Incredible Indies: Bringing the monster-catching game Miraibo Go to life

The games industry has many big-name studios with eager eyes on them, all waiting to see what their next big hit could be. But giant studios aren’t necessarily the home to what could be your next favourite game.

There are thousands of independent game studios and solo developers, all hard at work crafting new game experiences with often unique ways of looking at games. In this series we aim to highlight those very games and the developers behind them.

In this interview, we spoke with Mr. Kasam, a game developer from Dreamcube, the independent studio behind the new monster-catching title, Miraibo Go. We discussed the number of people involved in the game’s creation, development challenges and what to expect next from the game.

PocketGamer.biz Can you tell us a little about yourself first and how you got involved with working on Miraibo Go?

Mr. Kasam: I’m a member of the Dreamcube development team, and I’ve been involved with Miraibo Go since its early conceptual stages.

As a game designer, I was particularly drawn to this project because of my passion for creating rich, immersive worlds and unique gameplay experiences.

The opportunity to work on a game that combines monster-catching with survival elements was too exciting to pass up!

And what can you tell us about the team? How many people have been working on the game? 

While I’m not sure about the exact number of people who have worked on the game in its various forms or aspects overall, it’s been a collaborative effort involving a small team within our studio to bring the big world of Miraibo Go to life.

The team behind Miraibo Go is a diverse and talented group of developers, artists, and designers, all passionate about creating an engaging and dynamic gaming experience.

The game has over 100 Miras to capture, all with their own skills. It also has building mechanics and boss fights. That’s a lot of content! How long has the game been in development?

Miraibo Go has been in development for about a year. The concept of creating a game with such a wide array of Miras and in-depth gameplay mechanics required extensive design, prototyping, and testing.

We wanted to ensure that each Mira felt unique and that both the building and combat systems were easily accessible, which took considerable time. 

And what have been some of the biggest challenges you have faced in development? And what are some of the challenges of independently making a game of this scale? 

One of the biggest challenges was creating a balanced and engaging gameplay loop that could sustain long-term interest.

We also faced the challenge of managing the complexity of a large-scale game with only a relatively small team. So, as an independent studio, resource management and prioritisation were crucial.

We had to be really strategic about where to focus our efforts to ensure the best possible experience for our players.

Miraibo Go had over 400,000 pre-registrations, why do you think the game was able to capture so much interest so early? 

We put the early interest down to a combination of key factors, namely the longstanding appeal of the monster-catching genre, the unique twist of adding survival elements to it and much-needed innovation, and then the extensive marketing efforts of our team to make people aware of that combination.

We found that the game’s art style and world-building depth also resonated with potential players, leading to those strong pre-registration numbers.

The game launched recently. How has it been so far? How does the team reflect on the journey the game has been on, and what has the initial player reaction been? 

The launch has been really exciting, but it was also a bit nerve-wracking!

Of course, there have been some challenges and bugs to address, but seeing the enthusiasm of the Miraibo Go community towards the game we’ve spent so much time making has been really rewarding.

You launched on both mobile and PC. Why was it important to the team to have a release across both platforms simultaneously? 

We wanted to cater to as wide a range of players as possible, and supporting both platforms was the best way.

Launching on both platforms simultaneously allows our players to play where they are most comfortable. So whether that’s on the move on their phone or at home on their desktop, they can enjoy Miraibo Go how they like. 

What has been one of your highlights working on Miraibo Go?

Personally, one of my main highlights has been seeing the world and the Miras come to life. Watching players engage and enjoy the content I’ve helped create with the team in the studio has been incredibly gratifying, seeing their excitement as they explore and discover new things.

I’ve made some amazing friends in the studio, and I hope to continue bringing more projects to life together with them.

Finally, what would you like to see for the future of the game, and what can we expect in terms of updates and continued support?

Our goal is to keep the game fresh and engaging for our players. We’re committed to supporting the game through regular updates, bringing additional content, new Miras, exciting collaborations, and seasonal events.

We’ll continue expanding the world of Miraibo Go, and we look forward to sharing more soon!