Rediscovering yourself in Feelings | Mundo Indie

With a fully remote team since its inception, Lumo Entertainment is a developer made up of diverse individuals, united in creating games with heart and soul, offering unique and unforgettable experiences.

We spoke with Breno Negreiros, Jaqueline Santos, and Mikaela Casagrande to learn more about the studio's emergence and the game they are working on, Feelings, a 3D third-person puzzle game with a narrative focus.

How Lumo Entertainment was born

Founded in 2021 by Breno Negreiros, Lumo Entertainment started as a solo project for him, aiming to bring projects with a narrative focus, closer to the visual novel genre. However, upon meeting Jaqueline Santos, they combined their ideas and began working on the studio's current star, Feelings, a project that was in its early development stages.

"In the middle of this process, I met Jaqueline on LinkedIn, and she had a game proposal that matched some of the mechanics ideas I had for another project. We talked and took on Feelings, which was a project she had already started developing, and brought it to develop together as a team. So, we moved from the visual novel aspect to the puzzle sphere, but still with a narrative focus," Breno explained.

Jaqueline has been with the studio almost from the beginning, while Mikaela Casagrande joined later. Currently, Lumo Entertainment has 13 members working remotely from different parts of Brazil to bring their projects to life.

The studio also has a mentorship program designed to guide developers who are starting or feeling lost in the industry. The mentorship covers various relevant topics for someone looking to turn their idea into a game.

The emergence of Feelings

Initially conceived as a game focused on exploration and narrative, Feelings gained more layers after the merging of ideas within Lumo Entertainment, incorporating puzzles to make the game more dynamic while still allowing players to relax and identify with the themes addressed.

Feelings features Sarah as the protagonist. Throughout the game, she sees herself as her childhood version, and players will explore floating islands representing her feelings and memories, aiming to reconnect with her true self. Sarah is a girl who faces anxiety and depression, and on this inner journey, with her camera and loyal companion, Toothbun, she will solve puzzles to rediscover her lost feelings.

Among the studio's references for the development of Feelings, Breno cites the game Omno, highlighting the puzzle aspect. "The idea I had was to bring in this puzzle concept, using metaphors in exploration, where we play with the memories we gradually recover," he explained.

Meanwhile, Mikaela mentions Genshin Impact as an artistic inspiration, noting its contemplative nature, from the use of color palettes to the placement of objects in the environment, like trees. She emphasizes that there are many other references that contribute to this serene and comforting style for players.

Regarding gameplay, Jaqueline believes that everyone's experiences were important in creating what is present in the game. She discusses the issue of thoughts, which are often incessant and confusing during moments of anxiety.

"What came to my mind were several separate floating islands, each with a bunch of good or bad thoughts. We also go through a significant sense of anguish, trying to navigate all these islands, these thoughts, trying to understand and resolve them ourselves. The idea with Feelings is to accompany Sarah through everything she has gone through, but trying to help her rediscover herself during this journey," she explained.

Players will be able to relive Sarah's memories and understand more about what is happening with the character through the different islands present in the game. Jaqueline says that the game seeks to help people with their own issues through young Sarah's journey.

One of the main mechanics of Feelings is the camera Sarah carries with her. Although it wasn't central from the beginning, the camera plays a significant role in gameplay, being the way players interact with Sarah's memories and uncover secrets throughout the game.

Lumo Entertainment has already showcased Feelings at several events, such as the Brasil Game Show (BGS) in 2022 and 2023 editions. In both editions, the studio was highlighted in a vote by The Geek News website. At the 2022 BGS edition, the studio was awarded second-best indie game, and in the 2023 edition, it was chosen as the best indie game of the event.

At the events where the studio presented Feelings, the public could play part of what is already well-developed. From these events, Breno highlights BGS 2022, where, besides the public's feedback, the studio welcomed Mikaela as a member shortly after the event, leading the team to better define the design and artistic aspects of the game.

The game is expected to feature five different worlds, each addressing a specific theme related to Sarah. The initial estimated game duration is around five hours, but this may change as the project evolves and new ideas are introduced.

The theme of Feelings

Despite its cute visuals, Feelings aims to address deep issues related to the character's mental health. This is also one of the reasons for the chosen visual style, making everything lighter and avoiding a "punch to the gut," as Breno himself puts it.

"This is one of the reasons why we think a lot about working with metaphors. We bring elements that will remind you of something but won't be a punch to the gut; it won't be something in your face. People will think and realize that it is happening," he explained.

Jaqueline said this is the most challenging part of the project, having to apply mechanics that, in theory, would be simple but need to be well-implemented because of the theme.

"We have to be very careful with small things, think very well about the dialogues, the cutscenes, and how we will deliver this message in the end. We want to make the player think, reflect, and go through what Sarah is experiencing in a way that can be impactful but not negatively. So, we take extra care with the narrative, which also influences the gameplay and mechanics," she said.

Release and Platforms

Lumo Entertainment has not yet set a release date for Feelings, but it is expected for the second quarter of 2026. The game is confirmed for PC, and the studio also aims to bring it to consoles.

While we wait for the release of Feelings, you can check out the game's teaser and play a free demo version on itch.io, which, although still in early stages, presents a glimpse of what players will see in the full version.

Besides Feelings, the studio has other projects in progress, such as A Broken Halo and Charge 'N Zap!.

Additionally, if you want to be part of Lumo Entertainment's journey, don't miss the opportunity to collaborate through Catarse, providing direct support to this team of developers. By subscribing to the studio's project monthly, you help develop all the studio's projects and assist them in bringing more ideas to life.

With various available tiers, you receive different rewards for your support, such as having your name in the credits of future company games, receiving an exclusive monthly wallpaper, or even a studio artbook.

Take the opportunity to add Feelings to your wishlist on Steam.

You can see more about Lumo Entertainment on their Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Discord.

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Check out the Feelings teaser: