Hot on the heels of confirming a PC version for the big western release of Stray Children, we had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with legendary creator Yoshiro Kimura, the director of Stray Children, for another interview.

Stray Children is the latest from Kimura and his team at Onion Games, veteran developers that have worked on a number of iconic Japanese games. Kimura himself worked on games like Romancing SaGa 2 and 3, Chulip, Rule of Rose, and Little King’s Story, prior to starting his own company, Onion Games.

After going indie with Onion Games, the team led by Kimura has put out a variety of games for multiple platforms like Million Onion Hotel, Black Bird, and Dandy Dungeon. One of Kimura’s most iconic games, the “anti-RPG” Moon, also got a modern release for numerous platforms. 

Our interview delved into the development process on Stray Children, its inspirations, the challenges his team ran into with its western localization, and more.

Niche Gamer: How is Stray Children similar or different from Moon RPG? Is it related to that game?

Yoshiro Kimura: The answer is both yes and no. You could say it’s connected, but also not.

Personally, I created this as a completely separate new work.

What challenges did you find when making Stray Children? Do you feel you accomplished everything you wanted?

Kimura: One of the biggest challenges was trying to awaken my own memories of childhood, especially from the 1980s.

I tried to pack all those memories—of games, movies, manga, and anime—into a single work.

I did everything I could. Please gaze into Stray Children’s world.

Stray Children is a story-driven game. Was adapting its script for English a challenge?

Kimura: Yes. It’s difficult—extremely difficult. But for some reason, I have a strong feeling it’s going to turn out well.

That’s because, when I play the beginning of the game in English myself, it feels like a very strange, unusual experience—like one of those mysterious foreign games I played in childhood.

How do you view the Japanese games market to the global market? Do traditional console games like Stray Children perform better in one or the other? 

Kimura: Oh, come on—don’t ask me stuff like that! (laughs).

Honestly, I just feel like this, for someone like me, who makes strange games based on personal taste, thinking about market performance doesn’t really make sense. Don’t you think so?

I don’t make games for the Japanese market or the global market. I make them for people who love strange games, wherever they are. By the way, where are all the weird people who like weird games?

Do you have any words for your overseas fans?

Kimura: Hello, I’m Japanese game designer Yoshiro Kimura. Are you interested in the RPG Stray Children?

If you enjoy exploring strange and wondrous worlds, please give it a try. It’s a bittersweet RPG—though for some, it might be a little too bitter.

Once it’s finished, I’ll let you know through our newsletter, social media, and game websites—so please look forward to the release, and give it a play!

Oh, and one last thing—if the game caught your interest, please add it to your wishlist! Thanks!

Stray Children is coming to Windows PC (via Steam) alongside its previously announced western release for Switch sometime later in 2025. The JRPG was originally released for Switch in Japan back in December 2024.