In 2025, the video game world was taken by surprise with the release of Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33a bold JRPG with a unique artistic style, from Sandfall Interactive. This game, a true love letter to the genre, has garnered a shower of awards, notably at the Golden Joystick Awards and the Game Awards. However, this success was not a foregone conclusion.
“Before the launch, we thought that Chiaroscuro wouldn’t be a big hit, but just something ‘cool’,” said Guillaume Broche, the studio’s creative director. “It’s a strange feeling, when you put your whole heart into a project and the world returns it to you with so much love. »
Pressure ignored: “We’ll do what we think is cool”
Despite growing public expectations, Sandfall doesn’t seem to want to give in to the pressure. François Meurisse, director of operations, said in an interview with the magazine Edge that the team intended to stay true to itself: “Yes, there is some pressure, but it is not that important for us. We have excellent ideas and the experience of five more years. Maybe this will allow us to accomplish great things. » For her part, Jennifer Svedberg-Yen, lead screenwriter, adds: “Creatively, our compass has always been our own taste. What we find cool, what we like to see and do. I’ve seen too many shows and books that have lost their soul trying to please everyone. »
A next game the polar opposite of the previous one?
What if the studio’s future title wasn’t even an RPG? This is what Guillaume Broche suggests: “We do not want to be constrained by a story, an artistic style or gameplay. What we want to do is exactly what we wanted to do in the first place. » A statement that opens the way to all speculation. The studio could explore other genres, other formats, even other platforms. The only watchword seems to be creative freedom.
Innovate again, without diluting the identity
The decision not to outbid with a Expedition 34 ultra-marketed might seem surprising, but it’s aligned with the studio’s artisanal philosophy. “It’s good to have limits,” said Broche, recalling that it was by not “artificially filling the lifespan of the game” that they won over players. By refusing to give in to the temptation of the calibrated blockbuster, Sandfall Interactive chooses the most difficult path, but perhaps the noblest: that of artistic sincerity.