Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo: Closure Edition News & Patch Notes

...

Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo: Closure Edition News & Patch Notes | SteamScope

Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo is available now!

FT_Ben Psteam_community_announcements

438d ago

Hello Denizens of Limbo! Our cozy papercraft adventure Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo is available now, with a limited-time* launch discount of 10% off! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/f053b5b4d19b833f693ab84eebf218a986ac4bdd.gif We invite you to join us in the world of Limbo, a vibrant Latin American-themed afterlife where souls are trapped in an endless cycle of repeating the same day on end. Play as Kulebra, a (very) dead snake with no knowledge of his past 💀 Kulebra awakens in Limbo and meets a mysterious, yet friendly old woman who tasks him with solving the mysterious curse that has trapped the souls who live there. In doing so, she promises that he will find answers to his own mystery 🕵️ {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/b0a6e1f2e27ca1780af5f1937ece447965280148.png Whether you’re here for the quirky characters, emotional stories, or just the chance to explore a bright and hopeful version of the afterlife, we can’t wait for you to experience what Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo has to offer 💖 Features:

🎒 Explore and interact with the world to gather clues and items that will help you open doors in your quest (figuratively and literally)
🔎 A game that will reward you for interacting with the world, paying attention to details, and connecting the dots
🗣️ Full of characters with their own quirks, side stories, and schedules that bring life to this world despite most of them being very dead
⏳ An in-game day, dusk, and night cycle that will change the world and characters, ending with the curse that resets the souls of Limbo back to the start
📒 A notebook will keep track of important details for you, so you can't blame me if you weren't paying attention
💥 Confront the dark souls attempting to put out your light; Overcome their challenges that will test everything you’ve learned in this journey
💬 Bilingual! This game supports the English and Latin American Spanish languages

With its warm tone, character-driven storytelling, emphasis on exploration and and clever, yet accessible puzzles, Kulebra invites you to slow down, connect with the locals, and explore a space where kindness and curiosity go hand in hand 🤝 {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/1fc15e763bdbe777c5aa47c307c63a6fd4b14f31.gif You can follow Kulebra’s journey by joining the official Galla Games Discord 🎮 or follow the devs on Bluesky, Twitter/X, or Instagram 🗣️ If you’ve gotten this far, then you’re probably interested in supporting narrative indie games. If that’s the case, then don’t forget to leave us a review if you’re picking it up here on Steam. Not only do we want to hear from you about what you like (or don't!), but reviews are the BEST way to support indie devs and really help other players discover small games like ours. *Discount ends May 27

Blog Post #6 - Audio Design

FT_Ben Psteam_community_announcements

448d ago

Welcome to our sixth blog post on the development of Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo. Today we delve into the music and sounds that bring life to the world of Limbo! We’ll be sharing a lot of audio samples, so be sure to get your headphones or speakers ready to get the most out of this one. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/bd1f9b6cb50b53c491be364f568e70bfcecae9a0.gif

Composers

Before we go any further, first it’s only right to thank the two very talented musicians responsible for the soundtrack and audio of this game: Zach Striefel and Clayton Tapp. They’re responsible for one of the big pillars that hold this game together. They’re wonderful people and artists! So be sure to check out their other work! Now let’s have a look (or listen) to the fruits of their efforts.

Music

The main purpose of music in games (and in other media too) is to further convey emotion to what’s actively happening, at least generally speaking. You’ll notice how music for combat situations tends to be fast paced, and slower music is used for more introspective scenarios. Music is incredibly important to help us immerse ourselves in the worlds we see on any screen. A game’s main theme reflects the story and experience it brings forth into sound. Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo is a game about uncovering mysteries and partaking in a journey to a world unknown to us. Why don’t we try a brief exercise? Give the main theme a listen and see what words come to your mind. To me, it radiates a sense of melancholy, but with a tone of hopefulness for things to come. Of course, there’s no right answer here, you might have gotten a completely different vibe from it. But that’s what makes it art. Now, let’s look at how we use music throughout the game!

Matching the Clock

A core mechanic of Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo is its time and schedule system. An in-game day is divided into “Day”, “Evening”, and “Night.” The clock will advance as you play, and you’ll transition between these 3 stages throughout the day. Every major area in the game has its own music to invoke a distinct feel to each environment. And to go along with the time mechanic of the game, most environments have different tracks for each time of the day. Here’s a little sample of how the music changes depending on the time. Have a listen!

A piece for every scenario!

Since Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo is a game about exploration and uncovering mysteries, much of the soundtrack will be on the softer side (It has plenty of good background music tracks to play while working, I can tell you that!). But of course, you can also expect a good variety of different genres of music! One of our main goals is to make sure each part of the adventure feels unique, and our music plays an important role in doing that. But our music is worth a thousand words, so have a listen to a few unique pieces of the track which are a small taste of what to expect!

Live vs Synthesized Instruments

Most of the game’s music uses live instruments. This means that the music is made from live recordings of instruments, unlike synthesized music which is made digitally. We felt this aspect helps to give the game a more organic, natural feel through the soundtrack. It’ll be much easier to convey what we mean with a sample, have a listen!

Speech

The world of Limbo is all about its characters, and the way someone talks is a huge part of their personality. We wanted each character to have a unique way of speaking, but how do we achieve that? Full voice acting was not a practical option for us (it’s a HUGE script after all). Eventually we reached the solution you’ll find in the game: Gibberish-speak!

What did we do?

The gibberish voice you hear is made from smaller voice samples that we play back-to-back quickly based on what the characters are saying. You can think of it as a typewriter that plays a sound every time it types something. The samples you hear are performed by actual voice actors! We record a huge-bunch of small “syllables” sound that we use to put together the gibberish-speak. This way we can give “character” to the character’s voice; show their personality through the way they talk. The voice actors that helped us did a fantastic job! We’re extremely happy with their work in bringing these characters to life! (And our audio composers did an amazing job coordinating with them and putting the recordings together!) We record a LOT of “syllables” to make sure we have enough variety so that the speech pattern is not repetitive (We record about 89 voice clips per character). The “syllables” picked are not completely random either: All the sound samples are linked to letters, and when a letter is typed on screen we pick one that has been assigned to that letter. The gibberish-speak is not meant to be accurate or complex by any means, nor do we use AI to generate any of these sounds, so our fellow voice actors can rest assured that their work is in good hands. More-so, this approach is so that it FEELS like the characters are talking (albeit, in a very weird foreign language). Like I mentioned before, it’s mostly a funny-sounding typewriter. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/7f79368ddb62e112a0598e70ed03573f3f785444.jpg Here’s part of the pool sound for the character Flora. There’s one sound for the letter “a”, and five for “b” and “c” respectively. The letters “c”, “k”, and “q” are similar enough, so they share the same sounds.

Ambience

There’s one final subtle piece of audio design we want to put on the spotlight: Ambience!. It’s generally more difficult to notice since it’s partially covered by the music, but it’s one of those things that makes a huge difference even if we don’t notice them right away. This not only includes environmental sounds, but also other effects like echoes in big empty spaces, and muffled noises from sounds coming from another room. Listen to a few examples and check which little changes you notice with the sounds!

What do you think?

We hope you enjoyed your time delving into the inner workings of Kulebra’s and the Souls of Limbo’s audio design! Thank you very much for checking it out and we hope to see you here on our next development blog post. Toodle-oo!

Galla Developer Blog #5

Fellow Travellersteam_community_announcements

518d ago

Welcome to our fifth blog post on the development of Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo. This time we want to talk about one of (if not) the most important parts of the game: The characters! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/8028e29726c338342a824b39d3427d8b7e4f2c76.png The world of Limbo is brought to live (ironically) by those who inhabit it. It’s through the characters that you connect with the world that you explore. Most of the residents of Limbo are cursed into these lands due to unresolved business from their time in the world of the living. A huge part of the game is becoming familiar with these souls and learning their story and what has brought them here. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/c92784191ea92221bd0f2ba50563c4a7dcbc9b16.pngThe Notebook will help you keep track of important details! Now, let’s go over the many colorful folks you’ll meet on your adventures!

Kulebra – The Star of the Show

No better place to start than with the one you’ll be seeing this world through: Kulebra, the snake with a heart of gold! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/fd3ab75a4311fd1b97f040b8845c2608271d1219.png Kulebra’s adventure starts waking up at the bottom of a chasm. He seems to have no recollection of how he ended up in this place, but it soon becomes clear that he has died and is now in Limbo. As with all other souls trapped in Limbo, there are deep regrets within Kulebra’s soul that are shackling into Limbo, even if he’s still not fully aware what that is. Fortunately, Kulebra has a special trait that makes him distinct from other souls; he’s a Bright Soul. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/244a91ad0fa56d2ee39f00ab7f351c6bf68d3eda.jpg A Bright Soul is a spirit with an inherent desire to help others; their kindness, working as a guiding light for those souls unable to find their way back on their own. One key trait that separates Bright Souls apart is their resistance to the curse of Limbo, which traps souls in a time-loop, repeating the same day over and over. Why was he given this role? There’s hope that Kulebra’s journey through Limbo will help him answer this question and find his purpose in this new world. Kulebra is a snake of VERY few words, but he doesn’t have trouble communicating. He is a very skilled individual with many techniques at his disposal, such as rolling for fast traveling, eavesdropping, and even lockpicking (don’t ask where he learned that last one, let’s just say he’s a pretty sneaky guy). {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/d0af833a8ad256b198de96d99ddb1fbdc2c24261.gif There’s plenty of more folks to meet, so what do you say we let them share the spotlight too.

Friends along the way

Kulebra’s not the only one willing to show kindness in Limbo, there are plenty of others that will more than happily give you a hand.

The Old Lady

The Old Lady is the first person(?) you meet after waking up. After helping her out of a precarious situation, she introduces you to the world of Limbo and reveals your nature as a Bright Soul. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/173e238ddf113b355d741a51acc76a820d759b76.png She claims to just be an Old Lady that accidentally trapped herself, but it’s clear that there’s more to this Old Lady than what she claims to be. Nonetheless, she helps to ease you on your new journey by directing you to a place where you’ll find your reason for being in Limbo. There’s probably much worse things to encounter in your first time in the afterlife. The question remains: Who’s this Old Lady? And why is she so keen on helping you? Whatever’s the case, this is likely not the last time you’ll cross paths. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/873f18990dc9c87dd40a165bff3574d803211c93.png

Krow and the Wing Union

There’s another helpful little fella that’s crucial to your adventure, and this one looks a lot livelier: Krow! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/74d053ca4891987b0a3e2539ae8f39263d590246.png Ever chirpy and hardworking, Krow is a delivery bird working under the Wing Union; an organization tasked with assisting souls trapped in Limbo. His latest assignment includes delivering letters and packages to Kulebra. Krow might not be as knowledgeable of the inner workings of Limbo as a certain lady we just talked about, but his innate curiosity and frequent travels let him into rumors and gossip from all around Limbo. If you need to know something, chances are Krow knows a thing or two. He’s a reliable guy! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/d4f6492fddc9b84af944c596dd66d47aacd0af2b.gif Even though Krow is wandering in Limbo, he’s still very much alive and still has a long life ahead! Birds are able to enter the realm of the dead as visitors. Better yet, they’re completely unaffected by the curse of Limbo, which is what allows the Wing Union to operate! There are, however, some less-than-honest birds that take advantage of this for their own selfish gains. Krow knows someone like that. There will be many more Wing Union members that’ll assist you in your quest. You’ll become acquainted (and even friends) with many of the birds that are keeping the gears of this union going. Some might not be as enthusiastic as our Krow, but they all play an important role! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/b90e8aa5afd6b3f9b9ea12d82cf16877fb4c6514.png

Other Souls in Limbo

I think it’s time to look at the other souls that are on their own journey through Limbo as well!

Flora & Rosa

The first two lost souls you’ll meet are the two residents in Dead Valley: Flora and Rosa! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/56eb05a04517d4aeee50188f9561e86f08786dfe.png Flora and Rosa are the owners of Rosa’s Flower Shop. This daughter and mother duo sell flowers to those interested (and skilled enough). They’re having a liquidation sale and are relocating once they’ve sold all their inventory, including the rare “Estrella” flower. A place named “Dead Valley” it’s probably not the best spot to find potential customers interested in gardening, though. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/cd0518c6ff68d8f4c4bb6c86320b93926affb5b4.png Despite the store being named after Rosa, Flora does most of the work around the store nowadays (she’s still got her youthful energy after all). Her plans have hit a snag: She’s unable to find the keys to the flower shop’s garden; very unusual from Flora given that she is pretty good at staying on top of things. Rosa on the other hand, is exclusively spending her time tending to the “Estrella” flower she’s always carrying around, which she takes VERY seriously. She rarely leaves her reclining chair too, and her memory hasn’t gotten any better over the years. She seems content with her daughter’s handling of the store, nonetheless. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/1212f5cf35b663561963015279be62846bd1c240.png While on the surface they don’t look troubled, there’s certainly something . At times you catch a glimpse of the underlying grief. May there be a connection between their troubles and their goal of selling all their flowers? Is there anyone else besides Flora & Rosa that knows their story? And Flora & Rosa’s tale is only one of many...

Many More Stories to Witness

Limbo is a home to many stories that are still in need of a conclusion: An astronomer looking for a friend they grew apart from; a bartender organizing a coup to overthrow a sheriff ruling with an iron fist; A merchant robot traveling the lands to fulfill their purpose; A wrestler that lost his passion for what he once fought for; A sibling trying to ease up the pain to the person they’ve hurt the most. And more. The pen to write the happy ending of these souls lies within your hands.

Blanc Souls

And then there are Blanc Souls! Spirits in Limbo that don’t have strong attachments, and thus, have a weaker presence in land of the dead. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/e1cbf949cb1c87abad80ceb9f5c7ca5819bd295d.png Sport fanaticism exists even in the afterlife. These guys don’t have complex issues, and quite frankly, are not the sharpest tool in the box. However, their simplicity means that it doesn’t take a lot to help them find their way out of Limbo. There are many types of Blanc Souls with different personalities and attires, but if there’s one thing they all have in common, it’s being silly. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/460c80aed9a33b7321f96966e73c0c68da11bd8f.png Daytime vs Nighttime. He lost the fight.

The Not so Friendly Folks

Unfortunately, there are also many souls that will prove to be an obstacle to reaching the end of the tunnel. Even pacifists like Kulebra are unable to avoid confrontations.

Dark Souls

If a soul that is unable and unwilling to face their problems is forced to confront them, there’s a good chance they’ll lash out to avoid facing the truth. The result is the soul losing their identity and becoming what’s known as a Dark Soul. To help them come back to their former self, you’ll need to remind them who they were by answering various personal questions regarding their previous identity. Getting to know the characters that inhabit Limbo is the key to opening the way forward. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/c341a3b59ba20ae18dedf73cd3bb1d9ea77585ef.png

An Ominous Entity

There’s also hints of a dark entity that has become aware of your actions helping other souls in Limbo, and they’re not happy. It’s unknown why this entity is bothered by your intervention in helping these souls, but one thing is certain: You’ll need to be careful. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/84871ddf6f22deb1beb2ce3caef4c1627f5d5fe1.png (Note: They’ve got a little makeover since the demo was first released. We’ve been busy!)

What do you think?

We hope you enjoyed looking at a part of the cast that will be joining Kulebra in his adventure through Limbo. Thank you very much for checking it out and we hope to see you here on our next development blog post. Toodle-oo!

Play the Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo demo in Steam Next Fest

Fellow Travellersteam_community_announcements

519d ago

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/71d3319cb35c78703095054951de973f5f2f03ad.jpg Hello souls of Limbo! Looking for something wholesome, warm, and whimsical to play during Steam Next Fest? Check out the demo for Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo, the upcoming Latin-American flavored narrative adventure from Galla Games and Fellow Traveller! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/1665d276c8511be4080a81836f2a0ce48501678c.jpg As Kulebra, a loveable (and quite dead!) snake, you will undertake an afterlife adventure consisting of time loops, puzzle-solving and soul-searching investigations in an effort to break the curse of Limbo - a phenomenon that causes the residents to experience the same day on repeat - and help those lost souls move on. Along the way, you’ll use your sharp investigative skills, slithery charm and excellent rolling ability, all whilst enjoying a laugh or two. Check out this segment on the game from last year's Latin American Games Showcase. You can also find out more about the world of Kulebra in Galla Games’ series of developer blogs which cover the fascinating world of Limbo, showcase the game's unique art and environments, and much more. Keep your eyes peeled for a new blog later this week! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/d8741fa41c2285e7680d807a600070628231818f.jpg So don't delay. Grab the demo today and join Kulebra and his friends on an afterlife adventure through the world of Limbo. https://store.steampowered.com/app/2246470/Kulebra_and_the_Souls_of_Limbo/ If you're looking for more Kulebra Kontent, be sure to join the Galla Games Discord where you can get exclusive art & wallpapers, behind the scenes updates, chat with fans, or even learn a little Spanish! For more updates on Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo, follow Galla Games on Bluesky, Twitter/X or Instagram. For more information on story-rich indie games, follow Fellow Traveller on Bluesky, TikTok, Instagram or Threads. You can also join our official Discord.

Galla Developer Blog #4

FT_Ben Psteam_community_announcements

565d ago

Everyone, welcome to our fourth development blog post! Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo has been in development for a long time now. Today we’re looking into our development journey and how we landed on the idea of a time-loop journey helping souls in the land of the dead! If you haven’t had a chance yet, you can read our previous blogs here, here and here! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/56278ce9ea121a82c0b94acafb2375d5c92459c5.gif The journey to the making of Kulebra’s journey.

We have a Bluesky account!

Before anything else, we’d like to let you know we have an official Bluesky account. It’s a good place to keep up to date with the game’s development! Give us a follow! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/dfcec75dab6a9472e480460b44d019ff85c15765.png

Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo’s Origins

As you may already know, our first game before Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo was an endless scroller for Android and iOS where you would avoid obstacles by zig-zagging in a journey through a land called Limbo. The game was called “Culebra.” Sounds familiar, yeah? {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/fbfd4a0824b553fb8ccdf5105c544dc6fbda0a1d.pngThe environment would change depending on how far you got. Originally, the main character was intended to be a living snake, but we just couldn’t get the tail right. It was pretty hard to achieve a long seamless tail in the game engine, it would look like blocks following each other. In order to get around this, we went through a lot of ideas and permutations, eventually ending up with the skeleton design which allowed us to separate the tail into parts without it looking weird. The rest of the theme was born around the solution to that one limitation! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/befdd9d5dc354cc6d8c97ee1073ab913ff82ef69.pngI’d never imagine how far that one decision would take us. After we finished the mobile game’s development, we completed our goal of having a smaller scale project out there, but we thought that the world and characters of this game had potential for much more than what we could do on our first steps into game development. We decided to take the concept and re-imagine it for an adventure game focused on helping souls move to the afterlife. That idea was closer to the games we felt helped us start our game dev journey. The games we loved, and still love, playing.

Our First Steps

The core gameplay and lore aspects of the game were set very early on. You’re a snake that wakes up in Limbo, tasked with helping other souls solve their lingering problems and allowing them to finally rest. The souls in Limbo are trapped in a time-loop, and you’ll need to account for their routine to find the breadcrumbs that’ll lead you to your goal of helping them move on from this, well, Limbo. We originally started with a first-person visual novel perspective. You would interact with the environment and characters with a cursor. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/534572db5d550ac8f0fb07c57a1687c5f51b61d5.pngConcept art for the first-person view version of the game. We eventually decided to experiment with a 3rd-person perspective. We decided that having a tangible presence in Limbo is a very important part to make it feel alive, so to speak! We started with a little space as proof of concept, experimenting with different art styles as we put things together. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/241e8c23797afe4d56fa3d14839e7d5af551f6f8.gif Our very first build!

The First Demo

After cleaning up the visuals, we decided to start working on a small prologue that would work as a sample of the game in our spare time. This prologue eventually became the first chapter of the game and the demo that’s currently available for play. We started development in 2017 using our spare time. Throughout our work in the demo,we managed to settle on a structure for the game. Everything fell into place. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/da308a90cc646612bd6b94830b961c51d0f1df53.gif The journey to our first demo. The demo ended up being a lot bigger than we expected. We were very happy with the result and the reception of it. After a complete demo, a successful Kickstarter campaign, and the support from our publishing partner, Fellow Traveller, we finally had what we needed to kick things into full gear! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/6b295c4358c88db78cb846cf4d197cb1ee405bb3.gif Through working on the demo, we nailed what Kulebra was all about!

Game Development

Since 2022, we’ve been working on the full version of Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo. We’ve taken a “multiple passes” approach. We worked on a chapter draft from start to finish, and then we moved to the next one until we had a draft of the complete game. Then we returned at the start and started polishing each chapter again, making our way forward to the ending.

Chapter Development

We start with a draft of the chapter: A very simple version that has a lot of placeholders, but it’s playable from start to finish. On our second pass, we start adding colors and music and work on adjusting gameplay and story elements. We do the same on our third pass, but at this point we make sure we reach a “complete” look: No more placeholder assets. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/9fb667dee51d34f3806bfd37a1366880d2887f0d.pngA visual representation of our “passes” approach. We might make some additional passes to some areas that can be tweaked here and there, but at this point we’re mostly set. This method goes for all aspects of the game: story, gameplay, art, dialogue, music, all of it!| {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/fca98340172a06f6c259d89ee4e29ded9550dd65.pngThe final version is always smaller in size. Nice and compact is better!

Characters

Using this method with the characters, we start with one still black and white image as part of the draft phase. Later we refine the design and add animations to it, though they remain in black and white. Once we have all the animations we need, we proceed to color them to finish it. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/9e689819c91afc207f343e53f96c6121aacfc5fd.pngDraft, black and white, and final.

Development Report

We report on our progress on our Kickstarter page every month on how the game’s development is going. Our backers trust us to complete the game, so it’s important for us to let them know that we’re fulfilling our promise! If you’re curious about seeing them, you can see all our development posts here! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/b5d8a96d195c1e151d5fa290c07aa29342caf656.pngAnd we’re still going! The latest one was in December!

And more to go!

Thanks for reading our piece on the development process of Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo! We hope it was informative on top of being fun. Personally speaking, looking through old versions of the game makes me realize just how much we’ve put into this game. There’s still more for us to do, but we’re very excited to reach the end of the road! Thank you for joining us in the journey to the release of the game, and we’ll be seeing you on our next blog post. Bye! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/6dffaeaa72ef08536aa2ee30315f1b01b403ef63.pngA silly sketch we found in our old files: Kulebra being used as a weapon.

Galla Developer Blog #3

FT_Ben Psteam_community_announcements

610d ago

Hello everyone, welcome to the third blog post of the development of Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo. Today we’re explaining how the world of Limbo works. This will give you a different lens through which you can experience the story of the game. If you haven’t had a chance yet, you can read our previous two blogs here and here.

What IS Limbo?

Limbo is not a physical place in the world; You can’t point to it on a map. Instead, Limbo is a spiritual realm which lies in an overlap between the living world and the great beyond. The souls of Limbo, being trapped by their unfinished business, are mostly unaware of having passed away. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/6d7c96c3fbdd4f7eff68602319bf8dbee4c2ed84.pngAll souls in Limbo have a reason to be there. Including Kulebra. Unfortunately, they’re unable to make any progress because of the Curse of Limbo. Every night, the world returns to how it was at the start of the day, and the souls forget all the events that transpired. Essentially, they’re stuck in a time-loop. Not all is lost for them, powerful emotions will leave a mark in these souls, letting them bring those memories past the reset. It’ll take several cycles, but with proper help, these souls will find a resolution. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/edb08961bea2caae6c949560dffdccdfdc7cda4b.gif At the end of the day, everything will return to how it was. Limbo is a malleable place which adapts and reflects those who inhabit it. Souls that arrive at Limbo will bring part of their living environment with them, so the locales you find are imitations of their living-world counterparts. Once a soul leaves Limbo, the environment they brought with them and their traces will eventually disappear as well, though sometimes other souls (or birds) can repurpose these and make them their own. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/efda153a0c6921cd41d1fe514eb6ae263241a923.pngThe environments themselves tell a story. And now’s a good time to segway into the different types of inhabitants in Limbo.

The Souls of Limbo

All the souls in Limbo have one thing in common: A reason that keeps them from moving on. We can separate them into four categories: Lost souls, Dark Souls, Blanc souls, and Bright souls.

Lost Souls

Lost souls are the spirits of people who had a significant unresolved task that is not allowing them to move on. They have a set routine because the curse of Limbo resets all their actions. Most named souls you encounter will fall here. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/ed0bbc631df5ba444b449db646bafe6ae3ed44dc.pngRosa and Flora are the first of the many Lost Souls you’ll meet.

Dark Souls

However, what happens to a lost soul that never resolves their problems? Over time, their frustrations will taint their hearts. These dark emotions will consume them, and once they’re completely taken over, they (and those nearby) will be taken to a dark realm of their own doing to never see the light again. While tainted souls can still be helped, they will be very averse in confronting their situation. In these cases, there’s no option but to force them to come face to face with their problems. It is a dangerous situation for everyone involved, but it’s the only hope they have to heal. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/f258b3690eef974f025c87f792280682b5ad6691.pngDark souls won’t concede so easily. Will you be able to help them?

Blanc Souls

Blanc souls are ones that have a weak tie to their past lives, usually due to their unresolved issue being relatively simple (sometimes they might even solve it themselves). Since Blanc souls are a piece of a soul, their appearance only reflects small traits of them. They’re affected by the curse all the same as regular souls. Usually it only takes a slight push to help them find their way out of Limbo, so it’s never a bad idea to check on Blanc Souls you find on your way. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/1a46f1a31dd57df865980bf6b9aa350ca89ac29f.pngThis Blanc Soul REALLY likes rock-paper-scissors.

Bright Souls

Bright souls are guiding spirits that help other souls find their way out of Limbo. These souls are the product of kind beings that have a natural affinity to help others. Unlike the other souls, Bright souls keep their memories throughout the time-loop, which help in their mission to guide others towards a resolution. Kulebra is one of these souls, a snake with a heart of gold. However, while Bright souls help other souls escape Limbo, they’re not any less trapped than them. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/3ae389d42f8d5bfa7544e2811f582a3c8829b49c.pngHey, look! That’s you! So, this brings up characters like our dear old Krow, where does he fit?

The Birds among the Dead

Birds are special in Limbo, they are the only living beings capable of crossing to the realm of Limbo. You’ll meet many living birds that have come to Limbo for their own reasons. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/6507731ff3c2b171ef96473c17431df57374a389.pngKrow (left) is a hard-working member of the Wing Union. Pica (right) is a jerk. The Wing Union is an organization of birds tasked to help souls in Limbo find a resolution to the problems. Not much is known about how the Wing Union was formed, but they have grown considerably from their humble beginnings. According to their members, the Wing Union’s salaries and benefits are pretty good; They might not offer free dental care, but their employees don’t seem to mind. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/c17e106fa87f8584201c296ea41e02f320c42b16.pngThe Wing Union HQ. Looking sharp!

The Ancient Ruins

A mystery lies within the lands of Limbo. Ruins of a long lost civilization whisper tales of forgotten times. Who they were and what they represent have been lost to time, and most souls that arrive at Limbo don’t pay them any attention. Perhaps you’ll uncover the secrets within these temples. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44619688/4b95f42cff5312930fdcaf8017f4acb7ab91a81d.png“Open sesame” won’t work on this door. Until next month! Galla

Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo: Closure Edition news & patch notes

Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo: Closure Edition news & patch notes

The nominations for the Steam Awards 2025 are officially open!

Composers

Music

Matching the Clock

A piece for every scenario!

Live vs Synthesized Instruments

Speech

What did we do?

Ambience

What do you think?

Kulebra – The Star of the Show

Friends along the way

The Old Lady

Krow and the Wing Union

Other Souls in Limbo

Flora & Rosa

Many More Stories to Witness

Blanc Souls

The Not so Friendly Folks

Dark Souls

An Ominous Entity

What do you think?

We have a Bluesky account!

Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo’s Origins

Our First Steps

The First Demo

Game Development

Chapter Development

Characters

Development Report

And more to go!

What IS Limbo?

The Souls of Limbo

Lost Souls

Dark Souls

Blanc Souls

Bright Souls

The Birds among the Dead

The Ancient Ruins

Steam news for Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo: Closure Edition