ARCHETYPE BLUE Wins Jury Prize at Japan Game Awards

A party-based deck-building RPG developed by Korean indie studio Codename Bom has earned the Jury Award at the SHIBA GAME AWARD 2026 SUMMER in Japan. The title, ARCHETYPE BLUE, emerged victorious from a competitive field of 331 submissions, with only 31 games reaching the final stage after multiple rounds of evaluation.

The SHIBA GAME AWARD, organized by SQOOL and its associated media outlet SQOOL.NET, aims to promote innovative games from developers worldwide and provide support to independent studios. Codename Bom, a four-person team, secured a spot in the final selection and claimed the top jury honor against entries spanning multiple countries and genres.

ARCHETYPE BLUE blends roguelite deck-building mechanics with traditional RPG storytelling. Players assemble a party of companions, each with distinct abilities, and construct customized decks to create synergies between team members and cards. During battles, party members act automatically based on preset patterns and placement, while players influence outcomes by deploying leader cards to shift action order or enhance companion abilities. The gameplay loop emphasizes tactical adaptation as players face unpredictable encounters and acquire new cards.

Narrative development forms an equally important component of the experience. As players progress, they gradually uncover each companion's backstory, hidden secrets, and relationships with other party members. The design intentionally weaves combat and storytelling together, encouraging players to invest in characters who perform well in battle and rotate them back into active roles based on personal attachment. The studio has created original pixel art, character designs, and an original soundtrack to establish the game's visual and audio identity.

Codename Bom is offering a free playable demo through Steam Next Fest: October 2026, running from October 20 at 2:00 AM to October 27 at 2:00 AM KST. The demo allows players to sample the party tactics and deck management systems, add the game to their wishlists, and access detailed information. The demo is available in Korean, English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Russian.