"We began with the idea of 'how do we create a roguelite monster tamer?'" said Tupi: The Legend of Arariboia lead programmer Rafael Calmon. From this simple question came a richly designed RPG featuring grid-based combat, monster recruitment and fusion, Social Links, and more. Tupi, which was shown off at Gamescom LATAM 2025, drew inspiration from the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona games but brought a unique roguelite spin to the familiar spirit recruitment and fusion mechanics.
In a conversation with The Best War Games, Calmon and game director Leon Zigoni explained how Shin Megami Tensei inspired Tupi's character design and gameplay mechanics. Shin Megami Tensei brought awareness to players of mythological and cultural figures from all over the world, inspiring Mito Games to do the same with Brazil's rich history and mythology. Gameplay-wise, protagonist Arariboia can recruit monsters and fuse them into brand-new spirits — but the game's roguelite nature lets him choose between multiple options instead of being limited to a single outcome.
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Tupi Features Spirit Fusion - But Players Get To Choose The Outcome
In the Persona games, players can visit the Velvet Room to fuse their accumulated Personas into new and powerful combinations — with some rare Personas only available via fusion. Tupi: The Legend of Arariboia features a similar fusion mechanic, but with a twist, as described by Calmon:
"Our system should feel very familiar to those who have played the SMT series. You take 2 or more creatures from your team as fusion materials and acquire a new one based on what you used. The difference is that ours is a roguelite RPG. As such, rather than a fixed, singular resulting creature, you get 3 options from which you may choose 1 to add to your team. But it is not completely random."
Some elements of the classic Persona fusion system are apparent in Tupi, such as the resulting spirit sometimes getting an experience boost or featuring skills based on its components. However, Tupi also features a unique Rank system, with fusion being the best method of acquiring spirits of a higher Rank. Calmon also hinted that the team will be expanding on Fusion in future updates, such as adding "secret combinations of creatures that result in a specific creature, some of which may only be found that way."
Shin Megami Tensei's Influence Can Be Felt Throughout The Game
While Shin Megami Tensei's most direct influence on Tupi: The Legend of Arariboia is definitely the creature recruitment and fusion system, it is far from the only one. As Arariboia restores his village, he can form Social Links with a number of NPCs, including key figures from Brazilian legend and mythology. As in the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona games, these Social Links allow Arariboia to progressively build relationships with his allies and friends.
In addition, boss fights in Tupi: The Legend of Arariboia are reminiscent of Shin Megami Tensei's bosses in that players are encouraged to seek out and prioritize the enemy's weaknesses. "Aim for weaknesses," said Calmon. "Breaking an enemy can immediately turn the tables on a fight. Not only is their turn heavily delayed, but they become weak to all types of damage." But, Calmon cautioned, players should be careful - bosses have powerful abilities called Omens that can break their entire team at once, or perhaps do something even worse.
Tupi is a unique creation set apart by its proud Brazilian identity, but it also honors its Shin Megami Tensei inspiration in both plot, character design, and gameplay mechanics. Just as the Shin Megami Tensei series introduced players to mythological heroes, villains, tricksters, and more from all around the world, Tupi will educate its players about many figures from the history and legends of Brazil.
Tupi: The Legend of Arariboia is currently in development with a free demo available on Steam.