How Was Rena, the Girl “Whose Thoughts Are a Mystery,” Created? “Rain98” Director on Dark Eyes, Rain Sounds, Loose Socks [TGS2026]

"Rain98," developed by C#4R4CT3R, is a psychological thriller romance adventure set in late-1990s Tokyo that depicts the strange coexistence between the protagonist—who has time-traveled from the present—and Reina.

We recently interviewed “Rain98” director Sean T and others at the “Tokyo Game Show 2026” venue. We spoke with them about a wide range of topics, from the origins of the project to the themes embedded in the game, Reina’s character design, their meticulous attention to the over 20 different types of rain sounds, and even the memorable loose-socks scene.

The sense of stagnation in modern times and the end of the century in 1998—where did *Rain98* come from?

—First, could you please briefly introduce yourself?

Mr. Sean T: My name is Sean T, and I’m the director of *Rain98*. Nice to meet you.

—What prompted the planning of the game *Rain98*?

Mr. Sean T: Planning began around the end of the year about two years ago. It was right when the indie game market was starting to take off, so it all began with the thought, “We’d like to make a game, too.”

Since visual novels are a genre I personally enjoy and find easy to visualize, I thought we’d start by making one.

While I was thinking about what kind of project to create, I happened to attend a concert by the K-pop idol group IVE and heard a song with a Y2K theme.

That sparked my inspiration, and the thought, “I want to make a visual novel or adventure game set in the late ’90s, as if we were living through the end of the century,” became the starting point for the project.

――So that’s why you set the story in 1998, too.

Mr. Sean T: That’s right. That was the initial spark, but as I continued developing the concept, I realized that the sense of stagnation—or rather, the feeling that “the world is somehow about to end”—that we experience today would actually match very well with the atmosphere of Japan around 1998 or 1999.

So I wondered, “If people from the present were to travel back in time and be given the role of ‘destroying the world’ during that end-of-the-century period, how would they act?” I incorporated that into the game’s concept.

――Are there any themes you’ve prioritized in creating this game?

Sean T: There are various themes in this work. I can’t discuss all of them yet, but one major theme is “How should we live in these uncertain times?”

――“Rain” is used very effectively in this game. Could you tell us why you chose rain as a key motif?

Sean T: One reason is that I felt the symbolism and imagery associated with rain matched the atmosphere of the time, around 1998 and 1999. I thought rain would be a good way to express something that’s somewhat dark and stagnant.

Another aspect I value is how, when it rains, the “boundaries” between things gradually become blurred.

“You never know what she’s thinking”—Reina Amahara. The attention to detail in her black eyes and the music

――Where did the character of Reina come from?

Sean T: When I was conceptualizing the character Reina, the IVE concert I mentioned earlier was one of the catalysts.

Seeing Rei-chan singing in her school uniform during the concert made me wonder what kind of presence she would have if she appeared in our game—that was the starting point for creating Reina.

Beyond that, I want Reina to be a character who serves as a sort of “symbol of the times.”

Around 1998 and 1999 was a time when Japanese horror films like *The Ring* were extremely popular, so—after consulting with the artists—I wanted to create a character with a slightly eerie atmosphere, someone whose thoughts are hard to read and who feels somewhat mysterious. That’s how Rena was born.

――I felt that Rena’s dark pupils were particularly striking. Was there a specific intention behind that?

Mr. Sean T: That’s right. At first, there were several character design concepts for Reina, and some of them included highlights in her eyes. However, I felt it suited her better if you couldn’t “see into her eyes”—if it were unclear what she was thinking.

After comparing several options, I chose the one with large, black pupils that seemed to have nothing inside—a slightly nihilistic feel—because I thought it suited her perfectly.

――Is there anything you prioritize in particular when creating the visuals?

Production Staff: Since rain is a key theme, we’re very particular about how we depict it—we want to convey even the humidity.

Also, since this is a game where time passes quite slowly, we pay close attention to every detail to convey a sense of realism—as if you’re truly spending time with Reina. We design the characters so that players feel as though they’re really there.

――The sound was also very impressive. What aspects of the sound did you focus on?

Sean T: We’ve meticulously designed sound effects and ambient sounds to match every single scene in this game, so there are probably several times more sound effects alone than in other games. All of these are designed to create a sense of immersion that makes you feel as if you’re truly inside that world.

We’re working with the sound team to create “the best sound possible,” constantly testing from every angle.

For example, there are over 20 different types of rain sounds alone throughout the game, and we adjust the specific sound based on the scene’s emotion and what we want to convey there. That’s how much effort we’re putting into the sound.

――I actually felt a strong sense of realism while playing. Now, let’s talk about the gameplay itself. The side-job scenes felt much smoother than when I played the demo last year. Have you been making adjustments in that area as well?

Mr. Sean T: That’s right. The side job system itself was in place from a fairly early stage, but every time we played it, we thought, “Couldn’t this be a little better?” so we’ve been rolling out updates repeatedly.

Earning money through side jobs and using that money to do various things with Reina is a core concept of the game system, so we’ve been constantly thinking about how to design the “playability”—that is, making it feel good to play and ensuring a pleasant experience while performing these tasks.

It might change even more as we head toward the final release.

――Another thing—the scene where you put loose socks on Reina was quite memorable. Could you tell us about that scene as well?

Sean T: The loose-socks scene… how should I put it? (laughs) It wasn’t so much designed by working backward from the idea of “I want players to have this kind of experience,” but rather a scene that naturally emerged within the story.

Actually, it was already finished once, but when we completely revamped the entire game for the demo version we’ll be releasing soon, we redrew every single frame of the loose-socks part and even added new artwork. That’s how much attention we’ve put into that scene.

It’s a kind of fetishism, I suppose—it’s a moment where you really get a sense of the dynamic between Reina and the player. Since it’s the kind of experience you rarely get to have in real life, I think it turned out to be a really interesting scene.

――Finally, could you share a message for the players?

Sean T: The demo is finally coming out in October.

I imagine there are many of you who’ve only heard about this game but haven’t actually played it yet—we’re putting so much effort into this demo that we’ve even gone back and completely reworked the entire game, even though it was already finished.

I hope you’ll look forward to it.

――Thank you very much.

“Rain98” is scheduled for release on PC (Steam) in 2026.