Toei Games has announced its first three titles following its recent establishment. The company defines story not as a plot, but as the sum of captivating characters and an overwhelming worldview. Among the games are KILLA, HINO, and DEBUG NEPHEMEE, all planned for PC in 2026, with approaches ranging from 3D mystery to pen-drawn dark fantasy.
Three technical approaches to storytelling without traditional scripts 🎮
KILLA, by Black Tangerine, is a 3D adventure mystery with multiple endings where the protagonist Valhalla uses a resonance ability to explore suspects' memories in a world of nightmare and puppet theater. HINO, by UnGloomStudio, employs a pen-drawn style by Yatara to tell a 2D dark fantasy adventure where player choices determine the outcome. DEBUG NEPHEMEE, by Nephemee Studio, takes place in Nepherum, a world infested with insects that inhabit creatures called Nepheme.
Story as an excuse not to write scripts ✍️
Toei Games redefines story to avoid having to write it. Their concept, based on captivating characters and overwhelming worlds, sounds like a studio's introduction that prefers to let players fill in the narrative gaps. With KILLA exploring others' memories, HINO drawing monsters with a pen, and DEBUG NEPHEMEE filling everything with insects, at least we won't have to worry about long dialogues. That said, hopefully the characters are as captivating as promised, because if not, the story will just be a pretty backdrop.