Henriko Magnifico - Hands-On with Dr. Matben at Tokyo Game Show 2026: Meeting the Duo Behind It
infoAbout This Title
I played the demo with developer Henrik beside me, then I had a chat with him and lead artist Linus to talk about building the game and about moving from modding to game development.
Introduction
At Tokyo Game Show this year, I visited the booth for Dr. Matben, an upcoming game on Steam, to meet the team behind it: Henrik, who handles the programming, sound, and music, and Linus, the game's lead artist.
Some readers may know Henrik as Henriko Magnifico, the modder behind many high-resolution texture packs. I have used some of them myself, including his texture pack for Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. I had been following his work for a while and keeping an eye on Dr. Matben through his Discord server. When I knew I was going to TGS, the booth was near the top of my list. I wanted to try the demo and talk about the game, and also a bit about what it's like going from making texture packs for other people's games to making your own.
What Is Dr. Matben About?
I forgot to ask about the premise of the game on the day, so I messaged Henrik on Discord afterwards. This is how he described it:
"Dr. Matben is a brilliant but eccentric scientist in the distant future desperately trying to stop a coming ice age. He creates an AI called S.O.L.V.E.R. and gives it one directive: prevent global cooling at any cost.
S.O.L.V.E.R. finds a solution: detonate the world's nuclear arsenal to generate enough heat to reverse the cooling. The plan would stop the ice age, but it would also wipe out humanity at the same time.
Realizing what he has created, Matben must use a machine that simulates his memories to uncover a forgotten PIN that can shut S.O.L.V.E.R. down before it's too late."
Gameplay: Weapons, Mods and Movement
I played through the demo with Henrik standing next to me, talking me through it as I went. The core of the game is the weapons you pick up during the game and modding them to suit your playstyle. It only takes swapping a couple of mods to completely change how a weapon plays.
Mods can be upgraded to make their effects stronger. Some abilities have a limited number of uses until you find a new mod.
Then there is a dodging mechanic where, if you time it just right, you get an awesome slow-motion moment as you dodge enemies, which increases the damage of your next shot!
Overall, the game felt fluid, smooth, and super fun! There were some platforming challenges, which felt great since the controls were very responsive and snappy.
Aiming and Difficulty
I am not a great aimer, and I was a little worried about that going in. In my experience it never felt like a struggle, and it never felt like the game was playing itself either. On a controller, the game suggests some aim-assist settings when you start. If you're using a mouse and keyboard, you have complete freedom when it comes to aiming.
Henrik also told me the TGS demo was tuned a bit easier than the final game, since nobody wants to die and restart at a busy booth. For me personally, it was the right level of difficulty.
Visuals
The game looked great to me, which was not a surprise given Linus's art and Henrik's background in texture work. Henrik told me he wants his games to look as good as his texture packs, and preferably better. Dr. Matben looked cool, and showcased a lot of visually pleasing actions such as keeping one hand in his pocket while shooting. I kept finding small fun details while playing the game, which shows how much care and attention the team has put into the game.
The Interview: From a Three-Month Project to Three Years
After the demo, I spoke with Henrik and Linus about Dr. Matben and about life as both a game developer and a texture pack modder.
Dr. Matben is a two-person project. Linus is the lead artist and, as Henrik put it, really the only artist. Henrik handles the programming, sound, and music. The pair have been working on the game for almost three years, with Henrik doing it alongside his main job making texture packs.
Henrik and Linus met in the same class at university, which is where they realised how well they worked together. They first worked on a smaller game that did not get very far, then started this one. It was originally meant to be about a three-month project, just the two of them working on something for fun. After those three months, they decided they wanted to turn it into a full game. They did not expect it to take three years, which a lot of developers have told me can happen.
As the scope of Dr. Matben grew, they worked out the systems they wanted, including the mod system and a strong focus on player builds. Henrik said the main question throughout has been whether the game is really fun to play. He described the project as a fun journey where they have learned a lot. He did not know how to use Unreal Engine when they started, and that's something he learned along the way.
Henrik said they are now at a point where they are quite satisfied with how the game looks, feels, and runs.
Splitting the Work
Since Henrik works with art assets in his texture packs, I asked how the division of work between him and Linus plays out. He said he prefers to leave the art to Linus because Linus is the better artist. Henrik takes over when it comes to putting things into the engine, handling lighting, level design, and particle effects. In his words, there is a mix of both of them in every part of the game.
Inspirations
Henrik named Rogue Legacy as one of his biggest inspirations and one of his favourite games. He also mentioned Terraria, and after he said it, I could see the connection in the aiming mechanic. Castlevania is another major influence, as he is a big fan, along with Zelda and other games he played growing up. He described the result as a mix of the different games he likes, and games Linus likes too.
Linus started out with Minecraft, including making texture packs for it.
For the art, Linus said he takes inspiration from his surroundings, and that being in Japan had given him a lot of new ideas for the game.
This was Henrik's fourth trip to Japan and Linus's first, and they told me they were enjoying it a lot.
The Soundtrack
Unfortunately I could not hear the music at the booth, so I asked Henrik about it. He said his goal from the beginning has been for the music to elevate the gameplay. Because the game has a retro-inspired look, he wants the soundtrack to be retro as well, but with some modern elements. It combines chiptune and 8-bit sounds with more modern touches.
He also said he is a big fan of jazz fusion, a genre he noted is very popular in Japan, and that it has been a major influence on the music.
Release Timing
Henrik said they are aiming to release Dr. Matben in 2027. At the time of our conversation, he said the demo would be coming out in a few weeks.
Note: The demo timing was given at TGS as "a few weeks" away, so check the game's Steam page or Discord server for current availability.
Bottom Line
Dr. Matben is a weapon-and-mod-focused game with snappy, responsive platforming, made by Henrik and Linus, a two-person team who have been building it in Unreal Engine for almost three years and are aiming for a 2027 release. In my time with the demo, swapping mods noticeably changed how the weapon played, the aiming felt perfect for someone who is not a strong at aiming, and the game looked great. With influences like Rogue Legacy, Terraria, and Castlevania, and a soundtrack mixing chiptune with jazz fusion, it is a project I will keep following, and I highly recommend you to wishlist it on Steam.
Links:
Dr. Matben Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2907670/DR_MATBEN/
Dr. Matben Website: https://myltastudios.com/
Dr. Matben Discord: https://discord.gg/k2eqk67Gbs
Henriko Magnifico Texture Packs Website: https://www.henrikomagnifico.com/
I played the demo with developer Henrik beside me, then I had a chat with him and lead artist Linus to talk about building the game and about moving from modding to game development.
Introduction
At Tokyo Game Show this year, I visited the booth for Dr. Matben, an upcoming game on Steam, to meet the team behind it: Henrik, who handles the programming, sound, and music, and Linus, the game's lead artist.
Some readers may know Henrik as Henriko Magnifico, the modder behind many high-resolution texture packs. I have used some of them myself, including his texture pack for Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. I had been following his work for a while and keeping an eye on Dr. Matben through his Discord server. When I knew I was going to TGS, the booth was near the top of my list. I wanted to try the demo and talk about the game, and also a bit about what it's like going from making texture packs for other people's games to making your own.
What Is Dr. Matben About?
I forgot to ask about the premise of the game on the day, so I messaged Henrik on Discord afterwards. This is how he described it:
"Dr. Matben is a brilliant but eccentric scientist in the distant future desperately trying to stop a coming ice age. He creates an AI called S.O.L.V.E.R. and gives it one directive: prevent global cooling at any cost.
S.O.L.V.E.R. finds a solution: detonate the world's nuclear arsenal to generate enough heat to reverse the cooling. The plan would stop the ice age, but it would also wipe out humanity at the same time.
Realizing what he has created, Matben must use a machine that simulates his memories to uncover a forgotten PIN that can shut S.O.L.V.E.R. down before it's too late."
Gameplay: Weapons, Mods and Movement
I played through the demo with Henrik standing next to me, talking me through it as I went. The core of the game is the weapons you pick up during the game and modding them to suit your playstyle. It only takes swapping a couple of mods to completely change how a weapon plays.
Mods can be upgraded to make their effects stronger. Some abilities have a limited number of uses until you find a new mod.
Then there is a dodging mechanic where, if you time it just right, you get an awesome slow-motion moment as you dodge enemies, which increases the damage of your next shot!
Overall, the game felt fluid, smooth, and super fun! There were some platforming challenges, which felt great since the controls were very responsive and snappy.
Aiming and Difficulty
I am not a great aimer, and I was a little worried about that going in. In my experience it never felt like a struggle, and it never felt like the game was playing itself either. On a controller, the game suggests some aim-assist settings when you start. If you're using a mouse and keyboard, you have complete freedom when it comes to aiming.
Henrik also told me the TGS demo was tuned a bit easier than the final game, since nobody wants to die and restart at a busy booth. For me personally, it was the right level of difficulty.
Visuals
The game looked great to me, which was not a surprise given Linus's art and Henrik's background in texture work. Henrik told me he wants his games to look as good as his texture packs, and preferably better. Dr. Matben looked cool, and showcased a lot of visually pleasing actions such as keeping one hand in his pocket while shooting. I kept finding small fun details while playing the game, which shows how much care and attention the team has put into the game.
The Interview: From a Three-Month Project to Three Years
After the demo, I spoke with Henrik and Linus about Dr. Matben and about life as both a game developer and a texture pack modder.
Dr. Matben is a two-person project. Linus is the lead artist and, as Henrik put it, really the only artist. Henrik handles the programming, sound, and music. The pair have been working on the game for almost three years, with Henrik doing it alongside his main job making texture packs.
Henrik and Linus met in the same class at university, which is where they realised how well they worked together. They first worked on a smaller game that did not get very far, then started this one. It was originally meant to be about a three-month project, just the two of them working on something for fun. After those three months, they decided they wanted to turn it into a full game. They did not expect it to take three years, which a lot of developers have told me can happen.
As the scope of Dr. Matben grew, they worked out the systems they wanted, including the mod system and a strong focus on player builds. Henrik said the main question throughout has been whether the game is really fun to play. He described the project as a fun journey where they have learned a lot. He did not know how to use Unreal Engine when they started, and that's something he learned along the way.
Henrik said they are now at a point where they are quite satisfied with how the game looks, feels, and runs.
Splitting the Work
Since Henrik works with art assets in his texture packs, I asked how the division of work between him and Linus plays out. He said he prefers to leave the art to Linus because Linus is the better artist. Henrik takes over when it comes to putting things into the engine, handling lighting, level design, and particle effects. In his words, there is a mix of both of them in every part of the game.
Inspirations
Henrik named Rogue Legacy as one of his biggest inspirations and one of his favourite games. He also mentioned Terraria, and after he said it, I could see the connection in the aiming mechanic. Castlevania is another major influence, as he is a big fan, along with Zelda and other games he played growing up. He described the result as a mix of the different games he likes, and games Linus likes too.
Linus started out with Minecraft, including making texture packs for it.
For the art, Linus said he takes inspiration from his surroundings, and that being in Japan had given him a lot of new ideas for the game.
This was Henrik's fourth trip to Japan and Linus's first, and they told me they were enjoying it a lot.
The Soundtrack
Unfortunately I could not hear the music at the booth, so I asked Henrik about it. He said his goal from the beginning has been for the music to elevate the gameplay. Because the game has a retro-inspired look, he wants the soundtrack to be retro as well, but with some modern elements. It combines chiptune and 8-bit sounds with more modern touches.
He also said he is a big fan of jazz fusion, a genre he noted is very popular in Japan, and that it has been a major influence on the music.
Release Timing
Henrik said they are aiming to release Dr. Matben in 2027. At the time of our conversation, he said the demo would be coming out in a few weeks.
Note: The demo timing was given at TGS as "a few weeks" away, so check the game's Steam page or Discord server for current availability.
Bottom Line
Dr. Matben is a weapon-and-mod-focused game with snappy, responsive platforming, made by Henrik and Linus, a two-person team who have been building it in Unreal Engine for almost three years and are aiming for a 2027 release. In my time with the demo, swapping mods noticeably changed how the weapon played, the aiming felt perfect for someone who is not a strong at aiming, and the game looked great. With influences like Rogue Legacy, Terraria, and Castlevania, and a soundtrack mixing chiptune with jazz fusion, it is a project I will keep following, and I highly recommend you to wishlist it on Steam.
Links:
Dr. Matben Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2907670/DR_MATBEN/
Dr. Matben Website: https://myltastudios.com/
Dr. Matben Discord: https://discord.gg/k2eqk67Gbs
Henriko Magnifico Texture Packs Website: https://www.henrikomagnifico.com/
Comments (0)