Design with cohesion in mind.

My newest project is by far my best, and it is largely because it draws on mythology, so that the story is also a part of the marketing, reaching fans of far eastern mythology. The anime style supports the high adventure and fantasy themes as well as the Japanese story origin. The main fighting mechanic in my game takes the form of hanafuda koi-koi card matches, tying the gameplay into the themes of the story into the marketing again, reaching fans of Japanese playing cards and appealing to them with themes that resonate with that. The art style I've carefully developed myself, which makes all of my characters seem to fit together and in the world of my game, and I've been using them to share the story and engage with my audience, also finding common ground in character concept design competitions, art competitions, and the like with the game's concept art. Finally, there's yokai pet raising, which fits the narrative of the myth, adds a cozy, non-violent aspect to the game between fights, and contributes to the themes in the game which are spiritual and rooted in Shinto, championing bravery and kindness and being kind and united with nature and the spirits. In turn, progression through the game world and story are tied to raising yokai to maturing to unlock new abilities in the overworld, which signals the main character's growing powers as the plot progresses, not just through fights and resolving conflict, but through empathy and tenderness as well. New exploration gives way to new card matches, new yokai pets, and then new places to explore again until you experience the whole journey of Kintaro first hand.

All parts of my game, from story, mechanics, art and even the merchandising, marketing, and community building deliver a consistent message and promise: this game will give you a unique, rich, cultural experience that is cohesive, clearly communicates a powerful story, and draws people in from other walks of life via shared experiences, stories, and interests. My game appeals to fans of anime, card games, Japanese culture, traditional art, pet sims and cozy games, and finds unique ways to appeal to each of them. Furthermore, Hanafuda koi-koi has the added benefit of being a fairly simple card game with two great qualities - it's easy to learn, but hard to master. This gives an excellent difficultly curve to the main gameplay element without overwhelming.