In the pursuit of prevailing over the day-to-day hustle and bustle of life, we often get burned out or sometimes even feel a bit of our soul leaving us. Each day the gap widens bit by bit, but that doesn’t mean the fire ever wanes, nor does the passion falter.
I roamed around the Philippine Game Dev Expo searching for something different, something unique, and what caught my eye was a game that called out to my youth. It was Lutong Bahay: Lola’s Home Cooking by Senshi.Labs, developed by the Meowfia, which was reminiscent of the Cooking Mama series by Nintendo. Within literal minutes of trying the game, I could tell that there was so much character and polish that I felt confident about featuring it in my PGDX roundup.
Fast forward a couple of weeks, and Calypsolair streamed more of the game over at PhilSTAR Tech, and “impressive” was not enough to describe how Lutong Bahay unfolds the more you get into it. There’s a depth that comes from a storyteller who did their research, a sense of practicality that doesn’t sacrifice design, and heart that hits close to home while still giving off hints of tenacity and the desire to make a product to be proud of. There was clear direction in the game’s development, and that could only come from a good environment and proper leadership, and wouldn’t you know, it stems from Senshi.Labs.
Cooking with Senshi
Spearheaded by Beatrice “Doc B” M.V. Lapa, Senshi.Labs was originally started in 2013 but formally released in 2014 as a means of penance, in a way, for Doc B. This Senshi (translated from “Soldier,” “Warrior,” “Guardian,” or “Fighter”) has a lot of fight in her.
Prior to creating the educational, non-profit hobby studio Senshi.Labs, she, like a majority of us, was a gamer, and a hardcore grinder at that. Considering that the game she grinded was Ragnarok Online Classic (going as far as being a game tester for Level Up, Inc. and even becoming a gameplay specialist) you could tell that there was an immense love for gaming. This resonated with the type of environment Senshi.Labs was meant to be, with the game development cycle and game experience being fun.
Why retribution, though? Back in the day, Ragnarok Online, as it was initially introduced to the Philippine market, was comparable to how Mobile Legends was in the early 2020s. A game that transcended life itself, Ragnarok was a genuine way of life, even going as far as being a pseudo job earning income here and there. There were caveats, though. The game was addicting to the point where students would get lower grades or rifts would form within families. Doc B felt responsible for this to an extent and, through Senshi.Labs, created various edutainment projects that the team enjoyed making and people enjoyed playing.
Starting from a solo dev operation with RPG Maker as its bread and butter, to becoming the melting pot of various talents it is more than a decade later, Senshi.Labs also gathered a multitude of awards over the years, like in 2016 (Best Educational Game and Best in Narrative/Story for Adarna 2: Alamat ni Maria Blanca) and in 2019 (Best Game Art and Best Mobile/Handheld Game for Turtle Tale, which the Meowfia subgroup worked on).
Another accolade, as cheesy as it may sound, would be the friendships made in game development. Maria Blanca’s development had a team composed of students from different universities, and regardless of background, the camaraderie forged was second to none, with members having each other’s backs even on the professional side of things.
Grinding is the fun part
There are times when it’s the journey and not the destination, with the journey for gamers oftentimes being the grind. It wasn’t all just fun and games. It was the game dev grind, where both interns and professionals poured their heart and soul into their projects, demonstrated time and time again. Work and studies can be draining, downright soul-crushing, especially with what’s required, but Senshi.Labs is a creative paradise where passion turns into pixels and potential is honed.
The game dev grind also reflected Doc B’s pursuits outside of gaming, particularly in the academe, going from one specialization to another, starting in Social Sciences and going all the way towards Philosophy. One thing was certain, though: at the core of it all was gaming, with education and development as its foundation.
A great meal, 5 years in the making
On the topic of education, imagine my surprise to learn that the game I spoke about with so much polish earlier on, Lutong Bahay, was originally made when the Meowfia was still in university! Half a decade later, Lutong Bahay got an upgrade through lead designer and almighty artist Trina Pagtakhan.
Stories of its development were unveiled around the dinner table (which was appropriate, considering the game) with Doc B and Bryan Andrei Galecio in attendance. The more I learned about it, the more I saw how these are professionals working on what they love and the perfectionism that entails.
One aspect of the stories told that I enjoyed was how everyone listed above played a part in the game’s development. For instance, the code made by lead programmer Michelle Lim literally stood the test of time while still being clear and usable. She was a student at the time and showed potential to rival professional-level output. Doc B even mentioned how her husband, Claudius Jose Yango, another professional in the gaming industry, was impressed with the code.
Then comes Trina. She wanted to improve the game even after half a decade, tweaking the code, revamping visuals, and adding more content and UI updates. It didn’t stop there. While the game lore was simple, each decision that contributed to it had been deliberate. Even if it wasn’t shown fully, the history between Lumpiang Ubod had been etched into her. Throughout the night, I was learning more about Philippine history through food, like how it had to be rationed due to the Negros famine back then. Through the deprivation of resources, one becomes creative, and this aspect of the story was wonderfully shown in the initial chapter.
Other teammates involved in the project who had a heavy impact included Bryan, who handled Quality Assurance and Quality of Life changes to the code, and Nahyan, the main programmer who implemented the new cooking mechanics. If it weren’t for these two, the workflow wouldn’t have been as smooth, and new recipes wouldn’t have been added.
Lastly, Gia, the music producer, provided all the music in the game. There was even a dedicated music player section because of how impressive their work was. From opening the game to cooking, you’ll genuinely feel transported back to a simpler time while still remaining Filipino at its core.
The night may have been young, but you could tell that the people behind Senshi.Labs had so much passion in their design. If there had been more members around, the stories would’ve been legendary.
Letting it rest
Game development at its core is always done to create a product, or rather, a game with a purpose. But sometimes, that purpose gets muddied in the pursuit of other exploits. I love how Senshi.Labs is an avenue where not only professionals who want to let their passion thrive can do so, but also a place where students can gain real-life experience in the game development cycle.
Doc B created a wonderful environment where passion thrives and love survives. The Sailor Senshi in her, with her determination, could bring talents together and unleash them into the world. Gender is just an option, not a boundary (the same way characters can be customized in video games) with Trina and all the women in Senshi.Labs being warriors in their own right.
It takes a lot to follow your passions, but with enough grit and hard work, those passions will bear fruit.
For updates on Senshi.Labs and the Meowfia, check out their social media links below:
Senshi.Labs Main Site: https://senshi.ph
Senshi.Labs FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/senshi.labs
Meowfia FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/TeamMeowfia
Senshi.Labs itch.io: https://senshilabs.itch.io/
