Impressions of Improvement and Growth from the Previous Challenges in My First Attempt! Report on the COMITIA 150 Exhibition of “Yami Yuri Girls’ Academy”

Hello everyone. This is the Yamiyuri Girls’ Academy circle. We are a group of people who love lovely girls, weaving various stories set in a school filled with darkness.

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Circle “Yamiyuri Girls’ Academy”

A circle formed by people who love lovely girls. We create games, manga, novels, and weave various stories set in a school filled with darkness. We are currently conducting a mysterious entrance mock exam at events this year.

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On November 17, 2024, we exhibited as a circle for the first time at COMITIA150 held at Tokyo Big Sight! Reflecting on this challenge, we improved our setup and operations based on our experience from the Digital Game Expo 2024 we participated in on November 3.

Additionally, we have noted points to be careful about when exhibiting games at COMITIA, so we would be happy if you could read until the end.

The report on our participation in the Digital Game Expo 2024 on November 3 can be found here:

初挑戦で見えた課題と喜び！「闇百合女学園」のデジゲー博出展レポート

For the playtest demonstration, we prepared a mock exam lasting 1 to 3 minutes, just like at the Digital Game Expo. Additionally, we distributed the illustration booklet “Someone’s Dropped Yamiyuri Girls’ Academy Designated Notebook”! It is currently on sale at booth.

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Applying Reflections from the Digital Game Expo

In this COMITIA, we attempted to improve the issues from the previous Digital Game Expo in the following ways.

1. Guiding those who want to take the exam

Issue: Is it a game? Is it playable?

Improvement: By changing the specification to have people wait on the mock exam start screen, visitors naturally recognized it as a game.

2. Securing sightlines and space arrangement

Issue: Items were arranged at eye level, making it difficult to make eye contact with customers.

Improvement: We improved the layout by not placing items of the same height around the postcard stand and playtest area, and clearly separating paid and free items. As a result, it became easier to hand out flyers and distributed items.

3. Displaying game duration on a sign

Issue: The game duration was unclear.

Improvement: By attaching a sign to the right side of the iPad, more people were able to check the duration before playing.

4. Establishing a luggage storage area

Issue: There was no place to put personal belongings (mainly flyers).

Improvement: We prepared a basket for luggage storage. However, it wasn’t used much this time, but we plan to utilize it in the future!

Thanks to these improvements, the flow on the day went smoothly, and the process of taking the mock exam improved!

Challenges Unique to Exhibiting Games at COMITIA

1. No power supply!

Since COMITIA is not a game-specific event, there is no power supply such as outlets. Therefore, if you are bringing a playable game, a charger is essential. This time, we used a 50,000mAh mobile charger for the iPad playtest and to continuously stream video. We also considered having a paper-based mock exam as a backup.

2. Uncertainty about the internet environment on the day, potential instability!

There is free Wi-Fi, but since congestion is expected, it is necessary to prepare for the internet environment. This time, we set up the iPad as a server. Huge thanks to the team member who is strong with PCs for their support…

Since it is not primarily a game event, if you are bringing data, you need to consider the environment on the day, or you might end up unable to playtest!

Conversely, What Went Well at COMITIA

Sending items to the venue proved beneficial

Since setup starts in the morning, we opted to send items to the venue in advance. After gathering free and distributed items and supplies, it amounted to three boxes of cardboard. However, since we could send them to the venue beforehand, we were able to limit what we brought on the day to just one suitcase with almost no emergency supplies, making the movement on the day much easier.

Creative setup

By securing two spaces, we were able to separate the playtest area and promotional area. By placing the playtest area on the aisle side, it became easier for visitors to stop by, and explanations and bug fixes went smoothly. However, during the morning setup, one leg of a brand-new poster stand suddenly broke, and we had to do an emergency fix with magic tape and protective tape… The setup took about an hour and a half with three people, but we managed to finish without major troubles.

Reactions on the Day

On the day, we received many delightful comments from neighboring booths and passersby, saying, “The level of detail is amazing!” Since COMITIA has a large number of participants, it is still difficult for us to catch people’s attention with just promotions on X, so I realized how important it is to cover that with the setup and appeal of our booth on the day!

The illustration booklet we brought for the first time was picked up by far more people than we expected, which made us very happy and surprised. Some people came specifically to buy it after spotting it on Twitter or in the catalog, and others came to check it out after seeing it at the sample book booth. Thank you so much!

Regarding the mock exam, the mysterious exam received positive reactions again, just like at the Digital Game Expo. We expected fewer people to take the exam at COMITIA, but we had just enough exam tickets, and many people participated. We were also happy to see people who came to our booth specifically to take the exam after seeing us at the Digital Game Expo!

Personally, I want to keep in mind a mini-point for future warehouse-type exhibition events: it was difficult to adjust the temperature since it was semi-outdoor! This time, our booth was located in the middle of the hall, so it got hot when the crowd increased, and when fewer people were around, it became a bit chilly from the wind coming from the shutter. It seems best to wear clothes that are easy to adjust to the temperature.

Conclusion

COMITIA150 was a significant challenge for us at “Yamiyuri Girls’ Academy,” but I believe we successfully utilized the reflections from the Digital Game Expo in our booth setup, and it became a valuable opportunity for many people to enjoy the mock exam. This concludes our participation in events for 2024. I am truly happy for the awareness we gained and the many encounters we had in the latter half of 2024!

We look forward to meeting everyone again at various events in 2025.

Until then, may the pure flowers be blessed 💐