[Indie Spotlight] A timeless game with a history of 2000 years: Meet the team behind 24 Solar Terms

Playing 24 Solar Terms has really been a breath of fresh air. This delightful point-and-click hidden object puzzle takes you on a journey to explore the fascinating world of China's 24 solar terms. Our delightful conversation with the talented development team, Free Men Free Time, was just as rewarding as the game itself.

(The game is officially coming to mobile today! Stay tuned!)

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Prelude

Free Men Free Time is a 3-person indie studio that almost "died" once -- the team parted ways once due to their aborted first game. “At the very beginning, Xiangyu and I were thinking about starting our own gig, and Xingchen joined us as an intern,” said Pingzi, the programmer. “In 2018, we actually had another game ready for release, but didn't get the license needed to publish it.” During the nail-biting but endless wait, the very prototype of 24 Solar Terms sprouted to life, based on Xingchen’s graduation project, who later became the lead artist of the team.

They did not, however, totally give up on this project. In November 2019, despite the team being scattered, the 0.1 version of the game quietly popped up on TapTap in China. Surprisingly, the demo received positive feedback from TapTap players. “That was when we decided to regroup and finish the game together,” said Xingchen, “we learned from our past experiences and decided to do it part-time, squeezing in every spare moment after work. So, yeah, that's why it took us quite a while to officially launch the game.”

Fun fact: 10 days after Pingzi’s son was born, the 0.1 version debuted on TapTap.

Holstein cattle vs Yellow cattle!?

"I read through a lot of ancient texts for reference to faithfully portray every detail in the game. It was a really enjoyable experience. I could feel that my curiosity was sparked especially when I researched the origin of the 24 solar terms dating back to 2000 years ago."

The reunion was just the beginning. Since 24 Solar Terms is a game that dives deep into traditional Chinese culture, one top priority is to present the game with utmost authenticity within the ancient Chinese context. Xiangyu, the game designer, recalled a funny mishap during the rough demo when Holstein cattle were mistakenly used instead of the domestic yellow cattle. “That was also acutely spotted by our players,” laughed Xiangyu.

"We want it to go global!"

"Translating ancient proverbs and poems into English is a real challenge, and I made sure to preserve the end rhymes of some verses to give them a catchy feel."

Xiangyu also took on the challenging task of English localization, which he poured his heart and soul into. While most texts inside the game were translated into corresponding languages, Xiangyu decided to retain the Chinese characters in the translated version. "I considered hiding the Chinese characters, but they are truly beautiful, and I believe presenting them to international players would be a fantastic idea," he added.

And then...

“Take a moment to slow down and enjoy the game. Be patient.” Xingchen said this when asked about some small tips for TapTap players who are gonna play this game. Faced with countless challenges in this rapidly changing world of games, the team still holds dear to their ideal, slowly but steadily. We guess that’s why we can’t wait for more of you, the indie lovers, to enjoy this game and feel its charm.