Mi-ba

Mi-ba (or Miba, pronounced /mi:bə/) is the genderless protagonist of Shuffle. The player controls it freely throughout dungeons, interacting with other NPCs and firing cards.

Despite its arugably young-looking appearance, Mi-ba is 1204 years old (according to Shuffle's main developer).

Appearance
Like most NPCs (with Elongated Neck Man being an exception), Mi-ba's physical appearance resembles that of an alien-like creature; completely monochrome with a torso-less, square shape. Its head contains an exotic body part in the center, which is presumed to be an eye.

In Gemini Village, several interactive NPCs with an apperance almost identical to Mi-ba may be found, with the only difference being their colour. This may suggest that Mi-ba is not the only one of its species and is capable of speech, despite never proving an ability to do so — however, it was stated by the main developer that Mi-ba has no blood relation to any of the NPCs found here.

Name
Mi-ba's official name was originally suggested by a member of the Shuffle Discord server stating, "It's cute as it fits." The name was also regarded as a similarity to amoeba, implying the ability to alter body shape, though this is purely speculation.

The name Miba is of Indian origin, carrying meanings such as "self-reliant; creative in practical ways; an independent diligent worker." These qualities fit Mi-ba's character, linking to the theme of independency (Mi-ba travelling through the dungeons alone) and creative problem solving (firing and obtaining various effect cards to inflict damage and place structures).