From tiny planets to vast open seas, Chibig has built a reputation for crafting games that feel like stepping into a storybook. Each of their titles carries a sense of wonder. Their worlds are cozy, magical, and always full of heart.
Behind these captivating adventures is a team that has mastered the art of cozy storytelling, infusing every game with warmth, exploration, and a touch of magic. In our interview with Chibig, we discuss their creative process, inspirations, and what it takes to create worlds that players never want to leave.
But before we get into the interview, let’s take a closer look at their unforgettable games.
Table of Contents
Summer in Mara – An Adventure on the Open Sea
Images: Chibig
If you’ve ever dreamed of caring for your own small island and then setting sail to explore the great unknown, Summer in Mara is exactly the kind of game you’ll love. It combines the charm of farming sims with the excitement of ocean exploration in a way that feels both relaxing and surprisingly addictive.
You start small: taking care of your crops, crafting tools, and upgrading your island little by little. Before long, you’ll be steering your boat across Mara’s turquoise waters, discovering new islands, uncovering hidden treasures, and helping out quirky characters you meet along the way. That feeling of freedom you get from sailing off wherever your curiosity takes you is what makes the game so magical.
There’s a diverse cast of over twenty characters you can meet. Each one has their own stories, personalities, and quests to share, making the world feel lively and worth exploring. But not everything is sunshine and coconuts. There’s a shadow hanging over Mara. An exploitative corporation called Elit is trying to take control of the seas, and you’ll need to protect your new friend Napopo, one of their first victims.
The game’s cozy art style, lighthearted storytelling, and quest-driven structure make it perfect if you’re looking for something soothing yet engaging. It doesn’t hold your hand for long. You’ll figure things out as you go, which makes each discovery even more rewarding. And honestly? Few things feel better than hopping into your boat, pointing it toward the horizon, and seeing what awaits you out there.
Deiland: Pocket Planet – Cozy Farming on Your Very Own World
Deiland: Pocket Planet feels like a magical mix of The Little Prince and farming sims. Instead of managing a vast farm across endless acres, you’re caring for a tiny planet that’s all your own.
Images: Chibig
You play as Arco, a young boy whose home is this miniature planet. Your days are filled with planting crops, crafting items, building structures, and helping visitors with their quests. It’s a coming-of-age story about finding your place in the universe and building connections with others. With over a dozen characters to meet and more than 100 quests, there’s always something meaningful to do.
Your entire world changes as the seasons pass, affecting the crops you can grow. Watching your small universe evolve throughout the year feels magical, like a tiny diorama coming to life. The game radiates charm in every detail: soft, pastel visuals, a calming soundtrack, and gentle pacing that makes it perfect for relaxing after a busy day. There’s some light combat, but it never takes away from the cozy atmosphere. If anything, it keeps things interesting without being stressful.
Ankora: Lost Days – Survival on a Strange New World
Chibig’s cozy survival game Ankora: Lost Days takes you to the mysterious planet Ankora, where danger and beauty coexist. You play as Mûn, a Junior Ranger whose spaceship crash-lands on this wild, untamed world. With nothing but your wits, you’ll need to craft tools, gather resources, and gradually turn Ankora into a home. But don’t expect chaos and stress. The game moves at a gentle pace and feels more like a warm hug than a test of patience.
Images: Chibig
The planet is divided into over 100 unique regions, each filled with secrets. Lush forests, scorching deserts, snowy mountains, and peaceful meadows await you. As you explore, you’ll face challenges like extreme weather, dangerous creatures, and tricky landscapes with rivers and cliffs. But instead of feeling overwhelming, it’s very rewarding. Little by little, you carve out paths, build structures, and terraform the land to make traveling easier.
The atmosphere is pure magic. Chibig clearly drew inspiration from Studio Ghibli films. Everything from the art style to the way the music surrounds you feels whimsical, dreamlike, and heartfelt. If you enjoy games that combine exploration, survival, and a touching story about growth and connection, Ankora: Lost Days will draw you in.
Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara – A Cheerful Island-Hopping Adventure
Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara is a fun 3D platformer that will make you smile. It lets you join Koa and her loyal sidekick Napopo on a vibrant adventure across the islands of Mara. Your goal? Outsmart traps, zip through eight unique worlds, and recover the treasure stolen by a mischievous band of pirates.
Images: Chibig
Each stage features its own theme, hazards, and story snippets, so you’re always discovering something new. The movement system encourages you to experiment, chaining rolls and long jumps together to speed through levels in record time. The level design is precise, with platforms and traps arranged perfectly so you can move smoothly through them at your own pace. Go slow and steady, or take daring shortcuts if you feel adventurous.
Beyond the platforming, there’s plenty to discover. Hidden secrets, collectibles, and upgrades give you reasons to explore every nook of the archipelago. You can unlock new outfits for Koa, repair parts of the town, and even upgrade your ship. With its cheerful cartoon energy, vibrant islands, and that infectious sense of fun, Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara might just become one of your favorite 3D platformers, too.
Mika and the Witch’s Mountain – Let Your Heart Fly Free
If you’ve ever wished you could step into the world of Kiki’s Delivery Service, Mika and the Witch’s Mountain might be the closest you’ll get. This charming fantasy adventure puts you in the shoes of Mika, a young witch-in-training who sets out to prove herself by delivering packages across a sunny island. The game focuses on exploration, flying, and that warm, magical feeling of freedom.
Images: Chibig
The core of the game is in its flying mechanics. You’ll soar through the skies, glide down cliffs, and weave between the rooftops of Mont Gaun while delivering items for quirky villagers. Each villager will rate your service, earning you money to upgrade your broom. It’s a loop that feels surprisingly fresh, and the feeling of weightless gliding never gets old.
Visually, Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is a delight. Picture the vibrant expressiveness of Wind Waker fused with the charm of an anime film. Every part of the island feels alive, full of secrets waiting to be discovered. Although the adventure isn’t very long, it’s the kind of game you’ll want to return to. It’s simple, heartfelt, and memorable. Just the kind of magic Chibig does best.
Upcoming: Elusive – A Tiny Adventure in a Giant Haunted House
Images: Chibig
Chibig’s upcoming game, Elusive, takes you on a tiny adventure with Zoe, a daring raider who braves the gigantic world of humans. It’s a metroidvania-inspired exploration game where each level is connected through complex tunnels inside the walls. You’ll move between 3D environments and 2D paths, unlocking new routes as you craft special tools. Every upgrade unlocks new possibilities to find hidden treasures.
But beware: you’re not alone. Colossal creatures like the Witch’s Cat and the Raven roam the house, always ready to catch an unsuspecting intruder. Staying hidden is just as important as climbing, jumping, and collecting resources. During the day, you explore, gather, and survive. At night, you return to your fellow Elusives, sharing your findings to help them thrive. It’s a magical mix of danger, discovery, and tiny triumphs, all in a house that feels impossibly huge.
Interview with Chibig
Your games often combine adventure, exploration, and cozy vibes. How do you choose which mechanics work best for a Chibig game? And can you walk us through your team’s development process? Do you begin with the story, the world, or the gameplay?
We usually approach projects based on the story and world-building, and then define the mechanics and other elements that we think will fit best.
For example, for Mika and the Witch’s Mountain, our biggest inspirations when it came to the story and setting were Kiki’s Delivery Service and A Short Hike, while Wind Waker was our inspiration for the art style.
For Elusive, which was mainly inspired by The Secret World of Arrietty and The Borrowers, we focused on the Metroidvania genre because we believe it matches/supports the exploration and collection of tiny beings open to all the possibilities of a giant world.
Many of your games feature strong, charming protagonists. How do you approach character creation and make them so memorable?
The narrative and artistic fields are the main pillars of our projects, and in the case of character design, we approach it primarily from a visual design perspective.
Miriam Barea, Caro Waro, and Ernest Sala are the art directors we have worked with (and continue to work with) who have created the wonderful characters that star in our games.
We always give them creative freedom because we are all so in tune that after a few iterations, we arrive at the result that satisfies us all. And once decided, we build their personality with the traits that best convey our essence and contribute to the narrative of the game.
Chibig games have a very distinct art style. How did you develop that visual identity, and what inspires it?
As we’ve mentioned, the visuals of our games are very important to us and, differences aside, our greatest inspiration is Studio Ghibli.
People think they are children’s films, but if you pay attention, you can see that they are stories with a deep emotional charge and that they also contain a lot of criticism, only wrapped up in a layer of bright colors, magic, and high-quality animation.
We are a much more humble team, but we like to wrap our adult stories in that enchanting cloak that catches the eye at first glance.
Koa has become a really beloved character. How did her story come to life, and what do you think makes her resonate so strongly with players?
We believe that Summer in Mara arrived at a time (practically during a pandemic) when many people needed a place to take refuge, and the farming and charming cast of this game provided it.
In addition, Koa is a character that is very easy to relate to or empathize with. Having to help her take care of her island and find her place in the world after some unfortunate events creates very deep bonds for those who play Summer in Mara.
The ocean is such a big part of Summer in Mara. What inspired you to make seafaring such a core part of the experience?
First, our own proximity to the sea (we live in Valencia, next to the Mediterranean Sea), but also the thrilling sensation of sailing that we have personally experienced as players in The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker.
The “tiny planet” concept in Deiland is so charming. What inspired that setting, and was it intentional to make it feel more solitary?
Deiland was Chibig’s first game, when it was just its founder, Abraham Cozar. The project encouraged him to collaborate with other professionals (who later joined the team) to make it a reality.
It’s heavily influenced by The Little Prince, and you can see the conscious decisions to make it a game that is very limited by the constraints of development. Something that seems very obvious, but is not always done!
Mika and the Witch’s Mountain has a charming, whimsical feel and instantly reminded me of Kiki’s Delivery Service. Was that film/book an inspiration for the game?
It is, absolutely haha. Obviously, although the reference is clear, our goal has been to give the game its own identity by creating a story that touches on different points and also has a different development.
Although Studio Ghibli is our benchmark, we want to tell our own stories, not copy those that already exist.
Elusive looks quite different from your previous games. What inspired this shift, and what can players expect from it?
In the last years, there have been many changes in the industry and in our own team, and we believe that conveying those changes in the games we create is also a way of showing players who we are at any given moment, how we evolve, and how we feel.
Additionally, we also really enjoy challenging ourselves and trying out new mechanics and genres at Chibig, so in a way, all of that led us to what Elusive is becoming at the moment.
You can see a lot of effort in the visuals, pushing boundaries we hadn’t reached before, which our team’s experience and talent have now made possible. And also in the vibes, which feel a little more “mature” compared to our previous adventures.
If you could live in any of your game worlds for a week, which one would you pick and why?
I would say that most of the team would choose Deiland or Summer in Mara. Both share the premise of taking care of your own little space within a vast world and meeting new people with whom you end up forming deep and meaningful bonds.
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