Dragon Quest has long been one of the most recognizable and beloved RPG series in gaming history, with entries that span multiple generations, sub-genres, and platforms. Now, in the year of the series' 40th anniversary, another new entry is on the way, and is switching things up again. As we gear up and get ready to jump back into this fantastical world, we were lucky enough to get the opportunity to sit down for this Dragon Quest Smash/Grow interview with series creator Yuji Horii and the game's development lead to discuss this fresh entry.
If there's anyone who knows a thing or two about the Dragon Quest games, it's Horii-san. Having worked as a freelance writer for magazines and newspapers for several years, Horii-san won a game programming contest hosted by Enix in 1982 (now Square Enix), kickstarting his career as a game designer. Only four years later, in 1986, he would release a little RPG called Dragon Quest, which would set up the foundations for the decades-long legacy that followed.
Following 2023's fabulous Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince and the exceptional remakes and reimaginings of the first three games that have popped up over the past few years, Dragon Quest Smash/Grow (DQSG for short) is a unique, rogue-like RPG for Android and iOS that sets out to bring the magic of the series back to the palm of your hand.
So, as we count down the days to the Dragon Quest Smash/Grow release date, we seized the opportunity to ask all about this exciting new entry, from its intriguing gameplay systems to its handling of the series' legacy, and we're here to share all of those details with you.
Pocket Tactics: First off, Horii-san and the development team, could you briefly introduce yourselves to our readers?
Yuji Horii: Hi everybody, I'm Yuji Horii, a game designer for the Dragon Quest series. For this title, Dragon Quest Smash/Grow, I work in a supervisory role, overseeing development while the team leads the day-to-day work.
Development lead: Hi, I'm the development lead for Dragon Quest Smash/Grow at Square Enix. DQSG is jointly developed with our partners at KLabGames, with their team handling the main development. On the Square Enix side, we have a core team working on planning and supporting development at a broader, strategic level.
What about Dragon Quest Smash/Grow makes it a uniquely accessible entry point for the franchise? Who is Dragon Quest Smash/Grow for, outside of existing fans?
DL: I would say DQSG's greatest strength lies in its intuitive gameplay. The controls are optimized for smartphones, making it easy to play, while the thrilling action and roguelite elements - where players can choose different abilities each run so no two playthroughs feel the same - help draw players in from their very first session. I'm confident that even players who aren't familiar with the franchise will quickly enjoy their experience with the game.
At the same time, the game fully embraces the Dragon Quest world and its signature elements, including character creation, party formation, and a vocation system, along with series-standard equipment, spells, and monsters, which we believe will add to the experience for longtime fans of the series.
While the game may appear to have a casual feel to it at first glance, like other titles in the series it offers meaningful depth when it comes to character building, so we hope that RPG fans will enjoy it as well.
YH: The original concept for DQSG was to create a mobile Dragon Quest title that players around the world could enjoy. Anchored in that idea, we've been designing and developing the game with a global audience in mind from the very early stages. Unlike previous live-ops titles, which were typically released in Japan and then followed up with a global version later, DQSG will launch at the same time worldwide, allowing fans of the series and RPG players everywhere to enjoy the game together.
In the series' 40-year history, Dragon Quest - particularly in the West - has mostly seen success on consoles and handhelds. Why do you think Smash/Grow is uniquely suited to mobile gamers?
DL: While it's true that when people think of Dragon Quest, they imagine sitting down in front of a screen, controller in hand, and fully immersing themselves in a world of adventure, there are also times - such as during a short break - when you simply want to pick up your smartphone and enjoy a more casual gaming session. We feel that DQSG is ideal for moments like these.
When players are at home and have more time on their hands, they can enjoy Dragon Quest on their consoles, and when they're out and about or have a bit of free time, they can jump into DQSG for a few runs. We'd love for players to enjoy Dragon Quest in both scenarios.
With its simple controls and game design built specifically for shorter play sessions, we believe DQSG has carved out its own place as a casual RPG.
YH: In Japan, Dragon Quest mobile games have a history spanning more than a decade, and they've been loved by fans of the series just as much as their console counterparts. One of the reasons for this, I believe, is that the mobile format offers a space where players can come together as a community.
This year, the Dragon Quest franchise celebrates its 40th anniversary. With a history that long, fans have had very different experiences with the series, having played different titles and developed their own favorites across a wide range of generations. The mobile platform gives these players a place where they can share their individual memories and experiences of the games.
DQSG will launch simultaneously in Japan and across the globe, and I hope that it can become a service that not only connects fans in Japan, but Dragon Quest fans all around the world.
What influenced the decision to make Smash/Grow a vertical mobile game? Did accessibility factor into this decision, as you can play the game with one hand?
DL: The decision to make Smash/Grow a vertical game was made at the beginning of the development process. Once we had that decision in place, we designed the controls and gameplay to ensure the experience would feel smooth and intuitive. Ultimately, the vertical layout came down to accessibility - it felt like the right fit for a smartphone game.
YH: Smartphones are typically used vertically, so we felt that keeping the orientation the same would make for the most comfortable experience. Since the core concept was to make a fun, casual RPG, it seemed only natural to go with the vertical layout.
How has the Dragon Quest team gone about maintaining the series' unique personality and legacy across the years, whilst also keeping things fresh and trying new things like Smash/Grow?
DL: One of the great strengths of the Dragon Quest series is its dedicated fan base, many of whom have been actively engaged for years. For us as a development team, having a clear idea of who we are creating the experience for is a huge advantage, especially in large-scale game development, where teams can grow big and focus can sometimes become blurred.
Whether we are preserving tradition or taking on new challenges, we always ensure we have a clear picture of our fans in mind before heading to the drawing board. This helps us carefully consider which elements define what makes Dragon Quest unique, and when we introduce something new, we think about how our fans will receive it and what we can do to ensure they enjoy the experience. We believe this approach is the key to how the series has been able to successfully balance honouring its legacy while keeping things fresh.
In October last year, we held a closed beta test for DQSG to gather player feedback, but even before that, we conducted numerous rounds of internal user testing to ensure we were on the right track. From the early stages of internal testing, we also made sure to include overseas testers, which was a first in development for mobile Dragon Quest titles. That is just one example of the many new initiatives we undertook for this project.
This game embraces roguelike and roguelite elements with its blessings system. What attracted you to this genre for Smash/Grow, rather than sticking with the tried and true RPG formula?
DL: We felt that introducing roguelite elements could serve as a breakthrough in addressing some of the control challenges commonly faced by mobile action RPGs. When designing the core gameplay, we recognized that action RPGs on mobile devices tend to struggle with clunky touchscreen controls, and we wanted to find a way to solve that. By implementing the Blessings system-a skill-selection mechanic-we were able to keep the action itself simple while still providing a satisfying level of depth. We felt this approach could really open up new possibilities for the genre.
One interesting point is that when we first got this project off the ground, the term "roguelite" wasn't yet widely used in Japan, and even within the development team we weren't consciously developing the game with that genre in mind. We were purely focused on making an action RPG, and the core game itself hasn't changed much from the original concept.
Game mechanics that combine card-game-like skill selection with hack-and-slash combat have existed for a long time, and they've always been something our team has found compelling, so we felt that by combining those ideas with the Dragon Quest world and systems, we could create a new kind of action RPG.
Character creation makes a return to the series in Smash/Grow, which I'm a huge fan of. Do you think customizable main characters work better in mobile games than in your larger RPG releases?
DL: When adding the character creation feature, it wasn't something we did simply because it suits mobile games, but because we believe it's essential to creating a faithful Dragon Quest experience. Taking charge of the protagonist, gathering equipment, changing vocations, and learning various skills and spells while adventuring through the world - these are all part of what makes a classic Dragon Quest experience, and we felt we couldn't leave any of them out.
Thanks to its vocation mechanics and a wide variety of unique equipment, character creation works especially well in Dragon Quest, as other mobile entries in the series, such as Dragon Quest of the Stars and Dragon Quest Walk, have already shown to be popular with fans.
In general, mobile RPGs tend to focus more on character collection than character creation, so we believe it adds to the uniqueness of DQSG.
YH: In classic RPGs, players would create characters at a tavern, form a party, and then head into dungeons. When we were first developing the Dragon Quest series, RPGs were still relatively unfamiliar to most people. We felt that if players were thrown straight into character creation from the beginning, it might be hard for them to follow along, so we decided to ease them into the RPG experience with Dragon Quest I and II, before introducing character creation in Dragon Quest III.
Being able to create your own character is fun, right? That's why we wanted longtime fans who enjoyed creating their own characters in the original series to have the same experience in DQSG.
What did you learn from the community during last year's closed beta period?
YH: For this title, we had players from both Japan and overseas participate in the closed beta test, and what really stood out to me was that the points players raised were largely the same, regardless of region. For us as a Japanese development team, it felt like the distance between us and our overseas players had disappeared.
We've incorporated a lot of feedback from international players into the game as well, so we'd like people to think of this as a game that we've all created together. And, with that sentiment in mind, we hope players will spread the word about the game in their respective regions.
DL: We received a great deal of insightful feedback covering a wide range of areas, but in particular, we decided to make significant adjustments to the Blessings system and overall balancing ahead of launch.
Before the closed beta test, here on the development team, we were actually of the mind that because the battle system is completely different from traditional Dragon Quest titles, players might be overwhelmed if too many mechanics were introduced at once, so we reduced the number of features available in the early stages of the game. We also kept the effects of Blessings fairly simple, with plans to gradually expand and enhance them through future updates.
However, players quickly mastered the game's mechanics and informed us that while they enjoyed the more engaging content - such as the Gauntlet and co-op quests - found deeper into the game, the early parts of the game felt monotonous and lacked excitement. As you can imagine, this was a surprise to us - albeit a welcome one.
This feedback gave us the confidence to be much bolder for the beginning of the game, and so we decided to completely overhaul the Blessings and rework the overall game balance. I suppose you could even call it a "complete reworking." We're looking forward to seeing how players respond to the changes in the official release and hope they enjoy them.
What drove the decision to add co-op quests to Smash/Grow? How would you convince a solo gamer to give them a go?
DL: Although co-op quests in DQSG are considered multiplayer content, they are not designed to force tightly coordinated teamwork between players. While that kind of experience can be appealing to core players, we feel it can be stressful for a broader audience.
The multiplayer mode in DQSG is intended to be an extension of the single-player experience - a place where players can share the fruits of their solo-play efforts with others. At times, players may help each other when someone is defeated, but ultimately, scores are determined by the amount of damage dealt and an MVP is awarded accordingly.
So while players do cooperate with each other, there is also a light element of competition, allowing you to participate casually without feeling pressure from others. Also, co-op quests allow players to obtain a large number of Blessings - something they can't do in solo quests - making the experience chaotic and fun.
YH: I think being able to feel the presence of other players while progressing steadily through an RPG on your own is an important aspect in this kind of game. Having that sense of connection can make the experience feel more enjoyable, and watching how others play can inspire new ideas, encouraging players to want to engage with the game even more. We hope players will enjoy the multiplayer feature with that kind of experience in mind.
Are there any plans to feature characters, storylines, or gear from the mainline Dragon Quest games in Smash/Grow in the future?
DL: Featuring iconic equipment from the mainline Dragon Quest games, along with special events themed around individual titles in the series, is something players have come to expect in mobile Dragon Quest games, and we can say with confidence that DQSG will not disappoint in this regard.
At the same time, we plan to make sure that these collaboration events will be accessible and enjoyable for all players, whether they're longtime fans of the classic titles or completely new to the series.
YH: If DQSG inspires players to try Dragon Quest titles they haven't played before, then I'd be really happy.
And that's all we had time for in our Dragon Quest Smash/Grow interview. We want to extend a massive thank you to Horii-San, the game's development lead, and the DQSG team at large for their time and thoughtful responses. We can't wait to dive into DQSG when it launches on April 21, and we hope to see you all on the battlefield.