An asteroid is coming, Seoul is emptying out, and the city you thought you knew has turned strange. NEOWIZ announced on October 20 that Goodbye Seoul: Itaewon, a narrative puzzle adventure developed by JINO Games and published by NEOWIZ, is taking part in Steam Next Fest.
Steam Next Fest is an online event where players can try demos of upcoming games on Steam. It runs from October 20 to 27 (Korea time), and anyone can play the Goodbye Seoul: Itaewon demo on PC via Steam during the event. The game supports 10 languages, including Korean, English, Simplified Chinese, and Japanese.
[Related Article: ‘Hello Seoul: Itaewon’ Wins Gamescom Indie ‘Best Game’]
A Demo Rebuilt From Player Feedback
The Next Fest demo improves the game across the board, from puzzles and exploration to presentation and controls, based on feedback from the previous demo and beta test, so returning players will notice a different experience.
The new demo expands on the game’s core feeling: exploring a once-familiar Seoul that has become unfamiliar, and following the people still in it. New sections also offer a glimpse of story beats that haven’t been revealed yet.
The playable area is larger than in the previous demo, and some new puzzles have been added to those sections, keeping the focus on exploring the game’s spaces and solving problems within them.
Visual polish and narrative immersion have been raised as well. Some backgrounds, objects, and other art elements have been revised, with added background detail and sound effects. Controls and quality-of-life have also been refined. The result keeps the existing flow intact while letting players explore more of the game’s world and follow its story further than before.
New Key Art Unveiled
To mark its Next Fest appearance, the game also unveiled new key art. Centered on Seoul, the game’s main setting, it captures the post-disaster atmosphere and the emotions of its characters, sharpening the game’s distinct world and tone.
Seoul on the Eve of Impact
Goodbye Seoul: Itaewon is a narrative puzzle adventure set in near-future Seoul. With an asteroid impact looming, protagonist Rion follows clues tied to a government space evacuation project. Set against a Seoul cityscape rendered in 2.5D pixel art, the game focuses on exploration, environmental puzzles, and the relationships and stories between its characters.
From the Developer
JINO Games CEO Kim Jin-ho said: “Through our recent beta test, we were able to see how players felt while playing and which areas needed improvement. We’re refining parts of the game based on that feedback.”
He added: “This Steam Next Fest demo expands the playable area beyond what we’ve shown before and adds new sections and some new puzzles. We hope players who tried the demo before will check out what’s new. We’ll keep polishing the game all the way to launch so we can return in even better shape.”
Who This Is For
Strong fit for: fans of narrative-driven puzzle adventures with an emotional core; players drawn to 2.5D pixel art and atmospheric cityscapes; anyone interested in Seoul as a setting, or in quiet, character-focused apocalypse stories; players who tried the earlier demo and want to see how it has evolved.
Less ideal for: those looking for action, combat, or multiplayer; this is a single-player, story-and-puzzle experience.
What to Watch For
Next Fest reception will show whether the feedback-driven changes to puzzles, exploration, and controls have landed, and the new sections should hint at where Rion’s investigation into the evacuation project leads. A release date has not yet been announced; with NEOWIZ backing the project, more details could follow after Next Fest.
The Takeaway
Goodbye Seoul: Itaewon offers something rare: a Korean city, rendered with care, at the quiet end of the world. Its Next Fest demo shows a team listening closely, with a larger playable area, new puzzles, and refined art and controls shaped by beta feedback. Paired with new key art that leans into its melancholy post-disaster mood, it’s one of the K-indie titles most worth trying during this Next Fest.
Free demo during Steam Next Fest (October 20–27 KST). Wishlist now on Steam.
[Reference] ‘Hello Seoul: Itaewon’ Steam Next Fest Page
[Reference] ‘Hello Seoul: Itaewon’ Steam Store Page
[Related Information]
– Developer: JINO Games
– Publisher: NEOWIZ
– Genre: Narrative Puzzle Adventure
– Platform: PC / Steam
– Single Player
