bruxa’s bestiary
D-CELL is an international, distributed studio making the kinds of games AAA studios used to make. Creatively led by RJ lake and Andrew Tsai, with production by Rachel Lake and Jeffrey Chiao.
UNBEATABLE is their debut project.
UNBEATABLE: Behind the Beat
The official Launch-Day Conversation with D-Cell
[location not disclosed] - Chicago, illinois — December 9, 2025.
The room was NEON. Bright colors washed over the space in waves of pinks and electric greens, echoing the pulse of the game that brought everyone there. Screens glowed with fast-paced gameplay of D-Cell’s debut game, Unbeatable, while everyone finally had some time to wind down and let loose. The game release was finally here. After years of building, refining, and pushing through the unknown, the D-Cell team had a moment to breathe, celebrate, and see Unbeatable in the hands of the people it was made for. Bruxa Magazine spoke with our friends from the D-Cell team, Rachel and RJ Lake, to talk about the road here, and what comes next.
Congratulations on the official release of Unbeatable!
For people hearing about the game for the first time, how would you describe it?
D-CELL: Thank you!! Unbeatable is a rhythm-adventure game, with a 50/50 split between your traditional arcade rhythm and a character-focused story campaign. Arcade mode has a lot to offer in terms of original music and collaborations, with many difficulty levels/settings to keep it accessible. Story mode provides context to the music and takes players on an emotional journey. We hope players of any experience level can enjoy Unbeatable, whether they have played rhythm games before or not!
Tell us about the team behind Unbeatable — who are the people creating this game?
D-CELL: There are about 30+ people who helped bring this game to life. 8 years ago we started development, just as a small side-project, after finding each other through game dev classifieds. We’ve been with each other for that time, and have kind of grown up with UNBEATABLE, in a weird way.
At its core, D-CELL is an artist-focused team. All of our music, animation, art, 3D… everything is done by a human hand and in-house. We’ve had the privilege of finding some of the coolest, sweetest, and most talented people in the industry to bring this thing to life.
Every indie project has ups and downs. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced on the road to releasing Unbeatable, and how did you push through them?
D-CELL: There has been laughter, tears, heartbreak…everything you can imagine. Making something of this scale is already a challenge, especially with this level of passion, and the connection we’ve developed to the whole thing. We’ve sacrificed a lot to get here emotionally, physically and mentally… a lot of stuff we can never tell, but I’m sure players will feel it in our narrative.
The important thing is to work with the right people. Without the right people, it’s even harder. That’s really what got us through to the end.
Tell us about a major turning point in development — a positive moment that really steered the game forward.
D-CELL: There are so many things I can think of, and I’m sure there would be a variety of opinions from the team, but personally I would say signing with our publisher, Playstack. Support from them has been crucial to establishing our path to 1.0.
On top of that, MAGFest has been a stomping ground for us over the years, and without the support of that community we wouldn't be where we are now.
Where can people play Unbeatable right now, and what’s the best way for fans to support you as the game continues to grow?
Unbeatable is available on Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series! We also have our soundtrack available for purchase on Bandcamp. The support we’ve received through this whole process has been incredible and no words are enough to express our gratitude. We hope everyone enjoys the game and feels lots of things, because we’ve felt a lot of things too.
unbeatable
📍D-Cell | USA | 2025 | PS5 / PC / Xbox Series
“Unbeatable is a stunning hand-drawn anime inspired rhythm adventure game. Experience what it means to be a band on the run - music is illegal in this world, but you won’t let that stop you. Follow Beat & her bandmates through their journey of self discovery blending live song performances, spectacular set pieces and quirky rhythm mini games. Explore a detailed open world and engage in branching conversations with several unique characters. Featuring a 100% original soundtrack alongside guest tracks and musical collaborations.”
“We’ve sacrificed a lot to get here emotionally, physically and mentally… a lot of stuff we can never tell, but I’m sure players will feel it in our narrative.”
- rachel lake
The UNBEATABLE release party had the kind of energy you only get when something takes years to finish. Neon lights, arcade-style chaos, people with controllers in hand — everyone just wanted to play. The team looked proud, exhausted, and a little in disbelief that the game release was finally happening. No speeches, no overly serious moment — just a room full of people having fun with something that took a long time to build. After everything — delays, rewrites, uncertainty…seeing players actually enjoy it seemed to be the only thing that mattered. The game was here.
Writer and Photographer: Baitul Javid
November 9, 2025.
game developers
Species: Human (but often mistaken for machine)
Habitat: Screens within screens, cluttered desks, code-stained notebooks, late nights
Disposition: Inventive, stubborn, lost in their own world(s)
Game developers are world-builders. Not with bricks or stone, but with logic, pixels, and imagination. They craft entire universes from lines of code; universes filled with rules, dangers, and meaning. For them, play is serious work.
Often seen muttering about mechanics, balance, or deadlines, developers live in loops—designing, testing, breaking, fixing. Sleep is rare. Frustration is constant. But when their magic works, it’s alchemy: players lose themselves in places that didn’t exist until someone dared to imagine them.
To outsiders, the developer’s rituals look like madness: whiteboards covered in arrows, dozens of browser tabs open, entire days lost to a single bug. But within that chaos is a strange kind of order—one built on vision, curiosity, and the belief that games can say something real.
Approach gently. Offer snacks. Never ask when the game will be done.
Effects of contact: nerding out, occasional accusations of being lazy (from non-gamers/NPCs/beings that just don’t get it.)
