“Repair costs are through the roof, please buy my game” After having their home and car wrecked by their mom, a Japanese solo developer is sending a heartfelt plea for support
Japanese indie developer Higaeri4000, also known as Yo Fujii, recently went through a traumatic event, and that’s putting it lightly. On December 4, he reported on his personal X account that his mother had wrecked his car and home. Photos of a shattered glass door and dented front bumper show some of the damage.
In the days leading up to the incident, Yo Fujii mentioned having troubles with his mother, including receiving threatening messages. This seems to have escalated to the point of the police getting involved and Yo Fujii’s mother being involuntarily hospitalized in the aftermath of the incident.
Yo Fujii is a game creator who worked in the industry until 2021, when he went indie. In November 2022, he released the story-driven adventure game Goodbye World for the PC (Steam) and Nintendo Switch. His next title is currently in the works.
Goodbye World follows the story of two college friends who start working together as game creators. The game shows the harsh reality facing independent creators, with the protagonists struggling to make ends meet while trying to make their game a commercial success. With a linear 13-chapter story and 12 puzzle platformer-style stages, the game currently has a Very Positive status on Steam, with 85% out of 667 reviews being positive.
In light of the unfortunate experience, Yo Fujii is asking users to support him by purchasing Goodbye World. The game is available on Steam and the Nintendo store for $11.99.
Yo Fujii himself is apparently mostly unharmed save for a cut from the broken glass, but he has expressed concern about the future given that he cannot place a restraining order against his mother.
