BABGamesStudio on Japanese Horror, Photography and the Mystery of the Tanaka Residence
A missing-person investigation in 1991 Japan sounds unsettling enough before the camera becomes part of the mystery. We speak with BABGamesStudio about photography as evidence, its changing difficulty design and the secrets it refuses to spoil.
For JUBAKU, noticing something strange is only half the work. Players must photograph meaningful clues, earn grades for what they document and make decisions as they investigate the Tanaka Residence. The team behind the game explains how that unusual loop grew out of a love of Japanese horror, and why it is already reconsidering some of its planned systems.
“We want players to feel encouraged to investigate their surroundings and learn through exploration”BABGamesStudio
What first brought the BABGamesStudio team together, and why did you choose a journalist investigating a haunted residence as the foundation for JUBAKU?
Horror movies like Noroi: The Curse and The Grudge were huge inspirations when we started figuring out the direction we wanted to take with JUBAKU. I’ve always loved the atmosphere and storytelling in Japanese horror, and games by Chilla’s Art have been some of my favourites. We wanted to bring those influences together in a game where players investigate a haunted residence, uncover disturbing details, and experience the horror through the eyes of a journalist.
The game takes place in Japan in 1991. What did that specific place and period allow you to explore that a contemporary setting wouldn’t, particularly for a reporter relying on physical evidence?
I’ve always loved the late 1990s and early 2000s, especially the atmosphere of Japan during that era. For me, it was the perfect mix of everything I love about horror. Although JUBAKU takes place in 1991, those eras have influenced the atmosphere and direction of the game. Setting it in an earlier period also lets us lean into the limitations of older technology, with the journalist relying on his camera and the physical evidence he discovers rather than modern digital tools.
Instead of simply rewarding survival, JUBAKU grades the photographs and evidence the journalist gathers. How did that mechanic develop, and what makes a photograph meaningful within your investigative system?
The idea is that taking a photograph isn’t enough; you need to capture the right things. Correct photographs are graded, and the higher your grades, the more money you earn. That money can then be spent at a nearby shop to purchase trophies and other items. This creates a gameplay loop where players are encouraged to explore carefully, pay attention to their surroundings, and improve their photography rather than simply rushing through the investigation.
Rookie, Reporter and Journalist modes progressively reduce the available photo slots while changing guidance and consequences. How did you settle on those differences, and how do you keep the limited camera roll challenging without making players afraid to experiment?
We’ve been reconsidering this system based on the experience we want players to have. These modes are planned to be removed from the full game because we want to implement a better system that keeps photography meaningful without making players too afraid to experiment with their limited camera rolls. We want players to feel encouraged to investigate their surroundings and learn through exploration rather than worry constantly about running out of photographs.
How do you design paranormal events and environmental clues so that observant players can notice important details without the game giving too much away?
That’s something we’d rather keep secret for now! We want players to experience these moments for themselves rather than know what to expect beforehand. Discovering things naturally and not knowing what’s waiting around the next corner are important parts of the experience we want to create.
You’re a small indie team and your demo is now in players’ hands. What has been the most useful or surprising feedback so far, and have you made any meaningful adjustments to the investigation or camera systems as a result?
One of our biggest areas of focus is finding the right balance between giving players enough things to do and making sure the experience doesn’t feel unnecessarily stretched out. We also want to improve consistency in how players interact with objects throughout the game. Feedback and testing have helped us recognize how important it is to make interactions feel natural and intuitive, so these are areas we’re continuing to work on as we move towards the full release.
Looking towards the full release, currently targeted for Q1 2027, what are the team’s biggest creative and practical priorities, and what would you most like players to understand about JUBAKU before entering the Tanaka Residence?
The story is our biggest priority. We want players to understand that JUBAKU is more than just exploring a haunted house and surviving paranormal encounters. There’s a story behind what happened at the Tanaka Residence, and uncovering it is a major part of the experience. We want players to pay attention to the details, piece things together for themselves, and discover the truth at their own pace. Most importantly, we’d love for them to go into the game with an open mind and experience the story without expecting everything to be what it initially seems.
The story continues.
The JUBAKU demo remains available according to BABGamesStudio; the full game is targeting Q1 2027. Gameplay details and design plans above are the team’s account, not a played review.
Play the free JUBAKU demo ↗ · Read our First Signal introduction ↗
This is a written interview with answers supplied by the developer. Coloured Static Press has edited the presentation for readability; the answers retain the original meaning and are not a hands-on review. Imagery is credited to its rights holder.