This series features interviews with the developers of intriguing new indie games. In this installment, we present a mini-interview with the developers of “Sundustory,” a factory automation simulation developed by Lantto Games, which launched in Early Access on August 14 for PC, Mac, and Linux.
Set in a world where every pixel possesses unique physical properties, *Sandustry* is a factory automation simulation. It features a unique system that allows players to mine, process, and automate all manner of materials—from grains of sand to snowflakes, seeds, and ice shards—as resources. The game is now available in Japanese.
“Sandustry” is currently available in Early Access for 1,480 yen (962 yen with a 35% discount until October 9).
――First, please introduce yourself. What’s your favorite game?
Lantto: I’m Lantto, the developer of “Sandustry.” My favorite game is “Final Fantasy VII.” Whenever I’m programming this game, I always have the soundtrack on repeat.
――Please tell us about the game’s key features. Also, how did you come up with the idea for it?
Lantto: I believe the combination of automation and physics simulation holds infinite potential for solving all kinds of challenges, and it serves as a wonderful “playground” for unleashing creativity.
This idea was born from my experience playing a lot of “sand-falling browser games” back in the day. I wanted to utilize that kind of physics system while giving the game a clear objective, and since I’m also a fan of factory automation games myself, it was a very natural progression to fuse these two genres.
――Were there any games that influenced the development of this title?
Lantto: *Noita*, *Factorio*, and *Terraria*.
――Please share one episode that left the deepest impression on you during the development of this game.
Lantto: The most memorable moment was probably when I made the very first prototype. It was a simple thing I put together in just a few hours, and even though it was at a stage where all it could do was move sand on a conveyor belt, I—the one who made it—was immediately hooked on how fun it was.When I lost track of time playing it, I was convinced, “This idea has real potential.”
――What kind of user feedback have you received since the release? Please share something that particularly stood out to you.
Lantto: We’ve received a wide variety of feedback so far, but what stood out most was witnessing the moment when a player would request a specific feature, and someone else would immediately create a mod to make it happen. Hundreds of mods have already been created, and I’m truly amazed by the overwhelming passion of the modding community.
――Taking user feedback into account, could you tell us about your plans for future updates?
Lantto: Many of the quality-of-life features we’ve released so far—and those we plan to release in the future—are based on feedback from the community. In addition, we’ve received several incredibly creative and wonderful suggestions from players, and we plan to implement those into the game as well.
――Could you tell us about the Japanese localization for this game? What was included in the localization, what were the challenges, and what has the reaction been like from Japan?
Lantto: The game has been fully translated into Japanese, and we are deeply grateful for the support from our publisher, Hooded Horse. We feel that the Japanese translation itself has been well-received by players, but we always welcome feedback. We want players in Japan to enjoy the game at the highest quality, with absolutely no compromise or difference from the English version.
――Is it okay to distribute or monetize this game?
Lantto: Yes, of course! Creating content based on this game is the best way to support it.
――Finally, please share a message for our Japanese readers.
Lantto: Thank you so much for playing this game! When we first launched the *Sunstory* Steam page, it was the players in Japan who showed the most enthusiasm. That’s exactly why I’ve been looking forward to releasing this game in Japan for so long. Plus, I personally love Tokyo so much that I can’t wait to go back as soon as possible!
――Thank you very much.
◆ About “Spotlight on Indie Mini-Q&A”
This series features email interviews with indie developers shortly after their games’ 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.
