"Did I... transmigrate?" Ichin murmured to himself. "I remember pulling an all-nighter, then I just passed out completely..."
In an unfamiliar bedroom, Ichin stared at his reflection in the mirror, noting his much younger face. He felt disoriented as memories not his own, yet somehow familiar, began to surface in his mind.
The name of the body he transmigrated into was also Ichin, and the appearance was identical to his original self. Even his parents had the same names and faces. He was 17 years old and had arrived in Japan as an exchange student just three days ago.
The original Ichin was academically strong. He had learned Japanese in just a year and obtained his parents' approval to study abroad. But his true goal for coming here wasn't purely academic—he was a hardcore otaku who dreamt of becoming a game developer. His ambition was to join Nintendo after graduating from university.
However, this guy had gotten a bit too excited after moving here. He went wild and overindulged in gaming and watching anime for two days straight, pulling all-nighters until he eventually dropped dead from exhaustion. That was when Ichin's transmigration took place.
Recalling the original owner's heated online debates about games and the impulsive vow to create a hit game of his own, Ichin took a deep breath and whispered, "Don't worry. If it were something else, maybe I wouldn't be able to do it, but making a game? That's what I did in my past life. Leave your dream to me."
In the next moment, he felt as if a weight had been lifted. He became more familiar with the body, and his thoughts cleared up significantly.
"Is this a sign that I've fully merged with this body? Not bad at all. Being young really is great," he said, moving his limbs to test his flexibility. Ichin then began sorting through the game development experience from his past life alongside the detailed memories of the body's previous owner.
After about half an hour of organizing his thoughts, Ichin opened his eyes with a newfound clarity. He felt a rush of excitement as he thought about all the game development knowledge and experience now residing in his mind. Surveying the room, which was plastered with game and anime posters, Ichin smiled and sat down at the computer.
"The first thing I need to do now is choose the first game I'll create," he decided.
The gaming industry in this world was both similar and different from his previous life. Many well-known game series still existed, like the legendary Capcom titles Devil May Cry, Monster Hunter, and Resident Evil. Other popular franchises like Assassin's Creed and Tomb Raider were still ongoing, but they had hit a creative slump, delaying their new releases.
While many major titles from his past life had appeared in this world, there were also some famous developers missing—like Hidetaka Miyazaki and Hideo Kojima. Although that one golf-loving maniac was still hopping around...
But there was one major timeline difference: it was already 2021 here, and The Last of Us Part II had just announced its release date, scheduled for July of next year in 2022.
"Well, that's good news. This time, I won't be wasting my time getting disappointed by that game," Ichin muttered, recalling his own distaste for the title.
Aside from those AAA titles, Ichin also remembered several niche or indie games that this world's version of him had played—many of which he hadn't experienced in his past life but found equally excellent.
After browsing through his memories and doing some searches on Steam, Ichin formed a preliminary plan.
"I'm just one person right now, so making a large-scale game isn't possible. I have to focus on creating a polished indie game, and the development difficulty can't be too high either. So, for my first project, the game I'll develop will be—"
He created a new folder and began typing on the keyboard.
Slay the Spire
In his previous life, Slay the Spire was an indie card-based roguelike game he was deeply addicted to. It had sold over a million copies and even got console and mobile versions later on. It had basically set off the trend for card-building roguelike games.
Ichin himself was deeply addicted to Slay the Spire, having spent over 200 hours on it. As he typed, he muttered to himself, "Slay the Spire isn't too complicated. Four characters, three modes, a tower-climbing system, and the core mechanics are all about cards and choosing paths during the run. As for the art style, it's something I can try drawing myself. If worst comes to worst, I can hire an artist, but that costs a lot. I'm not at the point where I'd ask my parents for money."
In his previous life, Ichin had entered the gaming industry right after graduating from university and had spent five years there. His head was packed with game development experience. To better understand and create games, he had seriously studied art both during and after university. Although he wasn't as skilled as a professional artist, he could still handle the basics on his own.
As he continued planning, Ichin began to consider which game engine to use. In his past life, Slay the Spire had apparently used a relatively niche engine that he hadn't paid much attention to. But for a game of this scale, finding the exact same engine wasn't necessary.
"Unity's available. Let's go with that."
Unity was a widely used engine suitable for both 2D and 3D games. It supported multiple platforms including PC, consoles, tablets, mobile devices, and even VR. If Ichin remembered correctly, more than half of the games across all platforms on the market were developed using Unity.
"Who would've thought that the previous owner of this body was quite knowledgeable? Unity's already installed. That's great—it saves me a lot of time," Ichin remarked.
He stretched a bit and checked Unity's development interface, which was almost identical to the one he had used in his past life. In fact, the resources and materials available within it were even more extensive, boosting his confidence in developing Slay the Spire.
"Alright then, let's get to work! First, I need to write a development draft, then outline the gameplay and settings."
Although he was working solo, having a plan would ensure smoother progress. Diving in headfirst without one would only disrupt the game's development flow.
"Grrr~~~"
Before he could type more than a few words, his stomach let out a loud growl.
"Right, I got too excited and forgot that this body hasn't had a proper meal in two whole days," he sighed.
Saving the document on his computer, Ichin pulled out his phone to check his current balance.
"Wow, this guy's got way more money than I did when I was 17. Looks like the parents in this world are doing much better in business, and they're healthier too—not like in my past life, where they worked themselves into the ground."
Since he had enough funds, there was no issue. Ichin found some bread in his room to curb his hunger, took a quick shower, changed into fresh clothes, and then headed out.
...
T/N: Here we go! New Year New Fic! Happy New Year to you and your family lovely readers! Hopefully, you have a wonderful year ahead and this ff doesn't get banned by WN. Enjoy!