2018
Nezunoban — Short Film 短編映画
Premieres at Melbourne International Film Festival. A meditative exploration of the Japanese death ritual, establishing the visual language and emotional core that would define the IP.
A game about mourning · 2026
Nezunoban
寝ずの番 / ne·zu·no·ban /
A first-person mystery about keeping one incense burning through the night — and deciding, as you learn who they were, whether the spirit deserves to pass.
Scroll · into the night
Ch. 01
通夜
The Concept — Tsuya
When a loved one dies in Japanese tradition, mourners perform Nezunoban — keeping a single incense stick burning through the night so the spirit may be guided to heaven. If the incense dies, the spirit is lost.
In Nezunoban, you keep the incense burning. But as you wander the deceased's belongings — letters left half-read, a recording still in the machine, a photograph turned face-down — you begin to ask: does this person deserve the ritual? Does their spirit deserve passage?
The choice to keep the ember alive, or let it go cold, is yours alone. Nobody is watching. Nobody will know.
— 線香が消える時、魂も消える
Ch. 02
香
The Mechanic — Kō
01
The Incense線香
Every ninety seconds, the stick must be re-lit. A constant, gentle pressure. The night never quite lets you forget.
Interval90s
02
Exploration遺品
Between lightings, you wander freely. Examine objects. Listen to flashbacks left like dust on the shelves. Assemble a portrait of who you're mourning.
Objects~140
03
Revelation真相
As the night unfolds the truth emerges. The story grows more complicated than the eulogy let on. Your certainty erodes by the hour.
Hours∞ · 1 night
04
The Choice選択
At dawn you decide. Keep the ember burning and grant them passage — or let it die and deny them peace. The ritual is yours to honour or refuse.
Endings2 · plus shades
Ch. 03
記憶
From Film to Game — Kioku
Nezunoban began as a 16mm short film, premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival. The film established the core emotion the game now extends:
— the tension between dread and meditative beauty, the supernatural rendered not as horror but as wonder.
Watch the original short below.
Ch. 04
系譜
The Lineage — Keifu
Lit
2018
2018
Now
2026
2026
2020
Let Go — VR Series Concept 放下
Nezunoban develops into Episode 1 of Let Go, a four-part interactive VR experience exploring death rituals from cultures around the world. Supported by CNC Digital Experiences (France). Foundation for a planned anthology series.
2022
Nezunoban — VR Prototype VR試作
An immersive VR experience, selected for Venice Production Bridge at the 77th Venice International Film Festival. Demonstrates the IP's potential in interactive, spatial formats — and proves audience and industry reception.
2026
Nezunoban — The Game ゲーム
The IP comes to video-game form. A first-person narrative adventure, developed in collaboration with Japanese visual artist Kyoko Imazu. The first in a planned anthology series exploring death rituals across cultures.
Ch. 05
語り部
The Tellers — Kataribe
Creative Director · Lead Developer · Writer
Michael Beets
マイケル・ビーツ
Melbourne-based filmmaker, VR director, and interactive experience developer. Track record across Venice, TIFF, MIFF. Lead developer on Artefacts, Speak for Country, and Here & Now. Brought Nezunoban from concept through film and VR to its current form.
Visual Artist · Art Director
Kyoko Imazu
今津 杏子
Japanese artist based in Melbourne. Her work merges monochromatic mastery with yūrei (Japanese ghost) imagery rendered as childlike wonder rather than horror. A genuine creative collaboration shaping the game's visual and emotional identity.
Ch. 06
手紙
A Letter — Tegami