After securing both the Grand Prix and Best Narrative awards at the Indie Game Awards 2025, BearBone Studio is wasting no time. The team behind the critically acclaimed Minds Beneath Us has announced that they are fully committing to their next project—a new game set in the same world as their award-winning title. You can check out Minds Beneath Us trailer here or on the official Steam page.
The following quotes are taken from Taipei Game Show’s Indie Game Award 2025 Winner’s Interview with BearBone Studio. In the interview, they shared insights on their journey, challenges, and future plans. You can watch the full interview here.
Ted, the game producer and lead scriptwriter at BearBone, expressed gratitude for the recognition.
“We’re incredibly flattered, really. It feels like, ‘Wow, it’s actually us.’ As for the Best Narrative award, we feel it was well-earned. We really put a lot of effort into that aspect, so achieving this success is very gratifying.”
However, the studio isn’t resting on its laurels. When asked about what’s next, Ted confirmed that the team is moving full speed ahead:
“We are already fully committed to developing a new project. And, well, it won’t be called a sequel, but the story is directly related to the previous game (Minds Beneath Us).”
While details remain scarce, BearBone aims to release the game within three years. The team learned valuable lessons from their first major project and understands the importance of finding the right balance between development time and cost-effectiveness.
A Studio Born from Necessity and Passion
Minds Beneath Us stood out for its gripping narrative, cyberpunk aesthetic, and its unique depiction of a futuristic Taiwan where human brains are used as computing devices. The game received overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam, with players praising its deep storytelling and immersive world-building.
Interestingly, the decision to create a text-heavy narrative game stemmed from practical limitations rather than initial creative ambition. Ted revealed that the team initially lacked experienced engineers, making complex game mechanics risky. Instead, they leaned into their strengths:
“We thought, why not keep it simple with text-based options?”
This decision paid off, with Minds Beneath Us amassing a dedicated fanbase and winning industry recognition. The game’s distinct visual style—a fusion of cyberpunk themes and contemporary Taiwan—also set it apart from other sci-fi narratives. Rather than drawing from traditional Taiwanese cultural motifs, Ted wanted to create something authentic to his own experience:
“Being a city kid from Taipei, I’m not very familiar with traditional culture, so it felt somewhat forced and inauthentic. However, I love sci-fi, which often represents a futuristic version of the modern world. So, I thought, why not set it in a modern, sci-fi version of Taiwan?”
Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Player Feedback
Despite its success, the journey of Minds Beneath Us wasn’t without hurdles. Funding and resource allocation were major challenges, especially in balancing the team’s creative ambitions with technical limitations. One of the biggest struggles was ensuring that the game ran smoothly across different systems.
“For our game, visuals are very important to us. So, our art team puts a lot of effort into it. But the person responsible for managing the game’s performance—the one who ensures it runs smoothly—thinks it’s too much. So, everyone’s work seems to counteract each other. Finding a balance is a major challenge.”
Even after launch, BearBone took player feedback seriously, making key adjustments post-release. One notable example was adding a missing narrative element—a proposal scene for a couple introduced early in the story. Players pointed out its absence, and the team swiftly addressed it.
“Many people were wondering why this part was missing. And we thought, yeah, that makes sense. So we quickly added that segment.”
A Bright Future for BearBone
Winning two major awards has bolstered BearBone’s reputation in the indie scene, opening doors for potential partnerships and publisher interest. Ted acknowledged that while awards might not directly translate into sales, they provide crucial industry validation:
“In business negotiations, a lot of it hinges on the other party’s initial interest in you. But if you have awards, they tend to think of it like comparing two resumes—they’re likely to choose you first. So, the help from having an award is significant.”
As BearBone Studio moves into its next phase, fans of Minds Beneath Us can look forward to another thought-provoking narrative experience. Whether or not the new project will push the boundaries of storytelling in the same way remains to be seen, but one thing is clear—the team is all in.
You can stay updated on BearBone Studio’s latest news and updates by following their social media pages.
