Finally able to check in (and destroy) at "Hotel Barcelona"! Revisiting the charm of this game and SWERY's dedication behind its creation [TGS2025]

Note: the original Japanese article can be found at:
https://www.4gamer.net/games/802/G080238/20250928015/

Editorial Department: Junpoco | 2025/09/28 04:02 (UTC)

Following the development progress and generating buzz with an “It’s real!” attitude, Hotel Barcelona (PC / PS5 / Xbox Series X|S) has finally been released on September 26, 2025.

Thumbnail image No.001 / Finally check in (and destroy) at Hotel Barcelona! Revisiting the charm and creative passion behind the game with SWERY [TGS2025]

This title is a “side-scrolling hardcore slasher action” developed by SWERY (Hidetaka Suda) of White Owls and SUDA51 (Gouichi Suwa) of Grasshopper Manufacture. True to their reputation as creators who appeal strongly to passionate fans, the game maintains challenging gameplay and difficulty while emphasizing accessibility through carefully tuned difficulty adjustments and safety measures—making it a title that invites players to “try it if you’re even slightly curious about its vibe.”

Thumbnail image No.002 / Finally check in (and destroy) at Hotel Barcelona! Revisiting the charm and creative passion behind the game with SWERY [TGS2025]

At Tokyo Game Show 2025, the game was showcased at the Graph booth, where SWERY himself made an appearance. To celebrate the release, we sat down with him to talk about the game’s appeal and behind-the-scenes development stories.

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4Gamer:
First of all, congratulations on the release!
It’s still just a day before launch, but by the time this article goes live it should already be out—so let me say it now!

SWERY:
Thank you so much.
That’s great (laughing). I’m really happy.

4Gamer:
We’ve had regular conversations with SWERY over the years centered around BitSummit, and seeing this day finally arrive—it feels surreal.
This time, your game is being exhibited at Graph’s booth. How did that come about?

SWERY:
Graph started as a connection made back during BitSummit events. We’ve also collaborated on other games before, so they’ve become truly trusted partners.

Originally, CULT Games handled the BitSummit exhibition with Neon Noroshi, but since CULT was overwhelmed by digital event logistics, we reached out to Graph and asked them to take over.

Thumbnail image No.004 / Finally check in (and destroy) at Hotel Barcelona! Revisiting the charm and creative passion behind the game with SWERY [TGS2025]

4Gamer:
It’s refreshing to see the developer taking initiative like this—this is really indie spirit. Seeing you personally set up your own booth at BitSummit, that kind of hands-on approach definitely feels very indie.

SWERY:
Exactly. Since the release date coincided with TGS, I wanted to be physically present and feel everyone’s energy in real time.
While I can’t attend every day, just staying home watching reactions online wouldn’t cut it—I had to be there.

4Gamer:
Now that we’re finally at launch, let’s clarify what Hotel Barcelona actually is. Up until now, we’ve mostly talked about “It’s real!"—so the actual nature of the game might not have been clearly communicated yet.

PC Xbox Series X|S PS5 Meta Quest Interview Event

Hotel Barcelona was real! The unbelievable true story behind the SWERY × Suda51 collaboration and the beginning of the deceptive VR game “Death Game Hotel”

Hotel Barcelona, a “side-scrolling hardcore slasher action” born from the collaboration between SWERY of White Owls and Suda51 of Grasshopper Manufacture, was recently discussed in detail at Bitsummit Drift. We sat down with SWERY to learn more about this intriguing title and its companion VR game, Death Game Hotel.

[2024/07/21 15:28]

PC Xbox Series X|S PS5 Interview Event

The aftermath of “Hotel Barcelona was real!” – Talking with SWERY about development status and the experience of attending game events as a player or attendee [BitSummit]

It’s been one year since that “Hotel Barcelona was real!” media frenzy. This year (2025), we caught up with SWERY again at BitSummit, where he shared updates on the game’s current status and reflected deeply on his experience attending events—both as a developer and an attendee.

[2025/07/22 15:58]

SWERY:
No, no, not at all (laughing).

Hotel Barcelona is a 2D action game set in a creepy hotel infested by vicious serial killers and its surrounding areas. Difficulty and the sense of accomplishment are key aspects.

At the same time, I’ve been truly delighted to hear many people say they love the atmosphere and art style. However, after releasing a demo on Steam, we received feedback saying it was “too hard to clear.”

4Gamer:
Something like “I want to enjoy story-driven gameplay with some satisfying challenge.”

SWERY:
Exactly. So for players who just want to enjoy the story, we made the Easy Mode even easier and added additional safety measures.

4Gamer:
What kind of safety measures?

SWERY:
In Easy Mode, after dying three times, you’ll automatically receive one of two rescue items: a “Friendship Ticket” allowing you to retry the boss battle, or a “Stand-in Dummy” that lets you revive once in place.

Additionally, every time you pass through a door—acting like a checkpoint—you recover a little HP, making progression smoother and more accessible.

4Gamer:
The game has been showcased at many domestic and international events. Were there any differences in player reactions to difficulty or audience demographics between Japan and other countries?

SWERY:
In both regions, the response to difficulty is “very hard!”
What surprised me was that women in Japan are showing strong interest and playing it. In Western markets, attendees tend to be long-time fans of my work or those who love high-difficulty action games—so there’s a stronger male fanbase.

I’m curious about what draws them in: is it the female protagonist’s personality? Or perhaps the art style resonates with them? I’d love to know more.

4Gamer:
You recently held a talk event with Suda51. What did you discuss after development was completed?

SWERY:
We talked about continuing updates beyond launch. Of course, we said things like “It’s a great collaboration—we’d be happy if it sells well,” but what mattered more to me was ensuring fans keep enjoying the game for years.

Right now, Suda is extremely busy with ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN, so frequent communication isn’t easy. We’re communicating in small bursts—like letters—and when we meet in person, we catch up all at once. That’s our current rhythm.

PC Xbox Series X|S PS5 Feature Article Interview

Interview: What is GhM’s new full original game “ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN”? Suda51 and Yamazaki廉 discuss the chaos and frenzy born from limitations—returning to roots

Grasshopper Manufacture’s new title, “ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN,” instantly became a major talking point after its trailer premiered at “State of Play” on June 5. But what exactly is this game? We sat down with Chief Creative Director / Screenwriter / Producer Suda51 and Director Yamazaki廉 to find out.

[2025/08/18 18:00]

4Gamer:
Looking back now, how was the collaboration experience?

SWERY:
What struck me most was realizing that I lean more toward mystery, while Suda leans more toward suspense.
His games kick off early with a shocking betrayal and maintain suspense until the end—similar to Columbo, where you know who the culprit is from the start.

Mine are mystery-driven: players keep chasing clues, only to be surprised by an unexpected twist at the very end. While developing Hotel Barcelona, I kept asking myself how to immediately capture a player’s attention—and comparing our two styles helped me see “Ah, that’s it!” So we mixed both approaches to create something with immediate momentum.

4Gamer:
That’s fascinating. As a fan of both your games, I can definitely see what you mean now.

SWERY:
This realization was huge—not just for Hotel Barcelona, but also for my own future game development. After working in this industry so long, discovering something new like this reminds me how fun and endlessly creative making games really is.

4Gamer:
Alright, let’s cover the basic gameplay elements.

SWERY:
This game combines love and parody of horror films into a roguelike, while also incorporating Suda-san’s theme: “slasher action.” The growth isn’t just about stat increases—it’s focused on improving the feel and responsiveness of actions themselves.

A standout feature is the “Slasher Phantom”. When you die mid-stage and restart, your previous movements are replayed as a phantom.

Thumbnail image No.005 / Finally check in (and destroy) at Hotel Barcelona! Revisiting the charm and creative passion behind the game with SWERY [TGS2025]

4Gamer:
It’s like the ghost in racing games’ time trials.

SWERY:
Exactly. The phantom has attack hitboxes and can draw enemies toward it, so even if you thought your movements were meaningless, sometimes attacks land on enemies or help turn a crisis around—creating real synergy. It makes replaying fun and engaging.

Something I realized while making this action game is that battle actions often feel passive. Even though you’re controlling the character directly, what really matters are “waiting” and “watching.”
That’s why the Phantom mechanic is so interesting—it blurs the line between active and passive movement.

4Gamer:
Absolutely. With parries it’s obvious—jumping in response to an enemy approaching is still based on that enemy’s action.
What about a previous move—how does it affect your current play? How will observing those past actions shape the next phantom? Thinking like this makes it deeply engaging.

SWERY:
Exactly. Conversely, adventure games are inherently active—the player must initiate exploration to make progress. Realizing this while developing made me appreciate how different genres require different design philosophies.

4Gamer:
Next, could you tell us about the story’s core?

SWERY:
The protagonist is federal agent “Justin,” who is possessed by a psychopathic serial killer known as “Dr. Carnival.”

Justin enters Hotel Barcelona—rumored to be where all serial killers in America gather—for a specific reason. But she can’t leave until she defeats everyone inside. The story explores her battles against the killers and reveals why Dr. Carnival took over her.

Thumbnail image No.006 / Finally check in (and destroy) at Hotel Barcelona! Revisiting the charm and creative passion behind the game with SWERY [TGS2025]

The story was designed so players can objectively view both sides.
In my past games, players typically project themselves onto the characters—but here, by showing two distinct perspectives, I wanted to encourage players to adopt a third-party viewpoint.

This mirrors today’s social media culture: watching arguments or events unfold and unconsciously choosing which side you align with—similar to casually “watching someone else’s story for free.”

4Gamer:
That’s great. It’s like the irony and humor in people freely judging others’ situations without being involved themselves.

Speaking of that, why is a hotel set in America called Hotel Barcelona?

SWERY:
Suda-san jokingly said, “The name is Barcelona—so if it’s in the title, maybe Barcelona will invite us on a trip to Spain!” (laughing)

4Gamer:
Because you wanted to go! But actually, they did call you.

SWERY:
Yes. Suda couldn’t make it—but I went alone (laughing).

4Gamer:
We also discussed this at BitSummit—where the decision to add Catalan language support was made.

SWERY:
Let me expand a bit more on that: we wanted to use games as tools to help preserve endangered languages and cultures. In Spain, younger generations are increasingly using standard Spanish, while Catalan is declining in daily usage.

4Gamer:
Catalan was even banned from official settings at one point—so calling it equal might be a stretch. But in Japan, we see similar trends: young people in Osaka speaking more standard Japanese.

SWERY:
I thought games could help preserve such linguistic cultures, so I agreed to support the effort. While many fans want us to add multiple languages, checking nuances and phrasing is extremely time-consuming—so it’s not easy to simply expand language options.

4Gamer:
Your games are already known for their unique Japanese expressions—translating them into other languages must be incredibly challenging.

SWERY:
Precisely. That’s why we don’t accept every request—we evaluate whether adding a language truly carries meaningful purpose. In this case, the cultural significance felt clear and compelling to us.

4Gamer:
Looking back on development—how do you feel?

SWERY:
From early 2020, I was finishing Deadly Premonition 2 while developing Hotel Barcelona’s concept and pre-production. In 2021, after completing The Good Life, Suda and I discussed adding slasher elements. Then from 2022 to 2023, we worked on both Hotel Barcelona and Death Game Hotel simultaneously—juggling multiple projects all along.

Even though the pandemic made development unusual, that very period taught us to be kinder and more considerate toward others—a mindset we wouldn’t have developed otherwise.

4Gamer:
Finally, any message for fans?

SWERY:
Hotel Barcelona started as a joke at an event in 2019. Over six years, I’ve carefully prepared it like opening a new business—cutting out even my favorite drinks to focus fully on refinement. We also created the Easy Mode especially for those who want to enjoy the story.

This isn’t just about launch day—we plan ongoing updates too. Please pick up the game and keep playing, don’t give up.
—Check in… and destroy.

4Gamer:
Thank you so much! And once more: congratulations on the release!

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Shortly after this interview, SWERY also spoke about the game on stage at 4Gamer.net’s booth. Be sure to check out that coverage in our article here!

Thumbnail image No.009 / Finally check in (and destroy) at Hotel Barcelona! Revisiting the charm and creative passion behind the game with SWERY [TGS2025]

PC Xbox Series X|S PS5 Event

SWERY × Suda51’s new game “Hotel Barcelona” stage report: A love letter to horror films packed with diverse movie references [TGS2025]

At the opening of Japan’s largest gaming event, Tokyo Game Show 2025, held on September 25, 4Gamer’s booth hosted various collaborations and exhibitions—including a special stage event. Here we present highlights from the talk show and gameplay demo featuring SWERY and Suda51 discussing their new title, Hotel Barcelona.

[2025/09/26 16:26]