The whole gameplay expo lasted four days, just like last year.
Unlike last year, when SkyNova and NetDragon both showed off their brand-new VR blockbusters, this year the only big game players were looking forward to was the news about Dark Souls: Age of Fire.
But that wasn't what people ended up talking about the most.
What really shocked many companies and gaming media was that this year's show had a bit of déjà vu.
Last year, SkyNova and NetDragon's VR titles should have been the stars of the show.
But back then, Nebula Games stole all the attention with Fall Guys and Legends of the Three Kingdoms.
This year, almost everyone assumed that Nebula Games' new Dark Souls news would be the highlight of the first day.
But to everyone's surprise, Nebula Games only brought a short trailer for Dark Souls: Age of Fire..
The thing that actually drew all the attention was a rough-looking hammer-swinging game.
It might have been rage-inducing to play, but watching others play it was pure entertainment.
Especially on the day of the expo, this game was already launched on the Nebula Games platform.
In just a few short days, thanks to its showing at the expo and some media coverage, this game—which had no promotion and was even free—suddenly became the center of attention on streaming and video platforms.
It wasn't that the game was actually being played by as many people as Fall Guys once was.
It was simply that its popularity exploded.
On streaming platforms, almost the very next day after the expo, this rough little game called "Getting Over It" spread like wildfire.
At first, it was mostly fans spamming chat, asking their favorite streamers to download and try it.
That made many streamers curious.
Then they quickly understood what their viewers were really up to.
And once several streamers started playing it live, naturally more and more joined in.
Before long, streaming platforms were filled with cries of pain and screams of frustration.
Clicking into almost any stream of the game showed all kinds of reactions.
"Dear viewers, they say this hammer game is hard, but today I'll show you—nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it. If we keep trying, we'll get results."
"What? You're saying I'll never clear it?"
"No way. Don't worry, I'll definitely clear it."
In one stream, a streamer spoke very seriously while playing.
"The most important thing in hammering is controlling your strength. As the saying goes, a big swing is eighty, a small swing is forty. That's not just about the hammer itself, but the force you use."
"So you can't rush this game. See? I just climbed up the mountain easily."
"You really can't rush. The whole point of this game is to break your mindset. If your mindset collapses, then you'll never clear it."
"So we need to keep calm."
"Viewers, watch this move closely. Don't rush, hook it and push! Ahhhhhh!!!!"
"No problem… no problem, don't rush, keep calm, always smile when you play."
"Mistakes once or twice are normal. We just climb again, right?"
"Remember my words, your mindset must be good, you must smile while playing."
"Hehe, hook it! Go—ahhhhhhh I f\*\*\*ing hate this game!!!!"
With that furious outburst came the sound of slamming the table, like smashing cucumbers.
Besides the streamers who seemed to enjoy suffering, lots of regular players also downloaded it to try.
After all, with so many streamers playing, many players got curious too.
And on the surface, this kind of game looked really simple. How hard could it be? Just use your right hand, right?
It's just a hammer-swinging game, right?
I'll try it myself!
That was what most players thought. They believed they were surely better than the streamers, that the streamers were just pretending to be dumb for laughs, and the game wasn't actually that hard.
Plus, since the game was free, there was nothing to lose. At worst, it was just another freebie in their library—no refunds needed.
So even though many knew it was a game designed to frustrate, players still kept flooding in.
But after downloading it and playing for just ten minutes, with that perfectly mocking background music playing…
Almost 90% of players ended up saying only one thing: "Screw this clam game! Get off my computer!"
Then they angrily deleted it.
Many left the lowest rating possible.
And their reviews were very simple.
Things like "I'm an idiot!" or just long strings of censored swearing, showing their raw emotions.
Of course, some players purposely left five-star reviews, hoping to trick more people.
"This game is amazing! I've been screaming while playing, but now my blood pressure is low and my mood is calm. By the way, I'm very thankful to Lucas—this game brought me back my childhood joy. So I want to ask: where does Lucas live? I'd like to thank him in person!!"
"A very simple and fun game, brought me lots of joy. I really hope more people can experience it."
"Great tool! My son loved playing games and hated studying, so I downloaded 'Hammer Your Way Up' for him. I told him every fall means he has to do one practice question. Now he's already been accepted to Tsinghua and Peking University!"
"Thanks Lucas. I've always wanted to replace my mouse but couldn't bring myself to. Now this game finally made me do it! Anyway, I need to bury my old mouse with honor now."
The funny reviews made Lucas at Nebula Games laugh out loud.
Even though the game was released for free and didn't count toward the platform's points system…
That didn't matter much. After all, for this kind of game, even if it cost money, hardly anyone would play. Selling it as a paid title was out of the question.
Letting players enjoy the fun it brought—that alone meant Lucas had already reached his goal.
And it's not without benefits. At least with the buzz around this game, the Nebula Games platform has drawn in a big wave of traffic.
But the players' misunderstanding about him is just getting deeper and deeper!
Seeing online players dig up that old interview GameSpace did with Lucas after the release of It Takes Two, Lucas couldn't help but sigh.
The report had some key phrases highlighted, like: "heartwarming" and "filled with love for players."
Then players quietly posted screenshots of Silent Hill PT and Getting Over It.
Countless players jumped into the comments roasting him: "Lucas, this is your love for the players?"
Looking at all the online chatter and jokes, Lucas just let out another sigh.
Then he quietly opened his official blog and posted a long message.
"Actually, Getting Over It isn't just a game designed to make people rage quit."
"Yes, the design is harsh, but it's not unbeatable. Sure, some players give up in frustration along the way, but there are also players who, after suffering, after crying, pick up the hammer again and start over."
"If you think about it, isn't that just like life? Every swing of the hammer is like making a decision in life. There's no undo button, only lessons learned, and all we can do is keep moving forward on an unknown path."
"On that path, we may fail, we may face setbacks, even lose everything we worked for."
"But just like in the game, there's no save file. Even if we fall and break ourselves, all we can do is dust ourselves off and climb again."
"And the character in the game—aren't they just like us in real life?"
"So now, are you willing to try again? To overcome those hardships, whether in real life or in the game?"
The moment Lucas posted this, countless players were stunned.
So this game actually has deep philosophical meaning?
It sounded convincing, but most players were like: "Lucas, you've gotta be kidding us!"
Especially that last line—"Are you willing to try?"
Does that even need an answer?
Countless players stared at Lucas's post and quietly typed four words in the comments section.
"Next time for sure!"
That's it for today. More tomorrow.
(End of the Chapter)
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