During Summer Game Fest, you might have missed Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree, a fresh entry into the roguelite genre that had little fanfare and a brief trailer. 
Despite the low-key reveal, its fascinating development story makes Towa a game to watch closely.
I had the chance to chat with Daisuke Nagaoka, producer at Bandai Namco, and Shuhei Yamashita, game director at developer Brownies, after the announcement and some hands-on time with the game. They walked me through the history of Brownies, a studio with deep roots in the gaming industry.
Brownies evolved from Brownie Brown Inc, a Tokyo-based studio founded by veterans of the Mana series. The studio worked on classics like Sword of Mana, Super Mario 3D Land, and Fantasy Life. However, in 2012, the company rebranded to 1-Up Studio after transitioning to become a Nintendo support studio. With this shift, many key figures left, including Shinichi Kameoka, and formed Brownies. Since then, Brownies has made a name with games like Fantasy Life Link!, the Egglia series, and co-development on Doraemon Story of Seasons, which was published by Bandai Namco.
Bandai Namco, already familiar with Brownies’ work, decided to team up again for a new project. Initially, Bandai had asked for a Japanese-themed original RPG. Yamashita, however, had a different idea. A fan of roguelites, he pitched a genre Bandai had never tackled before. The decision to embrace this untested territory was motivated by three key reasons: the global popularity of roguelites, the challenge of creating something new, and the potential to craft a roguelite with a strong narrative.
To make their roguelite stand out, Bandai Namco looked to Hades, a game that balanced solid storytelling with excellent playability. As Yamashita explains, Hades was comfortable to play and had the kind of gameplay and story blend they wanted to replicate. However, Towa distinguishes itself by integrating deep Japanese cultural elements into its world. While no specific folklore or myth is directly retold, the game features characters inspired by Eastern motifs, such as a samurai, a koi, and a shiba dog. Brownies designed a roster of 24 characters, narrowing them down to eight that would embody these themes.
In a unique twist, Towa allows players to control two characters simultaneously, one wielding a sword and the other a staff. This dual-character system gives players the freedom to switch between different roles and control each character independently using the left and right analog sticks. While it takes some getting used to, this setup brings a fresh layer of strategy and storytelling depth, according to Yamashita.
The two-character system serves two purposes: it creates more gameplay depth, with one character being more agile and the other supporting with magic, and it enriches the story. Through the interactions and relationships between the characters, players can dive deeper into the narrative. Towa’s release is scheduled for September 19, 2025, across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series consoles, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Be sure to check out our hands-on preview for more insights!