“Do you want to sell this?”
It was two days after I made 《LITTLE FRONTIER》 that my father started saying such things.
After finishing dinner, my father placed his laptop on the table in the living room and turned the screen towards me.
There, I could see a village that had grown slightly larger than the last time I saw it.
The house that had been under construction was already completed, and a young man I didn’t recognize was carrying firewood in front of it.
“Who is this person?”
“He wasn’t there until yesterday. While I was playing, a traveler came to the village, rented an empty house, and started living there.”
“I see.”
Before I knew it, the village had changed again.
That in itself was within the expected mechanism, but it felt a little strange to see the results stack up while someone was actually playing the game.
After seeing my reaction, my father turned his attention to the screen again.
“After playing around for two days, I thought it would be a waste for me to be the only one playing it.”
“I guess so.”
“That’s right. It’s a fun game, and I’m also curious about what it would be like if someone other than me played it. So, I thought, why not sell it?”
Sales.
Hearing that word, I thought about it for a while.
It seemed like it would be fun to have strangers play it.
“I want to try it.”
When I answered that, my father raised his eyebrows, seeming a little disappointed.
“I thought you were going to worry more.”
“I mean, you’re going to let me play with you, right? I don’t know how you’re going to play with me alone.”
“I don’t think it’s common for a five-year-old to make a decision on the spot for that reason.”
Dad smiled wryly, but his face soon became a little more serious.
“Just so you know. Selling also means receiving money from people you don’t know. Do you understand that?”
“I understand that much. It’s different from giving it away for free, right?”
“It’s fine as long as you understand. Also, you have to be careful about posting things on the internet.”
Then my mother, who had been listening to the conversation from the kitchen, came over.
“Let’s decide that properly. Yuu won’t contact people he doesn’t know without permission.”
“If I need to contact anyone, I’ll go through Dad or Mom.”
“Don’t give out your real name or address. It’s better if you don’t write down your age either.”
“Age too?”
“If you wrote that you were five years old, it would probably cause more of a stir than the game, right?”
That certainly seemed likely.
Father also agreed with Mother’s opinion.
“I’ll also manage the sales page. I’ll be the first to check any inquiries. Mom and Dad will be managing the sales for a while.”
“If something strange happens, I’ll consider stopping sales.”
“Okay. Then there’s no problem.”
The two worked out even more detailed conditions.
Personal information will not be disclosed. Do not contact buyers without permission.
Do not directly exchange money outside of the sales site.
Dad will check inquiries first.
If I need to answer anything, I’ll pass it through my father.
Just like when I got my computer, the rules kept increasing.
I couldn’t help but open my mouth.
“Very strict—”
Dad looked at me immediately.
“Stop saying that.”
“I haven’t even finished yet.”
“I know what you were going to say.”
“…I’ll follow them properly.”
“That’s fine.”
That was dangerous.
I’m trying to fix it little by little, but when I let my guard down, the old wording comes out.
Once the conditions were decided, Dad folded his arms.
“Then, next. We have to decide on a price.”
“Is it bad if it’s free?”
“No.”
It was an immediate answer.
“Why?”
“How many hours do you think I’ve been playing this since yesterday?”
Before I could answer, my mother looked at my father.
“Dear?”
“…About six hours.”
“Is that all?”
“…More or less.”
“Yesterday, you kept playing even after I said I was going to bed.”
“I was just verifying.”
“That’s what everyone who plays games says.”
Dad cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Well, anyway. Since I’ve been playing it so much, I don’t think it’s right to give it away for free. I think it’s okay to put a price on what you make.”
“Okay, 500 yen.”
“Isn’t that cheap?”
“It’s the first game, so the content has been stripped down quite a bit.”
“I don’t believe you when you say it was ‘stripped down quite a bit’…”
“But I’d rather not make it expensive and have no one play it.”
When I said that, my father thought about it for a while and then nodded in understanding.
“Well, I guess that’s okay to start with. It seems like it’d be easy to get someone to pick it up for 500 yen.”
So the price of LITTLE FRONTIER was set at 500 yen.
◇
Dad ended up being in charge of creating most of the sales page.
I told him what was needed from the side, and my father typed on the keyboard.
“First of all, the title. 《LITTLE FRONTIER》 should be fine.”
“There’s no reason to change it, so it’s fine as is.”
“What’s the genre…?”
“Hunting-lifestyle village development simulation.”
Dad’s fingers stopped.
“Too long.”
“Okay, village-building game.”
“This time it’s suddenly sloppy.”
“Isn’t it fine as long as it gets across?”
“Isn’t there a middle ground between the two?”
In the end, the genre was decided to fall somewhere between simulation and adventure.
Next, we wrote an introduction.
Dad thought for a while and then typed a short passage.
“It’s a game where you live as a hunter in a small village. You can enjoy the changes in a small settlement while hunting prey and living with the villagers.”
“How about something like this?”
“I think it’s easy to understand.”
“Are there any other features that should be written down?”
“I don’t think there’s anything in particular.”
Dad slowly turned towards me.
“There are, aren’t there?”
“For example?”
“The villagers build their own houses.”
“They build them if they need them.”
“Deer run away depending on the direction of the wind.”
“Because it’s a deer.”
“The meat rots.”
“Because it’s meat.”
“If you bring a wolf to the village, the villagers ring the bell and evacuate.”
“Because it’s dangerous.”
After looking at me for a while, my father took a deep breath.
“When I talk to you, I feel like my sense of normal is going weird.”
“I don’t think so.”
“That’s enough. I’ll think about the features section.”
I posted three screenshots on the sales page.
The first was of the forest in the morning.
The second was of the village square.
The third was of the village at sunset, which my mother had said was beautiful.
The developer’s name was “YU”, taken from my real name, Yuu Takahashi.
There was no special meaning.
It was short and easy to remember, and that was enough.
“Never reveal your real name.”
“I know.”
“No age.”
“You don’t have to be so careful.”
“I feel like the moment you say five years old, it won’t be about the game anymore.”
“That much?”
“It will. It absolutely will.”
Dad had a strange conviction.
Finally, we checked the entered information and pressed the button to start selling.
The page was updated.
《LITTLE FRONTIER》.
Price: 500 yen. On sale now.
Dad and I looked at the screen side by side, but nothing special happened.
“Did it sell?”
“It just came out. Wait a little while.”
“How long?”
“I don’t know that either.”
Even after 30 minutes, the number of sales remained at zero.
“It’s not selling.”
“Well, that’s how it goes.”
“Is that so?”
Dad opened the list of new arrivals on the sales site.
In addition to our game, there were many other works lined up there.
Flashy illustrations, big logos, beautiful girls, knights, and giant monsters. Mixed in among the brightly colored screen was a thumbnail of a green forest from LITTLE FRONTIER.
“…It’s plain.”
“You’re one to say that.”
“I think the introduction is also very plain.”
“You said you liked that too.”
“That’s right.”
When I thought about it, it made sense.
When it comes to making games, I have a fair amount of knowledge and experience.
However, I know very little about how to sell games.
In my previous life, there was no need to advertise weapons. Once submitted to the military, a weapon would be tested, and if its performance met the standards, it would be adopted.
Even the games I made when I was a kid, I just gave directly to my friends.
“Maybe I should do some advertising.”
“There’s no need to do anything all of a sudden. Let’s just leave it there for now and see if someone finds it.”
“I understand.”
In the end, not a single copy sold that day.
It was a little disappointing, but there was nothing more I could do.
I just went to sleep.
◇
The next day.
When I got home from kindergarten, I washed my hands and ate the snack my mother had prepared for me.
Then I checked that I could use the computer and headed to my room.
I opened the sales page that had been published yesterday.
Number of sales: 1.
“…It sold.”
I instinctively moved my face closer to the screen.
The display remained unchanged.
One.
Someone had really bought it.
“Mother!”
“What’s wrong?”
My mother peeked out from across the hallway.
“One sold.”
“Oh, really?”
“A stranger paid 500 yen to buy it.”
“That’s great. It’s your first customer.”
Even so, I was happier than I expected.
My father plays it because I made it. It’s the same with my mother.
But this time it’s different.
Someone who didn’t know anything about me chose LITTLE FRONTIER from the list.
He was willing to pay 500 yen and spend his time playing it.
“I wonder what kind of person he is.”
“Hmm?”
“I guess he likes games. Maybe he just found it by chance, and I don’t know if he’ll play until the end.”
I couldn’t see the person who bought it.
Still, I was a little curious about how he would play it.
Would he chase deer? Would he grow the village?
He might ignore the old man’s advice and bring in a wolf like my father did.
As I was thinking about this, my mother stared at me.
“Yuu.”
“What?”
“Don’t try to find that person online.”
“…I haven’t done anything yet.”
“It’s written all over your face.”
“Is it that easy to tell?”
“Because I’m your mother.”
Amazing. She may be sharper than the inquisitors of my previous life.
◇
However, I didn’t need to look for him.
The first person to buy LITTLE FRONTIER posted about it on a game bulletin board that night.
◇
[Indie] A thread to report when you buy a cheap game and it’s a hit Part 82
611: Anonymous Gamer
I found a strange game
Just came out yesterday, 0 reviews, 500 yen.
《LITTLE FRONTIER》
624: Anonymous Gamer
The only information I have about this strange game is the price.
636: Anonymous Gamer
If it’s 500 yen, you can buy it.
648: Anonymous Gamer
I already bought it
659: Anonymous Gamer
quick to act
673: Anonymous Gamer
So, is it interesting?
688: Anonymous Gamer
I don’t know yet
I went into the forest from the starting village and hunted deer
701: Anonymous Gamer
Isn’t that normal?
Case closed
716: Anonymous Gamer
No, the thing is, I couldn’t get close to the deer at all.
Even if you crouch down and approach slowly, it raises its head midway and runs away.
731: Anonymous Gamer
Aren’t you just bad at it?
744: Anonymous Gamer
I thought the same thing and tried about 10 times.
Then I randomly circled around from the other side, and suddenly I was able to get quite close.
758: Anonymous Gamer
Isn’t it a stealth check?
770: Anonymous Gamer
Probably not
There’s a wind direction indicator at the edge of the screen, right?
When I looked at it, I was only downwind when I got close.
785: Anonymous Gamer
Smell?
799: Anonymous Gamer
Maybe
If the wind is blowing towards the deer, it runs away even if you’re quite far away.
814: Anonymous Gamer
Wind direction isn’t that unusual in a hunting game, is it?
827: Anonymous Gamer
That’s what I thought up until that point too.
Partway through, the wind changed direction, and the deer I’d circled around noticed me, and I went, “Huh?”
842: Anonymous Gamer
Doesn’t it just change depending on the weather or time?
855: Anonymous Gamer
If so, it’s just a 500 yen game that’s trying hard.
869: Anonymous Gamer
So, were you able to hunt the deer?
881: Anonymous Gamer
I was able to hunt it
I returned to the village with the meat and tried to sell it all to the butcher.
894: Anonymous Gamer
It suddenly became peaceful
907: Anonymous Gamer
He only bought seven pieces.
921: Anonymous Gamer
Not enough money?
934: Anonymous Gamer
I thought so too, so I took it to the inn.
They only bought two.
947: Anonymous Gamer
Is there a purchase limit for each store?
963: Anonymous Gamer
No, if you talk to the butcher again,
he says things like, “That’s enough for today.”
There are only about 20 villagers, so maybe they only buy what they need.
977: Anonymous Gamer
It goes that far?
989: Anonymous Gamer
What happened to the leftover meat?
996: Anonymous Gamer
I went to sleep holding it
It was rotten the next morning
998: Anonymous Gamer
grass
999: Anonymous Gamer
Because it’s meat
1000: Anonymous Gamer
It’s a game
◇
[Indie] A thread to report when you buy a cheap game and it’s a hit Part 83
12: Anonymous Gamer
I bought the 500 yen game from the previous thread.
26: Anonymous Gamer
The number of victims is already increasing lol
39: Anonymous Gamer
I don’t know if I’m a victim or not.
I mean, wait a minute
Aren’t these graphics weird?
53: Anonymous Gamer
What do you mean?
68: Anonymous Gamer
I thought the store images were just well made.
But when I actually started it up, it looked just like them.
I went into the forest, and the grass wasn’t all swaying the same way.
82: Anonymous Gamer
It’s the wind, right?
97: Anonymous Gamer
I know it’s the wind
But it sways differently depending on whether it’s in the shade of a tree or in an open area, and the branches don’t all move together.
The details are so natural that it’s weirdly creepy.
113: Anonymous Gamer
Is that praise?
129: Anonymous Gamer
Maybe
145: Anonymous Gamer
Doesn’t it run heavy?
158: Anonymous Gamer
It’s an old laptop, but it runs fine.
The fan isn’t spinning that much either.
171: Anonymous Gamer
How big is it?
184: Anonymous Gamer
132MB
199: Anonymous Gamer
Yeah, yeah
You mean GB. Typo.
214: Anonymous Gamer
MB.
227: Anonymous Gamer
No way
239: Anonymous Gamer
I just checked too
It’s that size after installation
252: Anonymous Gamer
What’s in it?
264: Anonymous Gamer
The forest
273: Anonymous Gamer
That’s not an explanation
288: Anonymous Gamer
Aren’t they reusing textures?
306: Anonymous Gamer
Even if that’s the case, it takes a certain level of technology to make it look like this at this size.
319: Anonymous Gamer
Don’t suddenly start giving technical reviews of a 500 yen game.
336: Anonymous Gamer
It’s not a virus, right?
352: Anonymous Gamer
I did a scan, but nothing came up.
It has also passed the checks on the sales site.
369: Anonymous Gamer
Who is the developer?
384: Anonymous Gamer
《YU》
397: Anonymous Gamer
Never heard of them
413: Anonymous Gamer
What about past works?
428: Anonymous Gamer
None found
Maybe this is the first
443: Anonymous Gamer
A newcomer’s first work?
457: Anonymous Gamer
I don’t know
I don’t know the author, so don’t ask me.
472: Anonymous Gamer
Anyway, I bought it too
486: Anonymous Gamer
You guys are too quick to press the purchase button while saying “suspicious”
◇
[Indie] A thread to report when you buy a cheap game and it’s a hit Part 83
531: Anonymous Gamer
Hey
Yesterday’s 500 yen game
548: Anonymous Gamer
Is anyone still playing it?
563: Anonymous Gamer
I tried hitting a villager
577: Anonymous Gamer
Scum
591: Anonymous Gamer
Why would you do that?
606: Anonymous Gamer
No, it was verification
I was wondering if I could attack the villagers, so I only fired one shot.
621: Anonymous Gamer
That’s what all criminals say at first.
638: Anonymous Gamer
So, what happened?
652: Anonymous Gamer
Caught
667: Anonymous Gamer
grass
679: Anonymous Gamer
Was there a guard?
693: Anonymous Gamer
There wasn’t
I was surrounded by three lumberjacks who were nearby
708: Anonymous Gamer
lumberjacks lol
721: Anonymous Gamer
They all had axes, so it was pretty scary.
When I tried to run away, one of them cut me off.
737: Anonymous Gamer
Lumberjack co-op play
751: Anonymous Gamer
And after that?
765: Anonymous Gamer
I was taken to the village chief and my bow was confiscated.
781: Anonymous Gamer
They confiscate your weapon instead of fining you?
797: Anonymous Gamer
Can’t you just buy hunting equipment again?
813: Anonymous Gamer
When I went to the shop, they wouldn’t sell to me.
827: Anonymous Gamer
Figures.
841: Anonymous Gamer
It’s been about three days in-game, but the villagers are still cold to me.
Even when I tried to talk to her, her responses were short, and the person I hit ignored me.
858: Anonymous Gamer
Isn’t it strange to think you’d be forgiven in three days?
875: Anonymous Gamer
It’s a game!?
890: Anonymous Gamer
How many times has that been said today?
903: Anonymous Gamer
Isn’t it just that their favorability rating went down?
918: Anonymous Gamer
There’s no favorability gauge or anything.
I can’t see the numbers, so I don’t know when I’ll be forgiven.
934: Anonymous Gamer
Is there an apology command?
948: Anonymous Gamer
None found
955: Anonymous Gamer
Then go apologize to him
968: Anonymous Gamer
How?
982: Anonymous Gamer
I don’t know
You’re the one who hit him, so think for yourself.
993: Anonymous Gamer
I left the village for now.
998: Anonymous Gamer
He’s starting to play as an outcast lol
◇
[Indie] A thread to report when you buy a cheap game and it’s a hit Part 84
18: Anonymous Gamer
My village might be a little strange.
31: Anonymous Gamer
Since yesterday, there have been fewer and fewer reports about that game that aren’t weird.
47: Anonymous Gamer
I hunted a lot of wolves.
When I went to the forest the next day, I noticed that the number of deer had increased significantly.
61: Anonymous Gamer
How many did you hunt?
73: Anonymous Gamer
Thirteen
88: Anonymous Gamer
Aren’t you the biggest pest here?
103: Anonymous Gamer
Thirteen is way too many
119: Anonymous Gamer
But does that mean there are more deer because there are fewer wolves?
134: Anonymous Gamer
Can that much change in one day?
I think it’s just random numbers
151: Anonymous Gamer
On the other hand, I only hunt deer, but recently I’ve started seeing wolves near my village.
167: Anonymous Gamer
How many deer have you hunted?
184: Anonymous Gamer
I don’t remember
I started hunting them for their hides after the butchers wouldn’t buy any more meat.
201: Anonymous Gamer
Learn your lesson
216: Anonymous Gamer
Is it possible that the wolves have less food and have come to the human settlement?
231: Anonymous Gamer
I’m sure you’re overthinking it
It’s a game
249: Anonymous Gamer
>>231
That line is becoming increasingly unreliable when it comes to this game.
264: Anonymous Gamer
Can you take a screenshot?
279: Anonymous Gamer
Uploaded
Yesterday’s forest and today’s forest
295: Anonymous Gamer
…Aren’t there a lot of deer?
311: Anonymous Gamer
That’s a lot
328: Anonymous Gamer
But that doesn’t prove that it’s not a fixed event or a seasonal change.
343: Anonymous Gamer
I want to compare, so does anyone have data from a save where they almost never hunt wolves?
359: Anonymous Gamer
I do
I mostly collect wood for the village.
376: Anonymous Gamer
I want a screenshot of the forest
391: Anonymous Gamer
Just took one
408: Anonymous Gamer
It’s completely different.
423: Anonymous Gamer
Isn’t it not just the number of deer that’s different, but also the location of the buildings in your village?
439: Anonymous Gamer
Huh?
455: Anonymous Gamer
There’s a house to the right of the well.
It’s an empty lot at my place
472: Anonymous Gamer
At our place, it’s a warehouse.
489: Anonymous Gamer
What did you do?
504: Anonymous Gamer
I delivered a lot of wood and stone to the village.
I also don’t do much hunting.
523: Anonymous Gamer
I only sell hides.
538: Anonymous Gamer
Has that changed the development of the village?
552: Anonymous Gamer
No idea
565: Anonymous Gamer
There are more and more things I don’t understand
581: Anonymous Gamer
I don’t like where this is going, with a verification team being formed for a 500 yen game.
598: Anonymous Gamer
It’s already been formed
◇
[Indie] A thread to report when you buy a cheap game and it’s a hit Part 84
643: Anonymous Gamer
This may not be a fixed event.
661: Anonymous Gamer
That’s a big claim
What are you talking about?
678: Anonymous Gamer
The village changes
I made three saves and tried to proceed as identically as possible.
693: Anonymous Gamer
Do you have too much free time?
707: Anonymous Gamer
Can’t deny it
The problem was that the weather changed midway through.
722: Anonymous Gamer
There’s a random element there.
739: Anonymous Gamer
I thought so too
In only one of them, the rain continued for about three days.
754: Anonymous Gamer
I have a bad feeling
768: Anonymous Gamer
The river rose
783: Anonymous Gamer
Well, if it rains
796: Anonymous Gamer
The next day, the bridge washed away
809: Anonymous Gamer
Isn’t that just an event?
824: Anonymous Gamer
It didn’t happen in the other two saves.
835: Anonymous Gamer
If that’s all there is to it, it can be explained as an event that occurs during rain.
852: Anonymous Gamer
That’s what I thought at first too, but after the bridge disappeared, the woodcutter couldn’t get to the other side.
857: Anonymous Gamer
Huh?
873: Anonymous Gamer
At first he wandered along the river, then he started taking a detour along another road.
893: Anonymous Gamer
Do the NPCs recognize that the bridge has disappeared and change their route?
909: Anonymous Gamer
Maybe
Moreover, because of the long detour, the number of wood deliveries went down.
925: Anonymous Gamer
Wait, wait
939: Anonymous Gamer
In that save, the house under construction was finished two days later than in the others.
956: Anonymous Gamer
……
972: Anonymous Gamer
What do you mean?
987: Anonymous Gamer
It rained
↓
The river rose
↓
The bridge was washed away
↓
The lumberjack took a detour
↓
The delivery of wood was delayed
↓
The completion of the house was delayed
Probably like this
994: Anonymous Gamer
Don’t suddenly publish your research
997: Anonymous Gamer
No, but does that mean they all act individually?
999: Anonymous Gamer
What was the author thinking?
◇
[Mystery Game] LITTLE FRONTIER Strategy/Verification Thread Part 1
1: Anonymous Pioneer
I made a dedicated thread
In the previous thread, the stories about deer, wolves, and bridges got mixed up and it’s starting to get confusing, so if you want to verify things, come here.
14: Anonymous Pioneer
How many days since it was released?
26: Anonymous Pioneer
About three
39: Anonymous Pioneer
A 500 yen game that got a dedicated thread in three days
51: Anonymous Pioneer
For now, I want to summarize what we know.
Are there 20 villagers at the start?
68: Anonymous Pioneer
Twenty for me
83: Anonymous Pioneer
Mine was twenty too.
97: Anonymous Pioneer
Has anyone had the number of residents increase?
113: Anonymous Pioneer
One more person was added
131: Anonymous Pioneer
What are the conditions?
146: Anonymous Pioneer
No idea
A traveler came to the village, stayed for a few days, and then settled there.
162: Anonymous Pioneer
What about a house?
179: Anonymous Pioneer
There was an empty house
194: Anonymous Pioneer
Was the house vacant from the beginning?
211: Anonymous Pioneer
No, the villagers built it.
227: Anonymous Pioneer
Can you give construction instructions?
242: Anonymous Pioneer
I haven’t given any
I gave him a lot of wood and stone, and one day he started building the foundation on his own.
259: Anonymous Pioneer
Who decided to build it?
276: Anonymous Pioneer
The villagers
292: Anonymous Pioneer
So why did the villagers build it?
308: Anonymous Pioneer
Because it was necessary?
325: Anonymous Pioneer
That answer makes me angry because it sounds like the author.
341: Anonymous Pioneer
But this game really has a lot of explanations like that.
The reason deer run away is because they’re deer.
The reason butchers don’t buy is because they don’t need it.
Building a house “because it’s necessary”
357: Anonymous Pioneer
Don’t start philosophizing in a game strategy thread.
373: Anonymous Pioneer
Isn’t there just a set behavior chart for each villager?
389: Anonymous Pioneer
I thought the same thing and observed them, and the lumberjacks stop working and go to the bar on rainy days.
Moreover, if the bar is crowded, they go home.
405: Anonymous Pioneer
It’s checking whether the bar is full?
421: Anonymous Pioneer
Maybe
One came in when all the seats were taken, stood at the entrance for a moment, and then left.
438: Anonymous Pioneer
What use is that information?
454: Anonymous Pioneer
No idea
460: Anonymous Pioneer
This whole thread is like that
477: Anonymous Pioneer
By the way, what about Criminal Niki?
493: Anonymous Pioneer
I haven’t returned to the village yet.
511: Anonymous Pioneer
grass
526: Anonymous Pioneer
Apologize
543: Anonymous Pioneer
I’m trying to figure out who to apologize to and how.
559: Anonymous Pioneer
Reflect on yourself first
◇
Another day passed after that.
The number of sales increased little by little.
The number of people playing LITTLE FRONTIER was increasing without my knowing.
◇
“Yuu.”
The next morning.
When I was getting ready to go to kindergarten, my father stopped me.
“Take a look at this.”
The smartphone he held out displayed the sales management screen for LITTLE FRONTIER.
“It’s been increasing rapidly since yesterday.”
“How many?”
“Ninety-three copies.”
“It sold quite well.”
When I said that, my father looked at me dubiously.
“That’s your reaction… to ninety-three?”
“It’s 500 yen each, so that’s 46,500 yen.”
“I wanted you to be surprised by that, not to show off how fast you can calculate.”
“I thought it might not sell a single copy, so I think it’s pretty amazing.”
“If that’s how you see it, then that’s fine.”
Dad scrolled the screen, still looking a little unconvinced.
“The number of reviews is increasing. Do you want to read them?”
“I want to read them.”
Dad read out the first one.
“I don’t really get it, but it’s interesting.”
I thought about it for a while.
“Is that praise?”
“Maybe.”
Next.
“I don’t think even the author knows what’s going to happen.”
“That’s rude. I understand the conditions and structure.”
“What about the results?”
“I don’t know all of them.”
“Then they’re half right.”
“I don’t think so.”
Dad laughed and read the next review.
“I bought it thinking it was a hunting game, but it turned out to be a villager observation game.”
“I’d like them to hunt, too.”
“You said people were free to play however they wanted.”
“Well, I guess so.”
He scrolled further.
“My village was attacked by wolves yesterday and two people died. I’m honestly bummed.”
“…That’s tough.”
Dad looked at me for a moment.
“Your reaction’s gotten heavier than before.”
“It feels a little different when you think someone is actually playing it.”
When I was making it, the possibility of villagers dying was just one of the specifications.
But now, there was someone who cared about those villagers.
Even though it was the same event, it looked a little different.
After looking at the screen for a while, Dad found another review.
“You’ll probably like this one.”
“Which one?”
I asked to see the smartphone.
There was only one short sentence written there.
“Before I knew it, I’d been playing for five hours. I’m curious about what happens next.”
I couldn’t help but fall silent.
It was almost the same impression my father had when he first played it.
I want to see the house completed. I wonder what will happen next. Dad had said that and kept playing.
This time, someone whose face and name I didn’t know was saying the same thing.
“Are you happy?”
“…Yeah. Quite a bit.”
“That’s good.”
Dad also smiled happily.
“Then let me ask you. What would you do if this sold more?”
“What do you mean?”
“Like updating the current game more, or making the next game. That kind of thing.”
“I want to do both.”
“An immediate answer?”
“I still haven’t put enough into LITTLE FRONTIER, and I’d like to make another game. After making this one, there are more things I want to try.”
Dad scratched his head.
“This isn’t enough?”
“It’s not enough. The world is small, and there’s not much you can do.”
“If it goes by your standards, it’ll probably end up even weirder than it already is.”
“It’s okay.”
“What is?”
“I’ll make it more interesting next time.”
“That’s not okay at all.”
Dad said that and laughed.
In my previous life, every time I completed something, I was asked for a stronger weapon next time.
Faster. Farther. More firepower.
Something that could kill enemies more efficiently. But now it’s different.
No one ordered it.
It’s not like it’s necessary.
It’s just because I want to do it.
“Next time, I want to make it more interesting.”
That was enough.
Dad laughed, looking a little taken aback.
“In moderation.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“That’s the answer of someone who has no intention of keeping to it.”
That was true, so I didn’t deny it.
◇
Around the same time.
In the verification thread for LITTLE FRONTIER, a new topic came up.
[Mystery Game] LITTLE FRONTIER Strategy/Verification Thread Part 2
11: Anonymous Pioneer
Hey
Can I ask you something?
27: Anonymous Pioneer
Wolves again?
43: Anonymous Pioneer
No
I found a cave while walking upstream along the river.
58: Anonymous Pioneer
There’s a cave?
74: Anonymous Pioneer
Screenshot
89: Anonymous Pioneer
Uploaded
It’s only the entrance, but there’s a hole in the rock face.
106: Anonymous Pioneer
Was there a place like this?
122: Anonymous Pioneer
I went there yesterday and there was nothing there.
139: Anonymous Pioneer
Same coordinates?
155: Anonymous Pioneer
Probably the same
A little further north from a large fallen tree along the river
171: Anonymous Pioneer
A hidden dungeon?
188: Anonymous Pioneer
I didn’t understand it, so I asked the author.
205: Anonymous Pioneer
You asked the author?
223: Anonymous Pioneer
It’s the fastest way
238: Anonymous Pioneer
I have a bad feeling about this game.
254: Anonymous Pioneer
I already got a reply
271: Anonymous Pioneer
That was quick
What did they say?
288: Anonymous Pioneer
“Did I make something in a place like that?”
306: Anonymous Pioneer
……
322: Anonymous Pioneer
Wait
337: Anonymous Pioneer
What does that mean?
354: Anonymous Pioneer
I want to know
371: Anonymous Pioneer
There are caves the author doesn’t know about?
388: Anonymous Pioneer
Isn’t the author the one who made it?
405: Anonymous Pioneer
Maybe
421: Anonymous Pioneer
Don’t make it a “maybe”
438: Anonymous Pioneer
Does that mean it’s not a cave placed by the author?
454: Anonymous Pioneer
Then what is it?
471: Anonymous Pioneer
Terrain generation?
488: Anonymous Pioneer
This game has a fixed map.
503: Anonymous Pioneer
At least if you compare the screenshot with my terrain, the basics are the same.
But there’s a hole only in that part.
519: Anonymous Pioneer
Doesn’t it have something to do with the rain or the river?
536: Anonymous Pioneer
It rained a lot yesterday
553: Anonymous Pioneer
Rain again?
569: Anonymous Pioneer
Did you go in?
585: Anonymous Pioneer
Still at the entrance
I’m going in now
601: Anonymous Pioneer
Wait
Save first
617: Anonymous Pioneer
Also, take screenshots
633: Anonymous Pioneer
Video if possible
649: Anonymous Pioneer
Aren’t you guys getting serious all of a sudden?
665: Anonymous Pioneer
These are the people who were laughing and saying “500 yen game lol” until yesterday.
681: Anonymous Pioneer
It’s still 500 yen.
698: Anonymous Pioneer
It’s no longer a question of price
714: Anonymous Pioneer
I’m going
731: Anonymous Pioneer
Be careful
748: Anonymous Pioneer
What do you mean, “be careful” when entering a cave in a game?
765: Anonymous Pioneer
Because with this game, you never know what’ll happen.
781: Anonymous Pioneer
……
799: Anonymous Pioneer
By the way
815: Anonymous Pioneer
What?
832: Anonymous Pioneer
I was planning to ask the author every time I came across something I didn’t understand.
848: Anonymous Pioneer
Yeah
865: Anonymous Pioneer
But if the author himself
says, “Did I make something in a place like that?”
881: Anonymous Pioneer
……
897: Anonymous Pioneer
Wouldn’t it be faster to find out on our own than to ask the author?
914: Anonymous Pioneer
Is that a line you should be saying about the author of the game you’re strategizing?
931: Anonymous Pioneer
But the author doesn’t know
948: Anonymous Pioneer
……
964: Anonymous Pioneer
……
981: Anonymous Pioneer
Verification team, assemble
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