gamescom latam continues to stand as one of the main gathering points for the indie scene, bringing together studios, developers, and promising projects from across the world. Among the teams encountered by Watermelo during the event was Hestios, represented by Rodrigo Ideriha. Even without an official booth this year, the studio used the occasion to showcase new materials for "Ivayami - Berço da Névoa", a psychological horror and survival experience that blends retro visuals inspired by the PS1 and PS2 era with anime styled characters.

In an exclusive interview with Watermelo, the Hestios team shared details about the creative process and inspirations behind the project. Speaking about the importance of gamescom latam for the growth of the Latin American indie scene, the studio highlighted the impact the event has already had on its journey. “We reached our first 1000 wishlists during Gamescom Latam 2025. It's a wonderful event that recognizes the power of indie games and makes room for us to show how original and meaningful a project born from passion can be. I got to know many great titles and make sure to support them the best way I can, because when Brazilian and all Latin American markets grow, we all get more opportunities to live from what we love and deliver great experiences”, stated the Hestios team.

The original creative vision behind the project was initially very different from what players will experience today. According to the developers, the first concept revolved around a time based structure where the player's decisions could save or doom the characters while the fog slowly consumed their minds. “The original concept was time-based. You had a sequence of events and choices you could make that could result in successfully saving your friends or not, as the fog was actively feeding on their minds and reacting to your actions. In the end, we chose a more linear path that fit our scope better, but the implications of the fog being a living presence still exist in the lore. It doesn't understand the human mind, but it can influence people by their instincts, fears and obsessions, literally bringing their inner demons out”, explained the Hestios team.

Cynthia herself was designed to reinforce the feeling of helplessness in the face of supernatural horrors. With no combat experience and relying only on improvised objects found throughout the city, the protagonist depends more on rationality and endurance than direct confrontation. “One of the main factors horror fans criticize in most modern 'horror' games is that if you have a weapon to fight back, the monsters aren't so scary anymore. Cynthia being just an average student with no direct means to confront all those supernatural conditions, trying to rationalize everything and not going insane creates this sense of danger that there's 'nothing you can do'. It's an inner fight, your real enemy is your own despair. You hide, you struggle and eventually find a solution to keep going”, commented the Hestios team.

Another major aspect of the experience is the dynamic soundtrack, which reacts directly to Cynthia’s emotional state and proximity to danger. The system was designed to make silence and atmosphere part of the psychological tension itself. “It was one of our main ideas to bring an immersion feeling to our game. The ambience and silence of the city has its own mysterious atmosphere, and as soon as Cynthia is detected or gets too close to danger, the current soundtrack gains more sound layers that make it more suffocating, until it reaches the maximum stress parameter and becomes completely distorted, just like what happened to the city itself. By making progress, Cynthia gradually learns how to deal with the creatures and the tormented state of mind she and her friends are subjected to”, detailed the Hestios team.

Visually, the project combines retro aesthetics inspired by PS1 and PS2 horror titles with anime inspired character designs, a direction that emerged both from the team’s personal preferences and the production limitations they faced while developing the game as a university final project. “It was mainly based on the team preferences and main skills at the time, besides our limited time of 1 year as it was our university final project. The retro aspects bring nostalgia from the horror games that gave us inspiration and truly communicate the old town's energy. Besides, when it comes to anime style, it's always more about a message than the actual events you see”, explained the Hestios team.

The relationships between Cynthia and her missing friends also play a central role in the narrative, especially as the fog gradually twists their personalities. For the developers, the emotional journey is just as important as the physical struggle for survival. “The characters were clearly based on common stereotypes at first, but as you get to know them better you realize they are more than all those labels suggest. Of course we made sure the story was engaging by itself, but there's an extra layer about fear, frustration and courage to make it past hardships and see the true nature of things. Also, how admitting your preconceived ideas were wrong can be your salvation”, revealed the Hestios team.

The narrative structure itself also evolved throughout development. Although the original concept envisioned a far more ambitious branching system, the studio ultimately decided to focus on two distinct endings, both considered canon. “The idea was much more ambitious at first, but soon enough we chose to deliver the best experience we could through two possible endings. Both can be considered canon and depend entirely on the perception and decision of the player. Maybe truly understanding a story means going beyond the reasonable, and even madness can be somewhat revealing at times”, stated the Hestios team.

Currently listed as Coming Soon on Steam, the game already has a playable demo available to the public. According to the developers, the full release will significantly expand the exploration of the ghost city created by the studio, which they describe as the true heart of the experience. “Well, in the demo version you can take a look at the great city we built, but in the full version, prepare to fully explore the vast and rich scenery built by our team. Ivayami's city is the game's heart and soul that connects everything, so we made significant enhancements to make our ghost city even more appealing. We prefer not to say much and preserve the mysteries and surprises, but we do have one big announcement in the near future that may shake our community a little. Stay tuned and thank you very much for your support!”, concluded the Hestios team.