This series features interviews with the developers of intriguing new indie games. In this installment, we bring you a mini-interview with the developer of *Cleaning Up The Puzzle Gallery*, a painting gallery puzzle game developed by Th3GameStudio and released for PC on August 6.
This game is a tidying-up simulation set in a gallery displaying famous paintings, where players must collect scattered puzzle pieces. Players take on the role of the gallery owner and must gather over 2,000 pieces that have been scattered by an earthquake and return them to their original places.Works by Van Gogh, Monet, and Katsushika Hokusai also make an appearance. The game supports Japanese.
“Cleaning Up The Puzzle Gallery” is available for 655 yen.
――First, please introduce yourself. What’s your favorite game?
Th3GameStudio: Hello, we’re Th3GameStudio. We’re just ordinary people on the internet who develop games as a hobby. It’s actually pretty hard to talk about ourselves!
It’s hard to pick a single favorite game, but if I had to choose, I’d say *Balatro*. I love roguelike games, so it’s a title I end up playing over and over again.
――Please tell us about the game’s features. Also, how did you come up with the idea for it?
Th3GameStudio: I think what sets this game apart from other organizing and tidying games is that it doesn’t stop at “just putting things away.”Each “item” in the game is part of a larger work, such as a famous painting. As you play, you’ll naturally learn to distinguish the styles of various artists and understand the differences between their approaches.
As for how I came up with this idea, my partner loves jigsaw puzzles, and we used to do them together often.Also, like many players, I’m a huge fan of *The Librarian’s Job: Tidy Up the Magical Library!*, so I thought, “What if I made a game using that system and incorporated the puzzle elements she loves so much?”
When I had her test-play the first prototype, she actually kept playing nonstop for five hours—even without me watching over her! That’s when I knew for sure she wasn’t just playing to be nice (laughs). I spent some time refining it from there, and I’m truly happy that so many people seem to be enjoying it!
――Were there any works that influenced the development of this game?
Th3GameStudio: This game was inspired by *The Librarian’s Job: Clean Up the Magic Library!*, and of course, I was greatly inspired by the many wonderful masterpieces featured in the game. Luckily, there’s a fantastic art museum fairly close to my home.
――Could you share one of the most memorable moments from the game’s development?
Th3GameStudio As I mentioned earlier, it was truly amazing to see my partner still engrossed in playing the game—even hours after I’d shown them the prototype—when I left the room!
I also have fond memories of testing the “Multiplayer Custom Gallery” feature, which we’d just added in early September. It was the first time we’d played together as a pair, and it was an absolute blast.However, one of the friends I was playing with thought it was funny to steal our puzzle pieces, so we decided on the spot to add a “broom” item to hit the friend and make them drop the pieces. We implemented it solely as a countermeasure against that friend, and since then, no one has stolen our pieces anymore.
――What kind of user feedback have you received since the release? Please share any particularly memorable comments.
Th3GameStudio: The feedback has been absolutely wonderful. Most players have sent warm messages, expressing their love for the game and their anticipation for updates. I truly feel blessed. I handle everything related to this game on my own—from addressing bug reports to marketing—and even the people I interact with regarding support matters are all so kind.
All of this has been an immeasurable source of inspiration for me. Honestly, I never imagined I’d receive such an overwhelming response. It makes me truly happy to think that I might have been able to make the players’ gaming experience just a little bit better.
I’ve also received many comments saying, “I learned about various artists and artistic styles through this game” or “It taught me about art in unexpected ways,” and reading those kinds of comments really makes me feel great!
――Taking user feedback into account, could you tell us about your plans for future updates?
Th3GameStudio just released an update that added “Multiplayer Custom Gallery” and new, more expansive and challenging maps. Originally, the game was designed so that each player could upload only one image as a puzzle, but we immediately received requests saying, “I want to fill the entire gallery with my own images,” so we implemented that feature as well.
And right now, we’re working on an update—actually, we’re developing a new Challenge Mode that’s just a little bit… scarier… than the main game. This is the first time I’ve talked about it, but we plan to release it relatively soon.
――Could you tell us about the Japanese localization status for this game? How has the response been from Japan?
Th3GameStudio: We were able to find someone in August to localize the game into Japanese, so the game is now fully supported in Japanese. Honestly, if I’d known the game would be this successful, I would have wanted to include Japanese support at launch, but I’m truly delighted to have found someone who could handle it so quickly.
The response from Japanese players has been overwhelmingly positive, and I’m always genuinely delighted when new Japanese players discover the game. I often find myself thinking, “If only I could speak Japanese, I’d be able to thank you all directly in your native language!” So, to everyone in Japan reading this article—thank you so much! I hope you’ll enjoy the game if you decide to give it a try!
――In this game, why and specifically how did you use content generated by AI? Also, what are your feelings about generative AI?
At Th3GameStudio, we used AI solely as a coding aid. My day job is as an engineer—a field completely unrelated to games—and since I have a degree in computer science, I’ve been familiar with AI as a coding assistant for quite some time. I think AI is a truly wonderful tool for development.
However, I cannot endorse the use of AI in a way that replaces human artists. That’s precisely why, in this game, I was committed to ensuring that all assets were created by human hands, and I filled the gallery with masterpieces by real, renowned painters.I hope this game will give players the opportunity to experience the many beautiful paintings that continue to inspire me to this day.
――Is it okay to distribute and monetize this game?
Th3GameStudio Of course it’s fine! In fact, please do! Seeing players create gameplay videos, stream the game for their fans, and having a good time through these streams is my greatest joy!
――Finally, please share a message for our Japanese readers.
Th3GameStudio: Hello, readers! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this article. If you’ve already played the game, I hope you’re enjoying it. And for those who haven’t played it yet, I’d be thrilled if you’d give it a try!
I hope you enjoy the many works of art featured in the game, and that they inspire you to learn more about the real-life artists or visit a local art museum.
I hope this game helps you relax, sparks your sense of adventure, and becomes a wonderful place where you can take a breather from the stresses of daily life. Please take care of yourselves, and have a wonderful day!
――Thank you very much.
◆ About “Spotlight on Indie Mini-Q&A”
This series features email interviews with indie developers about their games shortly after release. To ensure regular updates, we’ve standardized the questions, with the goal of sharing the voices of as many developers as possible. Please also enjoy our other interview articles, which now number over 1,000.
