'Yomawari' was a horror game where strange and terrifying things awakened at night. Now, its development team has headed to a sun-drenched rural village. 'Silent Countryside Garden Story' is a peaceful life simulator where you farm, raise livestock, and mingle with villagers. However, hidden beneath that tranquility are the village's inexplicable rules and something that can only be encountered in the dead of night.

'Silent Countryside Garden Story,' which embraces the dual, conflicting faces of healing and horror, will be released on July 30. On the 7th, I met with Yu Mizokami of Nippon Ichi Software in Tokyo. In a calm voice, he shared the behind-the-scenes story of how a team known for horror games managed to depict an idyllic rural life.

From the motivation behind the genre shift to the 8-to-2 ratio of life simulation to horror, the division of roles with co-developer Mio Katsumata, and the 'Peaceful Life Mode' that removes the scares—we covered a wide range of topics to give you a glimpse of the game before its launch.

Q. This game belongs to a different lineage than 'Yomawari.' What was the motivation for switching to a rural life simulator? Also, what do you consider to be the unique color of your development staff.

"The initial motivation for creating this life simulator was the desire to use the know-how gained from 'Yomawari' to create a new work in a different genre. Among the options, we chose a life simulator.

Of course, we were aware that this idyllic atmosphere and the horror genre are quite far apart. However, we also judged that we could make it work, thinking there might be a surprisingly familiar feel to it. At the very least, the rural setting was a great fit for both healing and horror, so we decided to take on the challenge.

In terms of know-how, since 'Yomawari' was a quarter-view game, we thought this perspective would also be a good fit for a life simulator, which encouraged us to try it.

Q. In a past interview, you mentioned a 8-to-2 ratio between life simulation and horror. Was this ratio decided from the early stages of development? Or did you adjust the direction as development progressed, judging that fans of 'Yomawari' would expect horror?

"The 8-to-2 ratio was decided from the very beginning of development. I felt that if we broke this down, we would waver during the process, so we defined it clearly at the start.

We have been talking about it in various ways during this promotion, but that is because the period from the title announcement to the release has been quite long—nearly a year and a half. We decided to change the message we convey in our promotions depending on the timing, so we tried various approaches.

The reason we recently started saying 'we worked hard on the life simulation part' is that if we only spoke jokingly like we did at the beginning of the promotion, we would end up releasing a mysterious game with no clear identity. That wouldn't be good, so to let fans know what kind of game this is, we are emphasizing that 'we worked properly and hard on the life simulation part' and explaining 'this is what the horror part is like.'

Q. A question about the story. The word 'village' brings to mind an isolated, exclusive rural area. Where did you draw inspiration for the story.

"Since we had to include horror elements in this work, it was decided in advance that the story would be set in an exclusive rural village.

Also, in Japan, there is what you might call 'occult-style rural horror,' which has been a trend. We thought it would be easier to convey the scenario and content of this game to players if we used this type of village setting.

However, we calculated that if we just did a standard occult rural story, it would end up being cliché, so we wondered what would happen if we mixed in life simulation and mundane elements. The ideas we thought would be interesting were added, resulting in the current form.

Q. What was the most difficult part of incorporating two genres into one work.

"We knew from the start that users who like life simulators are often not good with horror, so we were careful not to let the vividness or repulsiveness of the horror elements stand out too much. We aimed to ensure it wouldn't be perceived as 'unpleasant' rather than just 'scary.'

Also, things like zombies attacking or blood splattering didn't fit the atmosphere of this work, so we basically excluded them.

Since I've been making games like 'Yomawari,' I like to surprise or play pranks on players, so I keep wanting to do that. But Mio Katsumata, who worked with me, stopped me, saying that if we do too much of that, users will get tired of it, so we found a middle ground together.

Q. Your previous works, such as 'Yomawari' and 'Mad Rat Dead,' are famous for their intense and unique themes. I'm curious about the motivation behind planning a peaceful rural genre.

"As a result of looking for a new game that could utilize the know-how of 'Yomawari,' we thought a life simulator would be a good match, so we chose this.

In addition, horror has conflicting elements—healing parts and tense parts—and I thought this matched quite well with the tension and relaxation often called 'sugar' in horror.

I wondered what it would be like if we could sneak in something bad while the player's guard was down from the life simulation, reminding them, 'Oh right, this is that kind of game.' I thought it was a chance to provide an experience or expression not found in other games, so I took on the challenge.

Also, from a promotional perspective, I thought it would be an interesting narrative if I, who used to make horror games like 'Yomawari,' suddenly started making an idyllic life simulator, which was another reason I took the challenge.

Q. In farm management or slow-life genres, it's common to build various relationships by interacting with residents and raising affinity, but the atmosphere here seems different. I'm curious about how much interaction with the residents is prepared. Also, if possible, please let us know if there are any romance elements.

"It is possible to deepen your relationship with residents in this game. However, there is a special point. Since it is a 'Silent Countryside Garden Story,' everyone has secrets, and they are revealed as you get closer to them. Unlike typical life simulators, the scenario is designed to uncover the true nature of the person as you get to know them.

Regarding romance elements for the protagonist, since the protagonist is a child, there are no serious romance elements prepared. However, conversely, we have prepared events such as being invited to a meal after becoming close, or using the fact that you are a child as an excuse to have a sleepover. I think this is a quite rare situation in similar genres.

It's a story that could only be told because the protagonist is a child. I hope players enjoy the life simulation experience of being treated like a child by the residents

.

Q. Could you share any experiences or episodes where you adjusted ideas to keep the balance between the two genres.

"Regarding the division of roles between me and Katsumata, I was in charge of the horror side. Katsumata is someone who really loves life simulators, so she mainly oversaw the life simulation aspects. That's how the two of us directed the game.

My ideas are very extreme, so I would often try to include situations like killing something for the sake of the content. Whenever I tried to do that, Katsumata would stop me. She explained that in terms of life simulation, taking away what the player has built up is fundamentally wrong.

I have often used direction where the more precious something is—like a resident the player has become close to, or vegetables or livestock they have raised—the more I take it away. So, when I asked, 'Can I kill this off?', Katsumata would often say, 'Absolutely not' (laughs).

There were parts where I went too far, and parts that needed to be done for the game to be itself. We agreed that if we were going to do something like that, we had to properly compensate the player afterward. Otherwise, the game experience as a life simulator would be damaged. In that way, Katsumata balanced the two pillars of horror and life simulation.

Q. A question about art and music. What influences did you have in expressing the game's unique nature.

"During 'Yomawari,' our policy and insistence were to make sound effects and footsteps as realistic and tangible as possible to express reality. Since the same sound director is involved in this work, we were able to properly carry over that insistence on footsteps and other sounds.

However, what is significantly different from 'Yomawari' is the presence of BGM in addition to sound effects. Life simulators are games that you play for long periods or continuously. So, we prepared a large number of tracks so players wouldn't get tired of them. I asked for them to be produced as true 'background music'—something that doesn't grate on the ears but occasionally makes you stop and listen. The music changes depending on the time of day and season, so I hope players will discover that while playing.

In terms of technology, the biggest change from 'Yomawari' is the inclusion of a daytime part. In 'Yomawari,' we couldn't express things like the light during the day. It wasn't that we didn't need to, but it was frustrating that we couldn't. So, we focused quite a bit on that in this work. We were able to properly draw the sunlight falling on the map and the sunlight filtering through the leaves, so I hope you pay attention to the beauty and clarity of the screen.

Q. What was the atmosphere like among the development team when making this work? Even though it contains horror elements, it depicts a peaceful atmosphere different from before, so I imagine the developers felt differently as well.

"I get asked this often: 'Isn't the development environment dark or grim when making horror games?' But I think it's actually the opposite.

When making horror games or horror parts, the developers' mindset is closer to playing a prank on the player. We think about how happy we'll be if we surprise them and they go 'Agh!', so we actually make it in a lively, friendly atmosphere.

We tried a new challenge with the life simulation side this time, but the work is almost the same as when making horror. We make it, play it, test play it, see the reactions, and adjust the parts where we think, 'It would be scarier if we did it more like this.' Since there are many elements in the life simulation side, we tried making it first, played it, and paid a lot of attention to whether the mechanics worked properly and if there were any awkward or uncomfortable parts. We actually made both the horror parts and the life simulation parts with the same mindset.

The development process was enjoyable and lively for both. I had only made dark games, so I was very happy to be able to create bright screens.

Q. There is a 'Peaceful Life Mode' where you can enjoy only the life simulation without horror elements. Why did you decide to provide this mode in a work where horror is the main focus? Also, what kind of experience do you want for players who enjoy all elements versus those who only enjoy the Peaceful Life Mode? There is also a reaction asking, 'Is it a game scary enough to need such a mode?' I'd like to hear your thoughts on that.

"The Peaceful Life Mode was not originally planned. However, while developing it, it became a title that could be enjoyed sufficiently with just the life simulation part.

I think many life simulation users are not good with horror. I thought it was a shame that such players couldn't play freely because of the horror. So, we included the Peaceful Life Mode to allow more players to play.

However, even in this Peaceful Life Mode, there are times when you have the opportunity to encounter the village's mysterious atmosphere or the secrets it holds. So, we designed it so that if you play the Peaceful Life Mode, you might become curious about the main mode and want to try it.

Players who play in the main mode can fully enjoy the concept we envisioned from the beginning: living in an occult village. I hope players of the Peaceful Life Mode will also definitely enjoy this side.

To add one thing, as I mentioned earlier, we originally intended to have only the main mode, so we made it so it wouldn't be too grotesque or overly surprising. So, I hope players who think they can only play the Peaceful Life Mode, or who are afraid that it will be scary if they don't play that mode, won't be too afraid and will enjoy it.

Q. I'm curious about how you conceived and adopted the two systems of life simulation and horror. Also, I'd like to know if it's possible to play by utilizing both farming and exploring the village's secrets.

"We had the idea of increasing the degree of freedom. There might be players who are curious about the scenario and don't want to do any life simulation at all. Conversely, there might be players who are curious about the life simulation and find it difficult to have the scenario progress rapidly. We thought such opinions would arise, so we deliberately made it so the life simulation and the main scenario are not strictly intertwined.

In other words, we eliminated as much as possible things like 'if you don't prepare this by this day, the main scenario won't progress' or 'because there is a main scenario, you can't do anything in the life simulation from here to here.

So, if you want to progress the main scenario today, you can, and if you want to aim only for farming, you can play that way. For example, the tutorial occurs, so you have to see it in terms of content. But after that, it is technically possible to play only the main scenario without doing any farming at all.

Q. There are rules in the village within the work, and it seems to be a work with a high degree of freedom where players can break them depending on the player. If so, it looks like a multi-ending method where the ending changes according to subtle structures and conditions, rather than a linear scenario like the 'Yomawari' series. Is this correct?

"It's a little different. It's a flow where bad things happen if you break the rules by the player's will. However, it is basically a linear scenario. It is not a game with many ending patterns depending on your actions.

However, if you ask if it's a multi-ending, there are branches. I would appreciate it if you could check where it branches while playing. I would be grateful if you could convey that it's that kind of game.

Q. What is the play time? And since it's a farming simulator, I'm curious if there are any replayability elements.

"I think it will take about 50 to 60 hours to reach the final ending of the main scenario.

However, a life simulator is something where the player decides the timing of clearing the game, or rather, I think it's something you play until you are satisfied. Considering that, I think you can easily play for about 100 hours if you include the replayability elements.

Q. What kind of mechanisms have you provided systematically so that busy modern people can feel rest, recovery, and vitality without feeling fatigue within the game.

"Ultimately, we are making it as a title that emphasizes freedom. We kept in mind to make it so that whatever the day—a day you want to progress the main story, or a day you only want to do farming or room decorating—it can be done by the player's will.

In terms of a sense of accomplishment, there are a huge number of hidden quests. For example, common things like doing something a certain number of times. When these are achieved, a notification pops up and you receive a reward. We made it so you can play continuously without gaps by achieving them one after another.

Q. Seasonal changes, village events, and dinner invitations seem to create peace through a sense of season and community bonds. What part did you put the most effort into to create an atmosphere where the space of Kagatsu Village itself seems alive.

"First of all, we mainly included things that could gain empathy, like 'this definitely exists.' Conversely, we were careful not to do things like 'this situation would never happen.' This was mainly in the life aspect.

The houses are like that, and the graphic expression is like that. We created designs or events from things we've seen somewhere or things that actually exist. That is what we were careful about. We had a desire for players to perceive Kagatsu Village as real, so we were obsessed with reality.

I paid special attention to the rural feel of the daily life part and the Japanese rural feel because I am from the countryside myself. I was very conscious of making people who grew up in the countryside feel, 'Oh, this exists, this exists.' I'm not sure exactly how Korean players will feel, but I think the scenery is quite similar if it's in the Asian region, or the scenery that makes you feel nostalgic somewhere is the same. I hope you can feel it in that respect as well. And I would be very happy if you felt that nostalgia.

Q. There seem to be many Japanese yokai appearing. If there is a Japanese yokai you would like to introduce to Korean gamers, please introduce it.

"I'm not sure what kind of yokai Korean people know, so I don't know how it was translated, but there is something I found interesting while researching. In Korea, do you say 'The Mugunghwa has bloomed'? In Japan, we say 'The Daruma doll has fallen.'

There is a goblin-like creature with that as a motif, and I thought a lot about whether this part would be properly conveyed. Still, the cultural difference in that area was personally interesting.

I know there is a yokai called Dokkaebi in Korea. Like that Dokkaebi, we have prepared a lot of yokai that are not just scary, but have some affection, and the more you know them, the scarier but more likable they become. So, while living in Kagatsu Village, I would be happy if you could also like the suspicious Kagatsu Village and the dangerous yokai that appear in Kagatsu Village.

Q. Life simulation games played so far, such as 'Animal Crossing,' start by receiving a house and paying off debt when you first arrive in the village. Paying off debt can be an element of accomplishment in a sense, but some people feel burdened by that. What do players who arrive in this village do first.

"I also often felt a bit burdened by the part where the story progresses by having to deliver something in life simulators. So, we eliminated that as much as possible in this work.

Of course, there are parts where you have to attach materials appropriately for the sake of progress. But we eliminated those as much as possible.

At first, you have to go through some tutorials for the story to progress. But we made the tutorial itself unfold as naturally as possible within the story. So, it is designed so that you can naturally learn the controls or things to do just by reading the story.

I didn't think it would be good if the purpose was too tight. I don't know if it will be conveyed, but it is an introduction where you receive the vague purpose of 'becoming a member of the village' and see something as you work toward it. Since we made it that way, we are making it so it doesn't feel like much of a burden.

Q. It's finally being released this month, so please say a word to the Korean fans who are waiting for the release.

"'Silent Countryside Garden Story' was made as a game with a high degree of freedom and a wide range of possibilities. The focus will likely be on the life simulation part or the horror part, but this game is intertwined with many elements that have many facets. I think it will be interesting in each aspect as well.

The appearance of the yokai, the folkloric consideration of the village's history, etc. There is working efficiently in the life simulation mentioned earlier, and there is decorating the garden beautifully. There is also the human relationships in the main scenario and the part approaching the village's mystery. Since there are many characters, it is depicted quite like an ensemble drama, so I am sure every player will have their own favorite character.

I think the parts that each player finds most interesting will also be different. It's fine wherever the entrance is at first. Whether you are a player who wants to enjoy it as a horror game or a player who wants to enjoy it as a character game, the entrance is fine anywhere. Once you pick it up, I hope you find other good points of this game or places you like and find your own way of playing.

We are also happy to finally be able to deliver the game to players. We look forward to meeting you again in the game. We look forward to your various impressions.