In 2011, when "To the Moon" first met players, few might have imagined that this story about memory, regret, and life would continue for a full fifteen years.
From "A Bird Story" to "Finding Paradise," from "Impostor Factory" to "So This Is To the Moon Series Beach Special Episode," players have witnessed one touching story after another and gradually stepped into the lives of Neil and Eva.
And now, this fifteen-year journey is finally approaching its own conclusion.
On a beach illuminated by moonlight, Neil and Eva once had a conversation about "process" versus "outcome," which concluded with fireworks, leaving us with a question—does the meaning of a journey lie in the destination, or in those irreplaceable memories? This isn't just a question between them; for players who have accompanied the "To the Moon" series over the years, the significance of the ending is equally worth contemplating.
At this year's RED LAND event, Kan Gao brought a live demo of the series finale, "To the Moon Legend RPG: The Final Hour." As the creator of the "To the Moon" series, he chose a rather special way to conclude the series—this new work not only wears the guise of a turn-based RPG but also allows players to skip the previous 99 hours of grinding and go straight to the final hour's ending.
We took this opportunity to have a face-to-face conversation with him, discussing Everythinggj from the special design of this series finale, his fifteen years of creative experience, the latest progress on the "To the Moon" film adaptation, to future plans after the series concludes... He shared many thoughts on creativity, life, and how to face endings.
And this conversation allowed us to review the fifteen-year journey of the "To the Moon" series from another perspective.
Below is the full interview transcript:
Q: The "To the Moon" series has always been known for its narrative-driven adventure games. Why did you choose to make the series finale a turn-based RPG instead?
Kan Gao:Actually, it's still a narrative game—a narrative RPG. One creative approach I've grown to enjoy is wrapping the game in a different exterior while keeping the core consistent. Just like the previous "So This Is To the Moon Series Beach Special Episode," which was a "beach episode that doesn't feel like a beach episode," and "Impostor Factory," which was a "horror game that doesn't feel like a horror game." So, this final "To the Moon Legend RPG: The Final Hour" can also be considered an "RPG that doesn't feel like an RPG."
Of course, I believe RPG enthusiasts will also find it interesting—because I am an RPG fan myself. But its core remains narrative-driven; the goal is still to tell a good story. It's just that, due to certain plot elements, I felt that adopting this meta approach would allow me to create what I consider a perfect ending for the entire series.
Q: The idea of having players "Continue Game" right from the start, facing the final dungeon and final boss—how did this concept originally arise?
Kan Gao:Because "To the Moon Legend RPG: The Final Hour" is essentially about various themes related to "endings." This includes the ending of the entire series, as well as the relationships between characters from my perspective as the author, and even an individual's personal ending. Therefore, I felt that having players jump directly into the final stage of the story was a design choice that fit the theme well. Since we're talking about endings, we let players enter the ending directly. Of course, I will establish and present the preceding experiences and accumulations through other means.
Q: The core experience of many RPG games is actually the journey itself—the process of meeting companions and completing various side quests along the way. But for veteran players of the "To the Moon" series, everyone has already accompanied these characters for over ten years through the previous installments. When designing the concept of 99 hours, did you deliberately connect the in-game time with the time players spent accompanying the characters in reality?
Kan Gao:I hope so; this is something I really want to achieve. If done well, I think many things can be connected. As the English saying goes, "Kill two birds with one stone"—accomplishing multiple objectives with a single action.
For example, as mentioned earlier, I hope to connect the experiences players have had over the years with the pursuits of the characters within the game. The challenging part is that I also want to make this game accessible to new players. That is, even if a player has never played the "To the Moon" series before, they should be able to experience it as if it were the first game in the series. I think this is the biggest challenge currently.
If we can achieve this, new players entering through this game and veteran players who started with "To the Moon" will have very different perspectives on the story. But I think both experiences have their own interesting aspects—theoretically, I still hope to create a work that allows different players to enter the series from different angles and gain unique experiences.
Q: We just discussed "So This Is To the Moon Series Beach Special Episode." You previously described it as "half an ending" for the entire series. Without spoilers, could you explain why it only completed half the ending, and why the remaining half had to be fulfilled by "To the Moon Legend RPG: The Final Hour"?
Kan Gao:I think "So This Is To the Moon Series Beach Special Episode" already provided an ending for the entire series, but after playing it, you still feel a sense of emptiness, as if there's a hole in the middle. This hole is what I aim to fill with "To the Moon Legend RPG: The Final Hour."
Actually, there were originally two ways to approach this ending. One was to make it a standalone long chapter, similar to "To the Moon" or "Finding Paradise," creating a complete experience. However, for various reasons, we decided to adopt a rather unconventional format, splitting it into "So This Is To the Moon Series Beach Special Episode" and "To the Moon Legend RPG: The Final Hour." Nevertheless, I believe that when players finish both games and piece them together, they should gain a relatively complete experience—I also hope this will provide a satisfying conclusion to the entire series.
Q: This time, Neil, Eva, Rob, and Roxie finally form an RPG adventure party. Setting aside their real-life professions, if understood purely in terms of RPG game mechanics, what classes do you think they are suited for, and what are their combat roles?
Kan Gao:Roxie is a magical cat, but ever since she found a machine gun, she hasn't used magic anymore.
Neil is a tech enthusiast, akin to a character traveling from the future, somewhat like Iron Man. But his armor is so smart that whenever enemies attack, the armor runs away on its own, leaving him naked (laughs).
Eva is more of a healer-type character who enjoys planting flowers and tending to gardens, somewhat like a gardener.
Rob is more like a character from Chinese wuxia novels, specifically one with a very good mindset and great calmness.
Q: Then how are their skills and combat designed?
Kan Gao:It also needs to align with their character designs. For example, as mentioned earlier, Roxie's attacks are primarily firearm-based.
But there's another design I'd like to implement, though it may not be fully ready yet—players start the game with their characters already at level 99, so most talent points have already been allocated. However, how these talent points are distributed reflects the character's own choices, allowing players to glimpse parts of the story through them.
For example, with Roxie, you'll notice she hasn't allocated any points to elemental talents like water, wood, or fire; all points are invested in firearm-related talents. I hope such designs align with the characters' personalities. When players actually get into the game, they can look for these little Easter eggs in the menu. After all, this is still a narrative-core game, merely presented with an RPG shell—so, I hope players can discover many small stories through the RPG system itself.
Q: In the final hour presented with an RPG shell, what constitutes true growth? What will you use to replace the sense of progression traditionally gained through leveling up in RPGs?
Kan Gao:There are several aspects, but nothing is fully confirmed yet.
Purely in terms of gameplay, one of our current plans is to have character skills gradually restore. For instance, something might happen at the beginning of the game that restricts certain skills. As the game progresses, these skills will gradually return. However, since this is a narrative-focused RPG, we don't want too much content requiring repetitive grinding or long periods of leveling up. Therefore, there won't be many actual battles in the game; I hope to maintain a certain level of entertainment within its current scale.
Additionally, since we've already created quite a bit of combat material, it would feel wasteful not to utilize it. So, we might produce an extra Bonus Game, something like a tower-climbing gameplay mode—it will be optional additional content, allowing those who truly enjoy RPGs and wish to spend more time with the combat system to have more to play.
Q: As the final chapter of the entire "To the Moon" series, this work is referred to as both the "starting point" and the "endpoint" of the series. The endpoint is easy to understand, but what does the starting point signify? How do you hope players will view this game?
Kan Gao:This might spoil things a little, but thinking about it carefully, it's not that much of a spoiler—everyone can probably guess. Simply put, I hope the entire series forms a loop.
Q: This time, "To the Moon Legend RPG: The Final Hour" is collaborating with publishing partner Serenity Forge. Compared to completely independent production and distribution, what changes has this collaboration brought to Freebird Games?
Kan Gao:Actually, we have collaborated with other partners before. Whether with XD Inc. or Serenity Forge, these have been great experiences where we formed complementary relationships. Most importantly, it allows me to focus on the work itself without having to worry too much about distribution, promotion, and other matters.
Because I'm actually a very introverted person (an "I" type), I usually prefer staying in my own cave, writing my own stuff, and making my own games. For an event like RED LAND, if left entirely to myself, I probably wouldn't have known I could end up in such a place. So, I'm very grateful to Serenity Forge for helping us secure this opportunity, and thanks to RED LAND for inviting us. I feel the biggest benefit of these collaborations is that they allow me to remain in the creative space I need, focusing on producing the things I want to make.
Q: At this RED LAND event, you brought "To the Moon Legend RPG: The Final Hour" for Chinese players to try out. Did you observe players experiencing it on-site?
Kan Gao:Yes, there were. But honestly, with various activities happening over these past two days, I've been quite busy and haven't had the chance to properly communicate with players. I would secretly stand behind them to watch them play, but when they were about to leave, I felt a bit shy about stopping them to ask for their feedback. So, I might go ask them later. However, what pleasantly surprised me so far is that most players completed this demo, which relieved me quite a bit.
Q: The "To the Moon" series has always been created using RPG Maker, and Freebird Games' previous development logs mentioned that the team was updating some self-developed internal tools. What technical solution was actually adopted for "To the Moon Legend RPG: The Final Hour"? Will it provide technical reserves for future new projects?
Kan Gao:Yes. I believe when everyone plays "To the Moon Legend RPG: The Final Hour," they will notice many changes in the engine this time. Compared to before, it can indeed do much more, but this is also built upon the experience we've accumulated in the past.
We are currently using a system we developed ourselves, which could be called a proprietary engine, although it also incorporates some Unity components. In short, this system is still in an experimental phase, but we hope that once it stabilizes, we can use it to develop other projects in the future.
Q: From "To the Moon" in 2011, to "Finding Paradise," "Impostor Factory," and now the series finale, 15 years have passed. As a creator, what do you feel has been your biggest change? If you could go back and meet your younger self who was independently developing "To the Moon," what would you most want to tell him?
Kan Gao:First, I might tell him not to worry and just do what needs to be done. Because at any given moment, there's only so much you can do. You have to take the step in front of you before you can know how to proceed to the next one. So, it's about "Just let it be"—go with the flow.
As for the changes over these 15 years, I think there have been both positives and negatives. With more experience, many things do go more smoothly, and you have a clearer idea of what to do next. But at the same time, it becomes more exhausting because there are more things to worry about and manage.
Someone asked me a similar question at yesterday's event. I think every time you make a game, you're making many choices. For whom is this game being made? You can make it for yourself, for the players, for the series, to prove your capabilities to others, or simply to feel that you've created something worthwhile... These different goals often conflict with each other, and it's impossible to satisfy all aspects simultaneously.
When I first started making games, I felt it was mainly for myself—expressing whatever I wanted to express. At that time, players didn't have many expectations, and I didn't feel the need to prove anything to anyone.
But when you've made more works, especially when continuously working on the same series, the situation changes. Players develop expectations for the series, and these expectations are justified. You can no longer completely ignore them and just do whatever you want.
Although I still prioritize what I want to express, I also care deeply about players' opinions. Because for me, making games is a form of communication. I hope to convey something through games that resonates with people, allowing us to be on the same wavelength.
At the same time, the series itself is another aspect to consider. I feel it's like cultivating a garden—suppose you plant the first flower in your garden, and many people come to see it, finding it beautiful, and decide to stay, waiting for the next flower. But because they were attracted by the first flower, they might expect the next one to be the same type. If you always strive to meet such expectations, the garden will eventually consist entirely of the same flowers. But if your goal is to build the entire garden, the next thing you plant might be a cactus. At this point, those who liked the first flower might find it strange: "I came to see this kind of flower, why has it turned into a cactus?" This might not align with their expectations.
However, if your goal is to build an entire garden, then once Everythinggj is complete, stepping back to look at the whole garden might reveal that the cactus was indeed necessary—at least for the garden you intended to create. This represents a conflict I currently face in my creative process.
Currently, I tend to approach things from the perspective of the entire series, hoping that once Everythinggj is finished, looking back, they will form a matching and complete combination. Like "To the Moon Legend RPG: The Final Hour" and "So This Is To the Moon Series Beach Special Episode," some players might find these projects strange when they first hear about them—"The series is almost over, why are you still making these seemingly chaotic things?"
But I hope that when everyone finishes the entire series, they will understand why I made these choices.
Q: When "To the Moon" was first released, you mentioned that each future installment would tell new stories about different patients and independent lives, while Neil and Eva would carry the overarching narrative connecting these stories. But looking back now, their own story has increasingly become the core of the entire series. Was this change planned from the beginning, or did it gradually emerge during the creative process?
Kan Gao:There was a plan for this aspect from the beginning, although I wasn't sure how far we would go before officially starting to tell this part of the story. Ideally, I might have created a few more patient stories before advancing this main storyline.
But I feel that stories centered around individual patients, like "To the Moon" and "Finding Paradise," could theoretically be added to the middle of the series even later on. However, if we want to create a complete experience for the entire series, then the stories told in these final installments are essential.
Plus, my pace of game development isn't particularly fast. And honestly, I don't know how much longer I'll be around in this world—it might sound a bit dark, but it's a consideration nonetheless.
So, I want to first make the entire series a complete experience, ensuring at least that it has a clear beginning and end. As for the stories of individual patients in between, if there's an opportunity in the future, they can certainly be added.
But I still hope to give this series a complete ending first.
Q: Next, let's talk about music. Music has always been one of the souls of the "To the Moon" series, especially the piece "For River." From a composer's perspective, could you share how this piece was originally born?
Kan Gao:I actually shared a secret yesterday: I'm not a particularly good pianist; my piano skills are quite poor. Likewise, I'm not an exceptional writer; my storytelling abilities aren't that strong either. But fortunately, precisely because I'm not outstanding in either area, I must combine them to form a more meaningful whole, which I consider one of my advantages. So, when crafting stories, I try to find simple ways to connect musical themes with narrative themes.
Regarding "For River," I mainly considered a few aspects at the time. First, of course, was the character River herself. She has autism and exhibits some repetitive behaviors in the story, such as constantly doing the same thing. So, in the music, I used two continuously repeating notes to convey this feeling. At the same time, these two notes also resemble two people revolving around each other throughout their lives, much like the relationship between the Earth and the Moon. So, my idea was to start from this very simple core and gradually develop it into a complete melody and the emotions it expresses.
Q: You just mentioned hoping to integrate music and story as much as possible. In the creative process, generally speaking, does the story come first, followed by the music, or vice versa?
Kan Gao:First, there is a feeling or concept I want to express. I usually start构思ing from the ending—or rather, from the very last moment when the story concludes.
The ending I refer to here isn't just the final segment of the plot, but the true final moment—the instant before the credits roll. I start by considering what kind of feeling that moment should evoke, what emotions or concepts I want to convey, and then gradually shape the story and music based on that feeling.
Q: So, essentially, both parts emerged simultaneously from a higher-level concept?
Kan Gao:Yes, though I'm not sure if it's higher or lower (laughs). But indeed, as you said, starting from the feelings I wanted to express in that moment, both the story and the music were born simultaneously.
Q: Then, when shaping environmental atmosphere and character emotions, how do you typically depict this musical language?
Kan Gao:I can only say it was based on intuition. My theoretical foundation in music isn't very deep, and I haven't systematically studied piano. So, many things were figured out by myself through trial and error on the keyboard. Sometimes I don't even know exactly how I achieved a certain effect, but when I keep trying and finally hear that sound, I know—that's it.
Q: What role will music play in "To the Moon: Legend RPG - The Final Hour"? Will there be any familiar melodic motifs returning in new ways?
Kan Gao:That will definitely happen. Since this is the conclusion of the entire story, I hope players will hear many familiar melodies from previous entries.
Q: In the first entry of the series, "To the Moon," Ms. Laura Shigihara lent her voice to the theme song "Everythinggj's Alright." Will she also participate in the series finale, "To the Moon: Legend RPG - The Final Hour"?
Kan Gao:It's possible, but it's not certain yet. In the series, I have collaborated with other musicians, including a lady named Pilif, on some songs. As for whether these musicians will participate in this final installment, or if there will be a song at all, I'm not entirely sure yet—I think there likely will be a song, but it's still too early to say definitively.
Q: What is the current progress of the previously announced "To the Moon" film adaptation?
Kan Gao:I specifically asked about this recently because I knew that many friends attending RED LAND might be concerned about the film's status. The film is still in progress, and there is currently a relatively specific schedule, such as an estimated completion date. However, I am not sure if I can disclose that date yet, so I will refrain from mentioning it for now.
What I can reveal at the moment is that last year I saw a complete storyboard, which was over 500 pages thick, resembling a phone book. Of course, there were still many things that needed revision, but the storyboard phase has certainly passed by now—so, I hope this information can at least give everyone something to look forward to.
But in reality, I am not directly involved in the film project to a large extent, because I focus more on the stories I want to tell and how to tell them through the medium of games. I believe the story itself and the method of storytelling are closely linked. As a creator myself, I understand that for a director adapting someone else's work into a film, a certain degree of creative freedom is necessary. Especially for a game like "To the Moon," it differs from adapting a manga into an anime—since manga already has panels, and its narrative rhythm shares similarities with animation. However, adapting an RPG into a film requires making bolder choices, and I personally don't have much experience in that area.
The studio handling the film adaptation is highly respected and excellent within the industry. For me, having such a team adapt our work already exceeds my original expectations. Therefore, I am also very eager to see how they ultimately translate the game experience into a film. Of course, I hope they can preserve the core elements of the original work. For instance, I really want to push for keeping the music, such as "Everythinggj's Alright" and other tracks from the original game, in the movie as much as possible.
At the same time, I am also curious about how they will ultimately handle the entire story—because they also wish to preserve the core element of the original work, which is the "heart" of the story. From the scripts and storyboards I have seen so far, I think they are done very well. There are even some changes that, if I were remaking the story myself, I might make the same choices.
So, I am truly looking forward to the final product.
Q: Indeed, since this involves transforming a game that requires player interaction into a film for audiences to watch, what aspect are you most concerned about during the entire adaptation process?
Kan Gao:As mentioned earlier, first and foremost, I hope to preserve some aspects of the music. Regarding the story, I feel that the film's narrative style will be more traditional, so I am quite reassured. The scripts and storyboards I have seen so far are quite good. Visually, I think there is even less cause for concern, as they are indeed top-tier in the industry in that regard.
Another aspect I am quite concerned about is the ending. I hope the film can ultimately retain the feeling that the original ending conveyed—but I don't know if this can ultimately be achieved, because when you change the way a story is told, many things are difficult to present in exactly the same way. The only thing you can do is use another method to achieve the same effect and convey the same feelings, which is actually very challenging.
So, I am also very much looking forward to it. I hope they can ultimately achieve this, and I will cheer them on.
Q: Besides the film, are there plans for more cross-media projects in the future? Such as other forms of adaptation?
Kan Gao:I hope so.
But for now, if we can just make the film well, I think that would already be a significant step. Moreover, I currently still want to focus my energy on completing the entire "To the Moon" series, so that at least for future creative endeavors, we will have a complete story, or rather, a complete text.
Because I feel that when creating a story, you need to know where it will ultimately land. Only by knowing the ending can you better arrange the entire process. Of course, the process itself is also important, but from the perspective of a complete work, you also need to consider a lot of foreshadowing and various hints within the plot. And these elements need to be built upon the foundation that you already know where the story is ultimately heading.
Therefore, my most important task right now is to first create a complete ending for the entire series.
Q: When "To the Moon: Legend RPG - The Final Hour" is released in 2027 and the entire "To the Moon" series officially concludes, where will Freebird Games and you go next? Will you start new stories, or take a break for a while?
Kan Gao:For me, one lucky aspect is that what I do during my breaks is essentially the same as what I do when making games. So, I believe I won't stop—of course, although it sounds like I already have many plans, as everyone knows, my production speed isn't actually that fast (laughs).
Currently, I have two projects I am quite keen to work on:
The first one is actually about returning to Freebird Games' original starting point. I want to remake the work that originally decided me to start making games. I have been considering this for many years. Although it hasn't been officially announced yet, I think some players familiar with my past works might already guess what I am referring to.
That work is very important to me because it was the origin that truly led me to start making games. Therefore, I hope to use the experience accumulated over the past 15 years to complete it again, or even remake it from scratch. Moreover, the characters in that work feel like friends I've known for many years, and I really want to see them again.
The other matter relates to the 15th anniversary of "To the Moon." Actually, I have always wanted to create a work similar to a personal diary. However, it won't be written in a traditional diary format, but rather through dialogues and interactions with the characters in my own works to record what has happened over these years.
As players who know me might be aware, I am actually quite introverted. Those who have played "Finding Paradise" may understand this even better—to be honest, I didn't have many friends in the past. In a sense, the characters in these stories are my true friends.
So, in my heart, I often have conversations with them, which is also a way I write dialogue and stories. Therefore, I hope to use this format to document the entire process over the past 15 years, from when I first started making games, or even earlier, up to the present. It will be a rather personal diary, allowing me to discuss many different things.
For example, my experience making games from the first title all the way to "To the Moon," or perhaps returning to some scenes from the "To the Moon" series to converse with characters in those familiar places. Through this method, I express some of my feelings over the years, not only related to games but also including many matters concerning life.
It should be a relatively small project and will be provided free of charge, possibly on platforms like Steam. If anyone is interested, please keep an eye out for it when the time comes. Moreover, after the "To the Moon" series truly ends, I hope this can become a place where everyone can once again find these familiar characters.
Q: Finally, do you have any words for the Chinese players who have been waiting for the new release?
Kan Gao:It's the same old saying—although I don't know how many times I've said it, thank you all very much.
For me, making games has always been a form of communication. Participating in events like RED LAND is something I rarely do; I don't often appear before the public in this way. Therefore, my primary method of communicating with everyone is through creating these games.
After finishing each game, seeing players waiting, willing to play, and even leaving feedback and comments... for me, it feels like meeting everyone again after many years. As for this current work, I sometimes joke about why I always take so long to make these games, especially these final few entries.
But I think part of the reason might also be that this series is truly coming to an end—for me, this is also a farewell. Although I will continue creating in other ways in the future and will remain here, this matter still feels a bit sad to me.
However, to provide a complete narrative for the entire story, this step must eventually be taken. Moreover, this final installment itself tells a story about facing endings. Therefore, I hope to allow players to truly experience this feeling through a somewhat meta approach, and I hope this process can have some therapeutic significance.
Whether for myself, the players, or the characters in the game, I hope it ultimately brings about a good result.
Therefore, I will continue to work hard. Thank you all very much.