Hello! I'm JINO, the developer of Goodbye Seoul.
Time has been flying by as I pour my days and nights into polishing the game. We're currently running a crowdfunding campaign, and to be honest, the level of support we've received has far exceeded our expectations. I’m truly moved and incredibly grateful.
There’s still plenty of work ahead, but your encouragement and excitement give me the strength to push forward every day. This month, I’ve been especially focused on refining character movement and animations. I want Rion’s presence—her footsteps, her breath, her place in the ruins of Seoul—to feel truly alive.
Quick Steps - but Take Time to Enjoy the View
Originally, movement in Goodbye Seoul was designed around speed. The player could only run - no walking. This was intentional, based on the typical preference for fast-paced movement in puzzle and exploration games.
But as feedback started coming in, I heard from players who wanted the option to slow down and really take in the atmosphere, the ruined cityscapes, the details hidden in the corners of Seoul’s collapse. So, I added a walk function.
At first, I tried setting walking as the default and assigning running to a key like Shift, following what many other games do. But in testing, most players preferred to move quickly by default. Some even said their hands felt awkward when walking was the standard.
So I iterated. Now, fast movement remains the default, but you can toggle walking on and off with a single key. This gives players the freedom to slow down when they want, whether it's to appreciate the view, explore more deliberately, or just breathe in the world a little deeper.
A suggestion posted in the Discord [feedback/suggestions] channel
Walking and running animations
Between Quality and Efficiency
I've made major improvements to Rion’s animations in Goodbye Seoul. As the protagonist, she’s not just a vessel for gameplay - she’s key to delivering the story and atmosphere. Her movements and expressions are what draw players into the world, and I wanted them to feel meaningful in every moment.
To achieve this, I use a hybrid pipeline: our character is animated in 3D, rendered in Unity, and then converted into 2D sprites. (This workflow was inspired by Dead Cells and their excellent deep dive on using 3D pipelines for 2D animation.)
This method allows me to produce 2D animations quickly - but it comes with a catch. Unlike 3D, where blending between animations is often handled automatically, this setup requires every transition to be handcrafted as a separate animation. There are no shortcuts when it comes to fluid movement.
I explored various ways to streamline the process, but in the end, the conclusion was clear: quality comes first. So I rolled up my sleeves and committed to creating the transition animations manually, even if it meant more time and effort.
The result? Rion now moves and emotes with much greater nuance. Her presence feels more grounded, more expressive, and more alive- and that’s exactly what I was aiming for.
Comparison of climbing and landing animations by height
Converting 3D Characters to 2D
Over approximately 1,000 Rion animation files
In Goodbye Seoul, characters are at the heart of everything.
As an adventure game, the story, gameplay, visuals, and overall experience all revolve around the people who inhabit this world. My goal is to tie everything together through the characters - making them the emotional and mechanical anchor of the game.
Of course, building so many systems and effects around characters brings its own share of challenges. Development has been filled with trial and error, but I'm committed to putting in the work - and most importantly, to listening sincerely to your feedback and ideas.
Thank you once again for your continued support and belief in Goodbye Seoul.
— With gratitude,
JINO
*All content in this developer note is subject to change depending on the development process.