What does it mean to experience love in a universe unlike our own? For the creators of Love and Deepspace, the answer was straightforward: craft a universe where emotions and happiness are as expansive as the cosmos. Now approaching its first anniversary, this game has caught the hearts of nearly 50 million players worldwide, thanks largely to its captivating storytelling, cutting-edge setting, and unforgettable characters.
In this game, you step into a future world after humanity receives a cryptic message from Deepspace that aligns with the appearance of hostile beings called the Wanderers. As an Evolver with extraordinary powers, you’re set on an enthralling adventure. You’ll fight these beasts and encounter fellow Evolvers, creating the potential for close relationships. For Love and Deepspace, the intertwining ideas of love and its futuristic backdrop were more than mere motifs—they were the backbone of every design choice.
“As we embarked on the creative journey, I noticed how seamlessly the themes of love and the future integrated,” shared the game producer. “Even as humans journey into uncharted realms, the longing for love and companionship remains a constant. While our eyes are set on the stars, love fuels the trek ahead. The word ‘future’ is inherently about progress, dovetailing perfectly with our vision for a forward-looking romance game. This perspective shaped our approach to every facet of the game’s design, helping us determine what kind of content would truly be trailblazing and future-focused.”
The team’s philosophy centers around merging concepts of the ‘future’ with ‘love.’ This vision is evident in each decision, from 3D technology and artistic style to story pacing, character evolution, gameplay mechanics, and interface design. Although the story forms the emotional core, it’s the 3D visuals that initially grab players’ attention, posing the biggest hurdle during development.
“The main technical obstacle was creating film-caliber cinematic experiences and high-level character performances on mobile devices. To achieve this, we took an ‘all-in’ approach across all sectors of the game, including technology investments, work hours, and team resources.” This meant putting in extraordinary effort to get every detail right. The team used over 50 cameras to capture high-precision muscle data for skin realism. For clothing, they established an automated simulation for fluid, flowing fabrics—an area where traditional engines often fall short.
Additionally, the team utilized advanced capture systems to record actors’ expressions and motions at up to 300 frames per second and developed an in-engine performance editing system, allowing various teams—lighting, props, animation, and special effects—to work simultaneously. Despite mobile hardware limits, these technological advancements enabled Love and Deepspace to offer console-quality visuals, a testament to the team’s technical prowess.
“Running these complex details seamlessly on mobile was another challenge. We committed every available technical resource to optimization, making the most of multi-core performance and GPU capabilities. This enabled us to support up to 800 physical bones for smooth operation, delivering dynamic effects down to individual hairs. Our artists and engineers frequently pushed one another to their limits in a creative tug-of-war, balancing artistic vision with performance demands.”
The enormous effort across different teams aimed to completely immerse players in a captivating world and relay a compelling story filled with engaging characters. This mix of technological innovation and narrative depth ensures that each encounter is meaningful, drawing players into Love and Deepspace’s universe.
“The storyline sets the platform for romantic connections, defining the context for these interactions. In a game where experience and content are paramount, the story stretches beyond the main plot, affecting all aspects of gameplay. Our diversity in storytelling techniques allows us to offer characters with greater depth, creating a more engaging romantic experience. To do this, we took a ‘puzzle-like’ approach to storytelling and character development, aligned closely with our gameplay design.”
Offering diverse choices from the inception of development, the team aspired to craft a romance game that resonates globally. They maintained that a game should meet the highest quality standards to allow love’s theme to transcend cultural barriers and unite players worldwide.
“In the end, or perhaps as a bold move, we believed a game of exceptional quality and user experience could break cultural barriers and attain universal appeal. With this conviction, we endeavored to create the ultimate romantic experience, confident it would connect with players everywhere, fulfilling their desire for meaningful connections. After all, love indeed knows no cultural limits.”
The journey was not without obstacles. The development process encountered numerous hurdles, requiring the team to overcome significant challenges in technology, design, and feedback.
“Reflecting back, two pivotal moments were the October 2020 trailer release and the April 2023 large-scale playtest. The trailer’s initial reception was underwhelming, revealing how difficult it is to create a mobile game with ‘realistic, yet stylish’ aesthetics. Even on mobile, we had to aim for maximum realism to deliver a mesmerizing experience. This led to a radical reform in our mobile development strategy, focusing on achieving console-quality character performance. During the first public playtest, while we managed to improve model fidelity, the overall quality and core features left much room for improvement. Direct feedback was invaluable, helping us promptly identify and address problems. Following this, our team embarked on an ambitious overhaul, preparing for a second test within six months. Committing more resources to Love and Deepspace was a big gamble for the company, but we all believed in the game’s potential to evolve. Thankfully, we’re the type to bet it all for a brighter outcome.”
As Love and Deepspace nears 50 million downloads, continuing to break new records for daily users, it’s become a staple in romance gaming, celebrated for its innovative technology and captivating narrative. Yet, for the team, their greatest pride isn’t in numbers or prestige—it’s the joy they’ve imparted to players.
“It’s the moments where our players find love, hope, and happiness that truly fulfill us. Getting here wasn’t easy, but each challenge spurred improvement and growth.” “I’ve seen countless players share how Love and Deepspace boosted their confidence, made them feel worthy of love, and inspired them to explore more beauty in life. Developing a game that facilitates positive change has been the most rewarding aspect of this project, and we’re incredibly thrilled to have achieved that.”
