It's no exaggeration to say that 《Serenity Fields》 is arguably Nippon Ichi Software's most anticipated game in recent years. Although this veteran Japanese game developer has always relied on various strange"creative" games, attracting players who resonate with its vibe, yet few games have sparked as much discussion among players upon announcement as 《Serenity Fields》.
Just how high was the discussion热度 for 《Serenity Fields》? Let's put it this way: less than a week after the game was announced last year, it appeared on almost all gaming-related social media platforms. Every passing player seemed compelled to comment on it, and even Nippon Ichi Software's president, Kenzo Saruhashi, personally wrote a letter thanking everyone for this unexpected surge in traffic.
Thank-you letter from President Saruhashi
As for what exactly made 《Serenity Fields》 receive such attention, we have to mention its awkward-looking"hypocritical facade".
When it first appeared at a Nintendo Direct, 《Serenity Fields》 billed itself as a relaxing, slow-paced farm simulation game. Players take on the role of a boy lost in the mountains who stumbles into a quiet, peaceful mountain village, thus beginning a leisurely pastoral life.
The game uses exquisite2D picture book style. It looks like this is just another cute, easy-to-play "Harvest Moon"-like game—
But players familiar with Nippon Ichi Software weren't buying it: With these controls, this visuals, and this music, isn't this just the usual style of Nippon Ichi's horror game series known for being"cute," the horror game series "Yomawari"? Who are you trying to fool by calling it a "slow-life farm management simulation game"?
Indeed, things unfolded just as many players expected. In the information revealed over the following year, 《Serenity Fields》 gradually revealed its true nature—a life simulation game with horror elements, and the village players stumble into seems to harbor some unspeakable, terrifying secrets...
Earlier this month, at the invitation of our old friend Clouded Leopard Entertainment, we went to Tokyo to participate in a demo event featuring several games. At this event, Clouded Leopard brought many unreleased games, including this highly discussed and gimmicky 《Serenity Fields》.
After briefly experiencing the pastoral life in the game, we were also fortunate enough to meet the producer of this game, and alsoMs. Yu Uemizu, producer of the "Yomawari" series—through our interview with her, we finally uncovered the game's "deceptive," yet ultimately transparent true nature.
Ms. Yu Uemizu
Below is the original text of this interview:
Q:《Serenity Fields》 specifically arrangedednamed“Peaceful Life Mode"game mode, was this mode planned from the middle of development, orbecauselate-stage testinginsome people reportedgame“too scary"added later?
Uemizu:Actually, there was initially no plan to add this mode. However, it wasn't added because we received feedback saying it was "too scary."
The reason for adding this mode is that during development, we found the life simulation part itself to be very rich and interesting. We thought that players who enjoy life simulations might not be good with horror elements, and it would be a pity if they couldn't play this game due to the horror aspects.
To allow more people to experience this work, we decided to implement "Peaceful Life Mode." Because of this, compared to the "Yomawari" series which focuses on scares and survival, this game has deliberately toned down its horror presentation.
Q: Can playersFrom the start of the gametoends,all use“Peaceful Life Mode"? Also,during gameplayfreely switch modes midwayswitchmode? Fromdevelopment teamperspectivefrom the perspective, whetherdue to the modedifferent,andmiss outimportantgame content?
Uemizu:First, it should be clarified that modes cannot be switched midway through gameplay. When creating a save file, players must choose between "Peaceful Life Mode" and "Horror Life Mode."
and“Peaceful Life Mode" is essentially not a mode for "experiencing the story," but rather prepared for players who "just want to enjoy the life simulation part." Therefore, it doesn't have any exclusive storylines or endings. However, to avoid misunderstanding, I'd like to add one point—there are story endings in "Peaceful Life Mode," but the game doesn't end after clearing them. After all, it's still a life simulation game, and life simulation games should allow players to play until they're satisfied. Thus, we made it a mode where you can continue playing at your own pace, allowing you to enjoy pastoral life as you wish.
Q:So,“Peaceful Life Mode"isan option setting,but after making a choiceanyactionsneitherwillagainunexpected incidents occur; you neither break village rules nor trigger bad endings?
Uemizu:Yes, that's exactly it.
However, we never intended to include "Bad Ends," so players can rest assured and manage their farms without worry.In“In "Peaceful Life Mode," violations of village rules do not occur, and most terrifying events are excluded. For those who truly struggle with horror and just want to enjoy pastoral life and simulation, choosing "Peaceful Life Mode" will surely be enjoyable.
Tracing back to its roots, the design philosophy of this game is—as long as players don't actively do things they shouldn't, nothing terrible will happen. This is the basic rule for horror events in this game. So, as long as you follow the village rules and live peacefully, you can enjoy a tranquil life. This setting also applies in Normal Mode—as long as you don't break the village rules, you won't encounter strange occurrences.
Q:Although《Serenity Fields》 inpromotionmore onemphasizedaytimewhen'sheartwarmingdaily life, butactualonyou can still seethe protagonist beingvariousmonsterschase'stropes. Since this gameNo matter if it's ingameplayor atmosphereonalland"Yomawari"The series hassimilarities,So why specifically choose to developIP, rather thancontinue"Yomawari"series?Additionally, this gameand"Yomawari"series inworldviewexist in terms ofdirect connection,or is thisis aacompletelyindependentnew story?
Mizogami:"Tranquil Pastoral" is essentially a life simulation game, so it is a completely independent work from "Yomawari."
The original concept for this game was to "use the development experience and technology from the 'Yomawari' series to create a brand new work." Therefore, there is basically no connection between the two in terms of worldview. However, since the development team is the same one behind "Yomawari," some of the essence of "Yomawari" might naturally seep into the game.
Q:"Yomawari"'sinspired by a personwalking onnighttime ruralpathsfear when, and 《tranquil countryside》also combinesedwarm and peaceful'spastorallifeandfolk horrorthese twocompletely different elements—May I ask,the initialcreative inspirationhow was itbornof? Indevelopment processin,teamhow do you balancefarm simulation andhorror explorationthese twodifferentgenresgameplayand atmosphere? Additionally, this game'sfocusIs it actuallyslow pastoral life, horror survival,or does it have both?
Mizogami:The development team recognized from the start that life simulation and horror are genres with huge differences. How to blend them was the biggest challenge this game had to face.
The solution we finally found can mainly be divided into two points.
The first is the setting—in this game, we designed a Japanese countryside called "Hitsuji Village," rich in natural resources yet retaining ancient customs. In such a story setting, the two elements don't feel forcibly stitched together. A countryside steeped in old traditions is suitable for life simulation and also fits well with horror elements. So,""Living in the Countryside" became the core concept of this game.
The second point is the ratio between the two—we decided from the outset on an 80/20 split, with 80% life simulation and 20% horror, and proceeded with development accordingly. Life simulation gameplay is the absolute core of this title. When players are immersed in rural life, they occasionally notice something unnatural around them, which forms the source of the game's eerie atmosphere.
But it's hard for me to say directly which is more important—The daytime parts and the nighttime parts only form the complete "Hitsuji Village Life" when combined. So, please understand those scary elements as "part of life" as well.
Q:"Yomawari"The development team for the series has alwaysknown for its small scale,There are rumors that the internal team only hasfive or six people,thenthis gamewhethermaintainedthis small but refined development model?
Mizogami:I'm quite surprised you know the number of developers on the "Yomawari" team. Because this game includes life simulation elements, the team size is about twice that of "Yomawari." Even so, compared to the general environment of modern game development, our headcount is still considered small—so, it can still be described as a "small but refined" model.
Q:As in the gamehorror elementsbyone by onerelease,development teamare there anynoticetowhatinteresting ormake peopleplayers who were deeply impressedfeedback?
Mizogami:Initially releasedPV and information,I heard quite a few players complain saying "Isn't this just a horror game?"or "Isn't this just Yomawari?"Actually, this reaction makes me quite happy. Because when we first designed the promotional direction, we aimed for this kind of reaction; you could even say we were "waiting to be complained about" from the start.
It is precisely because of the players' trust in our team that we dare to promote it this way. Additionally, I would like to take this opportunity to emphasize again—the media friends present today have also experienced parts of this work, and as you can see, "Serenity Farm" is indeed designed and developed as a life simulation game. I hope this message can also be conveyed to the players.
Q: Will the player's farm and daily lifesufferlosses? For example, will raised animals or planted cropssuffer losses? Additionally,Will the player themselves die or reach a bad ending due to contact with anomalies?
Mizogami:This is one of the parts we valued most during development.
The essence of life simulation games lies in the livestock, furniture, wealth, and villager affinity that players accumulate over time—we will absolutely not let these accumulated things disappear easily just for the sake of horror presentation.
Regarding this, there is one more point to explain: Our development structure is such that—I worked together with Producer Katsumata Mio to advance the game content, among whichI am responsible for the horror parts, while Katsumata is responsible for the life simulation parts. For the horror presentations I want to create, Katsumata helps judge "to what extent it is acceptable as a life simulation." For example, when I want to take away something precious from the player, Katsumata understands the necessity of the presentation and balances it by "providing equal compensation afterwards."In short, players will not suffer losses due to horror elements, nor will they encounterBad End, so please rest assured.
Q: Some unreasonable"instant death on first encounter",can be considered"Yomawari"representative elements of the series—in this work,Will you continue to use this design philosophy?
Mizogami:Since I am the producer of the "Yomawari" series, I believe that the design philosophy behind the horror presentation hasn't changed much in this work. However, I am also aware that the "one-hit kill" design in "Yomawari" is not friendly to players coming for a life simulation experience.
Therefore, this game will not have situations where "you die upon touching something once." The biggest difference in horror gameplay between the two is that "Serenity Farm" introduces the concepts of "HP" and "Stamina." Merely contacting an enemy once will not directly lead to a game over. Additionally,We have also prepared ways to increaseHP, and if you find the difficulty too high, you can strengthen yourself through these methods, gaining higher fault tolerance.
Q: Players of farming life simulators usually expect a high degree of freedom, such as building relationships with villagers and even developing long-term bonds like romance and family. What level of freedom does "Serenity Farm" offer in terms of daily life and interactions with villagers? How did the development team balance players' expectations for traditional life sims with the game's unique horror atmosphere?
Mizogami:The kind of interaction with villagers that everyone expects is basically achievable in this work—we have prepared systems for increasing affinity, becoming close, triggering events, etc.
However, the game has a very important setting: Bijin Village is an isolated village that is xenophobic, with its own circles and rules. As an outsider, the protagonist is difficult to be accepted at first. But as the player works for the village and gradually understands it, the villagers will slowly open up. If your relationship with them develops further, the "dark sides" hidden by the villagers may gradually surface before the player.
Therefore, for those players who want to uncover the villagers' secrets, we encourage everyone to continuously deepen their relationships with them. Perhaps because the proportion of female players in our testing was relatively high, everyone seems to have found their own "favorite character."
Q: "Serenity Farm"from"Yomawari"seriesinherit anything? And what was deliberately changed?
Mizogami:If we talk about what this work intentionally inherited from "Yomawari," itis the combination of hand-drawn warm texture and detailed realistic depiction of reality2D visual presentation. In this regard, we are very particular. What "Yomawari" hopes to bring to players is a feeling that is both nostalgic and fresh, making them think "I seem to have seen this scenery somewhere" or "Maybe this really exists in reality."
As for "Serenity Farm," the aspect that required deliberate changes was the passage of time and seasons. Since "Yomawari" has no daytime, we needed to newly represent bright times of day and the changing seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, which was a new challenge for us. In particular, we spent a lot of time adjusting the "daytime lighting representation" to make the game visuals look more vibrant and bright.
Q: How large is the scene scale of this work? Will there be any batch or automated farming devices added in the later stages of the game?
Mizogami:It's not easy to express the map scale with specific numbers. The in-game areas are roughly divided into three major parts: the base courtyard area, the mountain village area of Bijin Village itself, and the forest/mountain area. Notably, these areas are seamlessly connected—there are no loading screens, significantly improving convenience and gameplay experience. As the game progresses, players can obtain automated tools like sprinklers, skills to improve efficiency, and functions to move items between storage boxes. For thoseprone to feeling"inconvenient" aspects found in other life sims, this work has comprehensively improved them, and they will gradually unlock for players as the game progresses.
Q:"Yomawari"seriesIn previous titles, the protagonists were clearly defined as young girls, but in "Serenity Farm," the protagonist's appearance is customizable. Does this character have a specific background setting, or is it more oriented towards being a player avatar?
Mizogami:The protagonist of this work does have a certain background setting—I can't say much about this point, so please look forward to it. But more importantly, we place great emphasis on the protagonist as a "player avatar." In life simulation games, players naturally project their emotions onto the character, so we strive to make players feel attached to the character. Therefore, like other life simulation games, this title also offers very rich customization features.
Q: We noticed that on the character interface of the "Serenity Farm" official website, some characters' information is deliberately redacted, while others are not. What is the fundamental difference between them? In the game, how do players need to obtain the redacted information?
Mizogami:This information will naturally become clear as the game and story progress. However, please note one thing—characters marked in red are not necessarily "suspicious," and those not marked are not necessarily "not suspicious." We'll leave it for everyone to discover for themselves during actual gameplay.
Q: Can you reveal approximately how much of the game's main story belongs to"mandatory"horror exploration? After achieving the main ending, are there any more hidden sub-plots or secret areas?
Mizogami:The main storyline is closely linked to commission quests, so there will indeed be some scenes that must be explored during progression. Regarding hidden elements, the script itself has quite a bit of hidden content, but it's not the kind of hidden content that appears "after clearing the game," but rather the kind that is "discovered during gameplay." Additionally, the life simulation part itself offers a lot of playable content; you can continue playing after clearing the main story, and there are many side stories to collect.
Q:mainDoes the story have multiple endings? What elements are available for deeper gameplay after clearing the game?
Mizogami:The main storyline does have some branches prepared. However, where exactly these branches occur is left for everyone to discover for themselves.
Q: Recently, the official release of this game'ssoundtrackvideo, in whichappearsslow livingshould not exist in the gameexistingcombatstyle tracks, does this mean that there will be certainsimilar to"combat" stylescenes?
Mizogami:There indeed are, but I can only say please look forward to the full version! Since I work on "Yomawari," I have prepared a lot of content in this regard. Where exactly that song will play, please wait and see.
Q: Finally,alsopleaseyoutoplayers from Chinasay a few words tookay.
Mizogami:I don't want to deceive anyone—"Serenity Farm" is truly not a horror game. Although it contains horror elements, it remains a life simulation game. Those who experienced it today should have played the life simulation parts. We conducted extensive research on life simulation gameplay, as this is our first attempt at developing this genre. For aspects in similar games that are "frustrating" or "become tedious," the team repeatedly improved and tested through trial and error to ensure players have a positive gaming experience.
Therefore, although players who have experienced "Yomawari" might approach this work with expectations of a horror game, we are also very confident in the life simulation aspects—please enjoy it with peace of mind.
On the other hand, for those expecting horror elements, I also want to convey some information: Since the "Yomawari" series was also developed by our team, many players might imagine this work with "Yomawari" expectations. However, this game actually features a very large number of characters, so it offers not only "Yomawari"-style horror fun but also interesting stories akin to an "ensemble drama." Both the plot and gameplay of this work can only be fully realized by combining life simulation with horror. Therefore, this will be a very special work, and we hope everyone keeps their expectations high and tries it out personally in the future. Thank you.