This series features interviews with the developers of intriguing new indie games. In this installment, we present a short interview with the developers of “Leafy Corner,” a plant shop simulation game developed by Fireline Games and released for PC and Mac on July 31.
In this simulation game, you take on the role of a plant shop owner, growing plants and welcoming customers while running a warm, green-filled shop. You’ll need to find the perfect plants for customers who aren’t sure what they’re looking for, as well as those with slightly unusual or challenging requests. You can also stylishly decorate your shop with various unlocked items, such as shelves and plant pots. The game is now available in Japanese.
“Leafy Corner” is available for 1,200 yen.
――First, please introduce yourself. What’s your favorite game?
I’m KasiaKasia. “Leafy Corner” was developed by a two-person team consisting of my husband, Kacper, and me. I was primarily in charge of art and game design, while Kacper handled all the programming.
I love both art and games, so game development is a dream job that combines my two passions. When I have free time, I love playing games—I’m particularly fond of management simulations and relaxing games, but I generally enjoy just about any genre.To name a few of my favorite titles: “Two Point Hospital,” “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt,” “Your Town: Sandrock,” “The Sims 3,” “Inscryption,” “Dorfromantik,” and many others.
――Could you tell us about the features of this game? Also, how did you come up with the idea?
Kasia: What sets *Leafy Corner* apart is that it’s based on real houseplants, and the game features authentic knowledge and information about each plant that appears in the game.
This idea was born from the fact that my husband and I are both “plant lovers.” A few years ago, when I started collecting houseplants, I became completely hooked on them. There’s a truly great sense of satisfaction in watching plants grow and new buds unfold.At first, it was simply a matter of saying, “We want to make a game centered around houseplants,” but the idea gradually expanded and eventually evolved into a “game where you run a plant shop.”
――Were there any games that influenced the development of this title?
Kasia: Not really. We wanted to create a game with its own unique charm, so we didn’t try to model it after any specific game. Our biggest source of inspiration was, quite simply, “houseplants themselves”!
――Please share one memorable moment from the development of this game.
Kasia: The most memorable moment during development was seeing how excited everyone was about this game. We really never expected so many people to take an interest in this small project, which started from our personal passion.
Seeing people discover the game, share it with others, and get excited about it was a huge source of motivation throughout the development process.
――What kind of user feedback have you received since the release? Please share something that particularly stood out to you.
We’ve received so much warm feedback from Kasia players, and I’m filled with gratitude. What I especially love are comments like, “Playing this game inspired me to buy a houseplant of my own.” Some players have even sent photos of the plants they actually bought, and seeing those really makes me feel great—it warms my heart.
It makes me especially happy to think that this game has gone beyond the confines of a game and served as a catalyst for people to take an interest in real plants in the real world.
――Based on user feedback, could you tell us about your plans for future updates?
Based on feedback from Kasia players, we plan to work on expanding the store space, adding new houseplants and decorations, and making minor improvements to the overall user experience.
However, it will take us a little while to deliver these updates. That’s because we’re expecting our first child very soon. Therefore, we’ve decided to prioritize our daily lives and health first and take a brief hiatus from development.
――Please tell us about the Japanese localization for this game. What was included in the localization, what were the challenges, and what has been the reaction from Japan?
Kasia: “Leafy Corner” is fully localized into Japanese, and the translation was handled by professional translator Tomoko Takahashi.
One of the biggest challenges in localization was finding the correct Japanese names for all the houseplants featured in the game. Since some of the plants appearing in the game aren’t very well known in certain regions and don’t have commonly used names, we took great care in selecting the plant names.
From the very beginning of development, we considered Japanese language support to be extremely important. Since Japanese players showed such great interest even before the release, we’re truly delighted that we were able to provide proper Japanese localization.
――Is it okay to stream or monetize this game?
Kasia: Of course! We’d love for players to stream and monetize *Leafy Corner*. In fact, we’d actively encourage it! Streaming helps more people discover the game, which is a huge help to us.
――Finally, please share a message for our Japanese readers.
Kasia: I’d like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the Japanese players who have been playing “Leafy Corner” and sharing videos and screenshots. I’ve seen many of you posting photos of your shop designs on X (formerly Twitter), and they’re all incredibly creative!We love seeing what you’ve created, and we can’t thank you enough for your warm support.
On a side note, we traveled to Japan for about two weeks a few years ago and fell in love with the country. We definitely hope to visit again someday!
――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 it runs regularly, 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—we’ve already published over 1,000 of them.
