"Dev Log: The neighborhoods of that era are the secret gardens of our childhood

Lately, I’ve been working on nostalgic-style levels, and when I got to this “old neighborhood,” I suddenly felt like I’d traveled back to my childhood.

I can still vividly remember how, back then, as soon as evening rolled around, I’d rush to the activity area in the neighborhood without even putting down my schoolbag. Those rusty fitness contraptions that look so worn out now were our fiercely contested “play equipment” back in the day: the iron walking machine turned into a spaceship, the waist-twister became a racing steering wheel… And of course, there was that glossy, well-worn elephant slide—how many kids “flew” down its back in those days!

Then there were those cobalt-blue glass windows on the residential buildings that always sparked my curiosity. Especially at night, when the lights came on behind them, the blue glass took on a mysterious yet warm glow, as if it hid another world inside. Every time I passed by, I couldn’t help sneaking a peek, wondering what the families behind those windows were eating for dinner or what TV show they were watching…

I can’t forget the rickety old iron gate on the first floor either, with its crooked mailbox plastered with faded ads and a frame covered in rust that seemed like it’d never get fixed. But those weathered, yellowing flyers held stories from that era: phone numbers for gas delivery, recruitment leaflets from tutoring centers, and long-forgotten brands lost to the river of time… Even now, seeing scenes like that still fills me with a special kind of warmth.

While designing this level, I kept thinking that maybe each of us carries a neighborhood like this in our hearts—both familiar and strange. It’s a place that holds those childhood memories, joyful or bittersweet, gradually fading and yellowing with time, yet never truly forgotten.

So, what are your memories of an “old neighborhood” like?