Making Games That Shake the Stars

[The next novel, A Guide to Post-Apocalyptic Business and Infrastructure, is now underway. Visit my author page and check the currently updating category~] After transmigrating to the interstellar age, Chu Qing discovered that entertainment had withered away, and the gaming industry was in an even worse state. The entire interstellar world had only a few games: basic dungeon-exploration games where players leveled up, fought monsters, and collected gear, and a handful of mech-combat games. They offered very little variety. Chu Qing checked her pockets. She had only a little over forty star coins left. A great starting point. Being dead broke was practically a designer’s essential buff before becoming a legend. But Chu Qing wasn’t scared in the least. She immediately rolled up her sleeves and got to work. Come on, could these circumstances really stump a genius game designer from before she transmigrated? Before long, Chu Qing’s games began launching one after another on the official platforms Her first game, Delicious Match, combined trendy foods with match-three gameplay, showing the people of the interstellar age what an addictive game was and how to make the most of your spare moments. Her second game, Magical Restaurant, combined management gameplay with the cuisine of ancient Blue Star’s Huaxia, teaching the interstellar public just how diverse Huaxia cuisine had once been. What the interstellar world had managed to recreate so far was only the tip of the iceberg. Her third game, Pandas Escape the Zoo, combined parkour with the scenery of ancient Blue Star’s Huaxia: the Forbidden City, Mount Emei, Miao villages... It showed the interstellar public just how magnificent Huaxia had once been, making today’s interstellar resort planets pale in comparison. Her fourth game, Rural Life, combined farming with ancient Blue Star’s Huaxia intangible cultural heritage and festivals: paper-cutting, sugar painting, dragon and lion dances, and countless other traditions... The people of the interstellar age: Our eyes have been opened! The people of the interstellar age: I never knew games could be so rich and varied. Mom, I want to play more.jpg The people of the interstellar age: When’s the next new game coming out? We can’t wait! That was no challenge at all.jpg . Later, something astonishing happened. Before Chu Qing transmigrated, the world had already entered the end of the magical era, with spiritual energy dwindling. Here, it seemed that spiritual qi revival was underway. The mountains and rivers she had depicted in her game Tales of Mountains and Seas, based primarily on the Classic of Mountains and Seas, began appearing on the barren planets of the interstellar world! The Pingcao herb, which could make you forget your troubles if you ate it; the Xuncao herb, which could beautify you and make you radiant; plants that could grant longevity?... Countless rare treasures came pouring forth, and the interstellar public went wild! The people of the interstellar age: Chu Qing really is an immortal, right? Right? Right? Chu Qing: I’m not an immortal. I’m just Blue Star’s spokesperson. (Adjusts glasses.) ◇ Reader’s guide An overpowered wish-fulfillment story. The plot comes first; the male lead is mostly in the background, probably an AI robot, and appears late. It draws on real-world genres such as survival, farming, match-three, parkour, and life simulation, but the author won’t copy existing games. All the games are original, so add it to your reading list if you’re interested. There’s a lot of gameplay content, with more about streamers playing than ordinary players, so expect plenty of chat comments. If that’s not your thing, proceed with caution. This isn’t a straightforward spiritual qi revival story. The setting involves a lot of authorial invention and is mainly there to set up the games; it comes in around the middle. Theme: The farther you dream, the farther you can go.