A Japanese mobile game titled "Tabikaeru: Travel Frog" recently became a big hit in the Chinese App Store. The game features a frog that goes out on several adventures, giving players a "gift" after returning.
The game is made by Hit-Point, a game developer responsible for creating another successful title called "Neko Atsume." While the game is purely Japanese and has no translations, the Chinese market has had no problems playing the game. This can be due to the fact that some Japanese characters called "Kanji" translate similarly to Chinese.
The game is also extremely simple to play. "Tabikaeru" (which literally translates to "Travel Frog"), is set in a house of the frog, which easily resembles that of an ordinary loft-type house by a human. Players would get to view the interior of the house (where the frog usually is) and the exterior, which has a garden full of clovers along with a mailbox.
The game works by collecting fully-grown clovers in the garden. After collecting, this would act as a form of supply for the frog's adventure. Once the frog deems itself as ready, it would go on an adventure somewhere in Japan. Players are rewarded with "souvenirs" and photos from the frog's journey.
While it may sound painstakingly slow and simple, the emotional implication of the game replicating that of a parent-to-children relationship is what could have made it popular. The biggest catch to the game is that players have no control over their frogs. The frog does whatever it wants, be it from reading a book or seeking out an adventure. There are even cases where players have already stuffed supplies for the frog, only for it to not go out.
When the frog seeks out an adventure, players also do not have an idea when it will return. This has led to a lot of people checking their phones often, especially among the younger Chinese generation.
While "Tabikaeru" is not reported to have an English version, developer Hit-Point did release an English update for "Neko Atsume" in 2015.
