Overcoming the shyness with your own analog game? The thought of a female junior high school student who developed it January 27 14:12

What kind of game is the first thing you hear when you hear "game"? Is it a digital game to enjoy on a smartphone or TV? In fact, analog games using old-fashioned sugoroku boards and cards are now becoming secretly popular. Last year, analog game enthusiasts opened an event in Tokyo with about 30,000 visitors, 100 times more than 20 years ago. Behind the growing interest are the people who create and sell original games at these events. Last year, I learned that a game created by a junior high school student in Osaka was sold nationwide, so I started reporting.
(Osaka Broadcasting Station Reporter Keiho Izumiya)

Analog game people who make themselves

I heard that there are events for enthusiasts who buy and sell analog games soon, and visited an event held last September at an exhibition hall in Kobe.

An "analog game" is a game that can be played without using a power source, such as a card game or a grocery game, for a "digital game" such as a smartphone game or a home game machine.

It is true that all analog games were lined up in the crowded venue. Men and women of all ages visited, and the sellers provided explanations on how to play, while actually playing with them, and decided on products with a serious expression.

What surprised me was that not only the analog games sold on the market were sold, but more than 30% were made by ordinary people.

There were also games that put money in the wardrobe and games full of handmade feelings, such as three-dimensional puzzles.

When I asked some of them, he said, "I started to build games from scratch while improving the games sold by myself." Surprisingly, some people have made more than 100 types so far.

Analog game called "call name" created by junior high school girls

"It was a hot topic on SNS that it was a game created by a junior high school student in Osaka."
"It seems to be a game that can be excited even with the first time meeting"

It became a hot topic among enthusiasts, and there was a booth in the venue where people were crowded. That is a card game called "nickname".

The person who collects more item cards related to this game, such as "Detective", "President", "Samurai" and "Idol", wins. Hand out the item cards and guess who owns them.

At this time the player must become a character and call his name.

For example, if you think you might have an item card for "President", ask Mr. Yamada down and ask the president, "Do you have a luxury foreign car?"

If the person who is asked also has the card, he must answer as "President" and give the card.

The point of the game is that the rule is "call your opponent's name".

The game was devised by Nanako Kudo, a sophomore in junior high school in Sakai, Osaka. The club activity is the choir club, and my hobby is reading, Nanana. At first glance, I got the impression that I wasn't very interested in the game.

When asked why he created a game that plays with his name, he asked.

"I was ashamed of my friend's name and couldn't call her."

“I want to overcome shyness”

Nanana-san actually had a terrible shyness. I was shy and couldn't call my name for about a year, even though I wanted to reduce the distance between my friends who met at a juku in elementary school. When it was inevitable, he called out, "Hey, hey," and managed to get through.

(Nana Kudo)
"I thought it was okay to call me, or I was a little rude. is"

At that time, a major turning point comes for Nanana. It was an analog game event with my father, Yoshiki.

I saw the people who make and sell the games myself and decided to try it myself. I came up with the idea of ​​creating a game that called for names.

(Nana Kudo)
"If you could call your name naturally while playing, you might be able to overcome shyness. I thought that if you forced a game and called it, you would be able to call it easily. "

With her father's cooperation, Nanana made prototypes based on playing cards and completed the "nickname" in two years.

The completed "nickname" quickly became a hot topic. When Nanana exhibited at an analog game event held in Osaka in March last year, the offer "I want you to sell it nationwide" came in.

Professionals also pay attention! Nationwide sales

The story went on and on, and in August a game wholesale sales company in Osaka began selling "nicknames" nationwide.

Naoki Hata, a game wholesale sales company who offered an offer to Nanana and negotiated, praised "nickname" as "a game that facilitates communication not only for children but also adults."

(Game wholesale sales company Mr. Naoki Hata)
"It is not only children but also adults who are reluctant to call people's names. By adopting the rules to call names, the first person's place is relaxed and the distance is shortened."

"Nickname" is not only located in toys and places all over the country, but also in play spaces where you can enjoy analog games for several hundred yen per hour.

Even at the play space in Osaka city where I visited for interviews, adults who met for the first time on the same day from late afternoon on weekdays called out with their "nicknames" and were excited. It is said that it has begun to be adopted immediately in places such as training and seminar venues, such as "places where first-time people gather" and "school daycare".

The school officials and school counselors who have purchased the product have said that it is useful as a tool to convey the importance of communication to children, not just fun to play.

"Nickname" has sold about 1200 pieces so far, and it seems to have been a decent hit in this industry.

Kudo-san parent and child developed a sequel game in response to the user's request to play with new characters. Twelve characters have been replaced with “Chef,” “President,” “Princess,” etc., and will be sold at the March event.

Shyness now? What Nanana thinks now

It seems that Nanakana was able to overcome a big wall by creating a game that facilitated communication by calling his name.

On the day I visited for the interview, my friend Ayaka Yamamoto, who triggered the game, and Nanana who played with a nickname at a play space in Sakai City. The two were calling each other "Nana Nana" and "Ayuka" by name.

Ayoka was surprised when she was told the birth of the game, but she talked about her current relationship with Nanana, who had completely broken down, with a little blush.

(Ayaka Yamamoto)
"I'm glad. I feel better and more special than before. I've always been so neat, so I'm glad I felt like."

And Mr. Nanana carefully selected his words and talked about his thoughts on "nicknames".

(Nana Kudo)
"At first I thought I wanted to make it with a light feeling, but once I made it, I was able to play with people from all over the country and I thought that it was amazing. Calling people by name like me I want people who feel ashamed to play. I'd be happy if they could make friends through this game. "

The moment when hesitating to call a person's name is more or less felt by many people. In such a case, the "game to call a name" may gently push your back.

Keiho Izumiya, Osaka Broadcasting Station Reporter Joined in 2000 After working at the Yamaguchi Broadcasting Station, International Affairs Department, Washington Branch, and World News Department, she joined the Osaka Broadcasting Station in 2015. Coverage focusing on areas such as living, child care, and education.