Hi, it’s Julian here! I’m super honored that I was able to join an interview with Robert Allen from Tech-Gaming to talk more about Shujinkou. The interview goes over turning a college-era concept into a full JRPG, building a remote team from thousands of applicants, and balancing a story-first dungeon crawler with optional language-learning systems.
It’s a very meaty interview—it also covers the trilogy’s structure, the Akuma concept in Genya, why Sabaku shifts focus, the 158-track OST, hard-won production lessons, and how player feedback shaped recent updates. Read the full interview below:
A few highlights
- From idea to JRPG: origin at age 19, first prototype in GameMaker, full rebuild in Unity, and years of solo implementation across interlocking systems.
- Team & process: Over 3,500 applications reviewed across 3 years; Discord + Asana workflow; lesson learned on late QA in 2023.
- Narrative approach: character-driven DRPG leaning toward Persona Q/Etrian Odyssey Untold vibes; fixed protagonists instead of class jobs; six nations mapped out.
- Series vision: Genya centers on language-eating Akuma; Sabaku tackles a different conflict; trilogy culminates with Law/Chaos/Neutral endings.
- Scope & music: massive content plan with a 158-track OST by a multi-composer team; live players featured; tracks for Parts 2 and 3 already in progress. Learn more about our extremely talented music team here.
- Learning systems: language mechanics had to enhance gameplay and be fully optional; design avoided copying other JRPGs.
- Post-launch support: QoL passes (quest limits, town quick travel, shop item unification, faster sprint/camera, language toggles), continued iteration from community feedback.
- Reality check: indie marketing remains challenging; hands-on triage of bugs and hotfixes; platform processes learned by doing.
- Future outlook: Part 2 heads to a snowy, futuristic metropolis; ongoing improvements to UI, art cohesion, and accessibility.