Garick Elordi
The internal development team at Round8 Studio, known as Nough, has released a comprehensive short documentary providing an unprecedented look into the rigorous "testing and refining" process that defined the creation of the 2023 hit, Lies of P. This behind-the-scenes featurette explores the studio’s "games by gamers" philosophy, shedding light on the cultural foundations that allowed a South Korean developer, traditionally known for mobile and MMO titles, to break into the highly competitive global AAA console market with a soulslike title that garnered both critical and commercial acclaim.
The Nough Philosophy: The Pursuit of the Infinite Polish
At the heart of the documentary is the revelation regarding the studio’s name. The team, an internal group within Neowiz’s Round8 Studio, operates under the moniker "Nough." According to the developers, the name is a deliberate play on the word "enough," specifically omitting the final letter to signify that their work is never truly finished. The studio operates under the guiding principle that "we’re never enough," suggesting a perpetual state of dissatisfaction with the current version of a product. This mindset fuels a cycle of continuous refinement, where the team believes there is always room to improve, even in the final stages of production.
Director Jiwon Choi, the primary creative force behind Lies of P, emphasized that this culture of "tenacity" and "determination" is not merely a corporate slogan but a functional requirement for the team. Choi noted that modern players possess a sophisticated "gamer’s intuition" that allows them to distinguish between a product made for profit and one crafted with genuine dedication. By approaching development from the perspective of players first and developers second, Nough Studio aims to bridge the gap between creator intent and player satisfaction.
Iterative Testing and the Collaborative Development Model
A significant portion of the documentary details the studio’s unique approach to playtesting. Unlike traditional development pipelines where QA (Quality Assurance) is often siloed from the creative leads, Nough Studio employs a "vertical" testing strategy. This involves sessions where the entire development staff, including Director Jiwon Choi, play the game simultaneously.
These sessions are designed to validate the game’s core structure, from combat timing and enemy placement to environmental storytelling. The documentary highlights that "iterative feedback" is the lifeblood of their process. This collaborative environment ensures that every member of the team, regardless of their specific department—be it art, sound, or programming—has a voice in the gameplay experience. This methodology was particularly crucial for Lies of P, a game within the "soulslike" genre, where the margin for error in mechanical balance and difficulty scaling is exceptionally thin.
The Commercial and Critical Context of Lies of P
To understand the significance of Nough Studio’s commitment to quality, one must look at the performance of Lies of P following its September 2023 release. The game was a breakout success for Neowiz, a publisher previously associated with titles like DJMax and Bless Unleashed.
Within its first month of release, Lies of P surpassed one million units sold globally across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. This achievement was particularly notable given that the game was available on day one via the Xbox Game Pass subscription service, which often impacts direct sales figures. The title’s success was not limited to sales; it maintained a "Very Positive" rating on Steam and received multiple nominations at The Game Awards 2023, including Best RPG and Best Art Direction.
Industry analysts have pointed out that Lies of P’s success marked a pivotal moment for the South Korean gaming industry. Traditionally dominated by free-to-play mobile games and PC MMORPGs, the Korean market has recently shifted toward high-budget, single-player console experiences. Lies of P, alongside titles like Shift Up’s Stellar Blade, represents a "new wave" of Korean development that prioritizes technical polish and traditional gameplay loops over aggressive monetization strategies.
Chronology of Development: From Concept to Global Recognition
The journey of Nough Studio and Lies of P follows a timeline of rapid growth and strategic reveals:
- May 2021: Neowiz and Round8 Studio officially announce Lies of P with a cinematic trailer, introducing a dark, Belle Époque reimagining of Carlo Collodi’s Pinocchio.
- August 2022: The game makes a major impact at Gamescom, winning "Best Action Adventure Game," "Best Role Playing Game," and "Most Wanted Sony PlayStation Game." This was the first time a South Korean developer had won three awards at the event.
- June 2023: A public demo is released during the Summer Game Fest, garnering over one million downloads within days and providing the team with critical data for final balancing.
- September 19, 2023: Lies of P launches globally to strong reviews, with critics praising its "Weapon Assemble" system and its visual fidelity on Unreal Engine 4.
- November 2023: Director Jiwon Choi confirms that both a major DLC expansion and a full sequel are in development.
- Mid-2024: Neowiz reports that the sequel has officially entered the "vertical slice" phase of development, a stage where a small portion of the game is fully polished to demonstrate its core features to stakeholders.
Broader Implications for the Soulslike Genre
The "games by gamers" approach discussed in the documentary serves as a direct response to the evolution of the soulslike genre. Since FromSoftware popularized the formula with Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls, many developers have attempted to replicate the "tough but fair" difficulty curve. However, many "clones" have failed due to clunky mechanics or artificial difficulty.
Nough Studio’s obsession with refinement addressed these common pitfalls. By focusing on the "feel" of the parry window and the weight of the weapons, the team managed to create a gameplay experience that many critics argued was the closest any non-FromSoftware developer has come to matching the quality of the original source material. The documentary suggests that this was only possible through the studio’s willingness to "refine without compromise until everyone on the team is genuinely satisfied."
Future Outlook: The Sequel and Beyond
As Nough Studio looks toward the future, the expectations are significantly higher than they were during the development of the first game. Jiwon Choi teased that the studio’s next unannounced project—likely the sequel to Lies of P—will aim to be "really fun and emotionally moving." The director’s closing remarks in the documentary were a promise to the fanbase: "You won’t be disappointed… This is the truth, not a lie."
The move into the "vertical slice" stage for the sequel suggests that the core mechanics are already being tested. While details remain scarce, industry insiders speculate that the sequel may explore other literary themes, following the post-credits teaser in the first game that hinted at a broader "Wizard of Oz" universe.
Neowiz’s commitment to the Nough Studio team reflects a broader corporate strategy to diversify its portfolio. With the success of Lies of P, Neowiz has established itself as a serious player in the global AAA space. The documentary serves not only as a promotional tool for the studio’s culture but as a manifesto for the type of development the industry can expect from the "Nough" team in the years to come.
Conclusion
The release of the Nough Studio documentary underscores a growing trend in the gaming industry where transparency regarding development culture is used to build brand loyalty. By highlighting their "Not Enough" philosophy, the developers of Lies of P are signaling to their audience that they prioritize the craft of game design over the convenience of development cycles. As the studio moves forward with the Lies of P DLC and a full-scale sequel, the "games by gamers" mantra will be put to its ultimate test: maintaining the high standard of polish that turned a dark retelling of a puppet’s tale into a global phenomenon.
