Retro pixel graphics, fresh innovative gameplay – these are the signatures of Taiwanese developer Game Stew. Founded by Rodan Kao, the studio’s team members are spread out across the globe, and they collaborate remotely to create their portfolio of charming titles.

Game Stew shines at reimagining classic games for the App Store, combining creativity and nostalgia in quirky ways. Just look at their Tower of Fortune series, which adds slot-machine game mechanics to an RPG format, The Lost Shield, a brick-breaking adventure game, and Kaiju Attack, a mix of strategy and match-and-merge gameplay.

Many of the studio’s titles feature a retired bearded hero who wanders through time and space. The character is inspired by one of the producer’s former colleagues, who has a calm demeanour and witty sense of humour.

Game Stew draws inspiration from classic films, mangas and TV series. For example, in Tower of Fortune 3, the hero in red who wields a sword of light is a nod to the manga series Cobra; meanwhile, the old demon, the scholar and the female ghost in the Zen Garden level were inspired by the classic Hong Kong film A Chinese Ghost Story.

The Scum Family in the Tower of Fortune series evolves throughout the games. In the first instalment they’re a nuclear family of two parents and a child, the second game introduces a pet and in the third they’re joined by an aunt and grandma. The fourth game is a prequel featuring the parents before and after the birth of their child, bringing the series full circle.

The Tower of Fortune series gave the studio a chance to explore alternate endings: the first game has three possible endings, the sequel has six and the third game comes with nine potential conclusions. It’s taken some players two months to get through all 18 storylines!

Kaiju Attack takes its monster-naming inspiration from the Japanese Super Sentai series. Can you figure out which reptalian titan Mozila is referencing?