Imagine tapping into the universe's deepest secrets, slipping beyond the boundaries of reality to witness the raw essence of creation itself. It's a dream shared by many, and for the developers at Enhance, it's a lifelong quest that's fueled some of the most mesmerizing games in recent memory.
Enhance, the Japanese studio famous for hits like Tetris Effect, Humanity, and their latest gem Lumines: Arise, has dedicated years to crafting puzzle games that blend movement and sensation into experiences so profound they feel otherworldly. These aren't just games; they're kinesthetic journeys designed to evoke flow and emotion, often reaching heights that could be described as purely transcendental. For the studio's most devoted fans, this isn't accidental—there's an almost spiritual layer woven into their work, a pursuit that mirrors a sacred calling.
But here's where it gets intriguing: During a chat leading up to Lumines: Arise's release, founder and CEO Tetsuya Mizuguchi revealed a guiding mantra that defines their approach. He shared that within the team, there's a core slogan: 'Experience is king, and synesthesia is queen.' Synesthesia, for those new to the term, is a fascinating phenomenon where senses blend together—like hearing colors or seeing sounds—which adds a multisensory richness to their games. Yet, Mizuguchi emphasizes that there's something even more paramount: the concept of 'Kando,' a Japanese word meaning 'to move emotionally.' It's that deep, soul-stirring impact that elevates their work.
He explains that experience and synesthesia must harmonize perfectly to unlock Kando, which the team views as the pinnacle of achievement. 'They both have to exist, but only when they exist in balance and harmony is when you have the real thing, which is Kando—and Kando is God for us,' Mizuguchi says. 'We live by that slogan. And if you don't have Kando, it doesn't matter if one or the other is great. It just doesn't work.' This philosophy underscores how Enhance prioritizes emotional resonance above all else, ensuring their games don't just entertain but truly touch the player's heart.
And this is the part most people miss: Achieving that stairway to nirvana with Lumines: Arise wasn't a straightforward path. Mizuguchi describes 'tuning' as their secret weapon—a meticulous process starting right at the beginning of development. This 'grand design phase' involves intense brainstorming, ideation, and early prototyping between him and art director Takashi Ishihara, who also directed Lumines: Arise.
'Typically it's just Ishihara and myself, but even at this early phase we end up creating music. It's in a very rough state at this point, but we do that because the music element is so important in defining the structure and the flow of the narrative,' Mizuguchi notes. Their long-time collaborators at Hydelic join in here, helping to weave sound into the game's foundation from the start.
Why is this so crucial? Because once the music is in place, they dissect it into components to build levels and integrate sound effects. For instance, they decide how a block dropping in the game should sound in sync with the musical beat—without that base track, matching effects to actions would be nearly impossible. Even in its unfinished form, the music sets the stage for everything that follows, guiding how players will feel the rhythm and energy of each moment.
To check if they're on track early on, Mizuguchi asks whether these initial sounds and auditory cues evoke genuine emotion. They push forward only when they 'feel something' stirring. And this is the part most people miss: This emotional testing sparks the game's life, turning development into an art of refinement, much like sculpting a masterpiece from raw stone.
'You're constantly in the process of making these very fine adjustments so that in the end you have this beautiful piece,' he adds. With a small team of about 20 talented individuals, each one chips away expertly to reveal the hidden details, requiring not just skill but an intuitive grasp of the ultimate vision. It demands open lines of communication and, most importantly, mutual trust among the creators.
Ishihara, who helmed Lumines: Arise, calls the process 'labor intensive and very challenging.' 'Every person's interpretation of a given thing is going to be different, and that's the same with myself and the team. Each of them are individual creators, designers, artists, and programmers, so for us to speak the same language and really understand each other requires a huge amount of communication back-and-forth,' he explains. Facilitating that ongoing dialogue was, in his view, the toughest aspect of directing the game.
But here's where it gets controversial: Once internal harmony is achieved, the next hurdle is bridging that to the players. 'Now we've understood each other, how do we then deliver that and have the players understand? I think in order to deliver that message and communicate to the players, that's where each of the characteristics of Lumines come into play: sound, light, and movement,' Ishihara says. 'We use these elements to communicate with players, but it's all down to basically a parameter per element and how much tuning—there's that key word—we do.'
He dives into the precision: 'It's down to an 0.01 percent type of shifting here and there. [...] That is where the true tuning takes place, and I as a director, have taken upon that responsibility to tune it down to the detail where it feels like we're making this as a craft.' This unwavering dedication to intentionality, he believes, is what lets Enhance create games that connect with players on a deeply human level. 'When I say craftsmanship—we're the craftsman, and we're humans. We are not AI. I want to believe that the soul of the human is what's moving and tuning these parameters down to the detail,' he continues. 'I want to believe that when humans apply that level of tuning, that it will never be overwritten by something that's AI-made.'
This stance against AI in favor of human touch is sure to spark debate. Could AI ever replicate the emotional nuance that Enhance chases? Or is 'Kando' inherently tied to human intuition, making it irreplaceable? We suspect many in the industry might nod in agreement, but what do you think? Is this romanticism about human craftsmanship holding back innovation, or is it the key to truly transcendent gaming? Share your thoughts in the comments—do you side with Enhance's philosophy, or do you believe AI could one day match this level of emotional depth?
Chris Kerr, Senior Editor, News at GameDeveloper.com, is an award-winning journalist with over a decade in the games industry. His work has graced publications like Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz, and he's covered major events such as GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton.
