Origin Story: The Lie That Sparked a World

Devlogs of a Living World: The Creation of Whispers of Taiji

Author

Studio Munbou
July 03, 2025

Trust Writes Deep.

There’s always a path paved in blood,
A story written for you in betrayal.
Call it survival. Call it freedom. Call it fate.

But freedom is also the hand you don’t let go.
The bond you choose when trust costs everything.
The moment you refuse to become their monster.

THE INSPIRATION

THE GAME INSIDE THE TOWER

Concept Art by Otsu Labs

Where did the concept of Whispers of Taiji come from?
Is it like Tower of God? We’re flattered by the comparison, SIU is a master, but our inspiration came from somewhere darker and deeper.

At its heart, Whispers of Taiji is a game about ascension; driven by Greed and Glory, tempered by Taiji’s duality, and infused with the high-stakes heart of anime, where characters push beyond their limits to shape their own destiny.

But our true blueprint? Not a typical TTRPG. Not even a card game. We looked to the twisted brilliance of Liar Game, the psychological thriller manga by Shinobu Kaitani.

In Liar Game, naive contestants are thrown into a brutal tournament of deception, shifting alliances, and trust as currency. Each round isn’t just a test of strategy, it’s a test of character. Trust becomes both a weapon and a shield, not just against opponents, but against the game itself.

❝

“All of you believe that the Liar Game is all about rewarding the best liar, don’t you? Well, I sure don’t. I believe that the Liar Game…is all about conquering that desire within you to lie and succumb to your greed. It’s a game that tests whether or not you can remain an honest and upright individual.”

- Nao Kanzaki

Is Whispers of Taiji really about killing everyone who blocks your ascension? Only if you choose to make it that kind of story.

That tension, the mind games, the morality, the fragility of connection—that’s the heartbeat behind Whispers of Taiji.

Our “minigames” echo that very tension: provocatively designed to push players into dramatic, high-stakes decisions. As you climb the Tower of Aeon, you're not just battling monsters. You're constantly asking: is my greatest ally also my greatest threat?

But we didn’t stop at Liar Game. We drew inspiration from psychological and moral thrillers like Tomodachi Game, where friendship is both currency and liability, and Psycho-Pass, which questions how justice mutates under invisible systems of control. From these stories, we borrowed a haunting idea: What happens when a “righteous” system demands sacrifice?

That’s the tension we want you to feel. Not paranoia for its own sake, but a space to wrestle with the meaning of balance. When you betray or cooperate, your choices ripple.

Maybe the system is broken… Or maybe you are the balance the world needs.

This devlog is your invitation to step inside the Tower, but how you face what’s inside is entirely up to you. Whispers of Taiji gives you the freedom to shape your own path.

Whether the game becomes PvP or a story of unbreakable bonds depends on the choices you and your party make. You can turn on each other, fall into chaos, and climb at any cost—or you can get creative, hold the line together, and challenge a system that wants you divided. The mechanics are built to provoke tension, but the arc? That’s yours to write. This is where your anime story begins: where the stakes are high, emotions run hot, and every decision reveals who you really are.

BE AN INSIDER

PROJECT UPDATES

We’re chatty — in the best way.
We believe in transparency and hype. You’ll hear from us often as we continue building this thing out, so expect updates, teases, and the occasional unhinged lore drop.

Manufacturing (a love letter to Jon)
Our manufacturing partners are straight-up tabletop titans. Seriously. They’ve been around the block, and we’re so lucky they said yes to our chaos. Jon — our design and production whisperer — is working closely with them to make sure what ends up in your hands isn’t just high quality, but the kind of thing you’ll want to keep forever. Maybe even name it. No judgment.

Development (the brain-lab in motion)
Our whole thing? Creating actual value. Not just “here’s a PDF, good luck.” We want you to be able to dive into lore wherever you are — phone, tablet, computer, space fridge. If you’re a backer, you’re not just helping build it — you’re getting lifetime access to the platform and becoming part of its digital foundation. Immortalized, basically.

And it doesn’t stop there. Our “intern” (he's not actually an intern, he just thrives in chaos and self-deprecation) is already scheming up tools to make everything more accessible and to help you — yes, you — co-create and even monetize your contributions. Community-powered content isn’t just a dream. It’s planned in the dev pipeline, and it might be slightly unhinged. Just how we like it.

Until next time, may Mekhi be with you.

Studio Munbou