Toru Kawakatsu, the producer and game director at Petit Depotto, recently shared his invaluable experiences and insights from the indie game industry. He emphasized that the key to achieving success lies in skillfully balancing creative drive with sharp business acumen.
As I gained more experience, I began to realize that idealistic beliefs like ‘if you make something good, it will naturally attract people’s attention and sell well’ almost never reflect reality. In truth, it’s difficult to succeed without a certain level of financial understanding and business sense.
He further underlined the unavoidable nature of the “business side” of game development:
Dreams alone will only take you so far – you must face reality.
While acknowledging that a focus on business might divert from pure creative expression, Kawakatsu suggested that the creator’s initial role is to explore and articulate their unique vision. The producer, then, steps in to refine this raw concept, making it accessible and high-quality for the broader audience.
Frankly, I believe that if a creator simply expresses their pure creative vision, the result can often be too elitist, which hinders others from understanding and connecting with it.
Considering that developing an indie game typically takes a significant amount of time, often 3-4 years, commercial success is not just desired but absolutely essential for a studio’s long-term survival.
Gnosia is available on Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox, and PC. The game also received an anime adaptation, which aired from October 2025 to March 2026.