Vapor World: Over the Mind Is a Hand-Drawn 2D Soulslike from Korea

I attended a closed-door Xbox virtual developer session where fellow creators, media representatives, and I got a look at five indie titles currently in development from the Southeast Asian region. One of them was Vapor World: Over the Mind—a dark and twisted Soulslike action game from Korea-based studio ALIVE Inc.

What Is Vapor World: Over the Mind?

Here’s a quick descrption of the game from the developers:

Lost in darkness, a boy drawn into a twisted dream, no way out. ALIVE Inc’s Vapor World is a narrative-driven souls-like platformer focused on deflection combat set in atmospheric world of dream. Players will descend within shattered mind seeking lost memories and face a dark, beautiful world born of anguish and regret.

While Agni: Village of Calamity brought the horror side of the showcase, Vapor World presented a grim dream world brought to life with striking hand-drawn art. The character and monster designs stood out, but the world itself stole the show. Despite its bleak nature, it felt like the gameplay was unfolding on a live canvas—complete with subtle environmental animations like steam drifting through the area or rocks floating upward during an intense 1-on-1 boss fight. The developers cited Inside and Little Nightmares as key inspirations, and that influence clearly shows.

They also shared that no assets were reused across areas, with each location handcrafted to ensure authenticity. Another impressive detail is that once the game loads, it transitions seamlessly from one area to the next with no loading screens. Although it’s a 2D platformer, the game implements a 3D camera to give the visuals more depth and motion. It’s a visually striking presentation that I wished they had expanded on more during the session—but unfortunately, they were the only studio not present live during the Xbox showcase.

Gameplay Straight Out of Sekiro’s Playbook

At first glance, Vapor World reminded me of Salt and Sanctuary, but once the boss fight kicked off, it began to feel more grounded—focused on parrying enemy attacks. Successful parries and strikes filled a gauge at the top of the screen which, once maxed, delivered massive damage to the boss. It's a mechanic that feels very much inspired by Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. While the developers claimed to have added their own spin, from what I saw, the similarities were hard to ignore.

Combat feels heavily focused on precise parries. We watched a boss and mini-boss encounter, both showcasing the player deflecting, parrying, and blocking strings of attacks while picking the right moment to retaliate. The player was equipped with what looked like a massive wrench-like blunt weapon, paired with a pistol for quick shots. It looked challenging, and I’m curious how the game will handle progression. The developers did mention that defeating enemies and completing certain events would unlock unique abilities and skills—so I’m looking forward to seeing how much variety that brings to different playstyles.

Traversal is another big question. Movement feels weighty, so it’s unclear if the world is designed more horizontally, vertically, or a mix of both. Narrative-wise, I’m also curious if it’ll follow the vague, environmental storytelling seen in Dark Souls, or a more character-driven approach like Sekiro or other Soulslikes.

More soon

While I left the session with many questions, I was definitely intrigued by how Vapor World is shaping up. The studio is preparing a Steam Early Access release with about seven hours of content. For the full release, they aim to deliver at least 20 hours of gameplay.

ID@Xbox Puts the Spotlight on Southeast Asia

This is my second time attending the Xbox Developer Sessions for Southeast Asia, and once again, it placed a spotlight on just how far the region has come in game development—highlighting promising projects from across the region.

Vapor World stands out with its dark steampunk setting, challenging Soulslike combat, and gorgeous hand-drawn presentation. Players are rewarded for mastering parries and exploiting enemy openings, and the world design looks especially impressive. I’m curious to see how it evolves when it eventually hits Steam Early Access.

Make sure to check out the other titles previewed during the session as well—13Z: The Zodiac Trials from Singapore, Nightmare Circus from Thailand, Agni: Village of Calamity from Indonesia, and Kriegsfront Tactics. It was an impressive and diverse lineup, ranging from tactical games to survival horror, and even a 2D sidescrolling Soulslike with a distinctive art style.

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