[Project] Children of Terra — A fan FFIX visual novel
I spent 20 years trying to create a sequel to Final Fantasy IX. From a fanfic in a school notebook to a playable Visual Novel (available now).
Hey! My name is Arthur.
Back in 2004, I beat Final Fantasy IX for the first time. The game blew my mind so hard that I became obsessed with a naive but sincere dream: I was going to make a sequel.
It all started with a cringey fanfic in a standard 48-page school notebook. Being a kid, I even started learning Japanese. I seriously believed that one day I’d walk into Square Enix’s office, slap my notebook on the table, and they’d say: “Great kid, let’s make it happen!”
Obviously, as I grew up, I realized how delusional that plan was. But the itch to expand the universe of my favorite game never went away. In 2017, inspired by the indie Visual Novel scene, I realized: this is my chance. I can’t build a AAA RPG, but I can tell a story.
That’s how Children of Terra was born.
https://s4.iimage.su/s/09/gQV60HZx2M...nbhuaYLWLB.png
The Path of a Thousand Li (And My Mistakes)
Development kicked off in the winter of 2018 using Ren'Py. Like many rookie devs, I had zero clue how to scope a project. I promised to release the full game by July 2020 to celebrate FF9’s 20th anniversary. Making a massive game solo in 2 years? Yeah, pure madness.
The hardest quest was finding artists. I went through it all: looking for volunteers, cheap commissions that turned out awful, and eventually finding talented people who actually believed in the project.
By the 2020 deadline, I managed to release Version 1.0. But to keep my promise, I had to use stock backgrounds and random assets I found on Google. Looking back, it makes me cringe. I’m still ashamed of that decision, but it gave me massive XP and feedback.
Redemption Arc: Version 2.0
I decided to nuke the old build. I realized quality > speed. Now, I have a team of artists working on the game, and an amazing composer who wrote over 100 tracks (some recorded with live instruments!).
We are redrawing everything.
https://s4.iimage.su/s/09/th_g6bPQAc...OTakvnVqdj.png
What is this game?
Children of Terra is an unofficial spin-off. The plot is designed so you can enjoy it even if you’ve never played the original FF9 (though fans will catch plenty of references). It’s a story about war, freedom, and trying to keep your humanity when the world is falling apart.
Current State of the Build:
- Story: 5 out of 12 chapters are available right now.
- Language: Fully translated into English.
- Updates: New chapters drop every 2 months.
- Gameplay: It’s a VN, but with interactive elements. Battles are designed as logic puzzles rather than a grind.
- Mini-games: Card games, trivia, and shell games.
This is a non-profit passion project. I’m doing this for that naive kid from 2004 who just wanted the adventure to continue. I hope this story makes you smile and maybe feel that specific "warm melancholy" we all love JRPGs for.
You can play it for free (PC/Linux) on itch. link in the comment
Let me know what you think! Any feedback is gold.
