Korean Ace Attorney-Like Mystery ADV 'There Is NO PLAN B' Shows at BitSummit PUNCH
The game's strong Japanese wishlist numbers and localization quality suggest a Korean indie studio has successfully targeted the Japanese market by building directly on the DNA of Japanese mystery ADV classics.
Reporting from 1 sources: Game Spark.
At BitSummit PUNCH in Kyoto, the KOCCA booth featured 'There is NO PLAN B,' a cyberpunk mystery adventure game from Korean developer SUPERWAVE STUDIO. The game follows a shut-in detective named B who investigates a 'social murder case'-a naked man found standing on a Seoul street-using robots and virtual space from his room. Developer Yun Changsik said the team of six, all self-described otaku, drew heavy influence from Japanese classics like 'Ace Attorney' and 'Danganronpa.' The demo showcased comical character animations, a filter system for investigating crime scenes in virtual space, and choices that affect later progress. Yun noted the Steam wishlist has exceeded 20,000, with over half from Japanese users. The demo's average playtime is 50 minutes, with a 70% completion rate for the final section. The game has been in development for three years and is in final polishing, targeting a 2027 release on PC via Steam. A demo is currently available.
The demo introduces rookie patrol officer Ayu, who delivers the case contact and incident report. The report is a mess, missing the attached evidence photo data. An AI machine acts on her behalf for phone calls and field investigations.
Developer Yun Changsik said the team of six started with three people three years ago and gradually added members. The team's biggest strength is localization. Yun said the translated Japanese text is so perfect that if you were not told it is a Korean game, you would think it is a Japanese game. The localization was done jointly with a translator fluent in Korean.
On the concept of "social death" rather than physical death, Yun said the story begins with the question "What is social death?" and the process of unraveling that question continues in the released trailer and future in-game issues. He said the team wants to delve into deeper themes, not just solve cases.
Yun noted that the character design has been well-received, and players laughed at the points the team intended to be funny. He said it was gratifying to realize their humor resonates not only in Korea but also in Japan.
Regarding the influence of Japanese games, Yun said "Ace Attorney" is a very familiar title for Koreans, as a mobile version was released in Korea long ago. He said he secretly played it on a small screen during class when he was a student. For "Danganronpa," no official Korean version has ever been released, but fans bought the Japanese version and played it while looking at translation booklets made by volunteers.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.