GOODBYE WORLD
Developer Yo Fujii Publisher FlyHigh Works Format PC Release 2022
Yo Fujii quit his job at a well-known Japanese developer to develop his own game a year ago, and his anxieties about making a go of it are reflected in the quasi-autobiographical Goodbye World. Across a series of vignettes, it tells the story of designer Kanii and artist Kunade as they develop their debut game together, taking on part-time jobs in an attempt to make ends meet while agonising over whether this joint project will sell well enough, or even if it’s any good. In a charming twist, you get to play that game between the story sections: it’s a puzzle-platformer in which you smash blocks to pocket them, placing them elsewhere to negotiate obstacles and reach the exit. Kanii and Kunade needn’t worry about the quality, then – though the fact you play it on a Game Boy makes us fear for its commercial prospects. On at least one of those counts, Fujii should have no such concerns.