Fans of Studio Ghibli, life-sims, and Japanese folklore should watch Yokai Inn. The upcoming indie game places players in charge of a charming hotel, restaurant, and bathhouse frequented by spirits from traditional Japanese folklore, while drawing on the beautiful aesthetic of Studio Ghibli films. Like Stardew Valley, Yokai Inn will feature crafting, foraging, farming, and cooking to satisfy the inn's otherworldly patrons. The game is primarily the work of a single developer, Shiba Pixels, who is handling everything from programming and pixel art to writing and game design.
Even though Yokai Inn is still a long ways off, what has been revealed so far has people hungry for more details. Shiba Pixels spoke with Game Rant about his game's ongoing development, general mechanics, and influences. Interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Q: Please introduce yourself and tell us what your favorite yokai is.
A: My name is Shiba, and I’m a pixel artist and game developer making Yokai Inn. I’ve been programming for five years, and doing pixel art for two years. My favorite yokai are kitsune; supernatural foxes that can live for a long time! The longer they live, the more tails they have.
Q: How would you introduce Yokai Inn to people who know nothing about it? Can you describe the core gameplay systems?
A: I’d describe Yokai Inn as a blend of Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon with a bit of open-world adventure. Players will manage and grow an inn, with foraging, farming, and crafting assisting them in their journey.
Q: Halloween seems like a great time of year for a game like Yokai Inn. Did you release the recent trailer to coincide with spooky season?
A: It actually is pretty fitting to release a new trailer for Yokai Inn close to Halloween. Fitting, but unintentional. It just happened to coincide with finishing a new art update for the game.
Q: The screenshots on Yokai Inn's website seem to tease a crafting system. How deep is the crafting tree currently?
A: I’m currently researching crafting systems in other games, and seeing how I can implement crafting that supports the core structure of Yokai Inn. At the very least I’d like the different layers of the game to interact with each other, such as fishing leading to cooking.
Q: Yokai Inn’s website also mentions players can collect different outfits and hairstyles. How many cosmetic items does the game currently have?
A: So far, wearing masks have been coded in the game. I’m planning on having cosmetic categories such as hairstyles, glasses, outfits, and more!
Q: Can you tell us a bit about Yokai Inn’s relationship system? How many different characters can gamers expect to see in an average playthrough?
A: I’m planning at least a dozen characters for players to have deep friendships with, alongside casual friendships you can develop with yokai patrons. I may add more as development goes on, and even in post-release!
Q: Can you tell us more about your existing characters?
A: Kazuya is the head chef of the inn, and acts as a mentor figure for the player. He kinda looks like a cross between a tanuki and a bear. He’s a stern but fair teacher, and wants to have the best service for the inn. Satoshi is a river otter and a new recruit for the Evening Watch, a group that patrols the town to protect the innocent from malicious yokai. But it is his first job, so he has a nervous personality.
Q: Do the different yokai that visit your inn affect gameplay in any specific ways? What happens when a Yokai comes to visit the inn?
A: Over the course of the player’s journey, more yokai will show up as you provide more amenities in the inn. Yokai that visit may leave a gift for the player for exceptional service. There may be special patrons that arrive with fanfare, with the player given time to prepare for their arrival.
Q: What aspect of Yokai Inn are you most excited about?
A: I’m a fan of adventure games, and the sense of wonder and adventure are my favorite parts of Studio Ghibli films. I wish to incorporate some of that adventure into Yokai Inn, and it is the most anticipated aspect that I’m looking forward to.
Q: Can you tell us about those amenities?
A: The final list of amenities is still being drafted. Some amenities I currently have include the kitchen and the hot springs baths.
Q: Will Yokai Inn feature any sort of combat or magic systems?
A: Combat is always a contentious topic for life sim games, and wholesome games in general. However, I’m currently considering a system where malicious yokai harass the player at night, with the player being able to craft talismans to ward them off. A magic system is something that I think would play well with Japanese folklore, and I’ll continue refining my ideas in that direction.
Q: Does Yokai Inn feature a plot or quest system, or is it more open-ended like Animal Crossing?
A: Being inspired by Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing, I’m planning on a hybrid of both! The game will feature many events and festivals that the player can choose to prepare for, alongside a more open-ended progression style similar to Animal Crossing.
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about how Yokai Inn incorporates Japanese culture and folklore into the game?
A: While doing research into yokai, I found that they’re often found between the “boundaries” of time and space. During the Taisho Era, Japan was starting to accept and integrate western influences. I thought that it would be fitting for Yokai Inn to take place during this time period.
Q: Yokai Inn’s website cites games like Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon as inspirations. Have any other titles influenced development?
A: I love adventure games, with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild being among my favorites. I hope to take inspiration from how Nintendo tackled open world quest design,among other features.
Q: After a strong showing at E3 2021, many gamers compared Yokai Inn’s style to a Studio Ghibli film. Was this intentional? Are you pleased with the comparisons?
A: Yes! The concept of Yokai Inn was drafted while taking inspiration from many Studio Ghibli films, especially Spirited Away. The main places where this inspiration manifests are in the character designs and color palettes. I’m glad that people are getting the same vibes.
Q: Do you watch Ghibli films for inspiration while working on Yokai Inn’s art?
A: I’ve watched and rewatched my favorite Studio Ghibli films multiple times over the course of development. Among them include Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and Whisper of the Heart.
Q: Can you tell us a little about your composer, Moonsailor? What type of sound are they going for?
A: Moonsailor is a video game-focused sound and music studio in Brazil. They approached me right before I decided to cut off music composer applications for Yokai Inn, and I’m so glad they did! The type of sound that I’m advising them to go for is a combination of Joe Hisaishi (of Studio Ghibli fame), coupled with some other influences to help fit a life-sim game.
Q: How large is your team? When you aren’t working on Yokai Inn, what games are you currently playing to relax?
A: Currently the team is just me and Moonsailor. I do the game design, programming, art, character design, and writing. Moonsailor handles music and sounds with me directing. To unwind, I'm currently playing Eastward on the Switch.
Q: What is the single greatest challenge you’ve faced during development?
A: For a game that has a large visual appeal, ironically the art is my greatest challenge. I’m pretty new to art, but I’m willing to put in the practice and effort to do a game based on Studio Ghibli films justice.
Q: Do you have advice for any other developers who have an idea for a game?
A: The best advice I can give for new game developers is to get your hands dirty and start making a game. In my experience, practice is the best teacher. You should get acquainted with what it takes to make a game as soon as possible. Therefore smaller games would be advisable to start out with.
Q: How are you collaborating with your fans?
A: I currently have two main avenues of communication with fans: Twitter and Discord. I’ll actively participate in both, especially when it comes to ideas for the game. I’m happy to take all sorts of feedback to help me make the game as good as it can be.
Q: Are there any plans for an Early Access release of Yokai Inn?
A: I want players’ first experiences with the game to be extremely polished with a large amount of content. If I choose to launch in Early Access, I’d want it to be with the intent of improving an already finished game.
Q: Do you have any plans for post-launch support, or DLC?
A: I love coming back to games to find new content to play. I would love to support Yokai Inn far past the initial launch with updates and/or DLC, so long as it is feasible.
Q: Yokai Inn hasn’t listed an official release date yet. How deep in development are you? Can you give gamers an idea of when they can start adding the title to their wishlists?
A: I’m actually still in the process of refining the art style and game design as I take fan feedback. Once I’m satisfied with the state of both, I can calculate an accurate development road map and give an estimated release date. Store pages would be revealed around the same time.
Q: Is there anything else you would like our readers to know?
A: I want to thank fans of Yokai Inn for their enthusiasm, feedback, and continued support for the game. I’ll do my best to deliver a quality experience in a timely manner, and appreciate your patience as the game forms.
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Yokai Inn is currently in development for PC and Switch.