Emotional Experience: How Volcano Princess Immerses Players in the Father Role

1. Game Overview

"Volcano Princess" is a multi-ending bishoujo (beautiful girl) raising simulation game. Players act as a father raising his daughter while exploring the secrets of the Volcano Kingdom. The game offers over 50 possible endings, where emotional and career endings are completely separated. There are more than 12 emotional endings, and over 5 romanceable male and female characters.

After its first week of launch, the game peaked at number one on the Steam China regional chart. Released on April 21st, it ranked 8th in its release week and remained 11th two weeks later. According to player statistics from Xiaoheihe (Heybox), the game maintains impressive concurrent player counts and sales even after the new-release honeymoon period, boasting a 96% positive review rate on Steam. This is incredibly rare for the notoriously hard-to-please simulation and management genre. From the charts, other top-selling products are mostly hardcore FPS or open-world games. Despite the low expectations some players have for "domestic games," and with a modest price tag of only 35 RMB, it managed to stand out and hover around the top 10 of the top-selling revenue chart, proving to be a dark horse worth watching.

2. Originality Compared to Similar Games

(A) Rich Worldbuilding and Diverse Character Options

Set in a medieval sword-and-sorcery world, the highly free choice system attracts players from various demographics. Characters include a gentle, cooking restaurant-owner sister, a childhood best friend, an aloof and tsundere princess, a boisterous and overpowered knight sister, a cold but obedient NPC nun, a slightly clumsy but loyal puppy-like prince, and a seemingly flirtatious but deeply devoted werewolf knight. Almost every character can be romanced, and players can even unlock bizarre endings, such as marrying all 5 male leads or marrying both the prince and princess. Overall, it gives players a wide variety of choices, satisfying the preferences of different player communities.

(B) Stronger Focus on Player Identity and Immersion

The emotional experience turns stats into more than just cold numbers; they become a testament to the life shared between father and daughter. The game repeatedly emphasizes the choices of the player, i.e., the "father." Similar games like "Princess Maker" also use the father's perspective to raise a daughter, but in this game, players do not just feel like they are micromanaging their daughter. Instead, they feel like they are exploring the game world together with her as a father.

From the beginning to the mid-to-late stages, the game asks twice, "What kind of father do you want to be?" It constantly reminds players of their paternal identity during the raising process, reflecting the impact of the father's choices on the daughter's education through various co-completed events. Moreover, the daughter asks about the father's favorite colors and animals, gifts corresponding presents on the player's set birthday, and constantly encourages him throughout the story. The gameplay feels more like mutual growth with the daughter rather than simply dictating her life. This emotional connection lets players truly experience the joy of "raising a daughter," becoming a part of her growth rather than a machine scheduling her life, achieving a co-creation experience between the player and the game.

(C) Well-Designed and Fun Mini-Games

Entertaining mini-games serve as excellent pacing regulators in simulation games. The dice mini-game in "Volcano Princess" is a particularly unique and exquisite design for this genre, somewhat reminiscent of Gwent in "The Witcher 3," yet still impressive.

First, the rules are simple and easy to learn, requiring only two points to cover the basics. In each round, the player selects 3 dice from their deck, combined with two standard 1-6 number dice. Character dice attributes are divided into attack, defense, and healing. In the early game, players lack good decks and have more blank faces on their dice, making it a luck-based game. Therefore, it's easy to pull off a low-health comeback, giving players a massive sense of achievement and a decent income early on. As the game progresses, the father can obtain dice by working, but the primary method is by "dueling" NPCs after the player's stats level up. This involves a stat-based RNG battle, where winning grants rare dice and increases affection. With more deck options, the dice game becomes richer, beautifully integrating the mini-game with the narrative.

3. Shifts in User Needs

(A) Deeper Demand for Immersive Experiences

As technological advancements blur the lines between virtual and reality, users are demanding more freedom and exploration in games and virtual platforms. Users hope to achieve experiences in virtual worlds that equal or even surpass real life. The concept of "everything can be a game" is rising, with users seeking immersion through actual interactive experiences. Even art exhibitions are moving beyond traditional static displays, incorporating immersive interactive exhibits and VR to enhance user engagement.

(B) Companionship and Emotional Resonance as Core Narrative Demands

Simulation and management games are not the most widely played genre in China. With the rise of the "Metaverse" era, the gaming industry has seen an influx of new players whose primary goal is to find emotional companionship, relaxation, and a sense of achievement. This is the main reason behind the surge in casual and idle games over the past two years, and because these games easily evoke emotional resonance, they also perform exceptionally well financially. Players no longer blindly pursue game outcomes; they are focusing more on the journey. In the narrative of "Volcano Princess," regardless of whether the daughter ends up as an ordinary person or a hero, players feel mutual healing between father and daughter during every playthrough. Once players project themselves into the role, their initial desire for the daughter to achieve greatness shifts to simply hoping she has a complete, happy, and joyful life. Expanding the audience for hardcore games requires capturing this large casual user base, but satisfying long-term gameplay needs will require deeper game mechanics and creative ideas.

(C) A Player Base Still Holding Expectations and Trust for Domestic Games

During its initial marketing phase, the game did not heavily emphasize that it was created by a two-person Chinese team. However, as it gained mainstream traction, its status as a domestic game became a significant selling point. Many players who had never played simulation games bought it to support the domestic industry, and part of its 96% positive rating on Steam can be attributed to this. Most players do not have sky-high demands for domestic games; they believe that as long as a game is made with care and respects the players, it is a good game, showing continued hope for the possibilities and future of the Chinese gaming industry.