Dev Diary #2 - Minies' Tea Time

[h3]Preface[/h3][p]Hello Wishweavers — good day![/p][p] [/p][p]Since our first reveal, we've been blown away by your love and support. Every comment, suggestion, and "hurry up" meme has been carefully noted in the dev team's little notebook.[/p][p] [/p][p]Before we start the Tea Time, here's a short story about Animula Nook.[/p][p] [/p][p]01 Origins[/p][p]Animula Nook began as a dream: we imagined ourselves shrunk down and back in the real world, where everyday objects suddenly feel enormous. What kinds of tiny wonders would we discover if we looked at the world that way? That dream is where the game took root.[/p][p] [/p][p]02 The Desk[/p][p]For us, the desk is a magical place. As kids, it was a secret fortress for treasures and doodles; as grown-ups, it's the last quiet corner we keep for ourselves. It's where imagination and private feelings live. That's why the idea of "the desk as homestead" became a core design concept.[/p][p] [/p][p]03 Wishweavers[/p][p]Those who build their own homestead — those who imagine and make things — we call them Wishweavers. The name comes from a classical Chinese phrase that carries the blessing "may all your wishes come true." We want everyone brave enough to imagine and bring ideas to life to gain something meaningful. Yes, Wishweavers — that name is for each of you who come to Minietopia.[/p][p] [/p][p]04 Our Goal & Vision[/p][p]Our goal is simple: we don't want to tell you how to love life. We want to show the little details that deserve remembering — tiny stories that still carry weight. When you step into this tiny world and live as one of its small residents, we hope you'll find your own way of living and caring for the small things.[/p][p] [/p][p]Alright — to meet you halfway, we're using this Minies' Tea Time to share Minietopia's current progress and future plans.[/p][p] [/p][p]The first cup is poured — enjoy the update![/p][p] [/p][h3]Character Customization[/h3][p]Q: More skin tones, hair colors, hairstyles, and facial options — please![/p][p]A: We're expanding options. In addition to more skin tones and faces, we'll add more hair styles/colors and clothing choices so everyone can make a unique look and move into Minietopia feeling themselves.[/p][p] [/p][p] [/p][h3]World Exploration[/h3][h3]Q: Can we expect bigger, more varied maps with hidden surprises?[/h3][p]A: Absolutely. We've already designed forest-style and food-restaurant–style exploration areas, and we've released the Floral Sea — a field of tulips dotted with cute ladybugs, complete with special sunlight-collection mechanics and small scene mini-games. A little secret: two more, very different areas are in development — expect a bustling plaza and a mysterious mushroom zone. More diverse maps are coming, each with its own native inhabitants, unique gathering mechanics, mini-games and hidden surprises to discover.[/p][p] [/p][p]Q: Will Minietopia sync with the real world — seasons, holidays, special days?[/p][p]A: Yes. Minietopia follows real-world time: day/night cycles, four seasons, and special weather events like auroras and shooting stars. On certain real-world dates we'll have in-game commemorations and festivals — those days can get delightfully busy.[/p][h3] [/h3][h3]Building & Construction[/h3][p]Q: Please include third-person / god-mode building views and more building aids.[/p][p]A: Third-person building mode exists and is in internal testing; we're tuning controls now. Blueprint tools are in development too, so you'll be able to quickly replicate and place scenes.[/p][p] [/p][p]Q: What was the biggest design challenge or surprise when building the Lilliputian systems?[/p][p]A: The biggest challenge was switching perspectives: turning "boring adult" objects into parts of a tiny world and matching every object's scale to Minietopia. For example, the sofa and speakers you see in the PV are actually everyday desk items like a glasses case and wired headphones. That shift in perspective is tricky, but also lets us find a lot of small surprises in ordinary life — we hope to bring those into the game soon. Share your overlooked "nooks" with us on Discord (#🗣️｜player-voices); we might include them later![/p][p] [/p][h3]Outfit & Fashion[/h3][p]Q: Can clothing be split into more parts for freer mixing?[/p][p]A: Yes. We already support many outfit slots: hair, tops, bottoms, socks, shoes, hats, hair accessories, face accessories, earrings, necklaces, hand accessories, back accessories and handheld items — lots of freedom to style.[/p][p] [/p][h3]Farming & Plants[/h3][p]Q: Can we choose what to plant, and will crops have uses beyond selling?[/p][p]A: We won't force crop choices. Items gathered in exploration can be used in farming. Crops can be sold, used as decorations, or turned into food — and there will be hidden crops to discover.[/p][p] [/p][h3]Cooking[/h3][p]Q: Will there be cooking?[/p][p]A: Yes — cooking is in development. Food matters in Minietopia, and we plan fun cooking mechanics and recipes. If you've got recipe ideas, we'd love to hear them![/p][p] [/p][h3]Social & Multiplayer[/h3][p]Q: No forced social features, please![/p][p]A: Absolutely — no forced social. We want every Wishweaver to enjoy Minietopia in their own way. Social features will be optional so you can find the lifestyle that fits you best.[/p][p] [/p][h3]Minies (NPCs)[/h3][p]Q: Please don't make Minies feel like tools — give them personality, routines, and lots of interaction![/p][p]A: Every Minie is an individual with their own personality, favorite foods, colors and styles, friends and social circles. Each Minie has a bespoke story and custom dialogue, daily habits, and memory features to make daily interactions feel real. Minies will remember the day you first met them, react emotionally when you cook, and give thoughtful gifts in return — we want Minies to feel like friends, neighbors, and even family members![/p][p] [/p][p]Q: Can we gift clothes to Minies and have them wear matching outfits?[/p][p]A: Planned. After collecting feedback, we added gifting systems for Minies. You'll be able to give clothes, share fruits and food, and build those interactions into gameplay — designs are in active development.[/p][p] [/p][h3]Wupa (Pets)[/h3][p]Q: Wupa is so cute — can we cuddle them? Any Wupa merch plans?[/p][p]A: Everyone loves fluffy Wupa! Wupa is an important companion and interaction mechanics with them are a must-have. We're planning affection systems so you can bond more deeply with Wupa. Plush Wupa merch is in planning — keep an eye on our social channels; cute Wupas might appear in community events. (P.S. we already have a few small merch drops tied to community activities — for example, the finished "Minie's Letter of Request" included some adorable items — but we're still focused on game development, so broad merch sales haven't launched yet, but we've noted your enthusiasm!)[/p][p] [/p][h3]Controls & Platforms[/h3][p]Q: Will controllers be supported?[/p][p]A: Yes — controller support is planned from early development. Many team members use controllers, so we want everyone to play with their preferred device.[/p][p] [/p][p]Q: Which platforms will the game be on? Will progress sync across platforms?[/p][p]A: We're planning releases on PC / Mac / Switch 2 / PS5, and we're working on cross-platform progress syncing. The devs are pushing to support as many platforms as possible.[/p][p] [/p][p]Q: Is an internet connection required?[/p][p]A: Yes — online features like co-op and cross-platform syncing require a connection.[/p][p] [/p][h3]Community Events & Live Ops[/h3][p]Q: Will there be Twitch Drops and community events?[/p][p]A: Yes. We've already run several community events and will plan more around tests and launch. We want to run UGC and co-creation events with the community — join our Discord (#🗣️｜player-voices) and tell us your ideas![/p][p] [/p][p]Every tulip and droplet in Minietopia shines because of your love. Today's Tea Time is just the start of our two-way conversation — keep sharing your wild ideas or your straight-up complaints.[/p][p]🌱 Here there are no "players" vs "officials", only a team building Minietopia together with you.[/p]