Pygmalion Development Status & Goals
Hello. This is CandLE, the development team behind Pygmalion. It’s been a while since we last greeted you. First of all, we would like to sincerely thank everyone who has been waiting for updates over this long period of time. Throughout development, we’ve spent a lot of time thi
Hello. This is CandLE, the development team behind Pygmalion.
It’s been a while since we last greeted you.
First of all, we would like to sincerely thank everyone who has been waiting for updates over this long period of time.
Throughout development, we’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what kind of experience we can deliver to players, and what direction would best convey Pygmalion’s unique charm.
Looking back at the remaining tasks since launch, we’re once again feeling a strong sense of responsibility—not to simply aim for “completion,” but to create a work we can be proud to present to those who play it.
We are also fully aware that there have been concerns about the long development period and negative reviews.
We are truly sorry for the disappointment we have caused those of you who waited.
Our original plan was to add Episode 3 and quickly release the full version.
However, after repeated testing, we found ourselves increasingly questioning: “Can we really call this a full release in its current state?” and “Can we provide the level of satisfaction and completeness that a full version deserves?” As a result, we decided to further refine and expand various features and systems in the game.
During this process, we also faced unexpected difficulties.
The original four-person team had to step away due to employment, relocation, and personal circumstances, and we have effectively transitioned to a one-person development structure.
Because of this, the development pace has inevitably slowed significantly.
Even so, Pygmalion is still being developed steadily.
If possible, we are aiming for an official release in the first half of 2026, and we are currently working to raise the overall quality as much as we can.
Now, we’d like to explain the goals we plan to achieve for the official release.
Story
■ Story Overhaul
Along with the release of Episode 3, we refined the story so that the overall flow moves toward a more beautiful and complete conclusion.
For those who have already played Episodes 1 and 2, we preserved the major events and narrative structure so everything connects naturally, while reorganizing certain scenes to deepen emotional buildup and immersion.
Character motivations and the links between events are now clearer than before, and the narration has been improved to make the world easier to understand.
(To be clear, we are not completely changing the existing story—we’re emphasizing that we have refined and expanded it to make it better.)
■ Improved Character Presentation
Characters that appear during the story will move beyond the previous static cutscene style, with new Spine animation–based character motion added.
This allows for truly “moving emotional expression,” strengthening presentation so players can empathize more emotionally and feel even more immersed.
■ Prologue Added
The full version will include new prologue content.
This prologue is not just a simple beginning—it helps you understand key concepts of the world in advance, and serves as content where you can try puzzle elements and challenging gimmick puzzles that you’ll encounter in the main game.
It will be an important experience that opens the curtain on the full story, and a preparatory stage that lets you enjoy the main game more deeply.
■ OST Added
To address the disappointment caused by the same OST repeating throughout story scenes, we have already secured the necessary licenses and are adding new BGM and theme music.
We are reworking the music so emotions can be conveyed more clearly as the atmosphere shifts from scene to scene.
Puzzle
■ I-core
A new block, I-Core, will be introduced.
I-Core has the property of combining with all cores.
Also, if it passes through a filter, it will generate a block of the same color as that filter.
■ Negative
Since this is a color-based puzzle, we thought it might be interesting to create tiles that use a gimmick based on complementary colors—the opposite property of a given color.
Red and green are complementary colors, and orange and blue are also complementary to each other,
The newly introduced I-Core also includes a gimmick where it changes into N-Core, which is the opposite of having the property of combining with all colors.
■ Composite Gimmick Presentation
In the full version, puzzles will not be limited to a single gimmick operating alone—composite structures where multiple mechanisms are linked and operate together will appear.
For the official release, we are preparing with the goal of puzzles that feel “more novel, and sometimes challengingly difficult” than before.
Creation
■ Create Your Own Puzzles
With the puzzle creation feature, anyone can easily design stages.
By placing the gimmicks that appear during gameplay in any way you like, you can create puzzles with your own unique solutions.
■ Save & Share Puzzles – Map Code–Based Community System
Created puzzles are saved through unique codes and can be easily shared with other users.
By entering the code, you can instantly load and play that puzzle, and we are developing a system where puzzles uploaded online will display view counts and reactions.
Through this, the goal is not to end at simply creating one puzzle,
but to build a structure where “someone enjoys the puzzle I made, evaluates it, and inspires new ideas,”
in other words, a cycle where players and creators influence each other.
Ranking
■ Ranking Mode
A new Ranking Mode will be added in the full version.
Rather than being just a feature for competing over records, Ranking Mode is designed as competitive content where players can compare skills, take on challenges, and gain motivation.
The ranking system will be operated so that players who clear more difficult puzzles take higher positions.
Difficulty will not be assigned by the dev team; instead, it will be automatically calculated based on puzzle data created by users (clear rate, average time taken, etc.). This creates a competitive environment based on real play metrics rather than fixed difficulty categories.
Also, because puzzles used for ranking will include puzzles that you created yourselves, Ranking Mode will continuously supply new and diverse types of puzzles.
Platform
■ Android & iOS Development
Pygmalion aims to be a game anyone can access without platform restrictions.
Accordingly, for the full version we are also developing Android and iOS versions to provide the same experience in mobile environments.
Stable operation on Android and iOS devices has already been internally verified.
We are building systems to optimize the user experience for each platform—controls UI, interaction methods, resolution support, touch-based input, and more—to suit mobile environments.
Our goal with the mobile release is to let more players enjoy Pygmalion’s puzzles and story anytime, anywhere.
Accessibility
■ Personalized Color System
In collaboration with an external company, ColorFull, we introduced a system that recommends colors suited to the user’s visual characteristics through a simple test.
This is especially intended to help players with color vision deficiency recognize clearly and reliably distinguishable color information.
■ High-Contrast Mode
To prepare for cases where it’s difficult to distinguish colors or the UI appears blurry, we added a high-contrast mode that renders text, UI, and core colors more clearly.
When enabled, color contrast and brightness are enhanced, helping necessary visual information be recognized much more clearly during puzzle play.
■ Input Device Selection
Previously, controls were automatically connected based on the most recently detected device.
Because input conflicts and errors could occur depending on the user’s environment, the full version introduces a feature that lets players manually specify the input device.
This improves smooth control even when environments are mixed—keyboard, mouse, gamepad, touch, and more.
■ Smart Cursor
From existing user feedback, we received many requests such as “It would be nice if the cursor also moved in the direction the block moved.” Based on this, we added the Smart Cursor feature.
When enabled, the cursor automatically adjusts its position according to the block’s movement direction, providing a supportive experience that reduces the burden of hand and eye movement during keyboard play.
System
■ Pause Function
A pause menu that can be opened at any time during gameplay has been added.
In this menu,
– Volume and sound settings
– Simple options (sound, vibration, tile coordinates)
– BGM change
and more can be adjusted in-game without exiting the game.
■ Display Options
We are improving the game so you can freely change aspect ratio and resolution, allowing comfortable play across a wide range of devices.
In addition, FPS can be adjusted dynamically, so players can configure settings to match their environment.
Community
■ Strengthening the Discord Community
The prototype bot in Discord will become more actively featured and will fulfill the following roles.
When you upload a map code to Discord, it will analyze the puzzle and organize the information in an easy-to-read way.
Also, with the addition of Ranking Mode, entering !rank will allow you to instantly check your ranking information and records.
We believe the official release is not the end, but the true beginning of Pygmalion.
Through future updates, we plan to further expand the play environment and the creative ecosystem.
After release, we plan to add various character and core skins, but the pace may be somewhat flexible depending on the current manpower situation.
Instead, in the long term, we are preparing a feature that allows players to create and apply customization skins using images they create themselves.
This also aligns with Pygmalion’s direction of “building the game’s sensibility together with users.”
Even after the official release, new puzzle gimmicks will continue to be added.
Ideas currently being discussed internally include:
– Breakable walls
– Walls that can only be moved in one direction
– Tiles that change a core’s color
– Moving terrain that only operates under certain conditions
and more.
This is part of our long-term plan to make Pygmalion a game where new strategies and solutions keep emerging even as time goes on.
We sincerely apologize once again for the significant delays in development and the concern and disappointment it has caused.
With the goal of an official release in the first half of 2026,
we are doing our best until the very end to raise the game’s quality.
We will continue to listen closely to your feedback,
and work to build a better Pygmalion together with you.
In 2026, we wish you all a happy New Year,
and we would truly appreciate it if you continue to keep an eye on Pygmalion.
