STOVE Lounge

ROTA: Bend Gravity
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1993830/ROTA_Bend_Gravity/

It is said that it will change from a free game to a paid game of $4.99.

The deadline is tomorrow, the 24th at 2 AM, so make sure to get it before then.

S1733926583684912 caught 87 dinosaurs!
I got 200 Flakes as a challenge reward.
Top Ranker Mode ON 👑
But you mustn't let your guard down!

🦕Catch the moving dinosaur
Take the challenge now!
👉 [Play on the Stove App]

Mochimochigukmochi caught 45 dinosaurs!
I got 0 Flakes as a challenge reward.
🦕 The dinosaur is laughing at Mochimochigukmochi...
Next time, try faster!

🦕Catch the moving dinosaur
Take the challenge now!
👉 [Play on the Stove App]

Interview with Hundal Media Studio, the creator of the visual novel game <Eternal One>

*This is an indie game developer interview series. The photos and interview content used in the interviews were provided by the creators through Discord, etc. Game developers who are interested in participating in the interview can contact me through various methods (email, Discord, SNS address, post comments, etc.) and I can conduct interviews regardless of the platform.

Interview: Q (hashiruka48) / A (Hundal Media Studio)

Game Title: <Eternal One>
Genre: Visual novel, simulation
Creator: Hundal Media Studio

Q. What kind of vision and philosophy does Hoondal Media Studio have as an indie development team?

A. <Imagine in Seoul, go to London, and make it a reality in Tokyo> We, Hoondal Studio, are a content developer that grows together with global users as a bridge connecting world cultures.
Our previous title, It Started to Rain, but the Leaves Wet, taught us not only how to develop a game, but also how to grow with the users.
We want to build story-driven content that evolves through feedback, communication, and emotional connection. Not a static game, but content that lives and grows with the players.
And such experiences are not limited to our own country, but are connected to many cultures around the world.
Our studio wants to play that role in the global content market.

Q. It started raining on the stove, but the leaves were already wet. is a Korean-supported version, but the Steam version is in English. Are you pursuing a differentiated strategy for each platform?

A. Yes, that's right. As per our vision, each country has a different culture, and the content that works in each culture is different. Our vision and strategy is to function as a bridge connecting different cultural content in such a global market.
Specifically, for the Japanese version of <Eternal One>, we plan to release a special DLC containing Japanese cultural content, <Memories of Kumoko Island> for that reason.
And we want to integrate these diverse cultures into one space called Hundal Studio and become one.
As the saying goes, “OO has no borders,” we strive to ensure that this applies to content as well.
This Eternal One will be released for free on Stove, but we plan to release it on Steam (main story) for a fee. We also think that it is our job to provide users with a choice of platforms. Therefore, we plan to differentiate the price, language, and events by platform, so that users can enjoy the content on the platform they want.

Q. It started to rain, but the leaves were already wet. This work was released as an e-book pod book. I think there are many people who enjoyed the game but don't know about it unless they search for it themselves. Could you please give me a detailed introduction?

A. Our previous work, <Rain Fallen Leaves>, was not limited to games, but expanded into various fields such as music and books, in order to broaden the range of genre choices.
Especially in the case of the POD book you mentioned, since <Rain Fallen Leaves> was originally written as a novel, you can feel a different kind of excitement and fun from the game. Since the book does not include pictures or music, it can further enhance the reader's imagination, and if you play the game later, you can double the excitement.

Q. Another feature of Hoondal is the impressive music of Sono0. I am curious as to why he puts so much effort into music.

A. Up until now, we have seen many cases where the importance of music in games has been overlooked. When we say “game music,” we often imagine flashy or grand BGM. However, we wanted to further enhance the quality of games by mixing various music genres, including “vocal songs.”
Looking at many major games that are currently out, I wondered what it would have been like if they had put more effort into the music, even though they were already popular and certainly good games. This curiosity led me to the realization that “even without fancy illustrations, just putting immersive music on a black screen is enough to create a dramatic effect.” I wanted to make the general public more aware of the presence and importance of music in games.
In the competitive gaming market, we thought music would be our competitive edge, and that's why we're putting more effort into music to establish it as our signature.

Q. Eternal One is a visual novel game, but its network update system using the network is impressive. What is the meaning of the title 'Eternal One', and is this game a game that will continue to expand?

A. Yes, that's right. Although the update system is not the core strength of the game, it functions as a visual novel where content is continuously updated based on user feedback, and we have established a market entry strategy with the title of "serialized visual novel" to increase trust from the public.
"Eternal One" literally means "eternal one", and it is a title that reflects the message of loyalty that "we are forever one" in the final story, along with the meaning that the clues and main characters that are scattered in various pieces within the work will be gathered into one through the player's choice.
Our game is designed to be an omnibus-style game where users play through each story, and new main stories and DLC are continuously released, so that users are not limited to one-time content, but can continuously enjoy various content and form fandoms.

Q. Does the prelude, main story, and DLC require network update authentication? Will they run in offline mode (based on Steam)?

A. All content can be played offline. DLC content can be played without internet if downloaded online (on the platform) in advance. Our update system is not intended for large-scale updates or certification of the game, but rather as a supplementary tool to quickly respond to typos (due to the nature of visual novels), errors, problems, or suggestions.
For most of the big updates or periodic updates, we will be using the excellent servers that already exist on platforms like Stove and Steam.

Q. I'm looking forward to the story, but are the interface and UI ready to prevent gamers from getting confused by the various updates, such as the prologue, main story, and DLC?

A. Yes, we are structuring the game with a clear story structure to prevent user confusion. The main story and DLC are clearly and intuitively categorized, and within the boundaries of these two contents, episodes are newly released and updated, so we expect to minimize gamer confusion.
Additionally, we want to maintain an appropriate balance between the main story content and the DLC content so that users do not experience a significant gap in their storyline due to purchasing DLC.

Q. I'm curious about the reaction to PlayX4 2025 and are you planning to attend Tokyo Game Show 2025? I'm curious about the feedback from gamers.

A. PlayX4 was our first exhibition participation, so we were quite unprepared. However, thanks to the great interest and support from the visitors, we were able to learn a lot and gain momentum for game development.
We also aim to get one step closer to our vision and realize successful localization and overseas expansion by participating in the Tokyo Game Show booth at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture in late September 2025.
Thank you for your interest.

Q. When can we expect the Eternal One to be released in 25 years?

A. Due to additional budget securing, additional content planning, etc., the release schedule has deviated significantly from the originally planned release date. We ask for your understanding, and through quick and precise work, we plan to release the Korean version on Stove and Steam in June or July 2025, and then plan to release the global version in conjunction with the Tokyo Game Show schedule.
One thing I can tell you is that the voice acting work is currently being finalized, so I think Korean gamers will be able to play the game very soon.

Q. Please introduce the main characters of Eternal One.

A. (Currently, the character introduction is only available in English, but I am sending it to you for your reference.)

In this release of Eternal One (Season 1), there are regular members of each episode, Security Bureau agents Yumi and Ray, who work together with the Administrator (the main character) to solve cases and help with judgment.
In Part 1, Customer Center, Lucica, Daylin, Toa, and other key figures (including hidden characters) of Tripper Department Store try to protect the department store from an unknown force.
Part 2, Dark Workshop, features the members of the idol group Q-Season fighting against malicious commenters and overcoming many hardships before their debut.
In addition, there are exclusive characters provided through DLC (Satona and Toa in kimono, etc.), and the number of characters is expected to increase further with future updates and new seasons.

Q. What engine were used to make Eternal One and Rainaek?

A. Both games were made using Ren'py. Since it is an engine optimized for visual novels, I am still using it, but I think it will be necessary to consider moving to a different engine or generalization for future rich content such as minigames and game elements.

Q. How do you think the use of AI has actually revolutionized storytelling or character design?

A. I think that using AI maximizes efficiency as an auxiliary tool for game development. In fact, in the early version of Eternal One, even though the illustrations were not yet complete for smooth development, the temporary use of AI illustrations increased development efficiency, and I think it also helps a lot in story writing, overseas translation, localization, QA, etc. However, from our perspective of viewing game development as an “art activity,” this is only an auxiliary tool, and I think the innovation of AI in the area of expressing actual works is separate.

Q. Is the Eternal original work structured so that the ending changes depending on the choices made? If so, how many endings are there?

A. Eternal One is basically an omnibus story structure. As such, each story is structured separately, and each story has multiple endings.
The stories that have been revealed so far are Main Story 1, True Ending, Normal Ending, and 4 Main Story 2, 5 Main Story 2, and Memories of Kumo Island, 4.
In our game, if you see the 'True Ending' and the 'Normal Ending', you essentially "cleared" that side, and the Bad Ending is considered "Game Over", so in order to fully enjoy the game, players must choose their options in pursuit of the "True Ending".

Q. What is the most unique system or production device?

A. Eternal One has many features such as various expressions, CG cuts, and checkpoint main menu.
What I want to emphasize above all else is that vocal songs are inserted according to the scene.
Several vocal songs maximize the emotion and lingering feeling for gamers, and also increase immersion into the game.

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As you can see in the video above, the musical elements make the illustration CG and story elements stand out more, and at the same time, the scene and the music fit well together.

Q. Please tell us about game patents.

A. We currently have a patent titled “Method and Device for Developing Game Content Based on User Feedback.” This method is a technology that can automatically or manually collect user feedback within the game, and it visualizes everything from quantitative data such as which scene the player stayed in longer or which character they clicked on more often, to qualitative feedback from communities, etc., and reflects this in the development of the next game to increase user satisfaction. There are already cases of similar insertion in some games, but I would like to tell you that we have applied for a patent because this is the first attempt in the visual novel genre, and if this system is activated more, I think it will be possible to create content with various ideas that are not limited to one-sided content development centered on developers -> gamers.

Q. In addition to the visual novel part in the game, are there any plans to include various mini games (escape room missions, side-scrolling games, etc.)?

A. To be honest, the variety of minigames is expected to be quite limited in this release. Due to engine limitations and technical issues, it is difficult to provide rich content right now, but we plan to grow in the direction of inserting more minigames and updating them through user feedback and improvements in production technology.
For those of you who have been waiting and looking forward to the minigame, we will strive to create diverse content beyond the limitations of a small-scale production company.

Q. How do you collect user feedback, and how do you plan to reflect it in the Eternal One DLC and story?

A. The most important way to do this is through “community.” Our story is currently structured with a fairly open ending. This means that it can change and be modified a lot based on user feedback.
Another strength is that we have DLC that matches the worldview of the main story. As long as it does not affect the main story, DLC can be made with virtually any theme. I think we will be able to show the advantages of a vast worldview a lot in this DLC. We are also developing patented quantitative data collection and network-based game usage information collection technologies, so it seems that they will be inserted in the update version after the game is released.

Q. What is the most important message you want to convey to players through ‘Eternal One’?

A. Eternal One contains many elements such as the many characters, production, music, and vast world view that you mentioned, but
From a story perspective, the work indirectly addresses issues that can arise in modern society (terrorism, idol malicious comments, politics, religion, etc.)

So, you can think of the world view of the work, "Luciosi," as a 'microcosm of the Earth' where we live. The only difference is the name and structure, but it confronts and criticizes many problems occurring in society, suggests solutions, and in the process, it also deals with content such as solidarity between characters and social satire.
And I think that what best expresses that message is our worldview, characters, production, and music.

Q. What common worldview or theme do the two works, 'Eternal One' and 'Fallen Leaves', share?

A. Eternal One and Raindrops are being produced with completely different IPs.
However, we do plan to independently collaborate on the two games in the future, with the goal of forming a fan base, etc. Of course, we will do it in a way that is not too excessive and can increase the fun to a certain extent.
I hope gamers will also show a lot of interest in this part. (Personally, I really like collaborations, whether it's between animations or games.)

Q. Are there any plans for future expansion stories or side stories that follow Eternal One and Rainaep?

A. Eternal One is actually preparing an expansion story and DLC that will continue as originally planned.
In the case of Rainakyeop, the most recently released side story was "Yoona's Winter Vacation Trip", but we plan to release a new side story in the near future, using the remaining time after the release of Eternal One.

Q. For those who love and enjoy visual novels, please tell us why you absolutely must play 『Eternal One』.

A. Since we are a small production company and a startup, Eternal One naturally has experimental elements and unique genres that you don’t see in regular large-scale games. Of course, this may be a reckless attempt, but we believe it will be the cornerstone for creating and leading cultural content and trends in the future, and we are working hard to develop it.
While it's great to have fun experiences all the time, I think it's also the direction our studio should aim to take by occasionally providing fresh and unique experiences.
So we desperately need your help and support in our challenge. We hope that many gamers from home and abroad will play our game and feel a new excitement or fun for a moment, so please keep an eye on our attempts.

Q. Lastly, please give a word to the game fans who love and admire Hundal Media Studio.

A. Yes, it was a great honor to have the opportunity to interview you today and introduce you to our game and our studio's vision.
We would like to once again thank all of our sponsors and game fans who have consistently shown us much support and interest despite the delays in gift preparation and release.
We will continue to work hard to develop Hoondal Studio in the future, so that we can release better content and contribute to the cultural industry of Korea.
Thank you for your support and interest, and I also carefully attached the link to the overseas crowdfunding (Kickstarter) that is currently in progress! Since it provides a detailed introduction to the game, I think it will be a good reference regardless of whether you support it or not!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hoondahl/eternal-one-your-choice-their-fate

I would also like to thank hashiruka48 for conducting the interview and providing a great opportunity for us to meet. Thank you for your hard work.
thank you!

I wonder if my brothers will say something else, but here's a screenshot from episode 3 of Lord Knight ^^ The secret lab hasn't been mentioned these days ~~ So only alchemy was delayed ?? Trust is important, right? This fucking company that only opens its mouth to make jokes should stop making such noises