This series features interviews with the developers of intriguing new indie games. In this installment, we present a mini-interview with the developers of *Warlord: Awaji*, an open-world strategy game set in medieval Awaji Island, developed by Darkmatter Games and released for PC on September 10.
This game is an immersive strategy title set on Awaji Island in medieval Japan. As a samurai commander, the player receives a secret mission from the Emperor to conquer the entire island and recover a treasure. The game features a dynamic open world, large-scale battles, base building, and a historically accurate depiction of the samurai world. It also supports Japanese.
“Warlord: Awaji” is currently available for 2,980 yen.
――First, please introduce yourself. What’s your favorite game?
Matthew: I’m Matthew Konkoly, and I live in Indiana, USA. I’m 26 years old and speak both English and Japanese.
My all-time favorite PC game is *Halo: Combat Evolved*. When I was a kid, my cousin let me play it (even though I kept it a secret from my parents), and I remember being deeply moved by its overwhelming sense of freedom and power the first time I played *Halo*.
――Could you tell us about the game’s features? Also, how did you come up with the idea for it?
Matthew: The *Warlord* series is a truly unique game that blends a variety of genres. You can experience base building, combat against enemies, trading with and managing allies, exploring a vast open world, and commanding massive armies—all within a purely immersive first-person perspective, without any loading screens or interruptions whatsoever.
In other games, these elements tend to be fragmented by loading screens or world maps, but in this series, everything comes together as one—which is why I call it “immersive strategy.”
This concept has been developed over the past 10 years through the prototyping and release of our previous title, *Warlord: Britannia*, and as a result of further refining and evolving its core systems, it has come to fruition in *Warlord: Awaji*.
――Were there any works that influenced the development of this game?
Matthew: Absolutely. Whenever I set out to create a new game, I always try to find one or two movies to serve as reference material that speaks to my emotions. For *Warlord: Awaji*, those were *Princess Mononoke* and *The Last Samurai*.When crafting the game’s visuals and the feel of the gameplay, I tried to fuse elements from these two films. I was particularly influenced by *Princess Mononoke*—especially the depiction of early gunpowder weapons and the fact that “Lady Eboshi is just so cool”! I think all of Hayao Miyazaki’s works are truly wonderful.
I’ve also drawn inspiration from numerous period dramas and films, such as *Zatoichi*, *Gokenin Zankuro*, and *The Rowdy Shogun*. With a glass of sake or a cup of green tea in hand, I binge-watch these works at a pace that even amazes myself.I also love the numerous works by directors Akira Kurosawa and Yasujirō Ozu. Their films are a truly inexhaustible source of inspiration for me, and I hope that someday I can achieve even a tiny fraction of what they accomplished.
When it comes to other games, I’m conscious of not letting myself be overly influenced by them—especially in terms of art. The reason is simple: I want to create something completely unique, not just an imitation of something else.That said, when it comes to the basic systems, I’ve naturally been unconsciously influenced by the games I’ve played throughout my life. Among them, the ones that left the strongest impression on me are *The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim*, *Kingdom Come: Deliverance*, and *Mount & Blade: Warband*.
――Could you share one of the most memorable moments from the development of this game?
Matthew: The moment I first imported real elevation data (heightmap) from Awaji Island into the game was truly breathtaking.Using real-world terrain data is one of the elements I prioritize most highly in *Warlord*. I want to create a genuine game world—one that isn’t artificially constructed. When I was finally able to explore Awaji Island within the game, it felt incredibly realistic, and I was truly amazed.
――What kind of user feedback did you receive after release? Please share any particularly memorable comments.
Matthew: We received a storm of rave reviews from both existing and new players. We heard reports of people playing nonstop for six to seven hours and thoroughly enjoying the game, and there were even many who beat it in just a few days—despite the fact that it takes over 30 hours to complete.
The most memorable feedback so far has been how much players are enjoying the gunpowder-based weapons. At first, they’re surprised and a bit intimidated, but eventually they come to understand their overwhelming power and learn to use them effectively against enemies. It’s truly wonderful to be able to see these player reactions almost in real time.
――Taking user feedback into account, could you tell us about your plans for future updates?
Matthew: Our top priority right now is to make the game’s early areas as fun and seamless as possible for new players, and to ensure a smooth progression in difficulty as players move into the mid-to-late game areas.
We may also add a final boss battle at the very end to provide a final challenge for highly motivated players after they’ve defeated the last samurai clan. After that, although performance and stability are already quite good, we intend to optimize them to the absolute limit.
Finally, to give players a deeper understanding of Japanese culture, I plan to return to Japan in October to complete research for the “Museum Mode” that we plan to implement in the future.
――Could you tell us about the Japanese language support for this game? How has the response been from Japan?
Matthew: This title is fully localized into Japanese, and it seems Japanese players are really enjoying it.The translation was handled by Chisato Saito (CEO of Matsurika Games), a knowledgeable game translator with extensive experience in the industry. She is a true expert in this field, and I have complete confidence in her judgment.
――Is it okay to distribute and monetize this game?
Matthew: Yes, I’d love to support those efforts, and I intend to assist you in your initiatives as much as possible.
――Finally, please share a message for our Japanese readers.
Matthew: Thank you for your interest in the game I created. To portray the history of medieval Japan with unprecedented accuracy and care, I spent about seven years studying Japanese culture and worked hard to become fluent in the language, including reading and writing. This game was created to share the beauty of Japan and its wonderful culture with as many people as possible.
――Thank you very much.
◆ About “Spotlight on Indie Mini-Q&A”
This series features email interviews with indie developers shortly after the release of their games. To ensure regular publication, we’ve standardized the questions, with the goal of sharing the voices of as many developers as possible. Please also enjoy our archive of over 1,000 other interview articles.
