Alex Lu

As a novelist, I have published more than twenty commercial works. Despite my efforts, the barriers of language and geography remain significant challenges, preventing my stories from reaching a wider international audience. In response, I turned to the creative form of game development, resolved to move beyond the boundaries of novel writing into the realm of game design. This transition has opened a new chapter for my stories, allowing them to captivate a larger readership.

In my multi-faceted role as a producer, scriptwriter, and game balancing designer, communication is vital, alongside professional skills. I must translate my ideas into clear instructions and engage effectively with team members from diverse fields to ensure our project progresses in the right direction.

We are PHOSEPO, an independent game development team from Taiwan.Released game projects: "Rail of Möbius", an adventure game with multiple endings. Currently dedicated to developing a new game titled "Project: AHNO's Ark." It is a unique Japanese-style tactical RPG game, and it is expected to be released on Steam in early 2024.

I believe an excellent game is one where players feel a sense of reward after playing: achieving satisfaction from investing time in character development, and gaining a sense of accomplishment from devising strategies to overcome difficult challenges. Even without astonishing graphics or technical prowess, as long as the game leaves players feeling that their time was well spent without regret, that constitutes an excellent game.

The establishment of PHOSEPO, originated from a passion and aspiration for Taiwan's cultural and creative industries. We firmly believe in the power of words and creativity, and are dedicated to providing a free platform for Taiwanese professionals to flourish through diverse mediums such as novels, comics, and games.

Traditional tactical RPGs are known for their strategic depth, requiring a considerable amount of time for each session. This characteristic can be both a strength and a limitation, as such games tend to appeal to a selective audience due to their slow-burn nature and high barrier to entry. Therefore, I wanted to create a tactical RPG that would suit modern players. This is how the prototype for our current project was born. By incorporating elements like siege, continuous combat, and roguelite features, a battle can now be completed in less than five minutes without losing strategic depth. We hope that through this design, even players who have never engaged with tactical RPGs can enjoy this experience.

This award marks a significant recognition and milestone for our work, offering an affirmation that has drawn the attention of those previously unfamiliar with our games.

For independent teams with limited marketing resources, achieving recognition is crucial. It serves as a solid anchor for our self-promotion, and we are deeply grateful for the affirmation and support from the judges.

Localized marketing is incredibly challenging, and even high-quality games can go unnoticed in this era. Therefore, finding the right agency or marketing firm is key, though it often relies on luck and opportunity.

Taiwan hosts an annual grant competition for independent games, where professional judges select and support exceptional games. Fortunately, we won their approval and received initial funding.

Following the emergence of AI-generated art, the internet has seen a proliferation of high-quality AI images. However, due to copyright disputes, they have not been widely utilized in commercial games. But I'm looking forward to the maturation of AI art generation technologies. With such advancements, even independent teams could produce high-quality games with limited resources.

"1. The ability to attract people of all ages and from all countries. 2. The opportunity to have one's creations seen by a wide audience. 3. If you make a good game, it has the potential to endure for a very long time."

ChatGPT

I am convinced that the advent of AI will revolutionize the ecosystem, with more and more game development tasks being delegated to AI, meaning even low-budget teams can create impressive blockbuster games.

Having studied Go for many years, I managed to integrate the concept of "Capture" into the core design of the game after numerous whiteboard tests.

"The key to success has been finding a group of like-minded companions willing to strive together. The quote that encourages me is: ""Do not shy away from doing difficult things."""

Rayark Inc., SIGONO, Mizo Games

Note: We adopt remote working and currently do not have a team photo. Instead, we use the representative image from our previous work, "Rail of Möbius," as a substitute.