A game development studio from General Santos City is transforming well-loved Filipino childhood games into a multiplayer digital experience—complete with office desks, flying supplies and chaotic virtual coworkers.
Langit Lupa: Office Wars, developed by GenSan-based NinetySix Studios, reimagines traditional street games inside an unconventional playground: a corporate office.
Leading the independent studio are co-founder, CEO and senior game developer Kendrick Villaruel and co-founder and creative head GM Catog-Villaruel.
The title is a fast-paced online multiplayer party game in which four to eight players chase, tag and outmaneuver one another using office desks, chairs, cabinets and other furniture as part of the action.
In the game’s main langit lupa mode, one player is randomly selected as the tagger. The other players must scramble onto office furniture to avoid being caught, turning desks and chairs into the familiar “langit” or safe zones.
Players can also throw office supplies, push their virtual coworkers and create the kind of playful chaos more commonly associated with childhood afternoons than a working day at the office.
Preserving Filipino games digitally
According to NinetySix Studios, the project was inspired by the limited number of video games featuring traditional Filipino childhood games.
The developers wanted to preserve those memories while giving Filipinos a modern and interactive way to experience them again.
“We noticed that very few video games showcase Filipino childhood games, and we wanted to change that,” the studio shared in its official game FAQ.
The team said its school demonstrations also revealed that many young Filipinos are no longer familiar with some of the traditional games enjoyed by earlier generations.
By adapting these games into an accessible digital format, NinetySix Studios hopes to help prevent an important part of Filipino childhood culture from fading into obscurity.
Nine modes available in the free demo
The free demo of Langit Lupa: Office Wars features nine game modes:
- Langit Lupa
- Bente-Uno
- Ice-Ice Water
- Agawan Base
- Labo-Labo
- Capture the Flag
- Pass the Bomb
- Lipat Bayan
- Claygo
Players can create private online lobbies and invite their friends to compete across five maps.
Each mode adapts a familiar playground concept for multiplayer gaming. In Bente-Uno, for example, tagged players join the tagger’s team until only one survivor remains. Ice-Ice Water requires teammates to freeze and unfreeze one another, while Agawan Base challenges players to capture and defend their respective bases.
The developers have also infused the game with distinctly Filipino humor, playful taunts and the friendly—but highly competitive—energy of traditional neighborhood games.
More Filipino classics coming
NinetySix Studios plans to include even more Filipino childhood favorites in the full version of the game.
Among the additional games being developed are sungka, patintero, tumba lata, palo sebo, luksong baka, hide-and-seek, Chinese garter and jumping rope.
The full game is targeted for release in 2026 and is expected to cost less than ?200. It is being developed for PC and Mac, while the studio is also considering a mobile version depending on player demand.
GenSan game earns national recognition
Even before its full release, Langit Lupa: Office Wars has already received national recognition.
The project was named national champion of the 2024 DOST Esports Game Dev Challenge. It was also recognized by Indie Games Group Philippines as one of its most anticipated games of 2024.
Its free demo was released on Steam in July 2025.
More than simply recreating childhood games, the project demonstrates how developers from General Santos City can combine technology, Filipino culture and creative storytelling to produce experiences for players in the Philippines and beyond.
The free demo of Langit Lupa: Office Wars may be downloaded through its official Steam page.
More information about the game and its development is available on the NinetySix Studios website.
Meet the GenSan development team
Working with Villaruel and Catog-Villaruel are junior developers Russel Berami, Mark Aeron Ducoy and Eugene Flores II; game designers Dianne Siat and Hilario Arriesgado; lead quality assurance tester Albert Ruiz; QA member Aldren Ju; and 3D designer Edrian Bales II.
Together, the NinetySix Studios team combines game development, creative design, quality testing and 3D production to bring the Filipino-inspired multiplayer title to life.
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