Game Developer in the World of Anime

Although everyone was curious, no matter how many highly upvoted comments appeared in the replies, Ichin refrained from responding directly. Instead, he posted a follow-up update:

> "Everyone, please be patient. You'll find out soon enough. The promotional PV for the new game has been completed, and the demo version is in its final stages of development. Once it's released, in addition to the offline demo at the game exhibition, we will also make the demo version available to all players so everyone can experience our new title. One detail I can share in advance is that the game's release will happen within this year, no later than the end of December. While the exact date isn't set, it will only be earlier, not later." <

Ichin rarely posted updates, and when he did, they were either related to gameplay update videos or occasional Slay the Spire giveaway events. Most of the time, his posts focused on development progress.

This reliability meant that his followers never doubted his announcements. His assurance about the new game's release was seen as a certainty. The only question now was when exactly it would be unveiled during the Cologne Game Show.

Fans quickly dove into researching this year's Cologne Game Show but couldn't find any specific information. Soon, a few internet detectives began to speculate:

> "First of all, an independent game studio isn't likely to have its own promotional channel, so searching for direct announcements won't work. I suspect the reveal will happen during another company's presentation. Given the studio's size, there's a strong chance it will appear at Nintendo's Direct. After all, isn't the studio based in Japan? Plus, one of the members is from Eagle Jump. They'd definitely have connections with Nintendo!" <

This comment quickly climbed to the top of the discussion thread within half an hour.

Taking a short break, Ichin scrolled through his post's replies and came across this comment.

"Of course," he thought to himself, "there are always some sharp thinkers out there." The deduction was spot-on.

However, Ichin refrained from liking or replying to the comment. Due to their agreement with Nintendo, he couldn't leak any additional details.

Afterward, Ichin decided not to post any further updates, letting the online discussion run wild. Meanwhile, he calmly continued working on Slay the Spire.

As his first solo-developed game, Ichin was determined not to let it end on a bad note. He fully intended to update it to a complete, polished version.

---

Two days later, after Umiko installed the Hollow Knight demo on six Nintendo Switch consoles, she announced with barely contained excitement, "The demo version is ready! Anyone who wants to test the Switch version can start now."

"Yay! I want to play!"

Sakura Nene, quick to act, grabbed one of the consoles. She immediately launched the game and entered the demo.

"Aoba, Aoba! Let's have a competition! Let's see who can clear the demo first. Loser buys the winner bubble tea!"

Aoba hesitantly picked up another Switch, lacking confidence. "Ugh... Do we have to? I'm not very good at action games."

At that moment, Ichin joined the conversation, smiling. "How about letting me join? I'll compete with you, Nene. Didn't you always say you're a pro at games?"

"No way!"

To everyone's surprise, Sakura Nene rejected the offer outright, clutching her Switch protectively.

"I'll compete with anyone, but not you, Ichin! You're the game's producer, so you're definitely amazing at it. Why else would you want to compete? This is just asking to lose!"

"Ah, busted. Well, I guess there's no helping it," Ichin said, feigning defeat with a chuckle.

Ichin smiled as he patted Aoba's shoulder encouragingly. "Aoba, it's up to you now. Try to beat Nene!"

"I-I'll do my best," Aoba replied hesitantly.

Besides Nene and Aoba, Yagami Kō, Shinoda Hajime, Narumi, and Hifumi also grabbed Nintendo Switch consoles to test the demo. Meanwhile, the others focused on the PC version.

Seated next to Ichin in front of a computer, Utaha held a controller in her hands. She stared at the little protagonist on the screen, frowning. "Ichin, I'm not good at games like this."

After learning that Hollow Knight was a Metroidvania-style game, Utaha had tried playing one of the genre's pioneers, Metroid. However, she found it incredibly difficult. Refusing to give up, she also tried two Castlevania games from the GBA era, but she struggled just as much, constantly getting defeated.

Gently pinching Utaha's cheek, Ichin reassured her, "It's okay. Just give it a shot. Hollow Knight is easier than those older games. Plus, it has a healing mechanic. While the demo's monster placements are slightly more challenging than in the full version, their attack patterns are pretty simple. Once you get used to it, you'll be fine. Don't stress. Go ahead and start."

Encouraged by Ichin's words, Utaha nodded and guided the character forward, breaking obstacles along the way.

The difficulty in the game was designed to increase gradually. Ichin would never throw something overly challenging at the player right from the start—that kind of treatment was reserved for developing Dark Souls.

With Ichin's guidance, Utaha managed to get past the first few enemies with ease.

After healing her character, Utaha let out a sigh of relief and said, "It's actually simpler than I expected. The combat feels smooth, and the controller's vibration is implemented nicely. Ichin, are you planning to adapt the game to fully utilize the Nintendo Switch's HD Rumble feature?"

"Oh, that. I do want to integrate it eventually, but for now, the priority is finishing the game. After release, we'll look into it and, if it's feasible, include the adaptation in a future update."

Utaha nodded and continued playing.

After defeating some minor enemies and passing through a few areas, Utaha finally encountered an elite enemy placed further ahead: the Husk Guard.

Seeing the enormous creature that dwarfed her character in size, Utaha froze, her expression stiffening.

"I have to fight this already?"

Ichin chuckled beside her. "Don't worry. It's not too hard. Just watch its attack patterns carefully. Even if you die the first time, it's okay—you just passed a save point. It'll only take a couple of steps to get back here."

Ichin's reasoning made sense, so Utaha hesitantly moved her character closer to Husk Guard.

As soon as she got within range, Husk Guard sprang to life. Letting out a thunderous roar, it hoisted its massive, fang-like weapon and leapt high into the air, aiming to stomp down on the protagonist.

In the original version, Husk Guard didn't have a jumping attack. But after Ichin suggested it, Hajime added this move. Now, the early-game elite enemy had three attacks instead of the original two: a weapon slam, a ground shockwave, and the new jumping stomp.

When Husk Guard leapt into the air, Utaha panicked and tried to make her character jump back. Unfortunately, the timing was off, and her character got clipped by the attack, sent flying.

Barely recovering in time to counterattack, Utaha saw Husk Guard raise its weapon again. With a loud thud, it smashed her character, landing another hit.

Before she could land a single blow, Husk Guard pummeled her character repeatedly until she was defeated.

"Well, that happened…" Utaha muttered, putting down the controller in defeat.

...

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