The world of game development is a world filled with unique tales and personal stories. And we’re not just talking about the wide range of endlessly creative projects that see the light of day on a daily basis, but also the brilliant minds that will these titles into existence. Our series of game developer interviews began with a simple goal in mind: to introduce you to some of the most wonderfully creative people of the industry, and to learn a bit about their personal experiences and perspectives while working in this field.
It’s shaping up to be an exciting journey, and we’d love to have you along for the ride – so, without further ado, let’s dive right in.
Our latest interview explores the combination of two genres: The Silent Kingdom blends the elements of otome games with the fundamentals of the classic, retro-style JRPG. The project was brought to life by solo developer Lucky Cat, who’s been kind enough to have a brief chat with us about the ups and downs of making such an ambitious project on her own.
First things first: could you please introduce yourself for our readers?
Hello! I’m Lucky Cat, a girl from Spain (Europe). This is my first professional game, so I’m still learning, but making games is something I’ve loved since I was a little kid.
We understand you’ve been working tirelessly on The Silent Kingdom as a passion project of sorts, and we ourselves have really enjoyed what we’ve played of its Early Access version. What initially gave you the idea to develop your very own otome game that also happens to be a JRPG, and what were the primary influences that led to its creation?
The Silent KingdomPlatform: WindowsGenre: Adventure, RPGDeveloper: Lucky CatPublisher: Lucky CatRelease: 02/18/2025I’m happy you’re enjoying the story so far! I’m working every day on the next half of the game, and I really can’t wait to show everyone where the journey is going. I admit I’ve always felt a bit frustrated that my ideal game didn’t exist. On one hand, I loved highly interactive RPG experiences like Dragon Age Origins. On the other, I’ve always been much more fond of Japanese games aesthetics, character designs, and stories. Since no one was giving me what I truly craved, I decided that I’d have to make it myself. The idea of making my dream game sounded like a lot of fun, as making games is something I naturally enjoy.
What inspired you to get into game development?
I don’t think there was one thing in particular. Manga and games are things I’ve enjoyed since I was a little kid, so I always felt a need to create them myself. Creating stories through art feels very magical to me; it’s what my brain craves.
What would you say has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to face while working on your game?
Actually, everything has been a challenge since I didn’t even know how to publish my game on Steam at first hahaha. I’ve had to figure many things out on the go. One of the biggest challenge that comes to mind is the character battle animations. I’m not a professional animator, so I had no idea of what I was doing. Before learning about the Clip Studio animation tool, I tried to make the first animation blindly. I spent a whole week repeating it again and again, but the results were so bad that for the first time I wondered if I had to give up. This task felt bigger than me, an impossible step. However, I’m very stubborn and ended up figuring out how to use the animation tool in Clip Studio, which helps me preview the animation flow. That alone was a huge change and I could finally draw the animations in a satisfying way. They were still difficult, but I felt they were no longer beyond my skills.
What is the one thing that you believe every game developer should be aware of?
Ummm… I guess the dangers of choosing a publisher? Generally speaking, you’re the person who will care the most about your project, so be careful and don’t let others ruin it. (Assuming you’re an indie dev and have a saying on it).
In your opinion, what is needed for a game to be recognized by the gaming public? What will make people pay attention to the project?
Oh, if you ask me, I personally like games that seem to have a soul (and that cater to my personal tastes, of course). So if people who share your tastes find your game and you poured passion into your project, they’ll notice it. I think the result might be unique and fun, and at least people who enjoy that genre will feel that it’s a good game. That’s what I think!
Do you have any words for aspiring game developers?
What I always recommend is to make something you’re truly passionate about, something you truly enjoy yourself. If you’re the target audience of your own game, you’ll likely have good ideas for it. Also, your love and inspiration for the game will be your energy fuel when working on it for a long time.
If you could go back in time, what would you tell your past self? Is there anything you’d do differently?
There are a couple things I’d do differently. I’d try to give my work more value in the Kickstarter campaign, since some tiers made me lose money considering what they actually cost me :'(. And another issue I can’t talk about, since it involves a contract hahaha.
Finally, could you tell our readers where they can follow you and your work if they’d like to stay up to date with any future developments?
I always post development news on X and Steam ^^
If you haven’t already, check out our previous episode, where we interviewed The Wild Gentlemen, the team behind the Chicken Police games!
