At the latest Bilibili "You Xian Kan" event, an interesting simulation management game appeared—"Bai Ye Di Fu" (Hundred Nights Underworld), developed by Pixel Bay Game Studio. This title uses the Chinese underworld as its theme and follows the management game model of the "Theme" and "Two Point" series. Such a combination is quite rare in the domestic single-player industry, which is keen on developing "farming games."
However, although the game demo showcases part of the gameplay loop, as a product developed by an eight-person team over just five months, the currently displayed content is somewhat rudimentary. While traces indicate the development team has many interesting ideas, much remains to be verified.
After the demo session, we joined other media friends in interviewing the production team at Pixel Bay to learn more about the design philosophy behind "Bai Ye Di Fu."
Below is the full interview transcript:
Q: This game provides features for terrain height variation and customization. In previous shares, you mentioned this benefits players in customizing the appearance of their base. But for purely utilitarian players, how does this feature help? What guiding methods have you designed to encourage these players to utilize this function as well?
A: We designed terrain height variations not just for visual or aesthetic purposes, but to deeply integrate with the in-game physics system. For example, the "Steamer Hell" generates continuously rising hot steam; to utilize this high-temperature resource, players must build platforms and place corresponding facilities directly above the heat source. Additionally, airflow generated by certain terrain tiles can affect the movement paths of heat, smoke, and even souls. Given these mechanics, completely flattening the ground would actually reduce efficiency. In the future, we will provide procedural generation tools that allow players to instantly switch between various terrain shapes such as circular plateaus, cliffs, caves, and rocks. On top of free-form building placement, we will add experience-layer optimizations like smart snapping, angle fine-tuning, and height alignment, making terrain a true amplifier of management efficiency rather than an additional burden.
Q: What role will the Roguelike gameplay in the mortal realm play in the overall design?
A: The gameplay in the mortal realm will be more similar to the exploration mechanics in "Two Point Museum," but we will add some real-time operational elements. However, that is the extent of it; it will not be as heavy as a full Roguelike experience, nor will it interfere with the main management gameplay.
Q: Besides ordinary reincarnating souls, some golden souls appear in the game. How will these souls affect the gameplay?
A: Ordinary souls will reincarnate directly after completing their punishments. However, golden souls possess "Yin Longevity" (underworld lifespan), so they will live in the underworld for a period. Later, we will establish a Fengdu City within the base camp, and these golden souls will be its primary residents. They will have tangible living needs, such as clothing, food, housing, and transportation. Therefore, players need to construct corresponding living facilities to meet their demands.
Q: In the "Two Point" series, all spaces are basically designed based on rectangular grids, so players naturally plan buildings and layouts within this framework. In contrast, "Bai Ye Di Fu" uses a circular structure for its terrain. Why did the team choose this design? What kind of experience do you hope it brings to players in terms of gameplay?
A: The initial circular plateau stems from our visualization of the "first impression of Fengdu"—island clusters floating above the netherworld, and islands are naturally inclined towards circular shapes. However, these are just the initial states. Later, we will open up multi-form terrain templates, such as cliffs and caves, accompanied by a series of terrain assembly aids. We use a completely free spatial coordinate system because we do not want the existence of grids to limit players' adjustments to building layouts, allowing players to refine their construction to the greatest extent possible.
Q: Compared to the "Two Point" series, what will be the similarities and differences in the core drivers of the full version of this game?
A: Many designs are only partially shown in the current demo slice. We remain committed to maintaining the humor found in the "Two Point" series, incorporating character performances into the gameplay. For instance, when a judge on the trial platform discovers a serious offender, they might angrily slam the desk, jump onto the table to scold them finger-pointingly, or even rush down the steps to slap them. Similarly, if an underworld officer lacks sufficient skill while brewing Meng Po's soup, they might genuinely slip and fall off the ladder. This leads into our underworld officer training gameplay: each officer has their own skills, salary requirements, and raise wishes. Players can nurture them in various ways to enhance their work capabilities and improve the overall operational efficiency of the underworld.
On another note, we will add many random events and story events in the full version. These events may be interconnected. For example, if players meet certain standards to make a lotus bloom, it might attract Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva to visit. If an event like "The True and False Monkey King" occurs at this time, it could help resolve the crisis.
Q: In the current demo slice, gold coins rely heavily on punishment outputs. How will this aspect be expanded in the full version?
A: Currently, the entire economic gameplay is far from complete and remains in a relatively basic state. In the subsequent full release, we will significantly expand the sources of underworld currency (Mingbi). Besides punishments, players will also be able to earn Mingbi through challenges, tasks, and achieving certain milestones.
Furthermore, in our internal discussions, we believe that producing underworld currency through entertainment facilities in Fengdu City could make the game more interesting, though these designs are still in progress. We hope the game's numerical balance can cycle more smoothly without being excessive. After all, we aim for this to be a light casual game, similar to electronic bonsai titles, and do not wish to put significant pressure on players to focus solely on earning money.
Q: This game uses the Chinese underworld as its theme, but some concepts may be difficult for many players, especially overseas audiences, to understand. What kind of guidance will the game include to help players grasp these ideas?
A: Cultural export is indeed one of our goals, but we do not wish to force concepts upon players through text alone. Therefore, we prefer to organically integrate certain concepts into specific gameplay mechanics through collections, storylines, and quests. This approach ensures that both domestic and overseas players can have a higher acceptance of the underlying historical and cultural context.