trying to bite me.

Kusan is such a city. Even if they seem to be together on the outside, you don't know who is an ally and who is an enemy. To capture that sense of distrust and survival, we attached the subtitle 'City of Wolves'.

A Small Team's Choices, Ahead of the July 30 Release

In terms of the game, there should be elements to enjoy the game for a long time in various ways. Are there any measures to increase replayability? I'm also curious if there are hidden elements or story branches.

"I think Kusan's replayability comes from the process of pursuing higher scores and better play.

I thought players would challenge themselves multiple times to get higher ranks and records, and for those people, we prepared various skill builds. Many action gamers like to dig into their own methods to the end, and I hope that in Kusan as well, you share each other's builds after clearing and play again in a different way than before.

Because the play sensation changes quite a bit depending on the build, I think you will be able to feel like you are playing a different game even on the same stage.

After release, we have plans for speedrun and hard mode updates. In the longer term, although a large-scale expansion including cutscenes is difficult, we are also considering content like additional side quests.

The revealed development team is four people. Have you been together since the beginning of development? I'm curious if there were any difficulties in workload or work coordination according to roles while filling the quantity and quality of content, and how you solved them.

"Yes. Even the person who joined the latest has been with us for almost 6 full years. Since all 4 of us were new to game development, the first few years required a lot of trial and error and study. Since it's a small team, one person didn't just do their own role, but we had to constantly understand and adjust to each other's areas.

Also, we were at the Busan Global Game Center for the first six years with the support of Busan City. We were able to learn a lot by interacting with other developers there. Looking back, I think that was a huge stroke of luck, and thanks to that, we were able to continue development until now.

Kusan is released on various platforms including PC, PS5, XSX|S, and Nintendo Switch. It is released on various platforms simultaneously, which is rare for a domestic indie game company releasing a debut work. What were the difficulties with this? I'm also curious about your thoughts on multi-platform release and how you are overcoming technical difficulties.

"Fortunately, with the help and introduction of nearby developers, we were able to secure a Switch dev kit from the beginning of development. In 2023, we were also able to secure a PS5 dev kit and test kit through a meeting with Yoshida Shuhei, who was working at Sony at the time, at G-STAR. Afterward, through a contract with publisher PQube, we were connected to the Xbox side and received a dev kit to proceed with porting.

The most difficult part was the physical time it took for debugging and testing. The process of making a build for each platform, testing it, and modifying it again is all different. Since it's a fast action game like Kusan, input feel, performance, and stability are very important, so even small problems can feel big.

In the beginning, we tried to do the porting ourselves until the end, but after discussing with the publisher, we switched to a direction of collaborating with a professional porting team. As a result, I think it was a good decision.

Although PQube services games globally, it is also famous as a publisher that introduces indie games, especially Asian development works, to the Western world. How did you first come to introduce the game with PQube?

"It's a bit blurry now exactly how we first got to know them, but PQube showed a consistent willingness to collaborate for quite a long time. Since we were in the position of proceeding with a publishing contract for the first time, we had many worries while talking with various publishers. However, the place that showed the most consistent and strong passion during the about two years of conversation was PQube.

After hearing various cases and worrying about it, I eventually thought that the side that wanted to do this game the most would be able to do it the best. That's how we proceeded with the contract, and we are very satisfied with the current form of collaboration.

PQube's publishing director Andy Pearson revealed at the time of the partnership announcement that he had been playing the game since the first demo, showing his anticipation for the release. How was the actual internal reaction from the publisher?

"They always looked at it very favorably. It was to the point where we even wondered, 'Is it okay for them to look at it this favorably?' Since we always exchanged very honest and sharp feedback internally, there were many moments where we hurt each other. But the publisher side kept believing in the game's potential and gave us a lot of courage.

As the release gets closer, our tension is growing, and personally, I am suffering from chronic indigestion, but PQube sees the game positively and keeps showing confidence that it can go well. That point is a great strength for the development team.

In addition to the publishing process, you introduced the game in various ways, including tests at various game events, Steam Next Fest, and demo releases. How are you analyzing domestic and overseas feedback? Also, were there any parts where you felt a temperature difference in feedback between Korean users and overseas users? Also, in what way are you reflecting these various feedbacks?

"We are reading all feedback one by one, grouping them into major categories, and analyzing them.

An interesting point was that the reaction between domestic users and overseas users was not as different as I thought. Things that work here often work there, and things that are problematic here are often problematic there. Eventually, I felt that genre-based fun and inconvenience are conveyed quite universally.

Looking at feedback, there are many cases where users suggest solutions immediately. There are times when I am tempted by such suggestions, but first, I try to recall what the experience we intended was. And rather than simply reflecting the suggestions as they are, I try to analyze the fundamental cause of why such feedback came out.

Reflection takes time, but looking at survey satisfaction or playtest results, there is a feeling that it is getting better, so I think we are going in the right direction.

Looking at the trailer when we exhibited at the Banggusuk Indie Game Show 2021 in the past, the current gameplay sensation or art features remain intact. After that, quite a long polishing continued, and finally, the game is released this year. Looking back now, what was the core of the game built at first, and what part did you focus on and try to strengthen in the subsequent development process?

"At first, the thought of 'let's make Hotline Miami a little cooler and more sophisticated' was big. At the time, I didn't know much about game development, so I spent a lot of time on trial and error and study without knowing in what form to concretize it.

But that vague goal remained, and as knowledge and experience accumulated little by little, a more concrete goal called 'a Cyborg John Wick in Hotline Miami' was created.

Afterward, we repeated many experiments on how to depict this 'John Wick' and 'Cyborg' sensation in the game. Elements like the War Hand, Quantum Knife, firearms, parrying, and skill builds are all results that came out in that direction.

I hope players feel the sensation of a stylish hardcore top-down shooter through Kusan.

Ahead of the release, what kind of game do you want Kusan to be remembered as by fans? Also, I would appreciate it if you could share stories that raise fans' expectations or stories you want to ask of them.

"Personally, I like Hideo Kojima the most, and as a game creator, I try to maintain an attitude like the late Satoru Iwata. Also, when making a game, I try to always remember Shigeru Miyamoto's perspective, that is, the thought of making a product that customers can be satisfied with.

In that sense, the first goal is to make a game where the amount players paid is not a waste. And a higher-level goal is that I hope your hearts are happy while playing this game. Someday, I want to make a game that remains as a memory in someone's heart, like Monster Hunter, God of War, or Metal Gear Solid, which I enjoyed.

Above all, I hope 'Kusan: City of Wolves' is remembered as an intense and satisfying game, much like a spicy fried chicken. Thank you for reading this long interview. We hope you look forward to our launch on July 30.