Danchi Days

Description

A nuanced, bittersweet-yet-comedic story-rich game that reimagines cozy games with surprising game mechanics. Explore slice-of-life 2000s Japan, convince 51 neighbors to come to a festival, even browse a retro internet!

Hi! I’m Hoshino, the heroine of Danchi Days! Let's learn how to play using just five simple game mechanics: Explore, Look, Sense, Talk, and “Internet.”

1. EXPLORE

Explore the world of the danchi (a Japanese housing complex) by walking around. Just outside my home is my longtime neighbor, Pesta!

2. TALK

Let’s invite her to the festival by talking to her!

So easy! That’s 1 RSVP down.

But convincing the other 50 neighbors isn't as simple! Sometimes, I need to...

3. LOOK

I can look at the suspicious egg by holding the look button down. This lets me target it with a square-shaped reticle!

Looking at things lets me learn about it and may cause other things to happen.

After seeing the egg, my neighbor Sizz jumps out from the bushes to greet us! Turns out he put the egg there to warn us about how hot the slide was. Thanks, Sizz!

But he doesn’t want to RSVP… now what?

4. SENSE

See those pink sparkles coming from the egg?

By holding the Sense Button down, I can absorb the sparkles.

This will start a Sense Minigame!

If I touch the eggs, I’ll gain points to fill the Sunflower Bar and win. But don't let me run out of Footsteps! Every Sense Minigame has different objectives.

After winning, I eat the egg and learn about it. Sizz is so moved by me eating the egg, he agrees to RSVP!

There’s one more tool in our arsenal to get RSVPs…

5. INTERNET

Another neighbor, Heidi, doesn’t want to go to the festival...

But if we open my handheld computer and go on the internet, and visit her website to learn a bit about her…

Turns out she has an online minigame she wants us to play!

If we beat this minigame, Heidi’s happy enough to RSVP to my festival! Yay!

There are dozens of personal websites to explore, made by my neighbors. They're full of secrets, surprises and minigames!

Let’s get those RSVPs!

There's 51 neighbors in total to gather RSVPs from, each with their own unique quirks and story.

Getting every RSVP is a little different.

As long as we remember our 5 tools - Explore, Look, Talk, Sense, and Internet - we’ll be able to get everyone to come!

Danchi Days is a different kind of cozy game. There are no level ups, no combat, no money, no farming, no quest logs, and no time pressure.

Let's discuss the story!

A comedic-yet-bittersweet adventure in a Japanese neighborhood

In slice-of-life adventure Danchi Days, 12-year old Hoshino Kanaoka moves back to her Japanese hometown to be with her grandma, now living with dementia. Hoping to cheer her up, Hoshino decides to revive the local summer festival by inviting her quirky neighbors! In this comedic-yet-bittersweet tale, uncover forgotten truths about Hoshino's neighborhood, overcome opponents who stand against the festival, and explore the everyday world of her danchi.

Danchi Days has neighbors from all walks of life: from friendly seniors who love to chat, to grumpy high-schoolers hoping to escape, to adults just trying to get by. Each neighbor shows a different facet of danchi life, from the thrilling to the mundane.

Meet The Cast!

▲Hoshino Kanaoka

A lively, headstrong 6th grader! She's returned home to Japan, but is sad upon seeing her grandmother living with dementia. Full of optimism, she sets out to talk to every neighbor in her danchi and revive the summer festival!

▲Kimiko Kanaoka (Hoshino's Grandma)

Former kindergarten principal, and Hoshino's beloved grandma, who once led the organizing of the summer festival! She's been living with dementia for a few years. As you play Danchi Days, you'll learn of the many connections she's made around the danchi.

▲Rio Tsukimi

A close friend of Hoshino, and an expert with computers. But he's been distant since Hoshino's returned... what happened to him while Hoshino was gone? 

▲Moro-Q

Your trusty festival assistant kappa and avid poet! Always happy to help Hoshino out, he remembers little of his past. What is his relation to the danchi and its festival?

Quick Facts

• Danchi Days is about a 8-12 hours long single-player experience.

• An in-game internet with dozens of websites to visit, featuring minigames, journals, blog posts, surveys, even personality tests!

• A nuanced story for adults and children that speaks to our everyday lives

• No money, no combat, no time pressure. Just Explore, Talk, Look, Sense, and Internet your way to a successful festival.

• sandy powder writes the story in Japanese and co-designs the game

• Melos Han-Tani (Anodyne 1+2, Even the Ocean, Sephonie, and Angeline Era) does programming, music, game design and English translation.

• mogumu is the artist

• We're assisted by Olivia and ume for marketing