When you think of cozy games made in Spain, it’s natural that Chibig is the first name that comes to mind. In less than 10 years, this Valencian team has become a true benchmark for all studios that want to develop beautiful adventures inspired by the worlds of Hayao Miyazaki. This is what you get when the so-called ‘Ghibli generation’, led by dreamy kids hoping to make a better world, takes on the indie gaming scene.
Chibig’s games aren’t just “cute”, but perfect for people who seek an emotional connection and love exploring new worlds without fear of harm. They’re all framed in peaceful worlds that are limited but diverse in possibilities, where it’s possible to make a living in harmony with nature and build strong bonds with the locals. These adventures reinforce a series of positive messages with which millennial players are deeply familiar with — care for others, respect the environment, live an honest life. They evoke a more innocent past and nurture everyone’s inner child without falling into the traps of nostalgia.
It’s a little known part of their history, but Chibig started developing games for mobile platforms. In 2016, they released Deiland: Pocket Planet (based on St. Exupery’s The Little Prince) and Ankora for iOS and Android. Both were survival titles on unknown planets with a strong crafting and resource management component, though very limited compared to the versions players enjoyed later on PC and consoles. Still, according to head of Chibig Abraham Cózar, Deiland reached more than 1.5 million players.
They took a big step by applying to the PlayStation Talents program for independent creators. As PlayStation Games Camp finalists, they were able to get facilities to develop their game and got support from the company to publish Deiland on PS4. In 2017, they also got the support of Square Enix Collective to launch a Kickstarter campaign for their PC version. The project got funded in just 5 days and Chibig achieved 300% of the goal by the end date.
But it’s not the craziest result they’ve got on a crowdfunding round — two years later, in 2019, the studio from Valencia closed Summer in Mara’s campaign with more than 230,000€, which meant a 1,000% of their fund goal. Summer in Mara is the story of Koa, a little island girl that dreams of discovering what lies beyond the sea. Players will join her on a journey to build up a ship and explore the surrounding islands, at the time they fight an evil corporation that wants to exploit the resources of the ocean.
Chibig’s narrative designer and writer Diego Freire revealed some insights on Summer in Mara’s campaign that helps us understand the reasons behind its success. They had the budget needed for the project, so Kickstarter was used as some sort of thermometer to measure the interest in the game. This is, more a marketing tool than a vital resource. It’s also worth mentioning that its launch trailer conveyed pretty well the spirit of Summer in Mara, as it started with a short animated video very much in line with its vision and values.
The money was used to add value to the final product, such as translation into new languages, animated cinematics and more content to enrich the island. Also, they developed a visual novel spin-off that was part of a stretch goal. This little sequel called Stories of Mara is available on Itch.io and Steam.
Later, Chibig decided to revisit the universe of Deiland with a new version of Ankora, now called Ankora: Lost Days. And parallel to this release, the studio worked on a new episode for Summer in Mara. The precision platformer Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara, aimed at speedrunners, is developed together with Talpa Games, creators of Mail Mole and Undercoders, who were experts in this game genre. It was kickstarted as well with a result pretty similar to Summer in Mara’s.
And this brings us to Chibig’s latest game announcement: Mika and the Witch’s Mountain, which is clearly inspired by Studio Ghibli’s adaptation of the book Kiki’s Delivery Service (1985, Eiko Kadono). It follows Mika, a young apprentice witch who, with the help of her broom, must work as a delivery girl to complete her training. When its Kickstarter campaign arrived in early 2023, it became a real madness. Funded with more than 1,3M€ (over just 40,000€), it’s the most successful one in the history of Chibig.
Mika and The Witch’s Mountain is now availalble on Steam, fully compatible with Steam Deck, and Nintendo Switch. What kind of life-changing secrets will they discover in Mount Gaun?
Don’t miss our latest interview with Irina Moreno, community manager & PR at Chibig, and their presentation party at Gamescom 2024 in our YouTube channel.
Activity funded by the Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sport.
Find Games from Spain on