At first, I thought about providing an update for my first game.
It was one of the things that had been requested the most by the comments on Dock. I could add things like new rooms, new environments, and new soundtracks. It would, in general, make the game a little more playable, but that wouldn't change the fundamental problem of the game.
It was repetitive.
Yes, 'A regular day in the office' was an extremely repetitive game with a basic plotline and one simple goal, which was to get out of the infinite loop.
In other words, it was a game that had a short lifespan.
Just one quick look at the analytics, and I could see that the sales were already plummeting to a level where what I'd get would be considered spare change.
That was why I had no other choice but to start a new project.
I was also confident this time.
"...I didn't experience everything that I did for nothing."
Combining all of my recent experiences, I now had a better idea of how to develop my new game. From storyline to the mechanics.
I got to work quickly, booting up the [Game Developer Mode] and loading up the new interface.
Already somewhat accustomed to the interface, I was able to navigate it without a problem and started a new project.
The core concept of the game was simple.
I wanted to create something similar to what I had experienced with the Twisted Man.
In a way, I wanted the people playing the game to experience the same sense of helplessness that I had felt when encountering the Twisted Man. I wanted them to feel the same sense of despair and fear.
I wanted them to really struggle to clear the game.
"...And in order to do that, I need to trick them into making the wrong move. Just like the Twisted Man."
I still shuddered while thinking about the experience.
The fact that I could even sleep despite what had happened was a miracle. However, with all the recent experience, I had grown a little numb to everything.
...And it wasn't like I was one to get much sleep anyway. These days, four hours was considered a good day for me.
"For the mechanics, should I do something like the voice cloning the Twisted Man did?"
My mind churned with all sorts of thoughts and ideas.
Replicating something like that wasn't too difficult.
'I can set up the game to record a person's voice, forcing them to speak. With how well developed AI is right now, setting up a system where the user needs to interact directly shouldn't be too difficult.'
But that was a little complicated to set up.
I could do it, but it could take me quite some time. Especially when taking into account the fact that the coding required for this game was going to be a lot more complicated and difficult.
'I can also make it movement-based, or eye-based... So any movement might trigger the monster, or the direction of where one is looking might trigger the monster. So if they take their eyes away from it, then it will attack.'
Yes, the second idea felt a little more feasible than the first.
The coding would also be a lot simpler.
But...
"Ugh."
Rubbing the back of my head, I felt it throb.
Even though this was a lot simpler, it didn't take away from the fact that it wasn't easy.
Thankfully, the new interface did make things easier to program, but it would still take at least a month for me to fully develop the game that I wanted.
Especially if I wanted to add a storyline.
That was a must in order to get people to play and stick to the game instead of tossing it away after a few hours of gameplay.
There were also other things that I needed to take into consideration. Like the rating of the game. What sort of rating was I looking for?
One star...?
"Creating a one-star game shouldn't be difficult, but creating a two-star...?"
Was I even capable of creating such a game?
No, the better question was, did I have to make such a game? Wasn't one-star enough? It wasn't like I could create a second-start game in the first place. There was also no quest that directly told me to make a two-star game.
In that case, was it necessary for me to make a two-start game?
It wasn't...
At least, that was what I thought at first. However, thinking about it more deeply, I realized that it was necessary for me to do so.
"Right, making a two-star game will increase my reach."
Regular people weren't the only people who existed in this world.
In fact, a majority of the people had some sort of connection to the gates. They were all less prone to horror or thrill, and in order to affect them, a one-star rating was probably not going to be enough.
In order to pull them, I needed to make it at least two stars.
"I also don't have to worry about it being too scary since the game will adjust accordingly to the person playing the game."
This alleviated a lot of my worries. Knowing that I didn't have to worry about making the game too scary, I knew that I could go all out.
And I did just that.
For the next hour, I began setting up the game. From the script, to the design, and the layout of the setting.
Everything was going smoothly until my eyes fell on a certain section.
[Developer Store]
I had been so immersed in my work that I didn't even notice the sudden section on the bottom right of the screen.
Developer Store?
I raised my brow, confused by the setting. I was almost certain it wasn't there before. I knew because I had played a lot with the software.
So... it was a new feature?
Curious, I pressed on it, and immediately after, a massive window popped up on my screen.
"Holy shit!"
─────
[Sentient Guide]
Type/Software
Function: A friendly-sounding voice that gives the player tips, encouragement, or warnings — but it's actually observing. It can see expressions and thoughts.
Effect: Breaks the fourth wall softly. Makes the game feel alive or corrupted — primes the player for unexpected behavior.
Rating : ★★★ [3.0]
Price : 95,000 SP
[Memory Leak]
Type/Software
Function: Makes the player forget several things on occasion, like the placement of certain objects, or the presence of the monster that is right behind them.
Effect: Psychological unease. Creates paranoia — "Was that door always open?" or "Didn't I already come this way?"
Rating : ★★ [2.0]
Price : 41,000 SP
[Whispering Fog]
Type/Software
Description: A visual effect — fog that appears in certain areas and carries whispering voices that mention the player's previous actions or thoughts.
Effect: Implies the game is observing the player. The whispers could escalate over time, repeating things the player shouldn't have said out loud.
Rating :★⯪ [1.5]
Price : 19,000 SP
─────
Just one glimpse of the first three items was enough to make me salivate.
This was...
"Crazy."
I could practically feel myself shuddering at the thought of games containing just some of the effects of the software that was available for the games. If the recording was already good, then this... The possibilities were endless.
...And the fact that it couldn't be detected by others was even better.
But there was only one issue.
The price.
...It was ridiculously high.
"Hah."
I covered my face with both hands while staring at my bank account. Seeing the long string of numbers and then the store, I sighed once more.
"I'm going to be poor, aren't I?"