For the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, Japan's longest-running independent game dev festival, BitSummit, reconvened this August in Kyoto. A special deputized deployment of VGG staff attended the weekend-long event and reported back with exclusive Q&As with developers in Japan's pioneering indie game dev scene. Check back in with us to explore an exciting batch of upcoming games in VGG's BitSummit 10 coverage.
Up next on the Q&A block is a game that asks you not to buy it — I mean, it's in the name and everything. But in case any of you are stinkin' RULE BREAKERS, we figured we should give you the lowdown. So, come learn why you should (or shouldn't?) get your hands on Do Not Buy This Game.
Do Not Buy This Game is a walking simulator in the tradition of The Stanley Parable. The player interacts with the world with movement, a single interact button, and the cheeky commentary of an ever-present narrator.
The similarities do not end at the control scheme, however: The game is the meta-narrative of a game’s creation. As you explore, the game is built around you. It presents a comedic but introspective exploration of the creative process and the various emotional struggles that can come from trying to build a piece of art.
The game, developed and published by Kingblade Games, was one of six games nominated for the Excellence in Game Design Award at BitSummit X-Roads. This award highlights the game with an exemplary design concept, gameplay mechanics, and execution.
After handing us a business card and emphatically instructing us “Do Not Buy This Game,” a representative for the game agreed to speak with us about the work. Buy it or don't, we'll leave that up to you to decide!
VGG: “Go ahead and introduce yourself.”
Kevin: “My name is Kevin. I’m here on behalf of Roee for the game Do Not Buy This Game.”
VGG: “How would you explain in simple terms what this game is about?”
Kevin: “This game is very story based [with] a lot of comedy in it. It’s very simple. You simply walk around and click on stuff. The narrator, who is the developer of the game, talks to you and you create a relationship with him. The game is really focused around that.”
VGG: “What is your favorite part in this game?”
Kevin: “It’s more a general thing, I really love the narration. The writing of the narration is very funny, but it gets real sometimes. I really like that part.”
VGG: “What is the main inspiration for this game?”
Kevin: “It really started with the name: Do Not Buy This Game. It’s very peculiar, you know? Why get a game that doesn’t want to be bought? We started there and … [Roee] wanted to create a story: something fun, because he’s a very funny person … He wanted to make a funny journey and a connection with the developer, which is him.”
VGG: “How can everyone help support this game?”
Kevin: “The very basic thing is to wishlist on Steam. That would show support. Listen for updates and even send emails, join the mailing list, or join the Discord. It will make the developer very happy to see the support. That really helps him carry on with the game and do his best on this … It’s super encouraging when he hears 'I really love this game. I really like what you’re doing.'”
The game currently doesn’t have a release date, but those interested should do the developer a kindness and wishlist the game or sign up to the mailing list for future updates.
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