Why Some Updates Feel Different
I haven't really written down my thoughts before in this manner, but I felt like now would be a good opportunity to let those interested venture into what goes into producing a game like House of Shinobi. Part of why I'm writing this is because I expect some players to be underwhelmed by what certain updates offer — and I'd like to explain why.
Given the events of previous releases, one would expect each sequential update to present new, bolder opportunities for the player to engage with. After all, this is that kind of game, right? Well, yes — but also no.
Building a Living Sandbox
A game that wants to build an engaging sandbox — one whose interactivity remains grounded in its writing — presents new options, adds sequential events, and introduces new systems without jarring problems. That kind of game needs to be well thought out in advance. And critically, it cannot be developed sequentially.
It's practically impossible to maintain a feel of "linear" progression when every update's scope may range anywhere from advancing the overarching story to adding new content, fleshing out existing characters, or introducing systems meant to be experienced at earlier or later parts of the game.
This may explain why the events that transpire when you first meet a character at the market may not necessarily be as heated as an intimate photoshoot scene that released in a previous update — even though the former came after the latter chronologically. The reason is simple, but perhaps hard to grasp from the outside.
The Paradox, Explained
When v0.1 was initially introduced 8 months prior, the sandbox only included limited events: some navigation within your home and some events around the market. You explored for 7 days until a major plot point was introduced, and then were left to your own devices in an empty sandbox. Not very fun, right?
Part of the reason why, months later, we were still building out Chapter 1 is precisely because the surrounding systems had to be constructed and refined to enrich that sandbox — allowing future events, characters, stories, and everything else to be seamlessly tied to the existing world.
More importantly, everything added since launch is intended to allow a player who starts a new game today to experience Chapter 1 as it was originally envisioned. Instead of endlessly roaming around, a new player now has options like:
- Working at the Ramen Shop
- Visiting the Infirmary
- Exploring different households
- Pursuing relationships at home
- Strength Training
The game now offers 14 days of various choices, culminating in what is meant to be the introduction to Chapter 2 (Day 14). Every part of every day until then is meant to include some new experience or choice, some of which may or may not be particularly useful once the events of Day 14 transpire.
It's All Connected
Even within those 14 days, the order in which you experience each event is contingent on how I configure any relevant stat checks or requirements. For example, given the lower requirements for triggering certain household events, you will very likely stumble upon that section faster than you would for a later-game photoshoot. Hence why the protagonist may appear to be "weaker" or "less bold" in the events of one update compared to a previous one.
This is just one of many examples of how the paradoxical nature of non-linear development affects how each new update is perceived.
The Takeaway
House of Shinobi is typically developed in a fragmented, iterative way — features built separately, sections designed out of order, systems programmed independently — but players are expected to experience the final product as a cohesive whole.
That's the paradox. And it's why some updates may feel less or more gratifying depending on where in the game's timeline they slot in, not when they were released.
Thank you for reading — and for your patience as we build something that's meant to stand as a complete experience, not just a series of escalating moments.
— CutePercentage