By When requesting a translation, I sent the game build with the message, “Thank you. Please make sure to play it first before starting the translation.”
Quoted from the text
Two days later, I received emails with the same content from two different people.
“I cried a lot,” they said.
At that time, the game did not even have music yet.
In January of this year, the new game ‘未解決事件は終わらせないといけないから (We Have to Solve the Unsolved Cases)’ by the South Korean solo developer SOMI has recently made headlines by receiving over 5000 overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam. With high praise for its system, sound, and story, many reviews shared common expressions such as “emotional,” “relatable,” and “healing.”
Having spent nearly 20 years in the legal field in Busan, South Korea, SOMI has released six works over the past ten years, including the “Guilt Trilogy” consisting of ‘REPLICA,’ ‘LEGAL DUNGEON,’ and ‘THE WAKE.’ Known for her socially charged messages in her works, this time she expressed a desire to create a “completely separate world from herself,” sparking significant interest among users who enjoyed ‘未解決事件.’
Today, SKOOTA conducted an interview with the indie creator SOMI, who is gaining worldwide attention beyond South Korea. We aim to vividly convey the insights and feelings of the creator regarding behind-the-scenes stories of the game’s development, which every user who played his games would be curious about.
SOMI（ソミ）
Debuted in game development with ‘RABBIT HOLE 3D’ in 2014
Representative works: ‘REPLICA’ (2016), ‘LEGAL DUNGEON’ (2018), ‘The Wake’ (2020)
Latest work: ‘未解決事件は終わらせないといけないから’ (2024)
Awarded at the 2016 INDIE STREAM Festival
Received Best Story Game Award at Indie Arena Booth in 2020
Winner of the Grand Prize at A MAZE./Berlin 2024, Best Game Design at BitSummit Drift, and Jury Prize and Social Impact Award at BIC Fest 2024, among many other accolades.
Currently, she works in the legal field while also engaging in solo development.
20-Year Lawyer and 10-Year Game Developer SOMI: “Game Development Started from Coincidence and Curiosity”
――Recently, we have welcomed the renowned indie game developer SOMI, who is garnering attention not only in Korea but also in Japan. Could you please introduce yourself briefly?
SOMI: First of all, I don’t think “famous” suits me at all (laughs). I am SOMI, and I have been creating indie games alone in Busan, South Korea, for about ten years. Since releasing ‘RABBIT HOLE 3D’ in 2014, I have released six works. My representative works include the Guilt Trilogy, which consists of ‘REPLICA’ (2016), ‘LEGAL DUNGEON’ (2019), and ‘THE WAKE’ (2020). This January, I released my latest title ‘未解決事件は終わらせないといけないから’ (2024), and I am currently working hard on its promotional activities.
――I heard that you are not just a full-time developer but also balancing your original job along with solo development. As you mentioned, you’ve been developing games for ten years now; what creative activities did you engage in before entering game development?
SOMI: During my university years, I had a strong desire to become a novelist. I wrote short stories and entered literary contests, really striving to debut as a novelist. However, I lacked the skill to make a proper debut… so that was my experience. Before that, in high school, I also had a strong urge to become a manga artist, so I worked hard copying manga.
――Could you tell us how you transitioned from wanting to be a novelist or a manga artist in university to game development?
SOMI: I majored in law in university, so I still work in the legal field. I’ve been at my current job for about 20 years, so I’m quite accustomed to a company life that feels like running on a hamster wheel. Amidst that, I thought that my own creative activities or creations might become a source of vitality in my life. I also believed it could serve as an outlet to express my thoughts and stress, so I first decided to teach myself programming. Through that, I started making apps and releasing them in app stores, such as an app for tarot card readings and an app that sends a letter one year later. I created such things.
――It seems like you experimented with various things from different perspectives rather than sticking to one thing. How did you settle on game development?
SOMI: After I self-taught programming and created and sold apps, there came a time when I was thinking about what to create next. At that time, there was a very popular mobile game called ‘Super Hexagon’ (2012). It’s a really fantastic indie game, but back then I didn’t even know what indie games were, and I was not someone who enjoyed playing games that much. When I played that game, I couldn’t understand how great it was, and at that moment, a thought popped into my mind: “If I could just make something like this, I could probably make something better.” This kind of absurd imagination led me to create ‘RABBIT HOLE 3D.’
――I think the atmosphere of the current SOMI is quite different from ‘RABBIT HOLE 3D’ (laughs).
SOMI: Actually, I still have a strong passion for rhythm games. So when people ask me what I want to create next, I often reply, “I want to make a proper rhythm game next.” Also, I really love chiptune music, and I still have a small goal of creating a wonderful rhythm game that surpasses ‘Super Hexagon’ with chiptune.
――I heard you created apps, and I believe one of them ranked as high as third in the Korean app store. In a sense, was your motivation higher for apps than for game development? Why did you transition to game development instead?
SOMI: I think it was very coincidental. The fact that I started making apps was also a random opportunity… although I feel like that’s a separate story. When I transitioned from making apps to making games, it was actually during a time when I was contemplating, “What should I create next?” and I thought, “Isn’t it amazing that a game that seems to have such low production costs is getting this much response? Then maybe I should…” It started with that level of mindset. But as I went on, I realized that “Ah, making a game is really a difficult process, and even a game that seems extremely simple is the result of a massive amount of research and effort.” It took me quite some time to come to that realization.
From Form to Message: “Don’t Bring Politics into Games”
――Since you mentioned curiosity, I would like to ask you something. You created your first game out of curiosity, so what kind of curiosity drove you to create your representative works, the “Guilt Trilogy”?
SOMI: After creating ‘RABBIT HOLE 3D,’ I produced a 2D puzzle platformer game called ‘RETSNOM’ (2015). At that time, I was gradually honing in on the direction of 2D games that incorporate a story within pixel art, beginning with that framework. When I was working on ‘REPLICA,’ after releasing ‘RETSNOM,’ I encountered an art piece made in pixel art for a cellphone screen. While searching online, I couldn’t get the image out of my head. I thought I would explore if there were games that made the entire screen a cellphone screen. At that time, there were none at all. So I thought, “If I display this screen on the entire screen using pixel art, it could look really beautiful.” I remember that was how I initially approached it.
This means that ‘REPLICA’ was a game made with form coming first. My idea was to incorporate the cellphone screen directly into the game and create the system where a messaging app operates, along with photos and various apps. After creating that, I proceeded to add the story afterwards. By the way, the story I initially included in ‘REPLICA’ was completely different from what is now released.
*The first work of the Guilt Trilogy.
――It’s surprising to hear that ‘REPLICA,’ which can be seen as the start of the Guilt Trilogy, was a game built from form. You mentioned that the story was also completely different; could you share some more details about that?
SOMI: At first, I was trying to base the story on the novel ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ (1955). The basic storyline involved the protagonist, Tom, who kills another person and lives their life while approaching the wealthy son Dickie, killing him, and behaving as if he is Dickie. Right after Tom kills Dickie, he possesses Dickie’s cellphone and crafts a story around how to create an alibi for a murder so that Dickie’s friends, who still believe Dickie is alive, don’t suspect anything. I structured this narrative and showed it to friends while undergoing playtesting, and then, during 2016, events happened. As you may know, there was a significant political scandal involving then-President Park Geun-hye in South Korea, along with protests demanding her impeachment beforehand.
SOMI: In the lead-up to those events, there were pressures on journalism and broadcasting, as well as various blacklist incidents. At that time, in the increasingly authoritarian atmosphere of the country, I felt ashamed of not doing anything while seeing other citizens fighting in the streets. So I thought I wanted to do something, and began to wonder if I could craft a story through this game; I decided to completely change the story I was going to incorporate. This ultimately led to what ‘REPLICA’ is now, marking the beginning of the Guilt Trilogy.
――So, it was in 2016. I believe those who hear this story in Japan remember the significant events, and it’s surprising to see that they affected your creative work. However, addressing social issues through the medium of games was, and still is, often met with backlash. How did you feel about that sentiment at the time?
SOMI: Yes, I remember that at the time, dealing with social issues through games was almost unheard of. I had not seen any works that engaged with political or various social issues occurring in the country. Rather, when I was younger, there were parody games where presidents fought against each other, but after that, I don’t recall many works addressing social issues directly or aggressively. I believe this atmosphere of not recognizing games as a legitimate artistic medium significantly narrowed the genre of games.
To add, the notion that “games must be entertaining” or “games should provide enjoyment” was overly emphasized, which in turn shut out various potentials that could be realized through the characteristics of media. The recent shift in this narrative, in part, stems from games establishing themselves as an art form while still upholding the premise that games must be enjoyable, and at the same acknowledging that the perception of enjoyment varies vastly among people. Therefore, some individuals find joy in very simple games, like a basic ping-pong game, while others may derive immense pleasure from dissecting the narrative structure and character relationships that emerge. This diversity in the understanding of enjoyment has led to a more pluralistic approach to game design.
Additionally, the global perspective is shifting, and it seems that a view has emerged categorizing so-called impact games, influencer games, and serious games as a genre. Awards are now being created specifically for such games, signaling a certain demand for them and resulting in marketers considering them positively. I believe that all these factors have contributed to a significant change in atmosphere.
――You’re absolutely right. That very understanding supports the emergence of diverse games, including indie games, in today’s era. Living through such turbulent times, do you still hear voices saying, “Don’t bring politics into games”?
SOMI: Yes, there are indeed remarks like, “Ultimately, it’s a game created because I wanted to do politics,” which appeared in reviews for ‘未解決事件は終わらせないといけないから.’ Additionally, there was a period in Korea when various feminist issues were at the forefront; I had strongly articulated my stance on the ideological screening against feminism, which made me a target for much criticism among players. As a result, I received numerous malevolent comments, and even now, if you check the internet forums regarding the game about unresolved crimes, you will find two major streams of thought.
One viewpoint is, “This game is made by a feminist developer,” asserting, “Let’s avoid this and not even look at it—definitely shouldn’t buy it!” The other viewpoint is, “This person has a rightful perspective, so it’s safe to trust and play their game.” To put it simply, many people still treat discussing a creator’s individual opinions or philosophies within the realm of games as a taboo. This is something I have experienced both in the past and continuing into the present.
――In a related interview, you mentioned that you were very grateful for the evaluation, “You are the best feminist.” That left a significant impression (laughs).
SOMI: I strive for that to be true. I have to study and learn a lot.
What I Wanted to Eliminate from Games Was None Other Than ‘Myself’: “I Wanted to Create a Completely Fictional World”
――I want to delve into the main topic now. In contrast to the previously discussed Guilt Trilogy, you mentioned in an interview that ‘未解決事件は終わらせないといけないから’ was crafted with the intent of making “a game with a face.” What do you mean by “a game with a face”?
SOMI: In the Guilt Trilogy thus far, there have been no illustrations of characters at all. Typically, players read the dialogue while getting to know the characters; those dialogues lead players to infer, “Ah, this character likely looks something like this,” or, “They might be about this age.” One day, though, ‘LEGAL DUNGEON’ was released with terrible Japanese translation. Despite that, the team from Petit Depotto, creators of ‘Gnosia,’ reached out to me after the Switch version’s release to offer their help, and they truly loved the game.
They contacted me and worked on all the translations from start to finish, and even created illustrations. The Switch version was released along with these illustrations, and the reaction from people was entirely different than before. Despite the difference being only a single illustration when compared to the original version of ‘LEGAL DUNGEON,’ the improvements made before the Switch version’s release already resolved the translation issues. I realized at that time that simply having an illustration completely changes how people feel about a character. I found myself reflecting a lot on how illustrations can limit people’s imagination while also being a way for them to feel the presence of a character.
――I heard ‘Gnosia’ was recently announced to be adapted into an anime.
SOMI: Yes, I’m amazed by it!
――Should we hope to see your work adapted into anime someday as well?
SOMI: That would truly be wonderful. I can’t imagine anything more honorable than seeing a work like ‘LEGAL DUNGEON’ in anime or film form.
――In your previous response, you mentioned that “having illustrations can limit imagination.” However, prior to ‘LEGAL DUNGEON,’ did you have a negative impression of illustrations?
SOMI: No, I hadn’t thought they were bad. When making ‘REPLICA’ and ‘LEGAL DUNGEON,’ I always thought about drawing out the best possible image for the users. For example…
Hmm, I actually considered ‘REPLICA’ a game that didn’t need characters. I wanted to emphasize the abstraction surrounding characters to express that the situation depicted in the game is something anyone could experience. I sought to highlight scenarios like the prisoner’s dilemma and focus on the phone’s functionality in the game. In ‘LEGAL DUNGEON,’ the characters are represented by rank insignia during dialogues, emphasizing that they should not be construed merely as individuals but rather as cogwheels functioning within a system. Moreover, in ‘LEGAL DUNGEON,’ the gender of the protagonist is nearly undisclosed. The gender remains unknown until just before the end. This ambiguity contributes to providing players with the freedom of imagination, as I had considered it.
――I see. Through the illustrations by Kotori, you discovered a new perspective for viewing your work, and it led you to the thought that for ‘未解決事件は終わらせないといけないから,’ you wanted to create a game with faces.
SOMI: I think my desire for abundance may have also influenced this. This time, I wanted to properly see and portray characters with faces… it was a kind of personal wish.
Quoted from the PS4 release trailer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Up95daqmWL8
Also quoted from the PS4 release trailer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Up95daqmWL8
――It’s quite intriguing that SOMI, who previously created faceless children, now produced children with faces in ‘未解決事件は終わらせないといけないから.’ How did this mindset influence the actual production?
SOMI: Making children with faces was very distinctive, but I also realized it in retrospect. After completing the game, I thought, “Oh, that’s where the difference lies.” Unlike the previous Guilt Trilogy, for ‘未解決事件は終わらせないといけないから,’ I created the content first. I did not make the form first like in ‘REPLICA,’ ‘LEGAL DUNGEON,’ and ‘THE WAKE.’ Instead, for ‘未解決事件は終わらせないといけないから,’ I developed the entire story first and then considered how to best showcase it. Thus, while crafting the story, I naturally became more focused on the appearances of the characters.
――So, the content was created first, unlike your earlier works. I’d like to ask a question about something you mentioned in a previous interview: you stated, “While messages are important in games, what’s essential first is that the game needs to be beautiful while also being meaningful.” Could you elaborate on what that means?
SOMI: I don’t have a perfect philosophy regarding that either. However, what I felt while making the Guilt Trilogy was that I constantly felt like I was chipping away at myself throughout the game development process. In other words, the guilt I felt at that time, the aspects of society I wanted to change, and what I wanted to convey to people like, “You should also experience this emotion once.” The process of using the game as a medium to firmly express this situation was very strong. I felt its impact most strongly when I was making ‘THE WAKE.’
SOMI: That game became entirely my story, infused with only my experiences. So, while the production of that game linked to the resolution of my traumas and the fundamental stresses I have, I felt overly reliant on the author. Therefore, as I moved onto the next game, I felt the urge to create “a complete and pure creation.” In other words, I aimed to “create a truly fictional world.” That way, the characters that appear in it would be completely unrelated to me. The episodes within that world and the emotions that arise from them would feel disconnected from the experiences I gained in society or in reality. I wanted to create an unfamiliar space. So I had this abstract thought of creating a perfect world where, even if SOMI the person is absent, the work would still stand as a complete world.
Yes, along with that thought, I wanted to discuss the theme of a perfect and beautiful world. Therefore, my approach to the game and thoughts on its themes also emerged as a reaction against the existing ideas I had about games. Rather than holding a definite proposition that games must adhere to, I approached game development with the mindset of creating something new this time, taking it lightly.
――The desire to depict a world that could stand without you is both complex and lonely. It also suggests a lot about how through such a world, many people feel moved and warmed.
SOMI: There is a sense of loneliness in that, yes (laughs).
――Did you anticipate that a world without you would receive such acclaim and empathy from so many people, or was this completely unexpected?
SOMI: I feel like I simultaneously experience both “anticipated it” and “did not anticipate it” regarding this aspect. Usually, there’s an emotional rollercoaster leading up to a release. On some days I think, “Isn’t this definitely going to be a hit game?” while on other days I wonder, “Who would even want to play this boring game?” Those thoughts oscillated back and forth. When I shared this game with my developer friends or publishers, the reactions were not encouraging at all. I was left thinking, “I’ve ended up making another self-satisfying game alone.” However, after that, I reached out to translators in hopes of localizing the game for release, including in English, Japanese, and Chinese. When I requested the translations, I sent them the game build and emphasized, “Please make sure to play it first before starting the translation.” Then, two days later, I received an email back saying, “I cried a lot.” At that time, the game still didn’t even have music. I realized then while simultaneously working on the score and editing the translation, “Ah, this is going to work. This will work.” There was a certain sense of relief, and it might sound overly dramatic, but I felt saved.
――That’s an incredibly moving story. It seems that you encountered such feedback while progressing with localization. By the way, it feels like we’ve discussed translation quite a bit in this interview; how did you approach the localization for ‘未解決事件は終わらせないといけないから’?
SOMI: I have previously struggled a lot because I wasn’t skilled at requesting translations. Up until ‘REPLICA,’ I couldn’t even imagine that I could earn money with my games, which led to terribly executed translations. After releasing the game in a horrible translated state and gaining popularity, fans began to translate it piece by piece for me. Then for ‘LEGAL DUNGEON,’ I attempted to do things properly by working with a domestic translation company, but the translated versions in English, Japanese, and Chinese were even worse than machine translations, so it was quite a disaster.
Eventually, in the case of ‘LEGAL DUNGEON,’ it turned out that fans ended up doing the translations once again. From ‘THE WAKE’ onwards, English translation became the standard from which other languages could expand, so instead of searching for English-Korean translators in the game industry, I sought out those translating domestic literary works into foreign languages. However, many of those in the industry handling multiple projects have been quite busy, and they often lacked the capacity to take care of games. Therefore, after reaching out to numerous people, I personally emailed those who had recently gained recognition through translating literary works and had even won awards for it. Most often, they declined due to games, but after persisting, I finally connected with someone who became my collaborator. Thanks to this person, I feel the English version of the game conveys the expressions well. I am still currently working with them, and the same goes for ‘未解決事件は終わらせないといけないから.’
――Are there any specific points that you pay special attention to during the translation process?
SOMI: There are some expressions that have been trending recently, and the term “poetic prose” comes to mind. I often pay attention to how effectively that can be conveyed in translation. Additionally, translation and localization are entirely different aspects. I know that localization is very significant in Japan, so I made efforts to ensure thorough checks. For ‘未解決事件は終わらせないといけないから,’ I conducted checks twice. The first was translation, and the second was asking someone who understands both the game and Japanese culture well to review it again. The content and tone can significantly change depending on how it’s conveyed, even the title, character dialogues, and even their names. For example, the girl’s name in the game is 壱華 (Seika). How do we read that name in a way that wouldn’t lead to her being bullied at school? We constantly exchanged feedback and discussed such matters.
Therefore, I usually prefer not to work with translators who do not ask questions during the translation process. Each sentence within contains metaphors and symbolic layers, with possible sources in original texts or other media that can be verified, making regular exchange of messages critical to ensure the text is proper.
This is why I always encourage translators to “please ask a lot of questions” during translation work.
(To be continued in Part Two.)
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