The Dream of Limbo is an ambitious bullet-hell platformer that also happens to be Taiwanese studio Gaming Animals’ debut game. Set in a dark fantasy world where nightmares and fairy tales meet, players will be faced with deadly bullet patterns and powerful bosses as they fight their way through the corrupted Kingdom of Oz.
Thanks to Taipei Game Show, we had the opportunity to speak to Gaming Animals and learn more about their upcoming game.
What led your team to bring together two challenging genres – platforming and bullet hell – together for your debut game?
Our goal from the very beginning was to create a unique gameplay experience unlike any other. When I first learned Unity, the tutorial project I followed taught me how to make a game called NS-SHAFT. It’s a very simple game, but for many people of my generation who grew up playing PC games, it’s a nostalgic classic. That became the starting point for our idea.
As someone who loves action and combat games, I began to imagine what NS-SHAFT would look like if it included fighting mechanics. After many experiments, we discovered that bullet-hell elements were the perfect fit — they’re relatively simple to create yet offer a lot of visual variety and excitement.
What inspired the dark fantasy theme of the game?
I’ve always been a big fan of Metroidvania and Souls-like games — the dark fantasy art style has always fascinated me. Visually, we also took inspiration from Hollow Knight. I’m really grateful that Silksong finally came out — although I still haven’t had time to play it yet. I’ve been waiting since I graduated… and now my kid is already three years old.
What was the biggest challenge in developing such a technically challenging game for your first release?
I’d say the most challenging part was designing the game’s difficulty. After spending so much time playtesting, I eventually lost sensitivity to how hard my own combat designs really were. At the same time, I had to constantly think about player expectations — how much focus and mental energy the game should demand without becoming exhausting. Even now, I’m still worried about finding that perfect balance.
What’s your approach to balancing accessibility for new players with depth for platformer game veterans?
My approach to accessibility comes directly from my own gaming experience. Although I’m a big fan of action games, I’m not particularly skilled when it comes to technical execution. That’s why I designed the combat system around high mobility and minimal button input, allowing players to handle various situations without needing complex combos.
I believe that giving players freedom of movement and simple controls helps them quickly build muscle memory and focus their attention on the stage challenges rather than learning complicated sequences.
As for providing depth for experienced players, we designed a variety of special bullet mechanics. In other words, while it’s possible to defeat enemies purely through skilful dodging and movement, the smarter approach is to counter the enemy’s bullet patterns — turning their attacks into opportunities and reducing the overall threat.
Since teaming up with companions is a key mechanic of the game, what are the main companion abilities that players can expect?
Each companion has both active and passive abilities. Passive abilities change your core strategy. For example, when you choose the Lion, the farther you dive before hitting a platform, the stronger the platform’s effect becomes.
When you choose the Scarecrow, destroying platforms in specific sequences can trigger special effects — for instance, breaking two attack platforms followed by one energy platform will summon a small scarecrow that continuously damages enemies.
Active abilities consume energy to summon companions. Each one has unique powers: the Scarecrow can erase bullet patterns and deal damage — as well as heal the player — based on the number of bullets cleared; the Lion delivers powerful direct attacks; and the Tinman activates a brief “bullet time” effect and generates a shield to protect the player.The companion you choose directly shapes your overall combat strategy.
Which character or enemy is your personal favourite to fight with (or against)?
My favorite character is the Lion — simply because her design is exactly my type. There’s nothing better than fighting side by side with a girl you really like. The battle I’m most looking forward to is against Sakiel, a water-element angel who represents the final form of the very first boss players encounter in the game.
Wishlist Dream of the Limbo on Steam, and read our other interviews from gamescom asia x Thailand Game Show here.
