Holy Imagery, Indie Glory: The Game Kitchen’s Miracle - Masters of Indiedev
How a small Sevillian studio transformed Spain’s sacred traditions into one of indie gaming’s most acclaimed sagas.
Hello my fellow players and gamedevs!
This time I can’t leave aside my inner national excitement, because I want to introduce you to the succesfull development path of The Game Kitchen an Indie dev studio founded in Seville (Andalucia, Spain) — This studio doesn’t only trigger my Spanish feelings, but it is a complete reference and source of inspiration for Excellent Pixel Art and Game Design.
I’m grateful to Substack to be able to write down this small ode coming from an unknown player/hobbyst gamedev.
Let’s start!
How I met The Game Kitchen?
We should go back to 2019, I was looking for challenging games, I remember I completed Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (Released on March 22, 2019) few months after I was looking again for something to suffer, because yes I need a break between challenging games =)
The Game Kitchen was officially founded on 2009 by Mauricio García, their main goal at the beginning was to create Accessible Videogames
A friend of mine was at that moment playing The Surge 2 (Released on 24th September 2019) he was enjoying the game and he recommended that title, but I was looking for something different and after some Google Research I see Blasphemous, published by Team 17…
But reading again the Steam Store information of the game I see… The Game Kitchen, wait I know this team!
The first title I ever played from The Game Kitchen was The Last Door, a point-and-click horror adventure with Pixel Art aesthetics and here is when you can’t judge a book by his cover, this game have a simplified Pixel Art but the sound and narrative design is good enough to keep you engaged and inside the story.
I had no doubt Blasphemous would be interesting if the feelings inside the game would be similar to the ones I had with The last Door and I can confirm they were.
Released Games
The last Door, 2013
Playing The Last Door feels like stepping into an old horror short story you’ve read once and can’t forget. The game greets you with minimalist pixel art and atmosphere that clings to your skin — cobblestone streets, flickering lamps, echoing corridors.
The pixel art (Inspired by retro games) is both simple and evocative. Sure, the graphics are lo-fi, with large visible pixels, but that’s the point. The art style doesn’t try to spoon-feed you everything—it invites imagination.
Controls are basic: move, interact, examine. You wander, you collect, you connect threads. Occasionally you miss something obvious, but that’s part of the thrill. The game lets you pause, take it in.
This game was first funded by crowdfunding on Kickstarter within chapters deliverables format, later they had the opportunity to be boosted on Steam Greamlight program to reach a wider audience.
Sound
One of the most immersive and probably most important aspects of this game is the sound. You can literally forget the need for high-quality 3D graphics if you play with headphones. All your inner fears will be triggered, and in conjunction with the evocative graphics, you will see things where there are none.
Blasphemous - September, 2019
If The Last Door was their way of proving how atmosphere and sound could elevate minimalist pixel art, Blasphemous was the complete opposite: an explosion of detail, brutality, and religious symbolism that positioned The Game Kitchen on the global stage.
Released in 2019, Blasphemous immediately stood out not just for its gameplay — a punishing metroidvania with Soulslike combat — but for its art direction.
Art
The art of Blasphemous is one of its strongest pillars. Inspired by Spanish Catholic iconography, Semana Santa processions, and the haunting imagery of Goya and Zurbarán, every sprite and background feels like a painting come alive.
The Penitent One, with his iconic conical helmet (the capirote), is a direct nod to Andalusian religious brotherhoods, yet reimagined in a dark, grotesque context. The enemies are not just monsters — they look like twisted echoes of religious figures, sculptures, and symbols you’d find walking through Seville’s cathedrals.
Pixel art here is not “simple” — it’s meticulous. Each animation, from swinging your sword to the way blood pools on the floor, shows the dedication of the team to merge traditional Spanish culture with gothic horror.
“A playable painting of medieval Spain” - Reddit Users
Music/Sound
The soundtrack has been composed by Carlos Viola and on most of the songs you can hear a glimpse of Flamenco and Saetas (Andalusian Spanish Floklore) influeced by famous Spanish composers:
Enrique Morente (Born on Granada, 1942) and even looking back on early years by Ruperto Chapí (Madrid, 1851) and Manuel de Falla (1876), Isaac Albéniz (1860)
I really suggest to hear songs from one of those artist to understand the influence of Blasphemous soundtrack, I’m not catolic but Semana Santa sounds and music trigger emotions in a matter of seconds.
Andalusian Folklore score is influeced by the story of our land, our Arabic origin influenced the way this music is composed at the rythms and compass
Character/Camera/Controls
At its core, Blasphemous is a 2D metroidvania with Soulslike DNA, and that mix shows in how the 3Cs (Character, Camera, Controls) were designed.
Character: The Penitent One feels heavy, deliberate, and slightly rigid compared to other metroidvanias. This isn’t a flaw — it’s intentional. Every slash of the Mea Culpa sword carries weight, reinforcing the game’s themes of penance and suffering. Dodging and parrying are key, and the animations give combat a ritualistic rhythm rather than arcade fluidity.
Camera: Fixed side-scrolling perspective, tight on the character but with enough verticality to highlight the gothic architecture of Cvstodia. The camera rarely pulls too far back, forcing the player to feel the oppression of the world and stay close to its details. Boss fights occasionally expand the view, but the default framing enhances the sense of confinement and intimacy with the environment.
Controls: Precision is everything. Inputs are responsive, but punish impatience — missing a parry window or mistiming a dodge usually means a brutal punishment. Compared to Hollow Knight’s more fluid movement, Blasphemous feels slower and more punishing, but that’s what makes its victories so satisfying.
Curiosities during development
Blasphemous started as a Kickstarter project in 2017, with a modest goal of €50,000. The campaign went viral thanks to its brutal pixel art and Soulslike pitch, eventually raising over €333,000 from 9,869 backers — one of the most successful Spanish game campaigns at that time.
The art direction — grotesque Catholic imagery, Semana Santa (Holy Week) processions, and Andalusian folklore — came directly from The Game Kitchen’s roots in Seville. Developers often mentioned that “we just had to look out the window” for inspiration.
The game received major post-launch support, with free DLC updates like The Stir of Dawn and Wounds of Eventide, expanding the story and refining combat — rare dedication for an indie title of its size.
In interviews about Blasphemous II, Cabeza emphasized that community feedback influenced improving controls and character movement — what some players felt was weaker in the original.
The team is used to discarding ideas they love. They test a lot of design concepts, and even ideas they’re really attached to sometimes don’t make it into the final game if they don’t “serve the fullness” of the experience.
Business Insights
Founders: Mauricio García (Founder and Director), Enrique Cabeza (Creative Director), Maikel Ortega (Designer)
Founded: 2009
Based on Seville, Spain
Estimated Annual Revenue: ~$7.4 Million
Number of Employees: 11-50 people as of August 2025
Final Thoughts
The Game Kitchen has been shaping the videogame industry for more than 15 years, walking a path as demanding as a Semana Santa procession through the streets of Seville.
Rooted in a city where religious imagery and tradition are part of everyday life, it feels almost symbolic that their greatest success — Blasphemous — blends those influences into a unique artistic vision.
Through perseverance, creativity, and perhaps a touch of divine inspiration, they achieved what often feels like a miracle: standing out in the challenging world of game development.
More Games from The Game Kitchen:
Blasphemous II
The sequel to Blasphemous (2019). A Metroidvania released in 2023 across modern platforms. Builds on the original with more refined combat, new weapons, more expansive world, and improved controls.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
Action-platformer announced in collaboration with Dotemu. It revives the classic Ninja Gaiden feel, promising fast action, tight platforming, and that old school flavor.