MONOWAVE: A Sogang Student Project Becomes a Switch Puzzle Game
Anxiety, Anger, Sorrow and Happiness each give you a power. Studio BBB spent three years turning a university project into a colourful co-op puzzle adventure, now on Steam and Switch with a Japanese publisher.
What if your feelings were your toolbox? In MONOWAVE, you play Mono, a newborn Guardian spirit, in a world where the Prism Tree has begun to wither. To save it, you must reunite four Emotion spirits, Anxiety, Anger, Sorrow and Happiness, each of which gives you a different power.
The game comes from Korean indie Studio BBB, led by CEO Gwonyeong Lim, and is co-published by Japanese publisher Phoenixx. It launched on Steam and Nintendo Switch in mid-September 2026 (16 September on Steam's US listing, 17 September in Korea), and PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions are targeted for later in 2026. On Steam it is rated Positive, with 93% of early reviews recommending it.
How emotions become puzzles
MONOWAVE is a 2D puzzle adventure about emotion and empathy. Each emotion is a boss to calm and then a skill to use: you face four boss battles, and each victory unlocks a second movement ability, giving you eight abilities in total by the end.
The puzzles ask you to combine those abilities, and you can bring a friend: the game supports local two-player co-op on one screen. A full playthrough takes around seven to eight hours, and the game supports 10 languages, including Korean.
From classroom to console
MONOWAVE started as a student project at Sogang University in Seoul and was refined over three years. Along the way it collected a strong record:
- Winner of the 20th Gyeonggi Game Audition (2025).
- Best Student Game at the Taipei Game Show Indie Game Awards.
- Nominee in the Games for Impact category at the gamescom Awards 2025.
Its launch coincided with Tokyo Game Show 2026, where Studio BBB showed demos at Phoenixx's booth in the indie area of Hall 9 at Makuhari Messe from 17 to 21 September.
Working with a Japanese publisher is part of a wider pattern this year. KILLA signed with Toei Games, and MONOWAVE went with Phoenixx. For small Korean teams, Japan offers a big console audience, a strong appetite for puzzle and story games, and publishers who know how to get indies onto Nintendo's eShop.
A small price, a big heart
MONOWAVE is priced at $9.99 on Steam, or 10,800 won in Korea, with a 10% launch discount. A Complete Edition with the soundtrack is also available. That price, together with its short length and local co-op, makes it an easy recommendation for families and for anyone who wants a gentle game to play with a partner.
Why it matters
Korean indies are often praised for action. MONOWAVE shows a softer strength: thoughtful design about feelings, aimed at players of all ages. WGC's take: its path, from university project to provincial award to a Japanese publisher and a Switch launch, is a near-perfect example of how Korea's support system (our explainer) can carry a student team to a global release.
How to play
- Steam: $9.99 (Complete Edition with soundtrack available).
- Nintendo Switch: out now.
- PS5 and Xbox Series X|S: targeted for 2026.
- Co-op: local two-player on one screen.