Luxiem Fans, Rejoice! Light the Way Exclusive Interview
In this special Otome.com podcast episode, our hosts meet with the team behind Light the Way — the charming otome game inspired by the popular Luxiem VTubers. Joined by the creative minds of Simporiem Studios, including Cibi, Mochee, Potato, and Shichi, we explore the heart and soul of their fan-driven project, the intricate character dynamics, and the unique challenges of creating they faced along the way.
Cibi: “Hello, I’m Jibbe, the founder of Simporiem Studios, and the head of the coding department.”
Mochee: “Hi, I’m Mochi, the head of the support, the department that handles QA, QC, social media, and external relations.”
Potato: “I am Potato. I am the co-head of the entire writing department and also the leader of the iCrowd writing team.”
Shichi: “I’m Qiqi. I work as an art manager, mostly for the art rendering. I was the writing leader for the Mr. Out.”
Cibi: “I became a fan of Luxiym when they first debuted, and I was quite obsessed with Otome games at the time. After some weeks of Luxiym’s debut, I joined the Discord server, and sometime later, I asked if people wanted to make a fun game about Luxin. Surprisingly, quite a few people were interested, and after we gathered like 20 people, we decided to recruit more people on Twitter and Facebook for various positions. That’s how we gathered up very talented fans, and it was the start of Semperium Studios.”
Mochee: “A bit more like in-depth about our name, Simporiem Studios. We consist of a variety of Luxem fans, and initially, it was known as just Luxem Dating Sim Developers. Then we realized that as a group, and to kind of put our name out there, we decided that we should separate those two into two different aspects. After some discussion and brainstorming, we decided to rename our game as Lightaway. And for our own group of developers, we call ourselves Simporiem Studios, which is a mix of Emporium and Symp, an internet slang. So it has a classy vibe, brand-wise, while also being sums of Emporium, Luxiem, and other groups that just based on our hobbies alone.”
Mochee: “I think all of the team members are Luxiem fans and each of the boys have their own kind of charms, their own special traits and personalities that kind of made them a lot more endearing to us and each fan loves them for a different reason, and initially it was meant to be a first-anniversary gift to Luxiom, well as also a way to kind of give back to the community, because, in the fan community of Luxiom, we have found a lot of fans. People that share the same the same kind of interests as us.”
Potato: “Yeah, even after Light the Way’s release, we’re still found family, even if it’s not just Luxiom. It’s, in general, to a lot of Nijisanji fanbases, actually.”
Potato: “Each route is carefully crafted to bring out the character’s personality. Ike’s route is slow, building up as he opens up. Shu takes longer to show his comfort, while Vox’s ASMR-inspired character is intense from day one. Luca’s friendliness shines through, while Mista’s prankster side is balanced with his inner layers.”
Shichi: “For Mista, he’s fun and mischievous, but there’s more depth once you get to know him. He’s the life of the party but has a quiet, introverted side too.”
Potato: “Ike’s studio scene and Shu’s bedroom scene were both favorites. Vox’s good end captures a powerful sense of connection with the player.”
Shichi: “For Mista, the cake-baking scene is hilarious but intimate, showing a blend of love and laughter.”
Potato: “Yes, I like to think that the friendship ending is the closure ending because, yes, um, remember these people, these five boys are real people.”
Shichi: “Yes, I can try my best. Um, from how I remember things, it was first discussed between the story writers, depending on the chapter and how they wanted the CGs to be. It had to suit the moment. It needed to be shown the way, how they thought they could imagine it. For example, showing Ike doing this or Luka doing that, I’m not going to spoil anything for the ones who are going to play the game. And once the general direction and some other things like research have been done, they were sent to the art department.”
Shichi: “I can’t say if we ever ask them for feedback, except if they were from the Q&A. The designs we created, we only discussed them under us for. Furthermore, most of us, if not all, knew what would suit the boy the most and what the other cast members would wear. So we had a good grasp of what we wanted for the other things like background items and all other things we needed for the game.”
Potato: “Yes, I do actually believe that. There are people who will enjoy the game, even if they are not familiar with Luxiem. I personally have a few connections who I tried to get to play it, and they still enjoyed it despite not knowing who or what Luxiem was.”
Cibi: “Also the game has everything it needs to have to be a complete dating sim. So, other than the easter eggs we added for the fans, you don’t need to know anything about LuxSim prior to playing the game to enjoy it.”
Mochee: “So I think ambition, timing, planning, and manpower were probably our four biggest challenges. Of course, we had a lot more problems, minor problems here and there, but a person who’s been with the team from the start, um, I think, yeah, those four are definitely what we struggled with the most.”
Cibi: “Also, I wanted to add, I think we underestimated how much time we needed for the testing and how important it was actually for the game.”
Potato: “Shu would navigate and Mista would be the one constantly asking, ‘Are we there yet?’”
Shichi: “Yes, I can see Mista doing it just to be annoying. Vox would probably start a monologue about something random.”
Mochee: “Yes! Seeing their responses was thrilling. Luca even reached out to us directly, and we all panicked with excitement!”
Cibi: “Light the Way is completely finished, so unless we need to fix a bug, there won’t be any other updates to the game, unfortunately.”
Potato: “Thank you so much for following Light the Way and playing our game.”
Cibi: “Creating Light the Way was a precious experience for me and I am really proud of everyone who worked on the game.”
Mochee: “Being part of Simporiem Studios has been life-changing, and I’m grateful for every moment.”
For an inside look at how Light the Way came to be, we’re excited to share some behind-the-scenes content! One of the images includes a screenshot of the Discord message that set the entire project in motion. The other image is an early sketch of one of the characters, showcasing how the art team collaborates and refines character designs with thoughtful feedback.
The journey behind Light the Way is truly a love letter to Luxiem fans, brimming with creativity, friendship, and all the feels! Whether you’re a longtime fan or just discovering Luxiem, this game has something to offer you. I can’t wait to see what this team dreams up next, and if you haven’t tried Light the Way yet, go check it out! You can play it for free on their Itch.io page.
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