At GDC 2025, I was able to sit down with Kotaro Uchikoshi and Kazutaka Kodaka, the direction and scenario writers for the first completely original IP to come out of Too Kyo Games: The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy-. During our time together, they showed off a sample of gameplay from a multi-prong tactical RPG battle, and they sat down for an interview with me about where they talked about the origins of Too Kyo Games, about The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy- and more.
You can check out my hands-on demo with the first 29 days of The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy- here.
You can find out more about The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy- at their official website and on X.
You can preorder The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy- now.
This interview has been edited for content and clarity.
Operation Rainfall: My name is Quentin H. with oprainfall, and could you both introduce yourselves please?
Kotaro Uchikoshi and Kazutaka Kodaka: [We] work on direction and scenario.
OR: Just briefly- What is Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy- about?
KK: Suddenly, 15 students are recruited by Shirei, a commanding officer, and they are brought into Last Defense Academy. That Academy is surrounded by Undying Flames, and so they cannot leave. And there are school invaders who try to destroy the Academy, and so the students have to fight for 100 days. These students spend their time bonding with each other as teammates, but they also fight to protect the school.
OR: With both of you writing the scenario for this game, how does the division of labor work for creating the scenario?
KU: [I] am in charge to start. I created the main idea of the game. Also, the characters and [I] wanted to relate [my] ideas in this universe. There are 100 endings, as you can see- I directed those 100 story endings.
“So, the main reason [for Too Kyo Games] is to create [our] own IP and this game is [our] ultimate goal and culmination of everything that [we] have experienced and created so far.”
OR: Early on in Day 1, Darumi throws around ideas such as The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy- being a killing game story with a trial after each murder or a battle royale and an isekai title before Shirei jumps in and says this is “[a] calculated, one-sided massacre!” and then Darumi says that ‘that could be fun too’.
Why did you go with an ‘us versus them’ scenario versus an ‘us versus us’ or an isekai-type situation?
KK: The structure is like Dangonronpa, but we wanted more. That’s why there are mysterious invaders coming- so they have to fight. That’s why they created the Academy- [we] thought it was interesting to have them fight. It would be fun if Darumi is one of the characters, like in Danganronpa, to be in this game.
OR: Why a tactical role-playing game?
KK: Because we wanted to create the game [where] 15 characters fight.
OR: There’s a lot of characters in the game. Did the character personalities and traits come before the TRPG builds were made? Or did the gameplay design come before the story?
KK: All together.
OR: Both of you are founders of Too Kyo Games, can you tell us about how the company started? I heard that there was a drinking party involved…
KU: Yes.
OR: What happened? What made you want to go out on your own?
KK: This game is the first in-house IP; previously games were published [through others] including Spike Chunsoft. So, the main reason is to create [our] own IP and this game is [our] ultimate goal and culmination of everything that [we] have experienced and created so far.
OR: You both did a fantastic interview with Famitsu back in September 2018 just as Too Kyo Games was being founded. Uchikoshi-san, you said that ‘I would like to make an indie game with the seven members of Tokyo Games at the center.’ Seeing as this is the first Too Kyo Games project that you’re both working on together, is this the game you were referring to? How is it to make a game with just the members of the company at the game’s center?
KU: Initially, we wanted to do more small-in-scale indie games. In the early days, we decided to make a big scale game like this.
OR: Uchikoshi-san, without spoiling the scenario, 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors features Ice-9 as a plot element. Was this an element inspired by Kurt Vonnegut’s novel Cat’s Cradle, which also uses a fictional ice-nine as an element?
KU: I was inspired by the freezing of the ice elements [in Kurt Vonnegut’s book].
OR: What is it about Kurt Vonnegut that appeals to you?
KU: It’s tough to say in words, but it’s very intellectual and has depth in the story.
OR: To someone who’s considering picking up The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy- what do you have to say to them?
KK: The story is really similar to Danganronpa, and it has many mystery parts, as you see. If you play, the storyline can change- there are 100 endings to the story. So that this will be the ultimate game you can experience if you want to different stories.
KU: There are not many Japanese people who’ve created new games recently, and this is something new we’ve created. It’s very dynamic- it’s very different from other [games].
You can preorder The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy- now.
Are you excited to play through The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy- when it releases April 24, 2025?
Let us know in the comments below!
