New Kyoto-based indie studio has begun work on a title codenamed Project Tanuki
Starting afresh
Q-Games and Chuhai Labs developers have teamed up to create a brand new Kyoto-based indie game studio.
Denkiworks is the newest creation of co-founders Liam Edwards, Taki Arioka, and Jan de Graaf. The experienced team has previously worked on Apple Arcade titles such as Pixeljunk Scrappers and Cursed to Golf, also available on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
“Our experience working together on Pixeljunk Scrappers was a really special collaboration,” programmer Jan de Graaf said. “We joked back then that one day we’d reunite to make a game again. I don’t think we actually thought it would happen, but here we are".
Denkiworks is based in Kyoto, where the three developers first met while working at their previous companies. Despite the studio being incredibly young, the developers are set on its philosophy of creating games that are innovative and embody the unique "East meets West" perspective.
It's this perspective that has seemingly inspired Denkiworks' newest title, codenamed Project Tanuki. While little is known about the debut game, it will encompass the Japanese countryside and rural culture.
“We’ve been hard at work on our first title, inspired by our experiences of life in Japan, coming from an expat and native perspective,” designer Liam Edwards said in a press release. “It’s essentially a love letter to this country and its beautiful culture. We all have an idealised vision of what Japan is, especially its stunning countryside, popularised in art and media over centuries. Project Tanuki will be our take on that!”
Our profile on the up-and-coming indie studio detailed more than just its debut game, codenamed Project Tanuki, so if you want to know more about this new studio, go check it out.
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Elie is a Features Writer for TechRadar Gaming, here to write about anything new or slightly weird. Before writing for TRG, Elie studied for a Masters at Cardiff University JOMEC in International Journalism and Documentaries – spending their free time filming short docs or editing the gaming section for their student publications.
Elie’s first step into gaming was through Pokémon but they've taken the natural next step in the horror genre. Any and every game that would keep you up at night is on their list to play - despite the fact that one of Elie’s biggest fears is being chased.