{"id":73347,"date":"2026-10-06T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=73347"},"modified":"2026-10-05T17:56:25","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T08:56:25","slug":"crymelight-is-a-heavily-story-driven-action-roguelike-exploring-the-messy-relationships-and-twisted-emotions-of-young-girls-we-talk-to-director-takumi-isobe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/interviews\/crymelight-is-a-heavily-story-driven-action-roguelike-exploring-the-messy-relationships-and-twisted-emotions-of-young-girls-we-talk-to-director-takumi-isobe\/","title":{"rendered":"CRYMELIGHT is a heavily story-driven action roguelike exploring the messy relationships and twisted emotions of young girls. We talk to director Takumi Isobe"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

CRYMELIGHT<\/strong> is an upcoming roguelike action game from JRPG developer FuRyu. Within a dark, Alice in Wonderland-inspired setting, the game follows a cast of young girls who have arrived in the afterlife, each carrying some kind of \u201csin\u201d they committed while still alive. Trapped in a prison called Wonderland, the girls must fight and confront their sins to free their souls. As the amnesiac protagonist Alice, you participate in the death game against the Queen of Hearts\u2019 royal army. By defeating enemies, Alice can repent for her sins, allowing her to become more powerful. As the death game unfolds, Alice will also learn about the past lives of the other participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The game is set to launch on November 5, with a demo currently out on Steam<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During Tokyo Game Show 2026, ATOMATON sat down to talk to producer and director Takumi Isobe about how CRYMELIGHT came to be, what sets it apart from other roguelikes, and where it stands in FuRyu\u2019s \u201cCry\u201d series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2D graphics ensure none of the \u201ccuteness\u201d of the original characters designs is lost<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u2014To start us off, could you please introduce yourself?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Takumi Isobe:<\/strong>
I’m Takumi Isobe from FuRyu. I\u2019m the producer and director of CRYMELIGHT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014CRYMELIGHT is the third title in the series following Crystar and CRYMACHINA. Where does it stand within the series?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isobe:<\/strong>
In terms of how the three games relate to each other, CRYMELIGHT is a completely new title. I would like you to think of them as independent entries, like the numbered titles of the Final Fantasy series. While Crystar, CRYMACHINA, and CRYMELIGHT can arguably be considered part of the \u201cCRY\u201d series, they basically have no direct connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, CRYMELIGHT does have some elements in common with Crystar and CRYMACHINA. For example, the visual motif of girls shedding tears, as well as the theme of characters confronting hardship. Those aspects are also present in CRYMELIGHT, but we\u2019ve taken them in a different direction this time. That\u2019s why I think it\u2019s best to understand CRYMELIGHT as a new, standalone title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014How much freedom do you have when creating a game?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isobe:<\/strong>
In general, it depends on my role, such as whether I\u2019m the producer, as well as the title itself. When it comes to CRYMELIGHT, there\u2019s an existing \u201cCRY\u201d series, so I had to consider what its players like and what they\u2019re looking for. I\u2019ve taken the approach of incorporating plenty of what fans of the series want, while cutting things they don\u2019t need. I\u2019d say I\u2019ve been able to work on the game with a fair amount of freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I serve as both producer and director, but I also wrote the lyrics for the opening theme, \u201cLove and Guilt.\u201d In fact, I\u2019ve also taken on some of the duties of an art director as well. I\u2019ve had opportunities to create storyboards, and I\u2019ve personally put a lot of effort into aspects such as direction and UI design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014Crystar and CRYMACHINA both used 3D graphics. Why did you opt for 2D graphics for CRYMELIGHT?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isobe:<\/strong>
The character designs are initially created in 2D by the artists, but when we turn them into 3D models, they inevitably end up looking different from the originals. For instance, there were times when I felt the characters\u2019 cuteness came across better in 2D, so I decided to make CRYMELIGHT completely 2D so that we could properly convey that cuteness to players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While it\u2019s difficult to create a sense of three-dimensional depth in 2D, in the game\u2019s story sections, we\u2019ve made the characters move more extensively than ever before. I think you\u2019ll understand once you actually play it, but the characters really move as if you\u2019re watching an anime. In that sense, I\u2019m glad we went with 2D graphics, and I think it makes the characters\u2019 cuteness stand out even more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A story depicting the messy, complex relationships of young girls<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u2014How did development on CRYMELIGHT begin?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isobe:<\/strong>
We started developing CRYMELIGHT as a story-driven game, given the high praise Crystar and CRYMACHINA received from for their stories. I also consider CRYMELIGHT to be a game built around its narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we were creating the story for this game, it was already decided that \u201cAlice\u2019s Adventures in Wonderland\u201d would be the motif, so we asked Naoki Hisaya, who was in charge of the scenario, to write a story built around that. We then incorporated various game elements on top of the story he created.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014Why did you choose Alice\u2019s Adventures in Wonderland as the motif for CRYMELIGHT?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isobe:<\/strong>
First of all, I personally love the world of Alice\u2019s Adventures in Wonderland. It\u2019s a beautiful and strange work, and that was one of the things that made me want to create a game inspired by it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another major reason is that Alice\u2019s Adventures in Wonderland is so widely known and familiar. Even in Japan, most people can immediately picture the protagonist, Alice. CRYMELIGHT\u2019s protagonist, who is also named Alice, shares some traits with her too, so we used Alice\u2019s Adventures in Wonderland as a motif to represent an innocent and pure girl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014Alice\u2019s Adventures in Wonderland has inspired many games. What would you say makes CRYMELIGHT\u2019s take on the theme unique?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isobe:<\/strong>
While the world is based on Alice\u2019s Adventures in Wonderland, we\u2019ve tried to portray the characters\u2019 inner selves realistically. We explore the girls\u2019 \u201cmessy\u201d human relationships and depict their suffering, jealousy, and other emotions. I think CRYMELIGHT\u2019s pursuit of realistic emotions is what sets it apart from other works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019d also like people to pay attention to the characters\u2019 visuals. For example, Cheshire is visually very fantasy-like, resembling the actual Cheshire Cat from Alice\u2019s Adventures in Wonderland. However, if you look closely, there\u2019s something resembling a blood transfusion bag coming outside of her pocket, with a tube running from it as if she is receiving a blood transfusion. The characters in this game have arrived in the afterlife after dying, and, in Cheshire\u2019s case, her design reflects her past of receiving IV treatment in a hospital while she was still alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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