- A highly anticipated story-driven bullet hell shooter crafted over four years by a 4-person K-Indie development team in Pangyo
- Winner of the WASD Indie Game Contest · Officially Exhibited at BIC 2024 · Positive User Reviews at G-Star
- A unique design that breaks through bullet patterns head-on with counterattacks rather than evasion using ‘Time Acceleration’ and ‘Projectile Reflection’
“Soulers,” a story-driven bullet hell shooting action game currently under development by Drabit Studio, a four-person K-indie developer based at the Pangyo Startup Campus in Gyeonggi-do, has started a Steam playtest.
This playtest will be conducted using a version featuring major improvements, including updated graphics, an enhanced UI, new visual effects, and additional units and crews. As the first showcase of the results from approximately four years of development, this playtest is an important step to gauge user reactions before the official release.
Dragon Studio plans to further refine the game to a higher level of completeness based on feedback collected through playtesting.
Lete, a Souler who lost her memory, uncovers the truth of the world that obscures the sky.
Soulers is set in a future world where a massive barrier obscures the sky. Humanity barely manages to survive amidst a ruined civilization, while mysterious entities known as ‘Glitch’ threaten the remaining world.
The player takes on the role of ‘Machina,’ the captain of the Alliance, as they continue their adventure by defeating powerful enemies and recruiting them as companions. At the center of the story is ‘Lethe,’ a Souler who has lost her memory. Amidst conflicts involving witches, Lethe sets out to uncover her past and the truth hidden within the world.
‘Soulers,’ special beings who use power derived from the soul, are depicted as the only hope to fight against the glitch.
Counterattack, not evade; break through the bullet hell head-on with ‘Time Acceleration’.
The biggest feature that differentiates Soulers from existing bullet hell shooters is its aggressive combat system.
While most bullet hell games focus on dodging enemy attacks, Soulers instead emphasizes the thrill of breaking through bullet patterns and counterattacking. The core system, ‘Time Warp,’ is designed to slow down time to overcome moments of crisis and launch powerful counterattacks.
Time Acceleration is more than just a simple means of evasion. Upon activation, the hitbox is temporarily reduced, allowing you to break through dense bullet patterns, and certain projectiles can be reflected back at enemies to create an opportunity for a counterattack. Furthermore, the game delivers the fun of both bullet-hell action and strategic gameplay through various build configurations based on weapon and companion character combinations.
Unique visuals where cute pixel art coexists with a serious sci-fi worldview
Soulus conveys a bright and cheerful impression based on 2D top-down pixel art, featuring cute and unique character designs, flashy bullet hell effects, and colorful hues.
However, behind this bright world lies a heavy sci-fi setting, including a world where human civilization has collapsed, a massive wall obscuring the sky, and mysterious monsters called Glitch. The unique atmosphere, where charming graphics and a serious narrative coexist, completes the game’s distinctive character.
Among overseas players, reviews continue to praise the game, stating that “the cute and colorful graphics and solid shooting mechanics are impressive.”
A highly anticipated work that has grown through participation in G-Star and WASD, as well as various support programs and exhibitions.
Soulers has consistently improved its quality throughout the development process through support from various organizations and participation in events.
In 2022, it was selected as one of the top three works at the Gyeonggi Content Agency Game Academy and received follow-up support, and in 2023, it was also named to the Korea Content Agency (KOCCA)’s game planning and development support program. Furthermore, it received recognition for its artistic merit by being selected as a winner at the 2024 WASD Indie Game Contest and was introduced to domestic and international gamers through the KOCCA booth at G-Star 2024.
Dragon Studio is an indie studio started by two developers who joined forces during their military service, sharing a common dream of game development. Currently, based at the Pangyo Startup Campus, four developers are dedicated to game development together.
The official release version of the game is expected to include a story mode with over 10 hours of content, boss raids for replayability, and a roguelike mode.
Soulers, which overturns the familiar formula of bullet hell shooters and adds its own unique style, will have its completeness verified through this playtest. Many bullet hell action fans are focusing their attention on how this work, painstakingly crafted by a Korean indie development team over four years, will be received in the global market and what kind of game it will become.
Information regarding ‘ Soulers’
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Developer / Publisher | Drabbit Studio (Pangyo, Gyeonggi-do, 4 people) |
| representative | Kim Han-bit |
| Genre | Story-driven bullet hell action / Twin stick shooting / Top-down shooting |
| Release platform | PC (Steam) / Windows·Mac |
| Current status | Steam Playtest in progress (June 27~) |
| Development period | 4 years (2021~) |
| Playtest content | Story + Arena about 1 hour |
| Official Release Content (Scheduled) | Story Mode 10+ Hours / Boss Raid / Roguelike Mode |
| Supported languages | Korean, English, Japanese, Simplified/Traditional Chinese, Russian |
| Awards | WASD Indie Game Contest Finalist · Winner (2024) |
| Application History | Gyeonggi Content Agency Game Academy Top 3 (2022) / KOCCA Game Development Support (2023) |
| Exhibition History | G-Star 2024 (KOCCA Booth) / WASD 2024 |
| Main Keywords | Bullet hell, time manipulation, projectile reflection, team composition, pixel art, sci-fi, Korean indie |
| Steam Page | Add to Wishlist |
