Tokyo RPG Factory

Tokyo RPG Factory

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Video games
Founded	August 2014 (2014-08)
Founder	Yosuke Matsuda
Defunct	January 2024 (2024-01)
Fate	Merged back into Square Enix
Headquarters	Tokyo , Japan
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Yosuke Matsuda (founder), Atsushi Hashimoto (director), Hirotaka Inaba (scenario writer), Takashi Tokita (creative producer)
Products	I am Setsuna, Lost Sphear, Oninaki
Owner	Square Enix
Number of employees	~10 (2017)
Parent	Square Enix

was a Japanese video game developer operating as a subsidiary of Square Enix, with a focus on the role-playing genre. Established in August 2014 under the name "Tokyo Dream Factory" by Yosuke Matsuda, who had been Square Enix's president since 2013, the studio produced three titles that experienced varied critical and commercial reception: I am Setsuna (2016), Lost Sphear (2017), and Oninaki (2019). Each game incorporated themes derived from the Japanese artistic concept of setsugekka ("snow, moon and flowers").

Tokyo RPG Factory's mission was to craft games inspired by the celebrated "golden era" of 1990s RPGs, including classics like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy. The studio's organizational model blended freelance contributors with volunteers drawn from other Square Enix teams, taking inspiration from Western film and gaming studios. Key personnel consistently involved were director Atsushi Hashimoto and scenario writer Hirotaka Inaba. Takashi Tokita, renowned for his role in Chrono Trigger, contributed to the battle systems of the initial two projects and assumed a creative leadership position for Oninaki. The studio reintegrated into Square Enix in January 2024.

Formation and personnel

In March 2013, after Yoichi Wada stepped down as president, Yosuke Matsuda took over leadership at Square Enix and aimed to establish a distinct identity for the company’s offerings amidst rising production costs and evolving market expectations. This vision sparked internal discussions about creating a specialized team dedicated to developing games inspired by the RPG classics of the 1990s. Matsuda spearheaded the establishment of a compact subsidiary that combined freelance talent with in-house staff, circumventing traditional corporate frameworks.

The entity was launched in August 2014 as "Tokyo Dream Factory," with the goal of producing original titles on moderate budgets while preserving considerable creative autonomy. In 2015, it was rebranded as Tokyo RPG Factory to better reflect its focus on role-playing game development. Matsuda’s policy allowed employees from other departments to join voluntarily rather than through mandatory assignment.

Based in Tokyo as a wholly owned Square Enix subsidiary, the studio employed around ten full-time staff members by 2017, supplemented by volunteers. Atsushi Hashimoto served as director for all three games, while Hirotaka Inaba was responsible for scenario writing alongside Makoto Goya on the first two projects. Takashi Tokita initially contributed to designing battle mechanics before taking on a broader creative role for Oninaki.

Game production

The trio of titles developed by Tokyo RPG Factory drew both thematic and aesthetic inspiration from the traditional Japanese motif of setsugekka ("snow, moon and flowers"), where each element symbolizes a different season. Development on their debut project, originally known as Project Setsuna, began in 2014. Matsuno envisioned multiple interconnected titles under Tokyo RPG Factory’s intellectual property; however, the inaugural game was created as an independent work without plans for direct sequels. Named I am Setsuna, it featured an Active Time Battle system influenced by Chrono Trigger and explored themes of sorrow and self-sacrifice. The visual design centered around the "snow" motif. Released globally in 2016, I am Setsuna was well-received by fans and eventually became profitable for Square Enix despite initial financial setbacks.

Subsequently, the team developed Lost Sphear, which reused some terminology but stood alone narratively and thematically, focusing on "memory" within its story and gameplay design. This installment adopted the "moon" visual theme. It launched in Japan in 2017 and reached Western markets in 2018. Although profitable, its revenue was lower compared to that of its predecessor.

During the latter stages of Lost Sphear's development, preparations commenced for a third title with Takashi Tokita serving as creative producer and influencing its narrative direction. This entry embraced the "flower" visual theme. Under Tokita’s guidance, Inaba wrote a more mature storyline centered on themes of death and reincarnation. Despite receiving strong positive feedback from players, Tokyo RPG Factory experienced financial losses due to underwhelming sales figures for this release. After completing Oninaki, discussions began regarding concepts for a potential fourth game. In its final three years before merging back into Square Enix in January 2024, Tokyo RPG Factory maintained steady sales profits.

Titles

Year	Title	Platform(s)	Reference
2016	I am Setsuna	PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows
2017	Lost Sphear	PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows
2019	Oninaki