Sodomy Fatale, published by Vampire K.K, launched in Early Access on May 15 via Steam.
Following the story of Alec, a flamboyant vampire who runs a gay bar, and Inis, an abandoned amnesiac robot, Sodomy Fatale is a “cozy” gay bar management sim in which you get to serve your original blood-based drinks to other (gay) vampires. Skillfully running the business, mixing cocktails and interacting with your guests lets you deepen your connections with them while also advancing the story. The game’s characteristic visual style and worldview are courtesy of creator Jamsanpoid, who also worked on the chaotic dating sim From Madness With Love.
Unlike From Madness With Love, which has been localized to English and Chinese, Sodomy Fatale is only available in Japanese for now. But despite the language barrier, the game has also been attracting a lot of attention among English-speaking gamers as well.
This time, we took the opportunity to interview Kato, representative of Vampire K.K, and ask him about how the game has been received so far in the West, and whether they have any plans to localize it in the future.
Sodomy Fatale currently only has Japanese language support, but it’s been attracting a lot of attention from overseas users as well. Were you expecting this kind of response?
Kato:
Come to think of it, it was only afterwards that we realized the game has potential to be popular overseas. It’s something we pretty much didn’t expect.
Why do you think the game is gaining traction among English-speaking users?
Kato:
I actually asked a couple of them, and, first and foremost, they said that the art style was great. We were also told that “gay and vampire themes are a match made in heaven!” Since major video game titles only offer safe storylines, they say they want more games depicting niche themes.
What do you think is the biggest appeal of Sodomy Fatale?
Kato:
There are aspects of it that you can enjoy as a game, but I also think that it’s a work you should quietly let become a part of your daily life. You can play it casually in the background while doing something else, serving your signature cocktails to customers who occasionally come over. The bar experience itself is its biggest charm in my opinion. I actually manage a bar in real life, and while I do find myself thinking There’s no way I could keep business going in such a laid-back place!!, on the other hand, I admire the idea of bars with a chill, laid-back worldview (laughs).
I see, so the game allows everyone to play at their own pace! By the way, are you considering an English localization? As far as I know, the game features dialogue that can get pretty unique and unusual, so could you tell us what kind of challenges it would present if you hypothetically decided to localize it to another language?
Kato:
We’re considering it! But as you mentioned, since there are many instances in which the characters’ personalities are reflected through their speech patterns, I feel like localizing it is going to be difficult. On top of that, since the game is developed in RPG Maker, replacing the Japanese dialogue with English translations presents a significant challenge. Regarding that, we are currently in discussions with Odencat, the developers who we previously commissioned to port From Madness To Love to Nintendo Switch, since they are highly skilled in porting RPG Maker games. However, we still aren’t sure how much interest there is among the English-speaking audience, so it’s a bit difficult to decide.
Finally, having so many great character designs, I get the impression that Sodomy Fatale will resonate with a certain kind of audience. The game has only just launched in early access, but what kind of audience would you like to see playing it?
Kato:
Before I answer, let me just say that the creator, director, and all the other artists that helped make this game come to life, will all probably have their own unique take on this question. Personally, I want even people who aren’t interested in gay bars or vampires to play the game. As somebody who’s already familiar with the worldview, characters and story, I feel like it’s a work that will strike a chord with many people, so I’d be happy if people picked it up without thinking too much about it being “niche.”
Thanks a lot.
Sodomy Fatale is currently out in Early Access for PC (Steam). Note that the game is only available in Japanese at the time of writing.
