STUDIO en Opens Steam Page for FANTASTIC JUNCTION, Early Access in 2027
The developer credits point to an indie label incubation pipeline rather than a self-published solo release: FANTASTIC JUNCTION was selected for the WorldMap Incubation Project 1st Batch and is being made by a team established in January 2025, the same core members behind the earlier title Parry Nightmare.
Key Facts
- WorldMap Inc. opened the Steam store page for FANTASTIC JUNCTION on September 15, alongside a first trailer and official website.
- FANTASTIC JUNCTION is developed by STUDIO en Inc., a creator team established in January 2025.
- FANTASTIC JUNCTION is scheduled to launch in early access in 2027, with the price undecided.
- FANTASTIC JUNCTION supports Japanese, English, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese.
- The soundtrack includes tracks by DuckTape Orchestra and other domestic and international artists, played from discs found on planets.
Reporting from 2 sources: Denfaminicogamer, ASCII.jp.
WorldMap Inc. announced on September 15 that it opened the Steam store page for FANTASTIC JUNCTION, a 2D action adventure and survival crafting game developed by STUDIO en. The studio also released the first trailer and an official website, and Steam wishlist registrations are open. Players take the role of planet exploration surveyors who land on unknown worlds, gather materials, repel native creatures, and deliver resources to a homeworld in a galaxy far from the destroyed Earth. Space storms limit the time and range of each expedition, and giant boss-class native organisms block exploration. Resources can be converted into the life and energy needed to keep exploring, or shipped home. Mysterious discs found on planets play music from the destroyed Earth, including tracks by DuckTape Orchestra and other artists. Early access is scheduled for 2027, with no price decided. The game supports Japanese, English, and both Chinese scripts.
STUDIO en was established in January 2025 and is a creator team that works in manga as well as games. Norihito Kawamura, who also goes by Charehito, leads the studio. Kawamura won the ZUN Award and the Freem! Award at Niconico Self-Made Game Fest 4 in 2014 for "Ato no Ato," then took an award at the 1st GYAAR Studio Indie Game Contest and a place in TGS2023 SELECTED INDIE 80 with Parry Nightmare before releasing that game on Steam in 2024.
WorldMap is an indie label that handles publishing and IP development, and it also plans and runs the indie game exhibition DREAMSCAPE. FANTASTIC JUNCTION was selected for the WorldMap Incubation Project 1st Batch.
In Kawamura's comment on the game, he said the team is tackling the project "more as 'the team called STUDIO en'" than as a solo effort, and that compared with Parry Nightmare, "we can make better use of 'things I could not have done or thought of alone.'"
The planets use hand-drawn art on a monochrome base, and the strange plants and creatures, including the boss-class giant native organisms, are designed to feel somehow cute. Combat and gathering are done with light fired from a gun-like tool. Exploration turns up microbe-like life forms, fungus-like vegetation, and crystals holding cosmic energy.
At early access launch the exploration journey will be playable as a complete experience. After that, the studio plans to keep adding explorable locations and actions.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.