[GAMESCOM 2026] Hell Maiden Interview: AstralShift on Self-Publishing, Early Access and An Unlikely Trip Through Hell

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At Gamescom 2026, we spoke with AstralShift co-founder, writer and marketing manager Patrícia Silva about the reception to Hell Maiden, the studio’s decision to self-publish and how a seemingly random idea became its latest game.

AstralShift previously established its distinctive style through Pocket Mirror and Little Goody Two Shoes, but Hell Maiden takes the Portuguese studio in a markedly different direction. Inspired by Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, it combines a colourful anime presentation with horde-survival action and deck-building mechanics.

Following the game’s Early Access launch on Steam, Silva told us that the team has been delighted by the response and is enjoying the freedom that comes with developing and publishing the project independently.

How satisfied are you with the reception to Hell Maiden so far?

We’re really satisfied with the reception the game has received. Seeing people play it, enjoy it and respond positively to what we’ve made has been incredibly encouraging for the entire team. We have also been having so much fun developing it, which is very important to us. It is a project we genuinely enjoy working on, and I think that enthusiasm carries over into the game itself.

What are your plans for Hell Maiden during Early Access?

Our current plan is to continue working on the game for around a year and then see how things develop from there. We already have more content planned, and we are currently aiming to release the next major update around November or December. Of course, development plans can change, but that is the window we are working towards at the moment.

Early Access also gives us an opportunity to listen to players and see how they respond to the game as it grows. We are happy with its current direction, and we are excited to continue expanding it.

Has self-publishing changed the way the team approaches development?

Self-publishing has become much more accessible for smaller studios, and that made it a realistic option for us. It naturally brings additional responsibilities because we have to manage both development and publishing, but it also gives us a lot of freedom over the project and how we present it.

We are not afraid to expand the team if that becomes necessary. If the game grows and we reach a point where additional people would help us achieve what we want, that is something we would be open to considering. For now, we are taking things step by step and looking at what the project needs.

Does AstralShift already have ideas for what could come after Hell Maiden?

We have a lot of other ideas in our backlog. There are many things we would like to create, so we certainly do not lack ideas for future projects. At the moment, however, our focus is on Hell Maiden and supporting it throughout Early Access. We want to give the game the time and attention it needs before deciding exactly what comes next.

Where did the concept for Hell Maiden originally come from?

The idea was honestly quite random. One day, we simply thought about making this big anime-style game and combining that with Dante Alighieri’s story about Hell. It was an unusual combination, but we found it exciting and began exploring what we could do with it.

That eventually developed into the Hell Maiden we have today. The contrast is part of what makes it interesting: we are taking this famous literary depiction of Hell and approaching it through our own colourful, anime-inspired style. It gave us room to be creative with the characters, the world and the way the story is presented.

This is AstralShift’s first Gamescom. What has the experience been like?

It is our first time at Gamescom, and the entire team came with us. We were all really looking forward to being here. It is exciting to attend an event of this size together, meet people, show the game and see players experience it in person.

For a smaller team, being able to bring everyone and share that experience is quite special. Gamescom is enormous, but it has been a great opportunity for us to present Hell Maiden and connect directly with people who are interested in what we are making.