Twenty years ago, I wanted to develop a mobile game called "Chocobo Ranch." Recently, I dug up this long-forgotten design document. What began as a plan to build a simple desktop pet for my own amusement slowly evolved — through countless revisions — into the game it is today: Hanzi Bird.
The character design is entirely original — no copyright issues with Square Enix's Chocobo (which happens to be my internet nickname anyway).
Back in the bustling days of the FFSKY BBS, I made a few simple mini-games, but this is the first time I've seriously developed a full game. The theme of Chinese characters makes me feel that I'm doing something meaningful.
I hope this game lets everyone appreciate the beauty of Chinese characters — and discover the beauty of China.
Chocobo
September 9, 2026