Umamusume devs aren’t worried about competing with gacha games like Genshin Impact
CygamesUmamusume devs have revealed the reason why they think the game doesn’t have to be “mechanically complex.”
At first glance, Umamusume may look like a typical gacha game. You’ve got a bunch of characters to pull from right off the bat. But play the game long enough, and you’ll quickly realize that its gameplay isn’t exactly what you’d expect, at least compared to other popular titles in the genre.
A lot of gacha games nowadays tend to have you ‘control’ your character. Think of the likes of Genshin Impact or Wuthering Waves, where you can explore and battle enemies using them once you’ve pulled them from the banner.
Well, that’s not the case in Umamusume: Pretty Derby, which puts you in the shoes of both trainer and spectator, almost as if you’re witnessing a real-life horse race unfold. Despite not being mechanically-oriented, however, devs are confident the game will still thrive in the long run.
Umamusume devs explain why the game doesn’t have to be “mechanically complex”
CygamesUmamusume is designed as a training simulation. As devs suggested, the fun comes from seeing how your decisions as a trainer play out in the races.
Instead of swapping characters or hitting flashy combos, you’ll actually spend a lot of time… thinking. To some who prefer more action and manual input, this kind of gameplay may not be their cup of tea.
Regardless, when we asked devs if they’re concerned about the risk that the title may not be as popular as other gachas due to the lack of traditional, mechanically dense gameplay, they said they’re confident players will find the training system rewarding and fun, even without direct control over the racers.
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“In the Japanese game market, the training simulation genre is already well established, so we believed that seeing how the races unfold as a direct result of the player’s training could itself be an enjoyable gameplay element,” they explained.
“Also, by having a simple system, the game would be accessible to beginners while still allowing players to explore different training strategies and approaches as they become more experienced. This made us confident that both new and veteran players would find Umamusume engaging, even without relying on traditional, mechanically complex gameplay.”
While it’s true that the in-game campaign mostly consists of dialogue and choices to choose from, no other run feels like same, even when you’re playing with the same character as before.
Devs elaborated on how the training system maintains its simple and consistent goal, while allowing “countless strategies” to emerge.
“The training system was inspired by the real-life cycle of horse racing: developing abilities through training, taking time to rest and recover, and ultimately striving for victory in races. Regardless of which Umamusume you’re raising, the core goal remains simple and consistent: maximize their stats with limited Energy and aim for victory in the major G1 races.
“We believe that having this clear and straightforward goal helps keep the gameplay approachable even with its depth.”
What makes things different during the run is that the specific G1 races each of the characters aspire to win can change which stats are most important to focus on.
This means that leveling up Speed is important for an Umamusume who specializes in short-distance running, while Stamina is preferred by those who excel at longer distances.
Then there are also Support Cards that let you obtain skills and can affect the racing performance. “So even though there is just one core ‘training’ system, countless strategies emerge tailored to each Umamusume’s unique personality and aptitudes,” they explained.
“We’ve carefully tuned the training and racing mechanics to ensure that players can discover new approaches and continue to enjoy the training process no matter how many times they play.”