In a world dominated by triple-A studios and franchise fatigue, there are creators quietly reshaping what games can mean for themselves or for others, leaving a lasting impact long after the credits roll and the screen of the TV or monitor fades to black.
This Pride Month, we turn the spotlight to Studio Enero’s Niley Bacolcol, an indie LGBTQ+ game developer behind Balete City — a semi-open RPG game set in the Philippines. Heavily inspired by our very own culture, folklore, identity and lived experiences, Niley crafts his dream into a reality as a storyteller and a queer creator, providing space for truth, passion and representation.
My conversation with Niley was filled with both laughter and inspiration. He was a lover of logic and arts, hence his decision to combine the two. As he fondly states, he’s a designer by day and game developer by night. Sounds a bit like a superhero, right?
The beginning of something mythical
In 2018, Niley made a couple of posts showcasing the game he’s been working on, drawing the attention of several people who shares the same interest and passion for Philippine Mythology. This led to the formation of Studio Enero, a group of people of different backgrounds brought together with their love for Philippine Mythology and culture. Their aim? To promote and preserve our slowly dying culture by creating something that will reach the audience that matters the most: our youth.
And of course, how can a passionate group of individuals wanting to ignite someone’s love for mythology and culture? Through a video game.
Enter Balete City : A game rooted in our stories
During our conversation, Niley shared that Balete City Game was a passion project he’s made since 2018, the same year that Studio Enero was formed. From folklore, mythology and our very own everyday experiences, he wanted to make a game with Filipino culture at its very core.
If The Witcher series took European myth before it became the video game franchise that it is today, why can’t the Philippines do the same? While our stories often show up in comics like Francisco V. Coching’s Pedro Penduko or Trese by Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo, a video game brings a new kind of magic to our heritage.
Balete City follows Aki, a young boy looking for his missing Kuya. What starts as a mysterious disappearance unravels into a full-blown adventure with friends, mythological encounters and finding the truth about his own lineage. You’ll meet creatures from our folklore like aswangs, diwatas, kapres and learn more about babaylans and the deeper roots of our culture. Built on Unreal Engine, it already looks so distinct, promising and powerful. The game is still in development, but from what I’ve seen from the teaser, the potential is truly undeniable.
Building dreams, facing demons
With a game this ambitious, Niley admitted that he was naïve when he started. As someone new to both game development and running a studio, he and the team made their fair share of mistakes. But they learned and kept going.
The hardest part? Funding. Like many indie developers, Niley and Studio Enero face the ongoing challenge of financial support. Balete City remains their main focus, and they continue to search for partners and backers who believe in the project as much as they do.
Despite the hurdles, their fire still burns. The team is currently working on a playable demo, and they’ve launched a Patreon for those who want to support the project and get a behind-the-scenes look. While we wait, (and yes, I’m waiting, too), Niley also released an e-book called Balete High, exploring more of Aki and his friends’ adventures and misadventures.
Quiet pride and powerful representation
Despite the noise from critics and doubters, Niley wears his identity with pride. He doesn’t need to shout it from the rooftops. He lets his work speak for itself. Queerness isn’t just a feature. It’s also part of the storytelling. One beautiful example is how he includes his own take of the lovers Bulan and Sidapa, with Bulan as Aki’s friend and Sidapa, the god who fell in love with Bulan. He also spoke about his research on babaylans, about how they weren’t exclusively female, and in some cases, were men who assumed the role of women, adding layers of nuance and queerness to the narrative.
Inclusivity isn’t also a checklist. It’s a commitment. Niley believes the game development space has been increasingly welcoming to LGBTQ+ creators, and he’s happy to see more queer stories being told. But he also the stigma still hasn’t disappeared. Sometimes, being openly queer still leads others to underestimate your capability.
Representation, he insists, must be authentic. “It can’t be authentic if there’s something missing,” he said. And while we’re seeing more BL (boys’ love) and GL (girls’ love) content perhaps due to the trend, he hopes to see broader stories. Ones that center trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse narratives, too.
A message to aspiring queer creators
As we wrapped up our conversation, I asked Niley if he had a message for aspiring game developers, especially those who are LGBTQ+.
He shared:
“Do not fear and accept your authentic self. Because as part of the community, there’s a lot of stories to tell. We have so many stories to tell. We have creative and colorful minds. If we combined it with real-life stories and how we tell our stories to the world, you’ll never know that you could create something beautiful. Should you face challenges or hardships, unfairness along the way, learn that we are a community. Your stories, your journey, are an opportunity for others to feel seen too. Believe that you have something in you that the world needs to see.”
As a non-binary creative, getting the chance to chat with a queer game developer and storyteller like Niley Bacolcol was more than just an interview. It is a reminder of why games like Balete City matter. It is a passion project born out of love, identity and heritage, and seeing it slowly come to life is a powerful push to keep creating, even when the road is uncertain. Because even if your story has echoes from others, it’s still yours. And someone out there needs to hear it.
So whether you’re a creator, a dreamer, or just someone who believes in the magic of storytelling, keep building. Keep imagining and creating. Know that your voice has a place here, too.
Balete City may still be in development, but it’s already a love letter to our Philippine culture and folklore. Because this isn’t just a game. It’s the beginning of something powerful.
And if you’d like to support Niley and Studio Enero in their journey, consider supporting them on Patreon or following them on their social media!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BaleteCity
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BaleteCity
Trailer: Balete City
