What is the most interesting game for players?
Some crave ultimate freedom, the ability to defy in-game rules. Others seek breathtaking visuals, powerful stories, or cleverly designed gameplay mechanics. All of these elements have their devoted fans. But there's another type of game that captures hearts, despite lacking those usual strengths. That genre is often lovingly called small butter, a term used by some players to describe niche romance or adult-themed visual novels.
Tell a friend about one of these games, and they might laugh it off: "Not my thing." But later, that same friend quietly registers a second account, searches the title, and buys it anyway.
Even without major marketing campaigns or open advertising due to content restrictions, word-of-mouth alone can propel these games to over a million sales. This shows the power of passion-driven communities.
The release of the MOD tools for The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim drew in countless players, curious to see what was possible. Among them was Dwain from Moondustries, a seasoned game producer. Though he believed he understood the industry, he remained open-minded, echoing a famous principle: "While we may look down on our opponent strategically, we must not underestimate them tactically."
Outwardly, Dwain acted indifferent about Skyrim's MOD tools. But privately, he downloaded them and dove in. After an hour of exploring, Dwain smiled, not because the MODs were groundbreaking yet, but because the toolset itself showed great potential. He recognized the core issue: the number of available mods was still small. Some had changed the game's introduction or added minor side content, but these lacked depth. Players might be excited at first, but without meaningful new content or gameplay systems, the novelty quickly wears off.
And with the release of Moondustries' upcoming title, Fantasy, just days away, Dwain didn't expect a significant surge in Skyrim mods anytime soon. So, he closed the game and went back to work.
On Social Tap, conversations around Fantasy dominated. But the buzz shifted after Skyrim's new MOD tools were revealed.
"The two new official MODs were decent. Tania is super cute!"
"Bro, she's everyone's wife."
"It was fresh at first, but the content feels limited."
"Give it time, creators haven't even started yet."
Then, someone posted a GIF:
"My Skyrim experience with Tania is different."
In it, an NPC's clothes were removed via a mod, censored with pixelation, while a glowing woman danced suggestively on the grass. This was adult content.
The thread exploded:
"Yo! Where is this from? It's not in the official mod hub!"
"Relax! I got it from a guy on Starry Sky Forum. DM me and I'll share."
"You're a legend!"
Though moderators quickly deleted the post, the mod's existence had already spread. Third-party sites began mirroring the content to attract traffic.
Elsewhere, an aspiring modder gathered friends in a group chat. He was forming a team to build something ambitious using Skyrim's tools.
"There's a favorability mechanic we want, but the API from PixelPioneers Studio isn't accessible. Should we reverse engineer it or reach out?"
"Would they even say yes?" Someone replied, skeptical.
They weren't trying to make something vulgar for its own sake; they had a serious creative goal. Skyrim's MOD tools offered unprecedented freedom. The team envisioned a 3A-level narrative romance mod, built within Skyrim, complete with branching storylines, quests, and moral alignment systems. He even considered hiring voice actors if the project took off.
Not for profit, but for passion. A way to fulfill a long-standing dream. Building a full 3A game alone was impossible, but modding Skyrim could make it achievable. Everyone in the group shared this vision. None of them were in it for the money; they simply loved creating.
"We could make two versions," He suggested. "One for general audiences, and one… more adult."
"I've got it covered," someone said. "I used to work at Social Tap. Before joining PixelPioneers Studio, I helped publish Binding of Isaac and Octopath Traveler. I'll reach out to my contacts."
In a quiet bedroom, John and Luna sat on the bed, staring at their laptop. A conversation thread was open on the screen. Dozens of players were discussing one thing. Who made this mod?