Welcome back to Insider Gaming’s 28 Games Later: A Horror Showcase. One of the games you saw as part of the show was the exclusive reveal of BrokenLore: MIKI-CHAN.
From developer Serafini Productions, BrokenLore: MIKI-CHANis a first-person psychological horror game that follows Kazuaki, a Japanese student determined to pass the entrance exam for Teidai and win over Sayaka, the girl he is in love with. When he finds a mysterious USB stick containing an innovative study support program, he decides to try it, convinced that it can help him overcome his shortcomings.
As part of the show, we spoke with the team behind BrokenLore: MIKI-CHAN. Below you can find the full conversation. And for more on the game, check out our complete rundown.
BrokenLore: MIKI-CHAN- 28 Games Later Interview
Q: How long has the game been in development?
BrokenLore: MIKI-CHAN officially entered development in the summer of last year, but the original concept actually dates back to 2023.
What’s interesting is that the idea for MIKI-CHAN existed even before we decided to introduce the character into the wider BrokenLore universe. We already had this concept of a virtual assistant connected to a student struggling with the pressure of university entrance exams, and from there both the character and the game gradually started taking shape.
So even though full production started last summer, the ideas behind the game have been with us for quite a bit longer.
Q: Can you talk about the game’s inspiration?
A big part of the inspiration comes from our relationship with Japan. Part of our team is Japanese, and I have been living and working in Japan for many years.
One of the people who particularly inspired the original concept was a close Japanese friend of ours who graduated from the University of Tokyo. Over the years, he told us about the pressure he experienced while preparing to enter such a prestigious university, and that made us think a lot about how deeply entrance exams, university, and eventually employment can be connected in Japanese society.
Of course, things are changing. Today there are many more ways to build a successful career outside the traditional university path, but the idea of getting into the “right” school and university can still carry enormous weight. We thought that pressure was a very interesting subject to explore through psychological horror.
From there, the concept evolved into something that also felt increasingly relevant to what is happening today. People are becoming more comfortable talking to AI assistants not only for practical information, but also for advice about their personal lives, relationships, problems, and emotions. But what happens when something designed to understand you, support you, and help you succeed starts becoming a little too involved in your life?
This became an important theme behind this character.
We also took inspiration from anime and Japanese pop culture, especially for the contrast between Miki-chan’s cute, reassuring appearance and the much darker side of her personality.
Q: During the game’s development, has the team faced any obstacles it had to overcome?
One of the biggest challenges has definitely been Miki-chan herself.
We wanted her to remain interesting and unpredictable, while showing different sides of her personality. Players have already seen one side of Miki-chan in BrokenLore: DON’T LIE, but her own game gives us much more space to develop her character and explore new aspects of her. We also hope this won’t be the last time players see her in the series.
Another challenge was translating that unpredictability into gameplay. That’s where the Rewriter became very important. It’s a technological tool that can essentially “rewrite” elements of the reality around you. It can be used to interact with the environment and solve different situations, but you can also use it directly on Miki-chan herself.
This gives us the opportunity to create some very strange and unexpected situations. Finding the right balance and making all of these possibilities work naturally from a gameplay perspective has probably been one of our biggest challenges.
Q: Was there a “eureka” moment where everything just clicked and started to come together?
There were actually two moments for us.
The first was when we saw Miki-chan fully modeled for the first time. Until then, she had existed as a concept, drawings, ideas and references. Seeing the actual character for the first time was special because she looked almost exactly like we had imagined her. It was the moment where she suddenly felt real.
The other moment was much funnier.
Me and the game project manager were testing one of the first builds, at a point where we weren’t even expecting Miki-chan to be physically present in that section of the game yet. Then she suddenly appeared in front of us.
We genuinely jumped because we didn’t know that interaction had already been implemented. We were supposed to be testing the game, and our own character managed to scare us.
That was probably the moment when we realized that the concept was really starting to work.
Q: What features are you the most proud of? What are you excited for players to experience?
We’re probably most proud of Miki-chan herself.
The final character is very close to what we originally imagined when we created the concept, both visually and in terms of personality. We’re also extremely happy with what the voice actress, Yurie Hoyoyon, brought to the character. She managed to capture the different sides of Miki-chan in a way that really helped bring her to life.
She can be cute, funny, and reassuring, but also jealous, obsessive, and disturbing. We really want players to spend enough time with her that they develop their own feelings about her rather than simply thinking of her as the game’s enemy.
We’re also proud of the Rewriter because it gives BrokenLore: MIKI-CHAN something different from our previous games, as the outcome of using it can be quite unpredictable. Sometimes the Rewriter can solve a problem. Sometimes it can protect you. Sometimes what it does is simply bizarre.
We’re really excited to see players’ reactions to those moments because we think there are going to be quite a few situations that people won’t expect.
Q: You have 30 seconds to pitch to a player who’s looking for a new game to play. What would you say to them?
Imagine using a cute anime-style AI assistant to help you study for one of the most important university entrance exams of your life.
She supports you. She encourages you. She wants you to succeed.
You enter a virtual simulation designed to help you study, but things don’t exactly go according to plan.
BrokenLore: MIKI-CHAN is a first-person psychological horror game where you’ll explore an increasingly strange Japanese school simulation, face psychological trials, and use the Rewriter to manipulate the reality around you.
And at the center of everything is Miki-chan: cute, helpful, jealous, unpredictable, and maybe a little too interested in you.
After all, Miki-chan only wants what’s best for you.
Probably.
Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
More from Mike Straw
Comments