Choo Bin Yong, Founder of KOEX Studio – Interview Series

Singapore-based indie developer and all-round creative waterfall Choo Bin Yong of KOEX Studio has quite the project up their sleeve. Aptly titled Scarred, the developer’s upcoming horror is earmarked to be a “story-driven” first-person horror that will transport players to the root of a malevolent world based on Singaporean culture. If that sounds like your idea of a good time, then be sure to read on as we explore the upcoming title with KOEX Studio’s Choo Bin Yong.

Firstly, it’s fantastic to hear from you — we appreciate the opportunity to delve even deeper into your work. Before we touch base on that, though, would you mind if we asked you a bit about yourself? How did it all start for you, and what brought you to KOEX Studio?

Choo: Thanks for the interview! I started making Flash games many years ago but stopped for several years. Then, around 2017, I decided to try making a game for Steam. Over time, I became more serious about game development. I came up with the name ‘KOEX Studio’ to give it a more professional feel.

Let’s talk about your upcoming horror game, Scarred. If you could paint us a picture of it, that would be great! What is Scarred, in a nutshell?

Choo: In a nutshell, Scarred is a first-person, story-driven horror game set in Singapore.

It seems that there are still several key points that need a little extra context here—the premise, for instance. Mind telling us more about the storyline? What’s the backstory behind Scarred, and how exactly do we fit into it?

Choo: Scarred follows Olivia, a student who went missing after a tragic event. You play as Alan, who appears to be connected to the incident and finds himself trapped in an inescapable nightmare. The story was inspired by a real event that happened in Singapore.

This malevolent world of yours appears to be rife with horrors of an unimaginable evil, I’ll say that much. What we would like to know, however, is how its inhabitants and ghostly apparitions will tie into it. Who’s the pursuer in this dream-like abyss, and what are they aiming to accomplish?

Choo: There are characters and entities who may have done bad things, but they aren’t necessarily evil in the sense that they want to make people suffer for no reason. In my game and story, I aimed to add depth to their characters to make their actions more understandable.

The announcement trailer for [Scarred], a horror game sets in Singapore.

Please add the game to your Steam Wishlist! ⤵️https://t.co/TGcNZn3n5C

The voice actors in this trailer and game is by the talented @SamiChenVA & @veratanva#HorrorGames #indiegames #Singapore pic.twitter.com/7AxrLlhgQy

— KOEXstudio (@koexstudio) October 26, 2024

Would you mind telling us a bit more about this world of Singaporean architecture that you’ve previously spoken about in earlier elevator pitches? For those with little knowledge in the field, how would you best describe it? What sorts of nightmarish things are we likely to uncover here?

Choo: In Singapore, most of us live in high-rise buildings, and at the ground floor of these flats, we have void decks that serve as shared spaces for a variety of uses, such as weddings, funerals, shops, or simply a place to hang out. I think it’s interesting to create an environment based on these void decks, which are unique to Singapore. Since it is a horror game, the environment is designed to be nightmarish and surreal, for those who live in Singapore, it will evoke a strange sense of familiarity while playing.

Could you tell us about the challenges and the difficulties that we might encounter during our daring endeavors in this paranormal realm?

Choo: There are a variety of challenges that players will encounter, some of which are puzzles, while others are dangers that require hiding or avoidance. Most of the puzzles in the game are designed to fit into the story.

As we have you here with us today, we thought it would be beneficial for our readers if you could provide us with a few quick pointers. Do you have any words of advice on how to tackle Scarred?

Choo: The game is not designed to be difficult or tedious for the most part, so I think players should have no trouble finishing it!

Is there a way for us to support Scarred and KOEX Studio? Whatever the case, we would certainly appreciate it if you could share a few important social links, newsletters, or event details with our readers!

Choo: Yes, please add the game to your Steam Wishlist to be notified about updates and the release!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2447100/Scarred

Would you like to add anything to the page before we wrap things up here?

Choo: Among many horror games, I believe Scarred stands out due to its unique setting, characters, and some surprises I don’t want to spoil just yet. Please support the game by adding it to your wishlist and sharing it with friends who enjoy horror. If you play it after its release, please leave a review—it would really help!

Thanks for your time, Choo!

You can find more information on KOEX Studio’s Scarred by following the official X channel here. You can also add the game to your wishlist on Steam for additional updates and pre-launch coverage here.