Colorful Palette recently announced a Complete Edition of Egg Hatcher’s hit daughter-raising sim Volcano Princess. This new release is an enhanced version of the original game coming to PS5, Nintendo Switch, and mobile platforms on July 30. Additionally, the original Steam version, which released back in 2023, is due to receive a major free update that will bring all the new content and improvements of the Complete Edition to PC. 

Ahead of launch, AUTOMATON had the opportunity to interview Egg Hatcher members Zoi and Fry, as well as a representative from publisher Colorful Palette. The developers talked to us about the details of the new Complete Edition, what draws people to daughter-raising sims, and how it felt to see their game rise to popularity that blew past all of their expectations. 

The appeal of daughter-raising sims 

—Could you please introduce yourselves and your roles in development? 

Egg Hatcher: 
We are Zoi and Fry, the producers of Volcano Princess. Zoi handles all aspects of programming, while Fry is primarily responsible for the artwork. As for the scenario and game design, the two of us built these aspects of the game collaboratively, through thorough discussions every step of the way. 

—Could you briefly tell us about the gameplay of Volcano Princess? 

Egg Hatcher: 
Volcano Princess is a daughter-raising simulation game with multiple endings. In the medieval fantasy world of Volcano Kingdom, players take on the role of a father raising his daughter. I’d say one of the game’s biggest draws is that it offers 50 different endings. Players can carefully watch over their daughter as she grows up, guide her through countless choices, and ultimately witness the unique conclusion to her life story. 

You raise your daughter from the age of five until her coming-of-age ceremony. The game’s timeline advances one month per turn, and the number of things you can do during each turn is limited determined by Action Points. The core gameplay revolves around managing your daughter’s schedule, including lessons and part-time jobs, while carefully managing available Action Points to develop a wide range of attributes like intelligence and imagination. 

There is plenty to do in the game – you can cook and fish, or venture into dungeons where you fight turn-based battles. Your daughter can also interact with a colorful cast of NPCs, allowing players to build bonds through minigames, dates, and more. 

—What do you consider to be the main appeal of the daughter-raising simulator genre? Are there any works that influenced Volcano Princess? 

Egg Hatcher: 
We believe the appeal of daughter-raising sims lies in the experience of raising a young girl itself and being by her side as she grows. The process of raising a kid gives the player a deep sense of emotional fulfillment that’s hard to put into words. Through the player’s own choices and influence, the girl grows into an adult, steps into society, and establishes her own social identity, which brings an immense sense of accomplishment. 

Also, the warm and relaxed atmosphere of daughter-raising sims can provide a lovely source of comfort amid the hectic pace of modern life. The daughter’s love for her father in Volcano Princess never wavers, and we believe that sense of stability is part of the genre’s appeal. We aimed to create a game that would leave players feeling that as long as they trust in their choices and keep moving forward, any life they lead is equally wonderful. 

If we were to name a work that influenced Volcano Princess, the Princess Maker series would definitely be the biggest one. We have loved the series since we were children, and we were particularly influenced by its setting. Both Princess Maker and Volcano Princess take place in medieval European-inspired fantasy worlds where anything can happen. By incorporating mysterious elements into that kind of setting, we sought to spark players’ curiosity in Volcano Princess. 

Before releasing the game, we thought I’d be great if we could sell around 10,000 copies 

—Shortly after its release, Volcano Princess surpassed 600,000 copies sold and earned an “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating on Steam. I understand that the game has now surpassed 1.5 million copies. How do you feel about the strong performance and positive reception? 

Egg Hatcher: 
We never even dreamed that Volcano Princess would be loved by so many people. Just before release, the two of us were saying, “I’d be great if we could sell around 10,000 copies.” But once the game launched, the peak concurrent player count exceeded 30,000 during its first week. Even now, three years later, it still doesn’t feel real. We’re filled with disbelief. 

Of course, while we’re happy about sales figures exceeding our expectations, we feel so grateful when we think about the fact that those aren’t just numbers, but real, living people out there who bought our game. There is just something wondrous about living in the same 21st century and being able to connect emotionally with players around the world through Volcano Princess. As creators, we could not feel more honored. 

—Why did you decide to release a new Complete Edition with additional content rather than simply porting the original game to new platforms? 

Egg Hatcher: 
Through our many discussions with Colorful Palette, we came to the conclusion that simply transferring the existing game to new platforms as-is would betray our fans’ expectations and waste a valuable opportunity to collaborate [with our newfound Japanese publisher]. 

Rather than just a functional port, we wanted to make a sincere and wholehearted Complete Edition that could truly repay both our players and this fortunate partnership. We wanted to improve and polish every aspect of the game so as to ensure that both longtime fans and newcomers will be able to enjoy it not as “an old game that has simply been brought to another platform,” but as a fresh experience imbued with the creators’ passion. We are confident that this Complete Edition will be that kind of game. 

—Could you tell us about the key features of the Complete Edition? 

Egg Hatcher: 
Thanks to Colorful Palette’s involvement, we were able to add full Japanese voice acting and create a new opening movie, which would have been impossible at the scale we were working at originally. All of the Japanese text has also been retranslated*, while the soundtrack and sound effects have been completely revamped. We believe these improvements have elevated the overall quality of Volcano Princess to a new level. 

*Improvements to the English localization have also been announced. 

As for new gameplay content, we have added a new explorable dungeon (titled Path of Two Shadows). Unlike the other dungeons, this one can only be tackled by the daughter and one chosen companion. As a result, it is a challenging dungeon that puts the player’s own combat skills to the test.   

As you progress through it, you’ll be able to read character-specific scenarios featuring the companion you brought along that are somewhat sweeter and more romantic in tone than the game’s usual exploration events. We hope players look forward to discovering how they unfold. 

We’ve also added a new wedding dress for the daughter, and the Complete Edition also includes extra episodes, so we hope players will check those out as well. 

—Why did you decide to add full Japanese voice acting as a new feature in the Complete Edition? 

Egg Hatcher: 
We believed that being fully voiced would dramatically enhance the game’s narrative experience. 

Voice actress Mai Nakahara has voiced the daughter character since the original Volcano Princess, but with the Complete Edition adding voices for other characters, we believe players will become even more attached to each member of the cast. 

Being able to bring together such an impressive lineup of voice actors was only possible because of Colorful Palette’s extensive experience and expertise in the Japanese market. It would have been extremely difficult for an overseas indie developer like us to achieve this on our own. 

Thanks to the wonderful performances of the voice cast, we believe the characters now feel as though they are right beside the player, giving the game an even stronger sense of immersion. 

Colorful Palette: 
Like Egg Hatcher, our goal in adding full Japanese voice acting was to enhance the narrative experience, and we focused on bringing out the original game’s appeal as much as possible. 

For characters who did not have voices in the original version, we cast new voice actors. When we first heard the characters brought to life with their voices, we were incredibly happy, not only as developers, but as players ourselves. 

Giving back to the players who supported us since the beginning 

—I understand that the original PC version will receive a free update after the Complete Edition launches. Does that mean the original version will effectively become equivalent to the Complete Edition once the update rolls out? If so, why did you decide to provide the update for free? 

Egg Hatcher: 
Yes, once the free update rolls out, the original Volcano Princess will be upgraded to include all of the Complete Edition’s content, so existing PC players will be able to enjoy every new feature from the Complete Edition at no additional cost. 

We plan to release the free update on Steam approximately three months after the Complete Edition launches on other platforms. 

The reason we decided to offer the update for free is quite simple – we want to deliver the best possible experience to players on every platform, and more than anything, we deeply value the players who supported us from the very beginning on Steam. Volcano Princess has come this far entirely because of our passionate fans who helped spread the word. 

Even though the Complete Edition introduces new content, we strongly felt that our longtime players, who have supported us all this time, should be able to enjoy the game in its latest form without any hassle. For that reason, from the very beginning of our joint development with Colorful Palette, we made it clear that we absolutely wanted the PC version to receive a free update. We’re truly grateful that Colorful Palette understood and supported this idea. 

Colorful Palette: 
We completely agreed with everything Egg Hatcher has said, so we’re glad we were able to share the same vision moving forward.   

Steam players will have to wait a little longer, but we hope they will look forward to the upgrade. 

—Finally, do you have a message for our readers? 

Egg Hatcher: 
The fact that Volcano Princess, the first game we ever created, has caught people’s attention and been played by so many is a tremendous honor. We cannot thank you enough. To us, the daughter in this game represents the “love” that resides within our hearts. She embodies the place we wanted to create within ourselves – a place where we can cherish and protect someone, forgive them unconditionally, and accept them. 

We sincerely thank everyone who has taken an interest in Volcano Princess and played it. No matter where we are or when it may be, the daughter loves us and watches over us. Our journey as creators has only just begun. We will continue making games and strive to deliver works that are even more interesting and enjoyable for everyone. 

Colorful Palette: 
We worked hard to develop this new release of Volcano Princess with the hope that even players who have been with the game since the original version will be able to enjoy it even more. For Colorful Palette’s development team as well, this was a project we cherished with the affection one might feel for their own “daughter.” 

Also, for those who were interested in the original version of Volcano Princess but have not yet had the chance to play it, we believe this multiplatform release will make the game more accessible. We would be very happy if this release gave you the opportunity to finally try it! 

—Thank you very much for your time. 

The Complete Edition of Volcano Princess is scheduled to launch for PS5, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android on July 30, 2026. The original PC version on Steam will receive a free update three months later.