Producer Cha Min-seo: "Pareidolia adds a nostalgic, hometown-like alternate

"Pareidolia," the new title from RX Studio under Nexon Games' IO Division, is officially meeting players at TGS 2026, held from September 17 to 21 at Makuhari Messe in Japan. While a glimpse of character interaction was shown through a rock-paper-scissors event at Anime Expo last July, TGS 2026 marks the first time playable in-game gameplay is being showcased under the official title "Pareidolia" rather than Project RX.

Live Turn Battle + Nostalgic Alternate World: 'Pareidolia'

Meeting with Korean media after the demo, Producer Cha Min-seo described Pareidolia as an "isekai homestay". Anima City, an alternate world that resembles reality yet remains distinct, is a unique city where "Mates"—girls endowed with special abilities—live together, featuring different architectural styles across its districts. Players take on the role of Director at Tasogare Hall—which serves as both the Restoration Center office and a civil service dormitory—spending their daily lives alongside the Mates while resolving various incidents.

He cited "a sense of everyday life" and "the feeling of returning home" as core keywords. The goal was to portray a space where players go grocery shopping, cook, and spend daily routines with the Mates, as well as the emotion of returning home at the end of the day. Thus, the team aimed to capture a glimpse of a so-called "Tadaima, Okaeri" ("I'm home," "Welcome back") structure as players return to Tasogare Hall after completing their daily schedule.

Combat utilizes a "Live Turn Battle" system that adds real-time elements to turn-based mechanics. Because enemies move according to specific patterns even during friendly turns, timing is key to maximizing the efficiency of area-of-effect skills when enemies cluster together. Furthermore, when a character's gauge fills up, an extra turn is immediately triggered, allowing for more proactive and strategic battle mechanics. On site, alongside the game demo, the booth themed after Tasogare Hall hosts photo and social media posting events, as well as the same rock-paper-scissors event with Mates previously held at Anime Expo, with merchandise such as clear files, big can badges, and cooling towels provided to participants.

After introducing the game and the TGS booth, IO Division Head Kim Yong-ha and Producer Cha Min-seo answered questions from the press.

Q&A

The title "Pareidolia" was decided quite late. What process led to choosing this name as the final decision? Also, is there an official abbreviation or shorthand being used?

Division Head Kim Yong-ha = We haven't decided on an official abbreviation yet. We will need to decide on one soon, and we are weighing internal feedback alongside community opinions.

When naming the game, there were so many different opinions internally, and making a decision was truly difficult because each candidate had its pros and cons. The reason we eventually settled on Pareidolia was first because we felt a single-word title could set us apart. Most other subculture games tend to have titles consisting of two words or full phrases.

We also felt the meaning of the word resonated well with the actual game. Our core concept is finding familiarity in the unfamiliar and everyday life in something new, and this word feels unfamiliar in pronunciation at first, yet gradually grows familiar. Taking all these aspects into account, we finalized the title as Pareidolia.

We're curious about the voice features. Was AI technology utilized? If AI was used, did you use in-house technology developed by Nexon Intelligence Labs or external AI? Furthermore, do you plan to utilize AI in other areas, and to what extent will the voice recognition technology be expanded?

Division Head Kim Yong-ha = We did not use external tools for the voice recognition feature; instead, we used technology developed through long-term research within the IO Division. This feature is an on-device AI, and we are paying close attention to performance so that it can also run smoothly in mobile environments.

Since we also need to support mobile platforms, we are deliberating on how far to expand voice recognition. The current demo build implements it for calling Mates or choosing dialogue options during conversations, and after gathering player feedback from this Tokyo Game Show demo, we will discuss internally how far to expand it.

In your previous work, Blue Archive, halos were used effectively to express each character's personality. What key points does Pareidolia focus on to express character individuality?

Producer Cha Min-seo = That's a really difficult question. We know very well that Blue Archive highlighted each character's identity through halos. But when we asked ourselves whether we should do something similar in our next game, we concluded that reusing a technique of mapping personality to a specific visual motif wouldn't have the same impact. Therefore, for Pareidolia, our Art Director is putting immense effort into showcasing each character's individuality through ultimate skill animations, outfit styles, and more. As more characters are revealed in the future, players will likely see that distinct style right away.

Division Head Kim Yong-ha = With Blue Archive, our top priority was ensuring players could instantly recognize which game a character belonged to just by looking at their illustration. However, adopting halos also had the drawback of limiting design choices. So this time, we decided to try a new approach without creating something that restricts design language. Our primary focus is bringing out each character's personality within designs that convincingly suit the lived-in atmosphere of Anima City. Based on this direction, we are exploring designs that highlight each character's unique traits.

General players and gamers are paying close attention to it as the follow-up title from the Blue Archive dev team. How is Pareidolia positioned internally, and in what ways are you incorporating the know-how gained from Blue Archive?

Division Head Kim Yong-ha = We are receiving far more expectations than we deserve, which feels overwhelming. That's why we're a bit worried.

While Pareidolia builds on certain lessons from Blue Archive, it is fundamentally a project born from our conviction that we need to create a completely new IP. That's why there are stark contrasts with Blue Archive, such as using full-scale proportions (LD) instead of chibi models (SD). Showcasing character appeal in new ways through 3D spatial expressions and a sense of daily life is our main new focus.

It is something we hadn't attempted before, and there weren't many reference points in the market at this level. That led to a lot of internal deliberation. In Pareidolia, we faced the challenge of convincingly crafting relationships that rival the bond between Sensei and students from a different angle. The demo build shows a step in that process, and while there are areas that still need polishing, I believe it demonstrates our first step toward creating an alternate world with a distinct lifestyle feel and characters with whom players can truly bond, in a style different from Blue Archive.

It seems a lot of effort was put into interacting and sharing daily life with characters. What kind of fun or emotional sentiment did you want to convey?

Producer Cha Min-seo = To be honest, how to implement a "sense of daily life" can feel a bit vague. But during development, I personally feel a sense of comfort, so to speak, when being inside Tasogare Hall.

In a way, the format of deriving fun from playing games feels like it's becoming formulaic. But when we first started development, Executive Producer Kim Yong-ha asked for a sentiment where, even though you are in another world, it feels like you are actually in the same space together. So developers brought up Tasogare Hall in the engine and had endless discussions about what would make it feel like we were actually there. The current result came from pondering what perspective to present to the player.

Division Head Kim Yong-ha = I'd like to express it as "a hometown in an alternate world" [1.2.14]. Many recent subculture titles focus on dopamine-fueled intense action, adventure, large-scale stories, or exploration [1.2.14]. In contrast, we wanted to make a game where players feel a sense of comfort and the emotion of spending daily life together over time [1.2.14]. We are currently filling in mechanics step by step to capture that feeling of being back home, enjoying comfortable companionship [1.2.14].

(To Division Head Kim Yong-ha) Ever since Focus on You and Blue Archive, you've consistently talked about an "alternate world you want to dive into" [1.2.14]. To what extent have you achieved that goal? Also, we understand that many composers who worked on Blue Archive are participating again. Which artists are involved?

Division Head Kim Yong-ha = It's hard to state precisely how much has been realized so far [1.2.14]. I'd love to say 100%, but realistically it's around 50% [1.2.14]. Under the theme of an alternate world players want to dive into, we are paying close attention to various elements—starting with interactions—so that players feel a flutter of emotion and deep immersion even with characters on a screen [1.2.14]. Beyond voice recognition, we are putting more effort into content that fosters emotional connection [1.2.14]. Tasogare Hall serves as the stage for this, and we are preparing various activities within it [1.2.14]. Considering what will be built moving forward, we believe implementing more new interaction elements will bring us closer to that goal [1.2.14].

Regarding the music collaborators, we are continuing our work with Music Director Mitsukiyo and Studio Aloh. We will have another opportunity to speak about other artists in the future.

What is the current state of development progress, and what is your target launch window?

Producer Cha Min-seo = It's difficult to give an exact release date right now. However, I can say that development progress is tracking according to our original plan. Since we revealed the demo build at TGS, we will gradually disclose more information step by step moving forward.

Division Head Kim Yong-ha = It's unlikely we can run a CBT within this year, but preparations are steadily underway.

Unlike Blue Archive, players can directly explore the field in Pareidolia. We're curious to what extent exploration or puzzle elements have been included.

Producer Cha Min-seo = We will share more details later, but I'd like to emphasize again that Pareidolia is not an open-world game. Therefore, elements that people typically associate with open-world games might both be absent and present.

Mentions of puzzle or adventure elements in job postings were also prepared as another way to showcase character appeal through different mechanics. We should be able to show this aspect during the CBT.

Division Head Kim Yong-ha = Rather than exploring a fantastical alternate world, Pareidolia focuses on building relationships and creating a sense of daily living with characters inhabiting that world. Dungeons, fields, and all other mechanics serve as means to achieve this, and we approach them as an extension of this perspective. We are trying to tackle things here that we couldn't attempt with Blue Archive, and we will be able to share more details in the future.

There are no dynamic combat mechanics like real-time action or parrying. Was this intentional?

Producer Cha Min-seo = The current build shows the very initial stage of the combat system. As we've emphasized, Pareidolia is not an action-heavy game; it focuses on showcasing character appeal and interaction. When action becomes intense, opportunities to spend time together with characters and interact face-to-face tend to decrease. We could potentially add ways to feel action without disrupting that core tone, but it's hard to discuss that right now.

While Blue Archive players welcome Pareidolia, some worry that focusing on a new title might lead to neglecting Blue Archive.

Producer Cha Min-seo = When starting this project, one thing I promised Executive Producer Kim Yong-ha was that there would be no disruption to the Blue Archive development staff. This was already shared within the IO Division, and in fact, very few members of our dev team came over from Blue Archive, so there is virtually no impact on Blue Archive.

Division Head Kim Yong-ha = That's why initial team building was extremely difficult when we set our direction toward developing a new IP. However, after making some progress, many great talents joined, allowing us to build a new organization that feels similar to yet distinct from the Blue Archive team. Development is progressing smoothly as expected. So I want to reassure everyone once again that Pareidolia's development will not harm Blue Archive, and the Blue Archive dev team itself continues to expand.

With so many subculture games being shown at TGS, which title concerns you the most? Also, what do you think sets your game apart from competing titles?

Producer Cha Min-seo = When starting the project, I promised Executive Producer Kim Yong-ha that we would roll it out across multiple platforms. Welcoming more players through a mobile-PC-console cross-platform approach was a core premise. From that perspective, rather than pointing out a specific company's game, we view any game launching across mobile, PC, and console as our competitor.

As this genre grows to the point where people say it's entering the mainstream, with expanding scale and numerous new titles emerging, we asked ourselves what domain only the IO Division could execute. We are exploring this deeply while preparing to compete with other games. The reason we prepared controllers for this demo is to demonstrate the IO Division taking on new challenges and showing that we are prepared for competition as a cross-platform title.

Division Head Kim Yong-ha = Strictly speaking, our concept isn't about directly competing with other games. We are focusing on what an alternate world that feels like a home away from home should be, and since we feel games like this don't really exist yet, we don't think we overlap much with other titles. Nevertheless, we are constantly thinking about ways to differentiate ourselves and appeal to players compared to other games.

Even considering this is the first demo build, voice recognition and interaction feel quite limited—such as only being able to call one character at a time. Do you intend to add finer details in the future, such as calling two characters at once, or having a character walk over gradually with a close-up instead of fading out immediately upon being called?

Producer Cha Min-seo = There were many differing opinions internally when implementing voice recognition. As such, things could change depending on player feedback from this demo. Originally, when a character was called, they would walk up as the screen transitioned, but many felt that wait time was tedious. So in this demo build, we designed it to fade out immediately and transition screens upon calling.

Division Head Kim Yong-ha = Showing every process in full detail and natural motion can sometimes cause inconvenience or feel awkward. So we currently adjusted it. We are contemplating the expansion of voice recognition and interaction from various angles and are actually implementing several features, but to show the core essence within the limited time of a game show, we had to trim things down. We will show a wider variety of elements in the future.

5 years ago, when people referred to Blue Archive as "Moe XCOM," didn't people say it was hard to balance turn-based combat and character appeal on mobile? It feels like you've captured that difficult balance here. Should we view this as overcoming technological limitations?

Division Head Kim Yong-ha = It's hard to attribute it solely to overcoming technological limits. Of course, changing the engine and increasing detail allowed us to enhance character expressions and background density. Beyond visuals, however, we always wanted to showcase elements in other dimensions that previous games hadn't shown, and Pareidolia in its current form is the result of researching those methods. Beyond how to immersion-wise present everyday living, we wanted to weave a context where the extraordinary and combat contrast with and connect back to daily life.

Live Turn Battle is intriguing, but how do you plan to evolve it going forward, and do you intend to introduce features like auto-battle to reduce fatigue?

Producer Cha Min-seo = When playing a game, there are times when you can focus and enjoy it intensely, and after that period, you tend to take it easy. During those times, we believe players should be able to relax and play casually. We plan to showcase related aspects during the CBT, and we are discussing ways to make these parts more engaging while smoothly addressing fatigue. Whether that solution is auto-battle is difficult to say right now, and we will need to monitor trends after the TGS demo.

You introduce the genre as a "bishoujo game," but digging deeper, it could be categorized as a collectible RPG among other things. Why do you emphasize "bishoujo game" specifically?

Producer Cha Min-seo = It reflects the fundamental mindset that games made by the IO Division are bishoujo games. We mean creating what we can and what the market permits within the massive umbrella of bishoujo games. Of course, looking closer, it is indeed a collectible character RPG. However, ever since Blue Archive, Executive Producer Kim Yong-ha and the development team have always highlighted that it is a bishoujo game first.

Division Head Kim Yong-ha = An alternate world you want to dive into should offer a sense of comfort, shouldn't it? What we are creating is an alternate world of anime girls/bishoujo. That's why it is a bishoujo game. That's how I would describe it.

Voice recognition was very interesting and a key point of differentiation. Are you approaching it as a fun novelty gimmick, or do you view it as a core component of Pareidolia?

Division Head Kim Yong-ha = If too much can only be done via voice, it can create awkward situations. Think about playing on the subway or at the office. Content that relies solely on voice commands would be quite embarrassing, wouldn't it? So expanding features that rely strictly on voice recognition isn't easy, and manual controls must accompany them. We have received various internal and external suggestions on how to incorporate the characteristics of voice recognition and expand it, and we are filling in content step by step through deep consideration.

Looking at the art and teasers released prior to the demo, occult elements like talismans and ghost stories appeared. Can occult themes be considered one of Pareidolia's main concepts?

Producer Cha Min-seo = What we truly want to implement is an "isekai homestay." To create such an alternate world, we borrowed various styles. Occult elements can be said to be one of them, but they are not the core. It's like how you can't simply say "Blue Archive is a school-life game, so Pareidolia is an occult game."

Division Head Kim Yong-ha = Occult horror mystery is one of the major motifs, but we never intended to push it to the extreme. We hope players don't focus solely on anomalous/bizarre phenomena. Rather, we hope players have diverse experiences in this world while feeling the comfort of everyday life. That's why, unlike in Blue Archive, we requested music with a lo-fi feel that evokes a casual, cozy atmosphere. Rather than aggressively pushing one specific theme, we want to present the daily life of an alternate world itself.

A hot spring is visible in this demo build. Can players look forward to such scenes?

Producer Cha Min-seo = If it's a dormitory, shouldn't there be a hot spring? (laughs). We wanted to show the potential for various elements to expand. Tasogare Hall in this demo build is not in its final form; we are currently designing it while considering various elements that could be expanded in the future.

To take Blue Archive as an example, based on themes of youth and a comforting world, we created various elements that fit into that category. Within that, there might be subtle hints of "lucky events," but they aren't blatantly thrust into your face.

Division Head Kim Yong-ha = It's difficult to speak in depth about that area right now. However, to enter an alternate world, shouldn't there be anticipation? You can view it as an element that heightens that anticipation.

You mentioned emotional interaction is key. How are you reviewing the business model (BM), and how does it differ from Blue Archive?

Producer Cha Min-seo = Games coming from our division do not try to invent entirely unprecedented BMs or make unconventional attempts with monetization. That's not our approach. We will likely adopt one of the widely accepted business models in the market, and we don't have plans yet for how to modify it. This area actually requires consultation with the publisher and observing market conditions. I can say this is our basic stance for now.

Live Turn Battle is fresh, but with time limits present, players might feel anxious waiting for enemies to cluster nicely. Are enemy movements completely random?

Producer Cha Min-seo = There is a certain pattern. We designed rules to convey natural movement, and I think players will notice it right away as they play. It's not intended to cause stress, but rather the result of aiming to prevent combat from feeling too repetitive. For the CBT, we are refining several aspects around this to make it an enjoyable gameplay mechanic.

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This article was originally written in Korean and translated with the help of AI. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. [Read Original]

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Seoho "Ruudi" Yoon

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