MAKOTO KEDOUIN’s One-Person Indie Game Workshop
Made with RPG Developer Bakin – Dev Blog #3
The sample game development project using RPG Developer Bakin is now entering its core phase: story creation.
In this installment, we follow Makoto Kedouin as he embarks on the rebuild of “Reines du Sabbat”, sharing his creative journey in diary form—revealing how he constructs the narrative foundation through plot development, flowcharts, and character design.
MAKOTO KEDOUIN
He is a Japanese game creator and scenario writer. He was born in Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture. He first gained attention as a student with his self-made horror game Corpse Party, which began as a doujin (indie) project and was later developed into a commercial title.
The series has since expanded beyond games into novels, drama CDs, anime, and more, earning critical acclaim both in Japan and internationally.
Day 30 of Development— in September About "REINES DU SABBAT"
And so, the project to “create an interesting sample game within a limited time” continues—using every bit of RPG Developer Bakin (hereafter referred to as “Bakin”), developed by SmileBoom.
Completely unaware of the terrifying fate awaiting me… as I tumble into an inescapable creative swamp.
The direction for the next game has been decided: it will be a rebuild of one of my earlier titles, “REINES DU SABBAT.” But for those of you reading this article, many probably aren’t familiar with the game. So before diving into the remake itself, I’d like to give a brief overview.
“REINES DU SABBAT” is a fantasy RPG I, KEDOUIN, originally developed for the PC-9801. It was even included on a bonus CD for LOGIN SOFCOM Magazine—a “hidden gem” known to a small but passionate audience. It was the first time I ever took the world inside my head and turned it into something others could experience. A deeply personal project, and one I hold close to my heart.
Even back then, my style hadn’t changed much: the story features a cute, cat-eared girl as the protagonist, who sets out on a journey to find a mythical herb to save her sick older brother.
It’s a heartwarming, gentle tale—yes, almost like a picture book.
…At least, on the surface.
Underneath that charming veneer lies a mercilessly grim and gruesome narrative. Not that I was trying to be edgy or go for shock value—it just turned out that way when I poured in all the things I love.
I apologize in advance. It’s a bit of a problem, I know.
“REINES DU SABBAT”: KEDOUIN’s first game project. Behind its hopelessly brutal developments lies the early glimpse of KEDOUIN’s current creative style.
Day 35 of Development— in September [Series] Come on Over to KEDOUIN’s Crossing
“Come on Over to KEDOUIN’s Crossing” is a segment where I introduce my personal collection room—affectionately (and fearfully) referred to by GrisGris members as “the haunted house.”
Last time, I shared my treasured incense burner replica from the film Midsommar. But there’s another item that’s just as dear to me.
It’s also movie-related: a teddy bear from The Blair Witch Project, the film that helped spark the boom of mockumentaries and POV horror in the late ’90s. This particular item is called the “MISSING BEAR”, manufactured by the amazing folks at Medicom Toy.
With a little “stickman” (a.k.a. the Witch’s Mark from the film) stitched onto its mouth, the bear has this wonderfully vacant expression—kind of like old-school ASCII art from early internet days.The fabric is also covered in handprints, representing the kidnapped victims from the film. It’s disturbing, eerie… and yet somehow cool.It’s a rare piece of merch that nails the balance between cursed and collectible.
I mean, seriously—isn’t it kind of ridiculously adorable?
THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT MISSING BEAR by Medicom Toy.KEDOUIN once tried turning their office into a forest by looping ambient soundscapes from The Blair Witch Project. Our boss, understandably disturbed, asked, “What on earth is that sound?
Day 38 of Development— in September Let’s Write a Story!
This time, the game we’re creating will be positioned as a Bakin sample game. Once completed, the game data itself will be freely available for users to use as assets. Look forward to it!
Since it’s a sample game, the story will mainly focus on the “beginning” of a larger narrative. My hope is that many of you will take these characters and expand their world—write sequels, side stories, or entirely new adventures, and share them with the world.
And if you end up selling your game? I’ll be first in line to buy it. Seriously.
That’s why worldbuilding is so important. Even though this project is “the beginning of the story,” it still needs its own structure—beginning, middle, and end—to make it an engaging experience.
So… let’s start with the very first step of worldbuilding, just like I did in The Legend of ORE:
Plot construction.
Here’s the basic breakdown:
-This kind of character is the protagonist
-They go through this kind of situation
-They face it in this way
-And then this happens
-Someone dies
We’ll use this simple flow to deconstruct the original “SABBAT” and build a fresh plot tailored for the sample game.
From experience, when using an RPG creation tool, it helps immensely to write a rough plot—even just one line per section—before you dive into the tool itself.
Yes, it can be super fun to design maps and towns and make up events as you go, letting the story evolve organically. Sometimes, it turns into a runaway storytelling monster that even you can’t predict—and that’s a total blast!
But when you finally come up with the perfect ending, it can be a real pain to go back and make everything fit. So having at least a loose “guide” can save your future self a lot of trouble. Just a bit of wisdom, there.
That said—everyone creates differently.
Trust yourself, and enjoy your best Bakin-life!
Although a plot was written for the original “REINES DU SABBAT”, it was rarely followed in the end.
Day 40 of Development— in September Build a Flow!
This is also something I’ve learned from experience:
When you build a story as you go, based purely on inspiration, you will eventually hit a wall.
“…Wait, is this even fun anymore?”
“I probably should’ve pulled the story in that direction after that earlier event.”
“Should I go back and rewrite everything?”
“But I kinda like how things are now too… What do I do?”
Yep. It happens.
That’s why writing a plot beforehand is a great safety net. It helps keep your story anchored and gives you a clear direction.
Once your plot is in place, try building a flowchart, just like you would when structuring events in Bakin. You can make it super simple—just enough to keep track of the narrative flow—or go full detail and even include dialogue. Either way, it becomes your blueprint for development, and it will absolutely save you down the line.
A plot flowchart. Much easier to organize story development here than keeping it all in your head. Highly recommended.
I, KEDOUIN, despite having some experience, still manage to completely ignore the plot I planned out. Sadly, this isn’t exactly the best example to follow.
Once your flowchart is ready, the next step is to list out the maps you’ll need. Extract them from your flowchart and start compiling a list.
Etc.
Examples:
-Plumfield (grasslands)
-Dungeon
-Lou’s Den
…and so on.
Doing this gives you a better picture of the total workload, and helps turn vague ideas into concrete progress. It might sound like a tedious task—but trust me, it’s surprisingly fun.
Day 44 of Development— in September A Deeply Unsettling Figure Has Arrived!
Whether you’re writing game scenarios or aiming to be a screenwriter, one thing’s for sure: you should experience everything. All of it becomes creative fuel—an idea stockpile inside your mind.
Even something as simple as grabbing a new seasonal frappuccino at a local café can be inspiring. You might overhear a random conversation that sparks a story idea.
For example, I (KEDOUIN) once got invited to a friend’s live performance. While I was truly blown away by their stage presence—“Amazing! So cool! So beautiful!”—at the same time, I couldn’t help but think:
“What if a long-haired ghost suddenly fell from the ceiling lights?”
As part of my many hobbies, I also collect figures. And today, something delightfully strange arrived. A cartoon-style figure of the Grady Twins from The Shining, produced by NECA. They’re reimagined in a comic-art style—adorable, but still deeply creepy. Starting today, I’ll be staring these two down while I work.
From NECA’s “Toony Terrors” series—a cute-but-creepy spin on horror movie icons. If you’ve got a favorite slasher or killer character, I highly recommend checking it out.
My room, by the way, has earned several nicknames from friends—most notably “The Haunted House,” and, more ominously, “KEDOUIN’s Doll Museum.” Yes, I’ve commissioned 1/6 scale figure heads modeled after real people I know. I once gave one as a birthday gift. (Naturally, I made a copy for myself, too.)
Now I’ve got a bunch of my acquaintances lined up as figures on my shelves. Honestly, I think I finally understand where Madame Tussaud was coming from.
Day 47 of Development— in September Time to Design Characters!
Once the plot has started to take shape, it’s time to move on to character design—one of the absolute best parts of game development.
Sure, you can analyze current trends and try to make a character that “pops” in the market, but in a project like this—where the whole point is to bring your inner world to life—it’s way more important to fill your characters with what you love.
Even if it’s niche, that’s okay. I’m here to understand that character.
And chances are, there are people out there with the same oddly specific tastes who will be deeply moved by it.
You can illustrate your character designs yourself, or work with an illustrator.
If you go the latter route, make sure to communicate your vision as clearly as possible to avoid any disconnect. Put in the effort—it’s worth it!
Even in “Corpse Party,” numerous images and fantasies involving characters and props were created.
Day 49 of Development— in September This Is Cat Harassment!
“What are you doing, Dad?”
“Where’s my food?”
Day 50 of Development— in September Let’s Pixel!
For over a decade now, there’s been a style of working that I’ve had to suppress. But when it comes to pixel art, I can finally unleash it again.
What is it, you ask?
Listening to music while I work!
And I mean, this makes me so happy.
When I’m writing scenarios or scripts, songs with lyrics tend to pull my brain in the wrong direction, so it’s hard to multitask.
But drawing? Totally fine!
So I cranked up my favorite tracks and dove into the pixel work.
Since I’m drawing RPG character sprites, I started with a base model—a blank, undressed mannequin. Bakin’s character animation system allows for virtually unlimited sizes and frames. If you want to keep it simple, two frames—“right leg forward, left leg forward”—can already give the illusion of walking.
But no.
The sample character “Hero-kun” uses a 6-frame walk and dash animation, and that’s why he moves so beautifully and fluidly.
So of course, I decided I’d aim for that same level of polish for my Sabbat character: 6-frame animation it is.
This… this is where the “swamp” I mentioned in the Day 30 Dev Log begins.
Once you start animating, you suddenly want the hair and clothes to move.
You want the idle pose to breathe.
You want blinking eyes…
And then the rabbit hole opens wide, and you fall straight in.
As I was spiraling, I received some wisdom from my mentor, former deputy editor Sugiuchi:
“Creators should aim for 70%—or it’ll never get finished.”
This struck a chord. I decided to focus my love and effort into animating only the essential parts.
(Thank you, Sugiuchi!)
…And yet, even then, I couldn’t resist obsessing. I spent way too long on this step and ended up falling behind—leading me straight into the “panic production sprint” phase of the journey.
But that’s a story for another time…
Pixel sprites that got flagged as “sensitive” because I overdid the details—even though they were just base models.
Day 52 of Development— in September Into the Journey Together
As I mentioned in the early days of this blog, sometimes the best way to conquer the grand adventure of game development is to form a party—and bring in trusted allies.
With a tight deadline this time around, I’ve enlisted the help of a few reliable collaborators to work alongside me, especially for key assets like backgrounds and music. I’m sharing my vision and creative preferences with them, and we’re moving forward together in true co-op spirit.
Character designs are also nearing completion, and I’ll be showcasing those in the next installment.
Stay tuned for more updates on the rebirth of REINES DU SABBAT!
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