{"id":52228,"date":"2025-09-23T02:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=52228"},"modified":"2025-09-22T18:41:40","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T09:41:40","slug":"how-to-make-a-hit-visual-novel-getting-intimate-with-your-fans-is-the-key-say-urban-myth-dissolution-center-and-gnosia-devs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/how-to-make-a-hit-visual-novel-getting-intimate-with-your-fans-is-the-key-say-urban-myth-dissolution-center-and-gnosia-devs\/","title":{"rendered":"How to make a hit visual novel? Getting intimate with your fans is the key, say Urban Myth Dissolution Center and Gnosia devs\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

While some industry veterans may say that Japanese narrative adventure games (commonly known as visual novels in the West) have reached a bit of a slump<\/a>, that doesn\u2019t mean the genre doesn\u2019t have its hits anymore. Recently, AUTOMATON brought together the developers of Urban Myth Dissolution Center<\/strong> and Gnosia<\/strong>, two remarkably successful Japanese visual novel games released in recent years, to chat about the key to \u201cmaking it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two titles are known for their iconic art styles and stories that leave you on the edge of your seat, but that was not all it took to produce a \u201chit\u201d game, according to the developers. Behind the scenes, there was a great deal of effort put into marketing and building relationships with future players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Gnosia.\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It goes without saying that a game will do better with good marketing than without it. However, for indie games that strive to stand out, conventional marketing methods may not seem to cut it \u2013 which is why Urban Myth Dissolution Center\u2019s development team decided to take a slightly different path. Rather than just relying on online and signage advertising, writer HafHaf Oden<\/strong> and producer Makoto Hayashi<\/strong> say that they tried some more unconventional marketing methods. One over-the-top example is the giant pyramid they built for last year\u2019s Tokyo Game Show and the real-life mystery games they hosted, which helped them stand out from the crowd and make a lot of new fans directly through their physical booth. Of course, HafHaf notes that the most important thing was the tight-knit relationship between developer Hakababunko and publisher Shueisha, and a steady feedback loop between them and the players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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