Game: MONOWAVE
Developer: Studio BBB
Published By: Studio BBB & Phoenixx
Genre: Puzzle-Adventure Platformer
Released: Out now — Steam & Nintendo Switch
Price: $9.99 · £7.39 · €8.99 · 10% launch discount
Players: Solo or local co-op
Coming Later: PS5 & Xbox Series X|S in 2026
💫 MONOWAVE is out now on Steam and Nintendo Switch for $9.99, with a limited-time 10% launch discount. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions are planned for later in 2026.
⚖️ Your Emotions Are the Mechanics — and the Puzzles
Plenty of games use emotions as a theme. MONOWAVE makes them the verbs.
You play Mono, a newborn Guardian trying to restore balance by reuniting four scattered Emotions — Anxiety, Anger, Sorrow and Happiness. Each one changes how you move, and the mappings are thoughtfully chosen:
• Anxiety lets you sense traps
• Anger enables wall-jumps
• Sorrow lets you melt through narrow gaps
• Happiness increases your jump height
Anxiety as heightened awareness of danger. Anger as force against a wall. Sorrow as something that slips through the cracks. Happiness as lift. The metaphors do real mechanical work, and each ability evolves into a second one after you defeat its corresponding boss.
Reunite the emotions. Restore the balance.
“Paying attention to how a spirit feels can help you find a way forward.”
Independent developer Studio BBB has launched its heartfelt puzzle-adventure platformer MONOWAVE on Steam and Nintendo Switch for $9.99 / £7.39 / €8.99, with a limited-time 10% launch discount.
It combines atmospheric exploration, thoughtful platforming and emotion-driven puzzles, wrapped in a wordless narrative about the complexity of feelings. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions are planned for later in 2026.
72 Ways a Spirit Can Feel About You
🎵 Sing, and See How They React
This is the part that makes MONOWAVE more than a four-ability platformer. Mono can sing to nearby spirits — and every spirit responds differently depending on which Emotion Mono is currently carrying.
With 18 unique spirits and four Emotions, that’s 72 possible interactions, each potentially affecting puzzles and traversal. So solving a room often isn’t about finding the right platform. It’s about working out how this particular creature feels about how you feel.
It’s an unusually neat fusion of theme and mechanic — empathy as a puzzle-solving tool rather than just a story beat. The four boss encounters work the same way: each is shaped by its ruling Emotion, testing whether you’ve really understood it.
😰 Anxiety
Sense traps before they catch you.
😠 Anger
Wall-jump your way upward.
😢 Sorrow
Melt through narrow gaps.
😊 Happiness
Jump higher than you could before.
What Else Is In There
🗺️ Worlds, Secrets and Codices
• Two expansive later worlds:The Somber Trench, with freezing currents and brittle ice, and The Blissful Islands, where you manipulate light, shadow and gravity
• Eight hidden stages — two secret stages tucked into each of the four main regions
• Dedicated Codices covering spirits, environments, worlds and the four Emotion Spirits, for anyone who wants to dig into the lore
• Eight abilities total — each Emotion evolves into a second movement ability after its boss fight
• A scratch-art-inspired visual style and an original score written to carry the game’s emotional world
Bring a Friend as Prism
🤝 Local Co-Op — and Only One Copy Needed on Steam
The full adventure can be played solo or in local co-op, with a second player joining as Prism.
Better still, the Steam version supports Remote Play Together — so a friend can join from their own machine without buying a copy. At $9.99 for a game two people can share, that’s a lot of adventure for the money.
It also fits the game’s theme rather neatly. A story about understanding how someone else feels works well as something you do alongside another person.
From University Project to Switch Release
“We wanted players to experience emotions and empathy through play. In MONOWAVE, paying attention to how a spirit feels can help you find a way forward. We hope players enjoy discovering those connections, whether they’re playing on their own or sharing the adventure with someone else.”
— Gwonyeong Lim, CEO, Studio BBB
There’s a nice story behind the studio, too. Studio BBB began making MONOWAVE three years ago while the team was still at university. After graduating together last year, they formally incorporated to see their shared vision through — and the result is now on Steam and Switch, with console versions to follow. It’s published by Studio BBB and Phoenixx.
Where to Play
📅 Out Now · $9.99 / £7.39 / €8.99
MONOWAVE is available now on Steam and Nintendo Switch, with a limited-time 10% launch discount — check the store pages for how long it runs.
PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions are planned for later in 2026.
Hi there! I’m Marie, also known as CtrlQueen. I’m passionate about keeping up with the latest in gaming news and sharing my insights. RPGs steal my heart with their rich narratives and immersive worlds, but I also love unwinding with fun, casual games. Whether you’re here for deep dives into game mechanics or just to chat about your favorite casual game, you’ve found the right place! Let’s game and explore together.
