[Ed. note: Read along from top-right to lower-left! And, this month, click here to answer the fan survey mentioned below!]

※ There’s… no way I can finish it “this winter”…
I totally failed at scheduling backwards…

[Dusk, January 2024]
※ To whom it may concern: the players, the staff, Nintendo-san…
I am truly so sorry…

※ There’s just… not enough time…

[Beautiful PR Manager Ms. Tsukiyono]
※ For indie devs, “time” is the same as “budget”, right?
Why not have another look at the budget and sales forecasts?

※ Sales forecasts, how terrifying… I’m too scared to even think about it!
※ A lot of players are looking forward to it!

※ Or maybe… no one’s looking forward to it…

[Emergency Meeting]
※ What about a fancy special edition?
※ What about a soundtrack?
※ What about figures?

※ AAAAAHHHHH! NO TO EVERYTHING! I don’t even know if anyone will want to buy those things!!

※ I guess… I’ll just have to ask people directly…

※ Everyone! Commence Operation: Customer Survey!
※ Nice one!

[This diary entry was first published in our free newsletter, The Secret Onion Cellar. Want to receive development diaries just like this, along with the latest news and behind-the-scenes information on everything happening here at Onion Games? Click here to subscribe, and you’ll also get a FREE MINI GAME, music samplers, downloadable art & more!]

[Ed. note: Read along from top-right to lower-left!]

※ Looking back, this year has been a difficult one…
※ Let’s make all the animation and sound perfect for the first part of the game!

※ Okay!

※ The sound effects are ready!
※ The battle music is ready!
※ We threw in some forest music, too!

※ Next up: optimizing the Switch version…

[March 2023]
※ The test build is ready!
※ Measuring processing speed! Optimization is go!

[Summer 2023]
※ How about the submarine section?
※ On it right now!
※ Way ahead of you!

[September 2023]
※ Then I’m all-in getting to work on the story!
※ I’m on fire!

[December 2023]
※ Wait… what? There’s still so much that needs doing!

※ The year might be over, but… the fight must go on! I have to do it!
※ I’ll take a little new year’s break and get back at it until it’s finished!

※ Do it!

※ Thank you so much for all your support this year. We look forward to seeing you in the new year!
※ Nice one!

[This diary entry was first published in our free newsletter, The Secret Onion Cellar. Want to receive development diaries just like this, along with the latest news and behind-the-scenes information on everything happening here at Onion Games? Click here to subscribe, and you’ll also get a FREE MINI GAME, music samplers, downloadable art & more!]

[Ed. note: Read along from top-right to lower-left!]

※ Every Thursday at 8:00 p.m., at a certain place in Tokyo…
A secret meeting about music is held…
※ [Thelonious Monkee, Masanori Adachi] OK.
※ [Thelonious Monkee, Hirofumi Taniguchi] Let’s get to it.

※ So, for this scene… We’ll need a song with a normal, lonesome feeling.
※ Sure, what do you mean by “lonesome”?
What is “normal”?

※ [Unintelligible anguish]

※ And, for this scene… it’s important to capture a sense of adventure.
※ You mean, it’s a musical representation of the player’s point of view?

※ [Unintelligible anguish]

※ And so, the Q&A session comes to an end…
But then…

※ Small-talk time begins!

※ The Beatles’ new song…
※ Strength training is so good!
※ Doesn’t it seem like more famous people have been dying lately?
※ We’re all going to die someday, aren’t we?
※ Hahahaha!
※ What? We’re spending more time chatting than working??
※ Hahahaha!
※ Well, everything’s gonna work out.

※ Every Thursday night rolls by just like so…
※ Nice one!

[This diary entry was first published in our free newsletter, The Secret Onion Cellar. Want to receive development diaries just like this, along with the latest news and behind-the-scenes information on everything happening here at Onion Games? Click here to subscribe, and you’ll also get a FREE MINI GAME, music samplers, downloadable art & more!]

[Ed. note: Read along from top-right to lower-left!]

※[Beautiful PR Manager Ms. Tsukiyono] So, apparently, we made 2% progress on the game last month… What does that actually mean?
※ Ah, well… you see—

※ RUN AWAY!

※ Boss! That way!
※ It’s an escape route!

※ Phew!

※ *SLAM*
※ Huh?

※ *CLICK*
※ Heheheh…

※ Please forgive us, boss!

※ Heh heh heh heh… Until the game is finished, you’re not going anywhere!

※ And so the videogame-making Uncle retreated into the vault… where he lived happily ever after.
※ Nice one?

[This diary entry was first published in our free newsletter, The Secret Onion Cellar. Want to receive development diaries just like this, along with the latest news and behind-the-scenes information on everything happening here at Onion Games? Click here to subscribe, and you’ll also get a FREE MINI GAME, music samplers, downloadable art & more!]

[Ed. note: Read along from top-right to lower-left!]

※ Kimura-san, what do you mean when you say “this winter”?
※ uh.

※ Is it the end of December?
※ uhh.

※ January is winter! February is winter! March is winter!
※ No! March is already spring!

※ Uhhhhhh… it’s winter until the cherry blossoms bloom… it’s winter until the cherry blossoms bloom…

※ Captain! Something on the radar! No! My god!

※ Something—a huge meteorite! It’s headed straight toward earth!

※ No! The meteor is on a collision course! The impact will cause a new ice age! That means… permanent winter!

※ [Barfly Kurashima] Oooh thish winter s’gonna be a long one…
※We’re about 72% of the way to completion of the game, or global extinction!
※ Nice one!

[This diary entry was first published in our free newsletter, The Secret Onion Cellar. Want to receive development diaries just like this, along with the latest news and behind-the-scenes information on everything happening here at Onion Games? Click here to subscribe, and you’ll also get a FREE MINI GAME, music samplers, downloadable art & more!]

[Ed. note: Read along from top-right to lower-left!]

※ Ohhh… oh man…

※ I finally released the first screenshots of my new game!
※ And in such a big way!

※ Everyone in the whole world has seen it now!
※ But… I’m still working on it!

※ You know, I feel like it’s really starting to come together lately!
※ ……

※ Right… okay… OK!! We can’t slow down now, we have to buckle down even harder! The end goal is still far away! We have to!
※ We have to!

※[Public Relations Manager Ms. Tsuskyono] By the way… How has development been going? What’s the actual percentage?
※ [sneaking away slowly]

※ [said in my authentic usual way] I bet I could guessh!
It’sh about 70%, probablyyy!

※ Good one!

[This diary entry was first published in our free newsletter, The Secret Onion Cellar. Want to receive development diaries just like this, along with the latest news and behind-the-scenes information on everything happening here at Onion Games? Click here to subscribe, and you’ll also get a FREE MINI GAME, music samplers, downloadable art & more!]

[Ed. note: Read along from top-right to lower-left!]

※ The world’s sort of a mess lately, isn’t it…
※ Work more efficiently! Live more efficiently!

※ These are tough times…

※ But, we do actually want to make our games efficiently, don’t we?
※ Yeah! Detailed design docs! Make lists! Prioritize tasks!

※ Keep everything stable and organized! Organized!!

※ But aren’t games just a way to kill time?
※ What if games are a waste of everyone’s life?
※ How do you know when to just trash something?
※ Maybe they are just inefficient garbage.

※ [intense ethereal whooshing]

※ Maybe we’re toiling away on something completely useless…
※ But… that’s exactly why… I try to add one unforgettable treasure in every game…
※ Great one!

[This diary entry was first published in our free newsletter, The Secret Onion Cellar. Want to receive development diaries just like this, along with the latest news and behind-the-scenes information on everything happening here at Onion Games? Click here to subscribe, and you’ll also get a FREE MINI GAME, music samplers, downloadable art & more!]

[Ed. note: Read along from top-right to lower-left!]

※ Pulling an all-nighter again…

※ I wish I could be stronger and work more without getting wiped out…

※ Heh heh heh… did someone say wish?

※ The thing is, the things we wish for do come true, but with that comes the negative…
All the good things, all the bad things, they happen together in a balance!

※ That’s life, huh?
I don’t even really believe wishing for things makes them come true.

※ Hey, uh, what are your wishes like, Luck-san?

※ [Demon Lord Fortress Designer Luck-san] Heh heh heh… I wish… to become a Demon Lord!
I want my own dungeon! Where people try to defeat me!

※ [Frightened Villagers]
※ Great one!

[This diary entry was first published in our free newsletter, The Secret Onion Cellar. Want to receive development diaries just like this, along with the latest news and behind-the-scenes information on everything happening here at Onion Games? Click here to subscribe, and you’ll also get a FREE MINI GAME, music samplers, downloadable art & more!]

[Ed. note: Read along from top-right to lower-left!]

※ At the morning meeting…

※ Say, Mr. Icchi, what do you think about talking about your goals?
※ Hmmm, yeah… they’re satisfying to say out loud, aren’t they…

※ I wanna be a pirate king!
※ I wanna be a toy maker!

※ I just wanna grow up!

※ I think they’re fine to talk about with close friends…
But I wouldn’t go around telling them to the whole world…

※ Erp.. Shhhhiiii—oh no…!
I’ve already told the entire world I’m making an RPG…!

※ [Strike Force Captain Luck-san] I declare that, this year, I shall lead a solo charge into a maid cafe!
※ Great one!

[This diary entry was first published in our free newsletter, The Secret Onion Cellar. Want to receive development diaries just like this, along with the latest news and behind-the-scenes information on everything happening here at Onion Games? Click here to subscribe, and you’ll also get a FREE MINI GAME, music samplers, downloadable art & more!]

[Ed. note: Read along from top-right to lower-left!]

※ At the morning meeting…
※ Say, everyone, what do you all do to stay motivated?

※ Drink sake after work!
※ Don’t isolate yourself?
※ Do your best at the thing you’re great at!
※ Talk yourself up!

※ Should we even be relying this much on “motivation” to begin with?
※ Just keep working steadily, day in and day out.
Is that really not enough?

※ Whaa~

※ [First-Time Morning Meeting Participant, Sound Effect Supervisor, Sugiyama-san]
Just find the thing no one else is doing and do that!
Right?

※ Great one!

[This diary entry was first published in our free newsletter, The Secret Onion Cellar. Want to receive development diaries just like this, along with the latest news and behind-the-scenes information on everything happening here at Onion Games? Click here to subscribe, and you’ll also get a FREE MINI GAME, music samplers, downloadable art & more!]