Huh?!
George Beresford...?
Yeah, do you remember him?
How could I forget someone so annoying?
His company, Bad Dwarf, is doing a competition for unpublished games soon.
Good games have a chance to get published, but...
Why are you telling me this?
Well, he called me the other day.
Yes, send a message to that fledgling designer for me:
I haven't played your game yet.
Haven't played yet...
So he's challenging me to show him my game.
Oh, um, I mean, it's totally up to you whether you want to join.
School starts tomorrow. You won't have any time to make games, right?
"Episode 11: A Game By Everyone"
What?!
"Episode 11: A Game By Everyone" You're participating in a competition?
Yes.
What exactly is a competition?
In this case, competition means that they're accepting game submissions
and will choose which game is best.
Sort of like a contest, I guess.
I see!
That's impressive! Which competition is this?
The one by Bad Dwarf, in the US.
Oh! Bad Dwarf!
But there will be professional authors in that competition, too, right?
Of course, I don't think I have a chance to win.
Maybe they'll completely ignore me.
But at any rate, I decided not to run away from this.
No matter how it ends.
Midori-chan...
So... I was hoping to ask you three to help me test the game.
Can you help me...?
You don't have to ask!
Yes, I'm looking forward to Midori's game!
One Room, version two. The game system was improved overall.
Wow...
It looks more game-like than before!
These cards are furniture.
Yes. The goal of the game is to collect furniture for your room.
First, you deal ten cards from the top of the deck...
...and that's the basic flow.
Emmy, do you get it?
Yes, I understand!
You work to make money and buy furniture for your room.
Furniture items have points, and bonuses are given
by getting same-colored furniture or by completing a set.
Yes. The big difference from the first version is that there are more ways to score points.
Of course, getting expensive furniture is a good way to score a lot of points.
There are more furniture types than before!
And we have pets now, too!
The work schedule is a chart now, too.
Yeah, I figured fixing the values might help make the choices more difficult.
I see... This forces you to strategize on when to buy and when to save up.
Good thinking, Midori-chan.
Yes, I made a lot of adjustments.
The basic flow is the same, but I see that it's evolved a lot from before.
This looks like lots of fun! Let's play right away!
Okay, time to give it a try!
Yes!
Okay, we've all placed our workers.
Me first! I got paid, so I'll buy this table!
Well, I'll buy this sofa then.
I'll take seven gold and pass.
That's the end of round one.
And finally, add up the bonus points...
Aya, 92 points. Emmy, 84 points. Miki, 84 points. Manager, 79 points.
So... that's the game. What do you think?
Incredible, Midori-chan! This is totally a proper game!
Yes, it's much more fun than before!
How about you, Emmy?
Yes, it's a very cleanly designed game, very much like Midori herself.
It's super, super great, Midori-chan!
You'll make it in the competition, too, for sure!
Midori-chan?
What do you think, Manager?
Yes, I am surprised.
When I first tried it, it was full of holes. The improvement is huge.
But...
...it probably still isn't going to get far in the competition.
This game is too neatly put together, for better and for worse.
What?! Manager, what do you mean?! This game can't compete?!
It's okay, Aya.
Midori-chan... But...
It's fine.
I also felt there was something off while I was making it.
Like the manager said, this game is still missing something crucial.
Midori-chan...
That said, there's no need to rush this.
You're still a first-year high school student. You've come quite far.
Don't worry about the competition. Just take your time and--
No, I can't do that!
What?!
That would mean I ran away again...
Ran away from him...
Don't overthink this.
Emmy...?
When I make games, I also run into moments where it doesn't come out as imagined.
When that happens, I think in simple terms.
Simple...
Yes! Just do all the things you want to do!
All of the things I want to do...?
Huh? What did I originally want to accomplish by making this game...?
What...?
"4 years ago"
The showroom for the furniture company that my dad owns...
It has been my favorite place since I was very small.
Miss Midori!
Sakamoto.
Are you alone? Is your father with you?
No, and it doesn't matter whether he's here or not.
Oh, you must have had a disagreement again.
In that case, allow me to cast a fun spell on you.
A spell? How old do you think I am?
I'm not a child anymore.
Please, indulge me. Give this a try.
I have one just like this at home...
How does it feel?
It's... not bad.
I am glad that it suits you.
Sakamoto's recommendations are flawless.
Dad always brags about how
you're the best floor master and interior coordinator in the industry.
I am unworthy of such kind words.
Don't be modest. Is this a new sofa?
Yes, it is from Germany.
What is striking about this piece is how,
in pursuit of functional perfection, it has arrived at a bold new aesthetic--
Sakamoto, you really love furniture, don't you?
Yes, I find it is my true calling.
Such an exaggeration.
Oh, no, I am not exaggerating.
No matter how much one loves furniture, there's only so much a person can buy.
But in this profession, I can lay out all of this furniture in any way I please.
It is a luxury no ordinary person can enjoy.
Therefore, my work is, without a doubt, what I live for.
What you live for...?
All of the furniture here were picked by my dad according to his tastes.
If I could choose for myself...
...I'd choose this desk... and this chair!
"Price: 270,000 Yen (+ Tax)" "Number to purchase: 1" "Color: (Choose a color)" This chair is 270,000 yen?!
"Price: 270,000 Yen (+ Tax)" "Number to purchase: 1" This chair is 270,000 yen?!
And the desk...
"Price: 450,000 Yen (+ Tax)" "Number to purchase: 1" And the desk...
"Price: 450,000 Yen (+ Tax)" "Number to purchase: 1" Four hundred fifty thousand yen?!
Wow, I never knew good furniture could be this expensive.
I grew up around them without even thinking about it.
Sakamoto is right.
But... if I could, one day, put any furniture I want, wherever I want...
...that would really be a luxury, right, Sakamoto?
Place furniture freely...
Oh!
Wh-What is it, Midori-chan?!
You startled me...
That's it... How did I forget?
The thing I really wanted to do.
This game is only half done at this point.
"Class 1-3"
--If the remainder is 13x minus 5, what is the value of A?
"Class 1-3" --Seriously? --If the remainder is 13x minus 5, what is the value of A?
--Midori-chan is completely asleep? --If the remainder is 13x minus 5, what is the value of A?
--Midori-chan is completely asleep? --So who can answer this question...?
Ono?
A equals open parentheses 4x cubed minus x squared plus 4x squared
minus x minus 12x plus 3 close parentheses
plus 13x minus 5 equals 4x cubed plus 3x squared minus 2.
Good, correct.
Whoa! Nice, Ono! Impressive...
"Class 1-5"
Midori is behaving weirdly?
Yeah, Emmy!
She won't play with us at all, always looks sleepy and distant...
Lots of things are weird about her!
That's not the Midori-chan we know!
It's okay.
Let's give her some space for now.
She should bring us a really fun game soon.
I have been awaiting your arrival, Miss Midori.
Sorry to bother you during work hours, Sakamoto.
I just needed a few more photos...
Miss Midori?!
Are you all right?
I'm fine, I just tripped on myself.
I hate to be presumptuous, but are you getting enough sleep lately?
You look unwell...
I might not have slept for a couple of days.
Miss Midori!
I'm fine. I feel sharper than ever.
But...
Hey, Sakamoto.
Yes...?
You once said that furniture is what you live for, right?
I used to think you were exaggerating, but now I understand.
I found one, too--a "thing to live for."
Somewhere in my mind, I was trapped into thinking
that a professional's game should be a certain way.
Because of that, I left my own desires out of the equation.
Emmy is right. This is my game.
I'm allowed to pack it full of the things I want to do!
Is Midori-chan okay?
She's been out with a cold for three days...
And she's been behaving weirdly.
I... I'm going to go see Midori-chan!
I'm coming, too!
Both of you, calm down.
Let's all visit her together.
The snow is heavy this year...
Oh, good, you're all here.
What are you doing, Aya?
Midori-chan, you idiot! What were you doing?!
A-Aya?
Midori-chan, are you okay now?
Miki...
I'm sorry, I might have lost sight of my surroundings for a bit.
My cold is better now, too, so...
It seems like you've finished it, Midori.
Yes, finally.
Finished? You mean...
Furniture tokens! So cute!
Did you make all of these yourself?!
Yes, based on some photos I took.
It must have been a lot of work to make so many.
Seriously, a lot. So we choose from here?
Yes, this is the shop. It's a bit awkward looking, but...
And, here.
Ah! This board is a room!
And you buy furniture from the shop board and put it on your room board.
By buying more furniture...
Wow! You can really build a room!
A game where you can choose the furniture that you like to make a unique room.
That's the original intent of the game when I first decided to make it.
What do you think?
This looks like lots of fun!
Yes! The boards, the tokens, they're all great.
Midori-chan! Let's play!
Really? Okay...
The basic flow is the same as before.
On your turn, place your marker and determine your income and purchase order.
Next is shopping.
What is this black piece?
That is an existing customer.
You can't shop in a store that already has a customer in it.
The black piece moves every round, so you have to time your shopping correctly.
So if you can't shop in a store that already has a customer...
Yes, so naturally, you can't go into the same store as another player.
I knew it...
So you need to make the first move in order to get what you want...
It's a shopping race!
This time, if someone purchases ten items, the game is over.
By the way, the person who buys ten items gets a ten point bonus!
Now that there are so many choices, it's hard to decide where to start...
That's why I came up with these.
Hmm? What is it?
Catalog cards.
If you can get all the items written on the card, you get a bonus added to your score.
"Relaxing Room" "Sofa" "Rug" If you can get all the items written on the card, you get a bonus added to your score.
These cards must have been tough to make, Midori.
Can you tell?! Just by looking at it?! I knew you'd get it, Emmy!
Yes, making the adjustments on those cards was the hardest part.
I see...
Midori-chan and Emmy understand each other quite well.
Time to play-test!
Let's start!
Yeah!
Okay, me first. I get six gold and buy this rug...
It's like the time I moved here!
I had no furniture so my room was huge!
Okay, I choose this sofa.
Oh, that sofa is cute!
An Asian style!
Midori and I just get money and pass.
Neither of you are shopping?
No. Saving money to buy expensive furniture gets you more points.
Huh?!
She's right...!
I didn't notice...
Wait, this cabinet is 14 points?!
I... I have to save...
Calm down, both of you.
Buying expensive furniture is risky, too.
Risky?
Yes. This game is over when someone buys ten things.
In other words...
I see, if the game ends while you're saving up...
Yes, that would be disastrous.
And there's that ten point bonus for having the largest amount of furniture...
I get it! So you could try to just buy a lot of cheap stuff to win early...
Could work.
Oh, but there's also the catalog cards...
Oh, that bonus, too!
We'd need to get these bonuses, too, in order to win, right?
Wait, so I have to save money after all!
Start off by getting the items on the catalogs, and...
--Would I have time to save money...?
--They're all strategizing... --Would I have time to save money...?
--What if I want the same things as the others...?
--They're totally engrossed in my game! --What if I want the same things as the others...?
--They're totally engrossed in my game! --I already know what I want to buy!
--I'm so glad... --Hmm, what to do...
I'm so incredibly happy right now!
Game over!
I couldn't get the cabinet after all!
Let's add up the bonuses...
Miki, 82 points. Emmy, 84 points. Aya, 84 as well. I got 92 points...
What?! You won by a huge margin? Not fair!
I can't help it. I made this game, so...
Wh-What?
Oh, right...
Yes!
Midori-chan made this game!
That totally slipped our minds, we were so engrossed in the game.
S-Stop flattering me...
This is not flattery, Midori.
There are many different choices and lots of freedom.
This is truly a good game.
Yes, there are so many more ways to play than the previous version. It's fun!
Yeah, it's awesome that you made this all by yourself!
By myself...?
No, that's not it.
I couldn't have made this game alone.
Huh?
It's all thanks to you. Thank you very much.
That's not true... Right?
We didn't know you were working on this while you were out...
Yeah. We didn't help at all...
What are you talking about? You played with me!
But that's normal--
Those normal things are exactly what I needed!
Without someone to play with, I wouldn't have been able to move forward.
Midori-chan...
Someone said, a while ago,
the game would never be completed as long as I thought about it by myself.
At the time, I was just mad at him and snapped back, but...
I think I understand what he meant now.
Who is he?
George Beresford. Making him play my game is one of my goals for this competition.
Beresford...? The designer at Bad Dwarf?
You know him, Midori?
He's an old friend of the manager. He's an annoying and stubborn old man, though.
Your dream is ahead of mine, Midori. I'm impressed!
No, it was only with your help that I was able to see what I really wanted.
It's you who is ahead of me.
Midori...
You both have great dreams, it's so cool!
Don't you think so, Miki-chan?
Y-Yeah, I think so, too.
What is this feeling...?
I'm happy for her, but also a little...
...sad?
"Next Episode: The Place We All Love"
This past year was lots of fun.
"Next Episode: The Place We All Love" But am I the only one who wants to stay this way forever?