Ikumi Nakamura unveils first independent project Kemuri

Ikumi Nakamura has unveiled her first independent project: Kemuri.

This will be her first project since leaving Tango Gameworks after working on Ghostwire: Tokyo.

She revealed Kemuri at last night’s The Game Awards with a short teaser trailer you can watch below.

The video is just 50 seconds long and is more of a proof of concept than anything, with a striking art style.

It’s set in what looks like a futuristic Japanese city and features a number of stylised characters – presumably player characters – leaping and sprinting through the streets.

In the final shot they look up to a sky full of godlike beings (see header image).

“It’s time to see the unseen,” said Nakamura when she briefly presented the trailer, likely a reference to the name of the studio – Unseen Tokyo – and perhaps to gameplay too.

The game’s website provides further details.

Kemuri means “smoke” in Japanese and the game will see players as Yokai hunters using their Fox Window to “unravel the mysteries of the city and bring balance to the world”. Yokai hide among the population in this “extraordinary” urban jungle.

“Dive into a thrilling adventure alone or with friends, hunt yokai in style, collect their powers and face even greater challenges,” reads the blurb.

“Kemuri’s world is a blend of traditional Japanese folklore, modern culture, anime aesthetics and international flair where supernatural wonders exist just beyond the vision of ordinary people. This world challenges yokai hunters to confront existential themes and moral dilemmas as they track and fight their prey in fast paced combat. Collect a wide range of yokai – some malevolent, some friendly – to transform your appearance and access their paranormal abilities.”

Keighley noted that Nakamura is yet to sign a publisher or platform for the game so it’s unclear when we can expect a release.

Nakamura is best known for designing artwork for Okami and Bayonetta, before working at Tango Gameworks on The Evil Within series and Ghostwire: Tokyo.

She announced her new indie studio back in 2021.