What To Play Now: Yandere Simulator: 1980’s Mode!

Yandere Simulator’s 1980’s mode has finally arrived, providing gamers and fans with a trip back in time! A fresh vibe at the place where it all began for diehard fans of the game.

For new players, Yandere Simulator is a stealth action video game that is presently in production and was designed by game director Yandere Dev. The game follows ‘Ayano Aishi’, an excessively lovesick teenager also known as “Yandere-chan” after the Japanese phrase “yandere” who has taken it upon herself to destroy everyone she feels is attracting her crush’s attention. ‘Ayano Aishi’ must remove 10 different competitors over the course of ten weeks by Friday afternoon at 6:00pm, or she will lose her ‘Senpai’ forever to her adversary.

The title has not only achieved popular success among players worldwide, but it is also considered as one of the top downloaded games within the gaming industry. Yandere Simulator not only allows players to roam around a high school as a Yandere, communicating with students and joining clubs, but it also has a dark twist to the game in which you can murder, kidnap, and befriend anyone in the school, including the protagonist’s rivals who will try to take her ‘Senpai’ away from her.

The creator of Yandere Simulator, ‘YandereDev,’ is back to discuss about the new mode and the latest updated features with us.

Exclusive To Verge: Yandere Simulator’s 1980 Mode Logo

You’ve been teasing it for years, and it’s now 1980’s mode is finally here! However, before we get started, I need to know. What are your thoughts on the arrival of 1980’s mode?

My original plan was to develop 1980s Mode after completing development of the main story mode. 1980s Mode was supposed to be a stretch goal – a bonus mode that would only be added to the game if we were able to raise enough of a budget. However, in early 2021, I realized something: before implementing the main story mode, it would be wise to create a simplified story mode meant for testing and debugging the game’s various systems. 1980s Mode was the perfect fit for that idea, so I made the decision to develop 1980s Mode before the main story mode. 1980s Mode has helped expose lots of bugs, exploits, and game design flaws that weren’t apparent before, and I’ve been fixing every issue that players have been reporting. Ultimately, I’m very happy that I decided to implement 1980s Mode first, since it has been an invaluable learning experience, and the feedback I’ve received on it has resulted in countless improvements to the game’s features and mechanics.

What could fans anticipate from this mode, given that it is a prequel to the main story?

Exclusive To Verge: A Picture of Kaguya Wakaizumi

Even though it was implemented primarily for testing and debugging, it’s still a complete story mode with a proper beginning, middle, and end. There are 10 targets for the player to eliminate, fully voiced cutscenes, a ranking system for judging the player’s performance, and even a few hidden secrets. It’s meant to be a microcosm of the full game; a representation of what the final game will be like. But it’s also a sandbox for testing everything the game has to offer so that players can tell me what’s not working out and what needs improvement.

Characters from the game’s hidden tapes, such as ‘The Journalist’ and ‘The Headmaster,’ are also included in this mode. What is your thought process when introducing new secrets, and do you have any potential ideas for collectables as players discover new plot components?

Every plot element that is introduced to the game is usually created for the purpose of justifying a gameplay mechanic. For example: I didn’t want to allow the player to kill the school’s Headmaster, so I decided that the school’s Headmaster should be a jumpy and paranoid man who carries a taser and uses it on anyone who approaches him with a weapon. “But why is he jumpy?” Probably because he went through a traumatic experience earlier in his life. “But what was it?” Maybe there was a murder in the school in the past. “But who was the killer?” Perhaps it was…the protagonist’s mother, back in 1989! This thought process – thinking of a gameplay mechanic first, and working backwards from there – is how the narrative was formed. One of the most effective ways to tell a narrative stretching across decades is by having characters periodically record their thoughts on cassette tapes, which lead to the creation of characters like the Journalist who existed to explain what happened in 1989, before the events of 1989 became a complete playable story mode. At this point in time, I would prefer to focus on gameplay, rather than expanding the narrative, so I’m not currently in the process of planning a bunch of new secrets…but there are definitely going to be some surprises and revelations over the course of the game’s story.

Exclusive To Verge: A Picture of Moeko Rakuyona

What inspired you to create 1980’s mode in the first place? Will it be the beginning of the final release, commencing the plot with Ryoba’s backstory?

Near the beginning of the game’s development, someone complained that Ayano had too many “sidekicks” and “tools.” They didn’t like the existence “Info-chan” – a character who assists the player – and they didn’t like how many of the game’s features revolved around the protagonist’s smartphone. So, I came up with the idea for a gameplay mode that didn’t involve Info-chan or smartphones – because it would take place years before those things existed. A mode where the player is limited to 80s technology – a “1980s Mode.” It was originally planned as a difficulty mode – Easy, Normal, Hard, 1980s – but the concept changed drastically since its original inception. Now, the primary purpose of 1980s Mode is to make it easier for me to plan and implement the main story mode by providing me with a “sandbox” to examine what’s working and what’s not working, in terms of game design.

Let’s discuss about Ryoba. What distinguishes her from her daughter, Ayano Aishi, in terms of gameplay and personality?

In many ways, Ryoba was a “do-over” for me; I was trying to create a better protagonist than Ayano by “fixing” all of her “flaws.” For example, Ayano is cold and emotionless, which can make her a boring character sometimes. I decided to take Ryoba in the opposite direction and give her a very distinct personality – a charming young woman who wears a gentle and feminine mask to hide her true nature as a cunning serial killer. I thought that this would result in a more interesting and memorable character, and I’m happy with how she turned out. With that said, Ryoba passed down all of her skills and knowledge to her daughter, so there is very little gameplay difference between them…except for the fact that Ryoba doesn’t have access to any technology that was invented after 1989.

In 1980’s mode, what would you say was the most exciting changes and features that you implemented during the development?

For years, I had been considering the idea of adding a “Yakuza” character to the game to provide criminal services to the player. But there was a problem: the Yakuza are not very prominent in modern day Japan, so it didn’t feel like a good fit for the game. However, the Yakuza were much more powerful back in the 80s…so, while implementing 1980s Mode, I simply couldn’t resist adding a Yakuza character to the game. I’m very proud of how he turned out; he has his own voice acting, cutscenes, and menu systems, and he provides various services to the player, ranging from selling contraband to performing abductions. He’s definitely one of my favourite aspects of the new mode!

Exclusive To Verge: A Picture of Ai Doruyashi

Now, this is a new game mode so they are new rivals to be eliminated by the end of the week. However, seeing as they’re the victims mentioned on the tapes, can you tell me about the process of creating these rivals and how they will effect the storyline?

The 1980s Mode rivals were created “backwards” from how I traditionally create characters. Usually, I decide what kind of identity a character will have, and then I design an appearance for them that suits their identity. For 1980s Mode, I did the opposite: I asked my lead artist to design the 1989 student body, and then picked the 10 students who had the most distinct designs to be the rival girls of 1980s Mode. Instead of deciding their personalities first and their appearances second, I let their appearances dictate their personalities. For example, a sad girl wearing glasses looked like she would be a shy bookworm, so I decided that she would be a rival, and that her fate would be to be crushed beneath a heavy bookshelf pushed by the player. This is the exact opposite of how I usually work when I create characters, but it was still a lot of fun. In any event, Ryoba’s story is set in stone – it’s recorded in the Headmaster and Journalist’s cassette tapes, after all – so the 10 rival girls of 1980s Mode can’t have much of an impact on the story, since they were canonically eliminated in 1989. The player is free to eliminate them in a pacifistic manner or a lethal manner, but either way, they’re completely out of the picture after the story of 1980s Mode concludes.

Will the mode’s setting in the 1980’s make it more difficult for players to remove their opponents?

Originally, I envisioned 1980s Mode as the game’s “hardest difficulty setting,” since the player would lack tools like smartphones, computers, and social media to help them eliminate their rivals. However, in the end, 1980s Mode turned out to be quite easy and forgiving, almost like a tutorial mode! The lack of smartphones means that students can’t tattle on you as easily, and the addition of the Yakuza makes up for the lack of Info-chan. In short, I’d say that 1980s Mode is actually too easy in its current form, and I plan to release a few updates make it a bit more challenging in the near future!

I really like the 80’s aesthetic, especially with the VHS effect, which reminds me of ‘American Horror Story: 1984,’ so please tell me more about the elements you implemented to reproduce the 1980’s ambiance within ‘Yandere Simulator.’?

The quickest and most straightforward way to create some 80s ambiance is to slap some VHS effects onto the screen…but I wasn’t satisfied with just that. I wanted to go the extra mile and really make this mode shine! So, I asked a very talented composer – CameronF305 – to create an 80s-style version of every track in the game. Yes, EVERY track in the game’s OST got a 1989 equivalent; the game’s soundtrack completely changes when you’re playing 1980s Mode. Dozens upon dozens of tracks needed to get an 80s remix!

It was an incredibly ambitious task, and it took multiple months, but in the end, composer really pulled through and delivered some awesome 1980s versions of every track in the game. As a result, 1980s Mode has a completely different feeling than the main story mode! It’s something I’m very happy about and satisfied with!

Along with 1980’s mode, when you receive a game over during a playthrough, you may activate a gameplay element called ‘SNAP Mode.’ Fans were interested by this since it creates a sinister and eerie atmosphere, and not many games provide a second chance such as this one. However, as the creator, what inspired you to create this feature?

SNAP Mode was suggested by a message board user on April 3rd, 2014. This was very early into the game’s development; at that point in time, I had only been working on the game for 3 or 4 days! The idea of “snapping” and going on a killing spree was too good to pass up. It just seemed like the right fit for a “yandere girl” game; yandere characters have been known to lose control of themselves and perform bloody massacres, so in a game that aims to emulate – or “simulate” – the experience of being a yandere girl, the ability to snap and go on a killing spree just seemed like a perfect addition to the game.

Yandere Simulator – Official Revealing SNAP Mode In Yandere Simulator Video:

Exclusive To Verge: A Picture of Info-Chan

One of the game’s major mysteries is a character named ‘Info-Chan,’ who has been referenced on both The Journalist’s and The Headmaster’s tapes from the 1980s and the present. How significant a part will Info-Chan play in the game’s plot, aside from her services being offered to aid the player’s development through the game?

Info-chan is a very mysterious character indeed. She’s one of my favourite characters, and one that I would absolutely love to talk about in detail – but then the game would have less surprises for you to enjoy. For now, all I’ll say is that Info-chan will be more than just a gameplay mechanic. As for how significant she’ll turn out to be…you’ll just have to wait and see!

What are your thoughts on fan reactions and opinions on the game now that 1980’s mode has been released?

The fan feedback that I received after releasing 1980s Mode has been absolutely invaluable; numerous improvements have been made to the game thanks to criticism provided by fans after playing the mode. In fact, aside from a Christmas music video, I haven’t uploaded anything to my YouTube channel over the past 6 months because I’ve been busy incorporating the suggestions made by the game’s fans! Fixing bugs, removing exploits, adding new mechanics – it’s been very busy. It’s important for the game’s development to go through this phase; it’ll ultimately make the game better and ensure that once the main story mode is finally added to the game, the experience will be much better and smoother.

What is your favourite theory regarding the 1980’s mode plot that fans of Yandere Simulator have come up with as the game’s creator?

I don’t spend much time examining fan theories, because I know that I can’t comment on them; confirming or denying a theory would ruin the fun and spoil the surprises I have planned, so I have to stay tight-lipped whenever a fan posts a theory. I will say, however, that, to this day, only one person has successfully guessed the major plot twist of Yandere Simulator…and when he did, nobody even noticed! I can’t spoil who it is, obviously, but one day, his theory will be proven correct, and he will get the recognition he deserves!

What’s it like working behind the scenes with the game’s voice actors, who do such a great job bringing the game to life?

I am immensely blessed to have the help of numerous extremely talented voice actors who have all done a fantastic job of bringing my characters to life. The first example that jumps to mind is the voice actor for the Journalist. He voiced the Journalist’s cassette tapes in 2015. The Journalist returns in 1980s Mode to play a very prominent role in the story, so naturally, I wanted the original voice actor to come back and reprise his role. I wasn’t sure if he would still be interested in the project after such a long time gap…but he returned! He actually reprised his role as the Journalist, even though 6 years had passed! That man is an absolute legend in my eyes! And, in addition to him, every other voice actor I’ve had the pleasure of working with also has been doing an astounding job so far. I’m incredibly fortunate to be working with them all!

What’s ahead for Yandere Simulator, and what can fans hope for in the project’s future?

For the time being, I have my hands full fixing the bugs and exploits that have been discovered by fans rigorously testing 1980s Mode. For a few more weeks at the least, I’ll continue to make improvements based on fan feedback – add new features, tweak the difficulty, adjust the game balance, etc. Once I’m through with that, the next step in the game’s development will be to launch a crowdfunding campaign to raise the budget we’ll need to finish the game’s main story mode. I really hope that it’ll be a success!
Yandere Simulator is a must-have for gamers and anime lovers alike. However, be aware that this game is only suitable for mature audiences over the age of 18.

What is the best way to play Yandere Simulator? Visit the official website to download the game only for PC, and don’t forget to check out the game’s YouTube channel and website, which can be found here:

Yandere Simulator’s Official Website

Yandere Simulator’s Official YouTube Channel

Yandere Simulator – Official 1980’s Mode Announcement Trailer:

Yandere Simulator – Official Everything About 1980’s Mode In Yandere Simulator Video:

More from Taye Rowland-Dixon
Verge Loves: SAMSUNG GALAXY S10, S10+ AND S10e with Vodafone
The Samsung Galaxy S10, S10+ and S10e are now available to pre-order...
Read More
0 replies on “What To Play Now: Yandere Simulator: 1980’s Mode!”