The creator of Ori and No Rest for the Wicked has announced a new game, Luma — and it’s a mix of Minecraft and Sim City

Thomas Mahler — the man behind some of the most beautiful games of the past decade — has unexpectedly revealed a brand-new project. It’s called Luma, and the pitch goes something like this: «What if Minecraft and Sim City had a child?» Here’s what we know about the game so far and why it’s worth paying attention to.

Who’s behind Luma: Moon Studios and Thomas Mahler

Moon Studios is an Austrian studio founded by Thomas Mahler and Gennadiy Korol. It became widely known thanks to the Ori duology: Ori and the Blind Forest (2015) and Ori and the Will of the Wisps (2020). Both games became genre-defining metroidvanias and sold more than 15 million copies combined — an impressive result for an indie studio.

After Ori’s success, the team took a sharp turn: in 2024, No Rest for the Wicked launched in Steam Early Access — a dark action RPG with a unique hand-drawn aesthetic. At the same time, the studio gained full independence: after Take-Two sold its publishing label Private Division, Moon Studios bought back the rights to the game and is now developing it on its own.

Thomas Mahler is a well-known figure in the industry. He is highly active on social media, speaks openly about development, and isn’t afraid to comment on controversial topics. It was in one such post that he revealed the existence of Luma.

What is Luma: a mix of Minecraft and Sim City

Mahler himself described the game like this: «It’s what you’d get if Minecraft and Sim City had a child.» That sounds intriguing — especially considering who’s behind it.

If we unpack that metaphor, Luma appears to combine the freedom of building and exploration in the spirit of Minecraft with city-building logic and resource management typical of the Sim City series. In other words, players may be able not just to build anything anywhere, but also to create functioning settlements or cities with their own internal logic.

Mahler also added that, in his opinion, Luma is already more fun than Minecraft or any Sim City game he has ever played. That’s a bold claim — but given the studio’s track record, it’s hard to dismiss outright.

Key details and mechanics: what we know today

There’s still not much information — Mahler announced Luma quite briefly. Even so, here’s what already stands out:

• Genre: a sandbox with city-building sim elements
• Concept: free-form building + urban planning
• Ambition: to surpass Minecraft and Sim City in sheer fun — at least in the developer’s own view
• Stage: the game already exists in a playable form, and Mahler is considering a release in the near future

No specific release date, platforms, or detailed gameplay information have been announced yet. But the fact that the developer is actively playing his own project and is happy with the results is already a good sign.

Luma — a project worth watching

Luma remains a mystery for now. But when the creator of Ori says his new game is more fun than Minecraft, that alone is enough to make people pay attention. Especially if you enjoy building, planning, and exploring.

Keep an eye on Thomas Mahler’s social media for updates — that’s where the first real details will most likely appear. And for now, tell us in the comments: does this concept grab you? Would you like to see Luma get a full release?