Hi there! It’s Julian Rice here. I was recently able to participate in IndieGameBusiness®’s official podcast! 🎙️
In the episode, I talk to CEO of Powell Group Jay Powell about the long and inspiring journey of bringing Shujinkou™ to life, from debuting the project at the 2019 Tokyo Game Show to navigating a failed Kickstarter, coordinating a global team, and ultimately launching an ambitious, critically acclaimed JRPG with integrated language-learning mechanics.
A big thank you to IndieGameBusiness® for hosting and giving us the opportunity to share our story with their audience. If you’ve ever dreamed of building and shipping your own game, this episode is full of insights and lessons you won’t want to miss.
Here’s the video description:
In this episode of IndieGameBusiness® we’re joined by Julian Rice, Founder and CEO of Rice Games Inc, to talk about the long, challenging, and inspiring journey of bringing Shujinkou to life. From showing the game at Tokyo Game Show in 2019 to navigating a failed Kickstarter, Julian shares how his team overcame obstacles and kept pushing forward.
We dive into the decision to shift from a 2D platformer to a 3D first-person dungeon crawler with integrated language learning mechanics, and what sets this apart from traditional educational or “edutainment” titles. Julian explains how the team managed development across seven time zones with over 20 part-time teammates, secured Sony and Nintendo development kits without publisher backing, and grabbed enough attention from critics to land Metacritic and OpenCritic scores, a rare feat for self-published indies.
We also talk about the biggest operational challenges, the future of the Shujinkou trilogy, and Julian’s advice for aspiring developers on both the creative and logistical sides of indie development. If you’ve ever dreamed of building and shipping your own game from the ground up, this episode is full of insights and lessons you won’t want to miss.
Major Section Timestamps (Linked)
- 0:21 – From Student to Founder: Julian’s Inspiring Game Industry Start
- 3:18 – From 2D Platformer to 3D Dungeon Crawler After Kickstarter Failure
- 6:29 – Overcoming Personal Tragedy and Splitting Shujinkou into a Trilogy
- 10:21 – The Crucial Lessons from a Failed Kickstarter Campaign
- 18:49 – How Shujinkou Integrates Japanese Language Learning Seamlessly
- 25:02 – The Challenges of Managing a Distributed Team Across Seven Time Zones
- 33:04 – How an Indie Secured Nintendo and Sony Development Kits
- 37:45 – Indie Marketing Strategies and Meeting Reviewers with Data
- 45:11 – Self-Taught Skills and Relentless Work Ethic
- 49:41 – Navigating Day One DLC and Post-Launch Content Updates
- 55:31 – The Ambitious Future of the Shujinkou Trilogy and IP Expansion
- 58:33 – Final Message on Indie Dev Perseverance and Confidence
Feel free to listen on Spotify and Apple Music below ⤵️
- 🔗 Spotify – Listen Here
- 🔗 Apple Music – Listen Here