Hello.
My name is Obi, and I serve as the director for the new game Donutal at Arc System Works.
In this newsletter, we would like to share various topics about the game from a developer's perspective, so please entertain us for a while.
Today, I will talk about the thoughts put into the title itself: Donutal.
*Donutal Logo
Donutal is a coined term that I, as the director, came up with to express the worldview that forms the foundation of the game.
When you looked at the logo, you might have wondered, "Is it related to donuts?" or "Is it a donut shop simulator?" Believe it or not, it actually is slightly related to donuts.
▶️The Origin of "Donut" in "Donutal"
The first half of "Donutal", which is "Donut", originates from the theory that "the universe is donut-shaped".
Simply put, this theory views "the structure of the universe as a donut-like shape (a torus structure)". You could also say it considers the universe not as an "infinitely expanding space", but as a "closed space".
In a torus structure, if you keep moving in one direction, you will eventually return to the same point. Drawing inspiration from that worldview, I based the title on "Donut" to express that "the entire universe is connected".
*How Earth appears in-game
▶️What Donut + al Means
The remaining "al" is an English suffix added to mean "-like" or "pertaining to".
I specifically added "al" following the example of the English word "global". "Global" is formed by taking "globe", which means the Earth, and adding the suffix "al" to mean "worldwide".
In this way, "Donutal" = Donut (a closed, donut-shaped universe) + al (pertaining to), expressing "the connection of the entire universe" and a world where many aliens visit the Earth in the future.
What if intelligent lifeforms other than Earthlings existed in this universe...? I would be delighted if you could feel the excitement of imagining such things, as well as perhaps a cuteness reminiscent of a sweet donut, from the title Donutal!
I introduced the origin of our title.
If you are interested in the game, please definitely check out our official website and Steam page.
■ Today's Comment
Even though I’ve been looking at the word "Donut" almost every day, I didn't eat a single donut during development...