07/09/2026
Anime Game Festival is live this week from September 8th to September 14th, hosted by Neverland Entertainment.
Studio Ephua is taking part with In Ashes, a stunning fantasy adventure where you must balance heroism and survival with rest, burn out, and trust. Inspired by work of Robin Hobb, Dragon Age, Frieren, and classic fantasy.
For the event, I wanted to talk a bit about In Ashes' inspirations and themes.
In Ashes is largely about post-heroism. I'm inspired quite a bit by anime and webtoon content. Titles such as: Frieren, The Remarried Empress, Banished from the Hero’s Party, The Archmage’s Restaurant, The Villainess just wants to live in peace, all present fantasy at a gentler pace.
At the start of In Ashes, world-saving is taking a backseat. Even in a fantasy setting, our protagonist feels they have followed a particular path in life but have failed to find a sense of identity and belonging, despite hitting milestones. "You slayed a dragon," or "You saved the town" are moments that don't feel they truly belong to them. They are achievements thrusted upon the protagonist, and like many anime protagonists, where we open our tale does not feel quite right.
As the story progresses, the protagonist and the characters they meet must begin to explore life anew on their own terms, regardless of what others believe of them.
With In Ashes, I hope to create a game that has attractive character designs, compelling and emotional character arcs, and an idyllic and fantastical setting, that fuels both escapism and introspection.
🎮Check it our for yourself: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3434420/In_Ashes/
#动漫游戏节
