Dev Note #3

This is JINO, the developer of Goodbye Seoul.

Today, I’d like to talk about the part of the game that’s undergone the biggest changes since development began: the story.

🌀 From Uncertainty to Growth 🌀

The initial concept centered around a “vague and abstract atmosphere.

While the story was always built around the theme of personal growth and transformation, it was originally told in a more ambiguous, interpretive style.

Our goal was to let players engage with the narrative through their own interpretations—but ultimately, we received feedback that this abstract approach sometimes disrupted immersion and made it harder to emotionally connect with the story.

In particular, many noted that such abstract storytelling didn’t align well with a narrative featuring defined characters, events, and worldbuilding.

In response, I’ve restructured the story to focus more clearly on the inner journey of our protagonist, Rion.

The narrative now offers a more grounded and emotionally resonant experience—allowing players to truly feel why Rion moves forward, what choices she faces, and what fears she must overcome.

✂️ Content Age Rating ✂️

From the very beginning, Goodbye Seoul was developed with the goal of securing a 15+ age rating under Korean guidelines.

In the early stages, with limited knowledge of the rating process, I looked to 15-rated Korean films—like Believer—and assumed that matching a similar level of intensity would be acceptable for the game.

However, I later learned that games are often subject to stricter standards than films, even at comparable levels of content.

This led me to re-evaluate and adjust several scenes during the story refinement process, ensuring the game's presentation remains appropriate for the intended rating.

Deleted Scene

Of course, that standard isn’t something I fully agree with.

It’s still confusing that the same level of content can be judged differently depending on the medium, and as a creator, it’s hard not to feel a sense of frustration at times.

That said, I continue to reflect deeply on how to preserve the message I want to convey—finding the best possible way to express it within those boundaries.

🎭 Character Development 🎭

As the story became more defined, many characters were completely reworked—including their personalities, backgrounds, and dialogue.

Some characters were newly added, others were merged or had their roles split, and a few were removed entirely during the development process.

(Top) Vigilante → Male Tattoo Artist → Removed / (Bottom) Deleted Character: Manager Oh

In the early stages of development, some characters—like the “Tattooist”—existed only as functional roles without names or detailed identities. One key example is the character formerly known simply as “the Tattooist.” She has since been reimagined as a fully fleshed-out character with a name, personality, and narrative purpose. Now portrayed as a survivor living in Itaewon, his bright and direct personality stands in contrast to Rion’s, adding emotional variety to the story. She plays a key role in certain scenes, helping to create both tension and connection.

These changes have not only enriched the emotional pacing of the narrative but also marked a turning point in clarifying and deepening what were once vague supporting roles.

🧩 The Ripple Effect of Story Revisions 🧩

In the early stages of development, our lack of experience meant that the story wasn’t built on a solid foundation from the start.

As a result, I faced ongoing revisions throughout the process—both large and small. Every narrative shift required us to rethink core elements like level design, character routes, and puzzle progression, often from the ground up.

This was especially difficult in a puzzle-driven game.

Changing the puzzle order disrupted the learning flow and difficulty curve, sometimes even breaking the logic of previously designed puzzles. It became clear that story changes had a ripple effect across every aspect of gameplay.

I ended up overhauling major parts of the game multiple times.

Cutscenes, dialogue, triggers—nearly everything had to be reworked, forcing us to revisit both the planning and implementation stages again and again.

Out of this process came a stronger focus on emotional storytelling through cutscenes.

We’ve worked to convey Rion’s inner struggles, her evolving relationship with Minnie, and her clashes with other characters in a way that feels natural and emotionally resonant. These cutscenes are designed to help players not just understand, but feel the emotional shifts happening throughout the game.

It hasn’t been easy—but with each iteration, the structure has become more solid, and the emotional core more defined.

Now, with a clearer sense of direction, I'm focused on polishing every detail to bring the experience to life at its highest potential.

✍️ Final Thoughts ✍️

“Changing the story” wasn’t just about rewriting text—it was a process of completely redesigning the game’s rhythm, structure, and the overall context of the player’s experience.

There have been moments of confusion, and there are still challenges left to solve—but I believe each step has brought us closer to something better.

All content in this developer note is subject to change based on the development process.