Three weeks of basic military training at Nonsan Training Center. For most, it’s just a difficult memory, but for two young men, it was a life-changing moment. Hong Jong-hyun and Kim Jun-ha, both working at a game company specializing in military service, met at the training center and discovered a common interest: a passion for the classic SRPG “Paland Tactics.”
To relieve boredom during training, the two created a physical card game, cutting paper to create units and battlefields. At the time, they called this game “Nonsan Tactics.” Upon leaving training, they promised, “When we go out into the world, let’s make this game together.” While this promise seemed difficult to keep, they actually kept it. In January 2022, they left their jobs and founded Kniv Studio.
Knives Studio: A passionate development team of 10
Knives Studio was founded by Producer Jong-hyun Hong and Director Jun-ha Kim. CEO Jong-hyun Hong has been interested in indie game development since high school and has built a solid career with live service experience and planning. Director Jun-ha Kim has experience at leading domestic animation studios and game companies, and oversees game direction and art direction.
What’s remarkable is the diversity of the developers recruited through various online communities and job search sites. Developers with extensive practical experience were drawn to the project’s appeal, and the team now consists of ten people. This team of developers, with extensive experience in launching and running live services, is a key competitive advantage for Knives Studio.
The core of the game is “inheriting the DNA of Paraland Tactics.”
Stardust: Star and the Witch (currently officially titled “Stardust: Star and the Witch,” but known as “Stardust” since early development) is a turn-based pixel SRPG that reinterprets the charm of classic SRPGs for a modern age. The game is set in Trania, a world brimming with magic and monsters, and follows the adventures of adventurer Star and her childhood friend, genius wizard Yu.
The game’s unique premise, a “star” with the power to grant wishes, forms the centerpiece of the game. The word “stardust” itself, according to the dictionary, means “the enchanting charm or magical power exuded by innate talent.” In the game, the star is not simply a celestial body, but rather possesses the power to grant human wishes. The story unfolds as the two protagonists embark on an adventure amidst the conflicts and conspiracies between various powers and nations surrounding this star.
Director Kim Jun-ha stated, “We wanted to inherit the DNA of Parland Tactics. Rather than focusing on high-difficulty strategy or character development, we’re developing a game with a light, casual feel.” This philosophy is clearly reflected in the game’s mana system.
Similar to Hearthstone, your mana pool increases by one per turn, and even your most powerful ultimates only cost five mana. The design focuses on intuitive, immediate strategic decisions rather than complex resource management.
Combos and Counters: A New Take on Turn-Based
Director Kim Jun-ha emphasizes that “every game has at least some concept of turns.” He explains that even fighting games have frame-based turns. Based on this philosophy, Stardust introduced two core systems to overcome the tedium of turn-based games.
The combo system allows you to chain together other skills after hitting an enemy with a specific skill, allowing you to use another skill within 1-2 seconds of input. The counter system allows you to use skills to block or counter enemy attacks if you still have mana remaining during the opponent’s turn. Both systems require near-real-time responses, creating dynamic, turn-based combat.
The attacker is faced with a strategic choice. Should they pressure the enemy with powerful, mana-intensive attacks or launch combos with weaker techniques to strike multiple times and conserve mana? This system, which forces players to remain alert even during their opponent’s turn, creates a sense of tension unlike typical SRPGs.
Standout dot graphics and sprite animation
One of Stardust’s most striking features is its fusion of detailed dot graphics and full-sprite animation. It adopts the full-frame approach used in past games, drawing all sprites directly. This requires significant production effort and is rarely attempted in recent games.
Each scenario event in the game is presented with unique animations, creating an immersive experience, as if watching a full-length animated film. Cutscenes that appear when special moves are used are concise enough not to disrupt the game’s pacing, yet boast high-quality graphics and effects. This high-quality presentation is made possible by the presence of developers with extensive animator experience on the team.
In November 2025, news of voice support was announced on the community site DC Inside, revealing in-game cinematics and battle GIFs currently in development. These materials received a positive response from the community.
Development status and release plans
Stardust debuted on the crowdfunding platform Tumblbug in October 2023. A game demo was released on November 8th, and a pre-release via Stove was planned after the crowdfunding campaign concluded. The demo version is currently available on the Stove Store.
Originally targeting an Early Access release in the second quarter of 2024, Stardust has extended its development period to focus on improving its level of completion. Kniv Studio is currently working on in-game level balancing and polishing, and plans to gradually complete the game through two Focus Group Tests (FGTs).
The demo released on Tumblbug is about 20% of the Early Access version, and Early Access will introduce various play contents such as character skill set settings, team settings, character level and growth, and user level.
The game is currently listed as coming to Steam, with the official title “Stardust: The Witch and the Stars” set for November 2025. Following its initial PC release, the game plans to continue its live service with releases on other platforms and PVP mode updates.
Knives Studio has ambitious plans to make Stardust not just a single-player game, but a long-term live service. As they state, “We’re pursuing a slightly different direction than existing indie games,” and with a patch schedule similar to mobile games, they plan to update in-game content, characters, and balance at least once every one to two months.
Producer Hong Jong-hyun expressed his ambition to “make Stardust a success and further expand the IP.” His ultimate goal is to become so well-known that anyone will buy games based solely on the Kniv Studio name. He is establishing Stardust’s presence as the first step toward becoming Korea’s leading gaming company.
The Indie Game Success Formula = Communication with Users
Knives Studio actively communicates with the community throughout the development process. They share development progress and gather user feedback through various communities, including the DC Inside Indie Game Gallery.
Since April 2022, they have been consistently releasing development PVs, and in November 2025, they shared cinematics and battle GIFs to communicate with fans. The development team’s positive relationship with the community can be seen in the team’s statement, “Your kind words always encourage our development.”
We also provide continuous updates through our official Twitter account (@KnivStudio) and website ( www.kniv.studio) , and we also operate YouTube and Discord channels.
The current SRPG market is experiencing a decline in the number of games released compared to the past. However, Kniv Studio believes in the genre’s expressive power and history. They believe it’s the perfect genre for leveraging storytelling and animation direction.
In particular, with developers with extensive animator experience on staff, they are confident they know the best tools and methods to leverage this. Their promise to “create an SRPG more fun than animation” isn’t just boastful talk; it stems from a confidence rooted in skill and experience.
A promise made at training camp, dreaming of becoming a K-SRPG powerhouse…
“Nonsan Tactics,” originally created from paper at the Nonsan Training Center, is now being completed as a full-fledged game called “Stardust: Star and Witch.” Over three years of development, Kniv Studio has consistently improved the game, remaining true to its roots.
Stardust inherits the sensibility of the classic SRPG, Parland Tactics, while adding a modern twist. With its delicate pixel art, full-frame animation, and combo and counter systems, this game stands out. Expectations are high for its market reception.
“While the game still has many shortcomings, each and every bit of your interest gives us great strength and support.” These humble words from the development team embody their sincerity in creating a great game and their determination not to give up. When the promise made on paper at the Nonsan Training Center is finally realized as a single work, we’ll be keeping a close eye on Kniv Studio’s progress to see what kind of milestones it will set for the Korean indie game scene.
