<Co-project: Inven X Gyeonggi Content Agency>
Guild Studio's 'NAMMO' took first place in the General Category at the 21st Gyeonggi Game Audition held on the 15th. The game claimed two awards, also receiving the 'Gamer's Pick' chosen by the on-site audience evaluation panel. In the Student Category newly established this year, WAVU's 'UpBRELLA' recorded the inaugural first-place finish.
Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Content Agency held the final audition on this day at the International Conference Hall of the Pangyo Gyeonggi Center for Creative Economy & Innovation. A total of 404 games—the largest number in the event's history—applied, combining 344 entries in the General Category and 60 in the Student Category. Following document screening and the first round of auditions, 10 teams from the General Category and 3 teams from the Student Category took to the final stage.
Starting with the Student Category presentations at 10:10 AM, game demonstrations and pitches continued on site. Pitches varied from one staged as training for new investigators at a Dungeon Management Bureau to teams demonstrating actual gameplay while explaining rules. A panel of 20 expert judges evaluated the titles, while the audience evaluation panel voted for one Student Category entry and three General Category entries via on-site QR codes.
The final audition was held alongside a game investment demo day to meet investors and publishers, as well as a public-private-academic synergy FGT (Focus Group Test) to evaluate upcoming releases. Speaking before the award ceremony, Kim Tae-hyeong, Chairman of the Future Science and Cooperation Committee of the Gyeonggi Provincial Council, stated his commitment to supporting developers, mentioning the audience size and industry scale he observed at the Taiwan game show earlier this year. He also shared that judges remarked on the increased polish of the entries.
The total main award development support grant is 200 million won. The General Category first-place winner receives 50 million won, two joint second-place teams receive 30 million won each, two joint third-place teams receive 15 million won each, and five runners-up receive 10 million won each. In the Student Category, first through third place receive 5 million won, 3 million won, and 2 million won, respectively.
Here is a roundup of the stories and gameplay mechanics of the 13 winning titles that reached the final stage, organized by category ranking.
'NAMMO' is a Silla-themed 2D Soulslike boss rush game. The protagonist, Nammo, who lost both eyes, gains the 'Spirit Eye'—an ability to see the spirit realm—and investigates what happened to him. The development team explained that they reinterpreted historical figures and tragic stories from the Silla era, taking visual inspiration for stages and bosses from real-world locations like Bulguksa Temple as well as Korean folklore. During the presentation, they showcased bosses of various forms, including a figure wearing a golden crown, a giant heart, and enemies inspired by Buddhist statues.
The Spirit Eye is used for both exploration and combat. It reveals normally invisible terrain, traps, and enemies' true forms, while acting as a tool to uncover hidden weak points during boss fights. Destroying a weak point permanently damages that body part or seals off specific attack patterns. Deciding when to activate the Spirit Eye adds a tactical layer to the fundamental combat loop of blocking and parrying enemy attacks.
Each stage features narrative branching where choices with characters can gain allies or lead to different confrontations. Souls obtained by defeating bosses can be used in the hub area to craft add-ons and skills, allowing players to customize their combat build. Guild Studio, which won 1st Place in the General Category and the audience-selected Gamer's Pick, receives 50 million won in development support grants.
Taking the stage for the award, the representative from Guild Studio credited the team by calling out members responsible for planning, development, sound, effects, and pixel art alongside the vice president. They also expressed gratitude to the team members' families for supporting indie game development and to the Gyeonggi Content Agency for organizing the event.
'Where is the Red Ball?' is a point-and-click puzzle game about finding an intact red ball for a crying cat. Other red, round objects or dirty balls will not soothe the cat. Examining items and interacting with them on hand-drawn screens to find the exact ball the cat wants serves as the objective of each stage.
Solutions vary with each level. Players might locate a hidden ball, craft one directly in areas without any red ball, or barter with someone who holds a ball. The development team shared that rather than continually escalating difficulty, they kept it at a steady level while varying stage settings and puzzle structures so players face fresh challenges each time. Allowing low-stakes retries after failure also aligns with the game's cozy, healing direction.
Diary entries unlocked while solving puzzles tell a family story of a younger sister and an older sister growing to understand each other. The development team stated that by aiming to make the cat happy at the end of the search, they want to offer players a heartwarming experience. They noted the game is currently being developed targeting 50 stages and 3–4 hours of playtime. Studio Peppermill took joint 2nd Place in the General Category, receiving 30 million won in development grants, and also won the Stove Special Award. The special award includes business consulting, with global publishing and priority platform exposure to be supported subject to internal review.
'Project Revenant' is a side-scrolling shooting action game introduced as the official sequel to Mayfly's previously released 'Revenant'. Players aim directly at enemies with the mouse cursor and can bypass front-line foes to target more dangerous threats first. The protagonist has only 1 HP, meaning a single hit results in failure. The development team designed a fast-retry game flow built around this mechanic.
Clearing a sector requires environmental interaction in addition to accurate shooting. During the presentation, scenes were shown where flashbangs stunned enemies, chandeliers were dropped, and gas canisters exploded. Players analyze enemy positioning and interactable objects to decide the order of engagement. Boss fights also go beyond straightforward shooting; the team explained that depending on whether players break the rocks created by the first stage boss, 'Erica', her subsequent attack patterns change.
To bring the precision of PC cursor aiming to consoles, the team revealed they are designing motion controls and aiming radius assistance. Mayfly received 30 million won in development grants for joint 2nd Place in the General Category. At the award ceremony, plans for a simultaneous multiplatform release and the game's high level of polish were cited as reasons for winning the Backnd Special Award, which awards 5 million won worth of Backnd credits.
'In the Van' is a survival game where players use a camper van as a mobile base to survive in a zombie-apocalyptic world. According to the presentation, while the protagonist is weekend camping in a forest out of cellular range, an AI suddenly emerges and society collapses. Players must explore various regions to scavenge food and materials while fighting off zombies. Managing thirst, hunger, and mental stability is essential, and moving quietly to avoid attracting sound-sensitive zombie hordes is part of survival.
Returning to the camper van from the dangerous outdoors changes the rhythm of gameplay. Players organize scavenged supplies, craft gear, and prepare for their next expedition through fishing, gathering, farming, and cooking. The interior and exterior of the van can be customized with collected or crafted items. The development team emphasized seamlessly connecting hardcore exploration, cozy base living, and a constantly moving journey into a single gameplay loop.
Rather than staying in a single settlement, players visit new regions in their camper van and decode ownerless digital devices to uncover clues about the apocalypse. The team explained plans to offer different types of camper vans with varying interior space, durability, and speed. Repairing or modifying vehicles and decorating them with scavenged items stems from the core premise of a mobile base. Cosmic Dofu receives 15 million won in development support grants for joint 3rd Place in the General Category.
'Irony' is a sci-fi horror action platformer where players investigate a research facility where unauthorized human experimentation took place. Set in a dystopian year 2401, the protagonist loses body parts in a battle against enemies wielding powerful cybernetic prosthetics. To survive, the protagonist equips prosthetics salvaged from enemies, but as they grow stronger, they begin to resemble the very entities they were tracking—a premise that ties directly into the game's title.
Combat shifts dynamically between ranged shooting, melee attacks, and parrying. Targeting specific body parts alters enemy behavior; the development team cited examples such as enemies crawling after their legs are damaged or having their vision obstructed when hit in the head. They explained that enemies emerge from unexpected places like vents, windows, and elevators, creating tension through staging and sound rather than displaying constant HUD information.
The game features a 2.5D visual style combining pixel art characters with 3D backgrounds, complemented by full voice acting. The team explained that decisions on whether to replace body parts with cybernetic prosthetics impact the storyline and ending. Xylophone received 15 million won in development grants for joint 3rd Place in the General Category and also won the G-ROUND Special Award. G-ROUND cited the game's global potential and opportunities for support on its platform as reasons for the selection. The special award winner receives a voucher worth $7,000 applicable toward FGT and marketing.
In 'Rule the Dungeon', players take on the role of a novice investigator at the Dungeon Management Bureau to resolve citizen complaints. The presenter introduced the game by treating the audience as new investigators examining a report of someone "making eye contact with a traffic cone on the way to work." Investigating traffic cones with eyes and strange potted plants leads to discovering a dungeon, whereupon players enter the field with hunters affiliated with the agency.
Combat revolves around reading enemy lane positions and turn orders. When enemies reach the front attack position, they perform basic attacks, while the time remaining until a special attack is telegraphed by numbers above their heads. Pushing enemies back with hunter attacks or using traps and decoys to reposition them allows players to win without relying solely on brute force. The demo showcased a combo where a front-row enemy was pushed back before another hunter attacked multiple lanes simultaneously. As each hunter possesses distinct traits and personalities, deciding who to bring along is a critical choice.
Combining 'Logos' keywords obtained from narrative dialogue allows players to suggest new skills to hunters. The progression of cases changes based on who players talk to first and what they investigate; finding sufficient clues can even open paths to resolve situations without combat. Foret Noire Games receives 10 million won in development grants as a General Category runner-up.
'Animal Frontiers' is a mobile line-battle RPG where players form squads of animal characters to push and pull frontlines. The development team introduced six classes: Knight, Warrior, Archer, Rogue, Mage, and Priest. They explained that around 60 character types were prepared at the time, including dogs, cats, rabbits, and rhinoceroses. Assembling heroes with different roles into a team and adjusting formations and target focus during battle demands tactical decision-making beyond simply inflating combat power numbers.
Outside of combat, players explore a hexagonal grid map within a limited number of turns to find the boss. Players must plan their route, choosing which tiles to fight on, recover HP, or gain treasure. Because squad HP does not fully restore after battle, deciding whether to head to a healing node or retreat is crucial. The team noted that even if players retreat mid-boss fight, damage dealt to the boss's HP is preserved.
Pushing the frontline to corner opponents into danger zones at the edge of the screen inflicts greater damage, whereas getting pushed back increases incoming damage. Consequently, even with the same set of heroes, outcomes vary depending on when players adjust their front line. The team announced two bosses prepared for each of seven themes. Infinity Mind receives 10 million won in development grants as a General Category runner-up.
'Soullers' is a bullet-hell shooting action game where players navigate dense screens of bullet patterns using time manipulation. The development team explained that they aimed to lower the barrier to entry for bullet-hell games that rely solely on reflexes while keeping strategic fun intact. Using the core ability 'Time Acceleration' speeds up the protagonist's time, enabling them to slip between attacks or concentrate firepower in short bursts. Players can also kick incoming projectiles back at enemies as a counterattack.
Before deployment, players select weapons, companions, and traits to define their combat style. Companions function like active skills during combat; for example, pairing a sword-wielding companion with one that enhances weapons creates synergistic effects. Each companion also features a module tree, altering playstyles based on chosen upgrades. The team stated they wanted to offer multiple ways to overcome bullet patterns rather than forcing a single solution.
The game also features a story about an amnesiac protagonist uncovering their past alongside companions. The team integrated character relationships directly into game systems beyond cutscenes, such as persuading an accountant companion to purchase weapons. At the time of the presentation, they revealed plans for around 10 hours of story mode alongside Arena, Ranked, and Roguelike modes. Drabbit Studio receives 10 million won in development support grants as a General Category runner-up.
'Preservation System' is a deduction game focused on restoring fire-damaged case records. The story begins when a prosecutor dies in a house fire, leaving eight case files he was keeping heavily damaged. Players must examine surviving sentences and photographs to deduce what the erased records originally contained.
Rather than picking answers from preset choices, players type in keywords directly. Entering a correct word restores missing sentence fragments, recovering up to three text fragments at a time. Relevant information can also be extracted from charred photos to uncover new clues. Applying words conceptualized by the player directly to the records forms the core of the deduction gameplay.
Note-taking and drawing features are provided to help players organize necessary information independently. As each case is solved, objects in the investigation space—such as telephones and recording devices—appear or change. Players do not need to restore every single document to submit an answer if they have deduced the truth. Correct submissions unlock remaining files and post-case epilogues, allowing players to trace through eight cases and discover why the prosecutor kept the records. Banjiha Games receives 10 million won in development support grants as a General Category runner-up.
'Mystical Demon Farm' is a title combining farm management, monster collection, and dungeon exploration. The protagonist is dispatched to a remote borderland tasked with investigating mana anomalies. There, they cultivate a farm while venturing into dungeons to gather necessary materials. The team explained that instead of traditional farming with pickaxes and axes, players use magic for farming and gathering.
The bridge connecting farming and adventure comes in the form of 'Demons'. Players revive Demons—artificial lifeforms created by archmages of the past—using materials and apparatuses to live alongside them. Which Demons players acquire and nurture alters how farm life and dungeon exploration unfold, creating a gameplay loop where materials obtained from dungeons are fed back into farming and Demon growth.
Exploring new areas also allows players to build relationships with villagers. The development team shared that befriending characters—each carrying their own emotional scars—enables them to live together on the farm. As player level and magic skills advance and the farm expands, accessible areas increase. The stories heard in those places tie into mysteries surrounding past wars, Demons, and mana anomalies. Zarikki Studio receives 10 million won in development support grants as a General Category runner-up.
'UpBRELLA' is a puzzle platformer where a fallen witch navigates obstacles using a single umbrella. WAVU, which won the inaugural 1st Place in the Student Category, packed multiple mechanics into this familiar item. Players open the umbrella to glide or catch updrafts, and position it upside down to use as a foothold. They also designed movement mechanics where dropping onto the umbrella from high places causes the character to bounce up relative to the fall distance.
Puzzles also involve spinning the umbrella to break bricks or reflecting lasers off its surface. Rather than acquiring separate gadgets to expand abilities, the game focuses on players discovering how the umbrella in hand interacts with environmental mechanics. The presenting team outlined their puzzle design principle: creating "eureka" moments of instant comprehension while keeping elements minimal and reducing repetitive inputs.
In its Metroidvania-style exploration structure, paths blocked initially can be solved upon returning after exploring other areas. Knowledge of how to apply familiar tools in new ways serves as the primary means of progression. WAVU receives 5 million won in development support grants for taking 1st Place in the Student Category. The awardee expressed thanks to team members and pledged to continue making fun games.
'War in the Dark' is a turn-based wiretapping strategy game set in a fictional 1950s war. Presented in black-and-white visuals, the story unfolds through flashbacks as Remarque, a retired commander hospitalized in a medical ward, recounts the past to his grandson. Rather than displaying the battlefield at a glance, the core gameplay relies on listening to enemy radio communications to deduce unseen troop movements.
Each turn consists of wiretap preparation, enemy signal decryption, and allied command transmission. Players input time and frequency into a clock and radio to prepare for reception, reading short and long signals from incoming Morse code. If enemies employ secondary encryption, players must cross-reference code sheets. Based on gathered intelligence, players tap the spacebar short and long to transmit orders to allied forces in Morse code.
The presenting team showcased four unit types—Scout, Infantry, Sniper, and Medic—alongside two chapters and seven stages. The title emphasizes understanding communication meanings and deciding subsequent actions over directly viewing troop positions. Sprout Studio receives 3 million won in development support grants for 2nd Place in the Student Category.
'Ignotus' is a title combining real-time action, deck-building, and domain expansion mechanics. Players normally control characters directly to engage enemies in real time, but activating domain expansion freezes time. Inside the domain, players place skill cards drawn from their deck onto tiles, setting position and direction before executing attacks when time resumes. In the prior candidate preview, the team shared that the mechanic was inspired by Domain Expansion from 'Jujutsu Kaisen', noting that monsters can also use domains.
Card choices and combinations evolve through combat progression. The student team introduced a synthesis mechanic where combining identical skills creates active skills usable without triggering domain expansion. Clearing sectors allows players to leave a 'Stigma' that saves their current deck configuration. Players must make sequential tactical judgments: when to trigger domain expansion mid-real-time combat and where to place skills during frozen time.
Choices are not always beneficial to the player. The presenting team explained that 'Curse' options affect both the player and enemies, altering combat conditions. Nerophone stated the game was currently under development for Windows and Android. They receive 2 million won in development support grants for 3rd Place in the Student Category.
