Player feedback is “key” to AFK Journey’s monumental success, says lead designer

It’s been less than a year since Farlight Games and Lilith Games released AFK Journey globally, marking the beginning of Esperia’s next chapter and opening up the familiar world of AFK Arena to a whole new audience. In such a short space of time, the game has grown and changed dramatically, adding huge content updates and collaborating with massive content creators to reach as many new players as possible.

Thanks to the hard work of the development team, AFK Journey won both the App Store Awards prize for iPhone Game of the Year and Google Play’s Best Game award in 2024, as well as being nominated for Best Mobile Game at The Game Awards. In the wake of this success, we sat down with the game’s lead designer, Red, to discuss this whirlwind first year of service.

Pocket Tactics: How did you go about translating the iconic AFK Arena characters and their kits into this new style of game?

Red: “When it comes to character design, our principle is to maintain the essence of the AFK Arena characters while making adjustments to suit the gameplay of AFK Journey. Specifically, in terms of mechanics, we preserved the characters’ signature abilities while adjusting them to align with the new combat system and environment. For example, with Talene, we kept her iconic immortality but completely revamped her damage output and support mechanics.”

How does player feedback factor into the development process?

R: “Player feedback has been one of the key drivers behind AFK Journey’s evolution since its beta testing in 2023. As the game approached its global release, we expanded our efforts by introducing surveys and hosting player meetups to further improve the communication with our players. Most recently, we launched a Pioneer Server that allows our players to experience new content two weeks before its official release. This approach enables us to gather valuable insights and make improvements in real-time.

Looking ahead, much of our new content and gameplay updates will continue to be shaped by player feedback. By analyzing and responding to player expectations and needs, we aim to create experiences that resonate with our community.”

How does it feel to know that AFK Journey has earned so many accolades before its first anniversary?

R: “Personally, I’m deeply honored and cherish the recognition we’ve received. It reflects the hard work and dedication the entire team has put into this project over the past three years. At the same time, we’re keenly aware of the growing expectations that come with this recognition. Players are asking for more engaging content and hoping we can leverage the intricate and immersive world we’ve built. Meeting and exceeding these expectations is a challenge we’re excited to embrace.”

With new role-playing gacha games arriving all the time, how do you think AFK Journey differentiates itself from the rest of the competition?

R: “From the very beginning, our vision was to redefine the card-based genre by creating a vast world that offers new and immersive experiences for players. This idea has been a major factor in helping AFK Journey stand out in a competitive market. Of course, achieving this vision required immense effort from the team, including continuous iteration and refinement of many aspects. We’ve also devoted ourselves to optimizing the game’s performance for mobile platforms and rewriting the story multiple times to ensure it resonates with players.”

AFK Journey’s character roster has a large range of body types, skin tones, and other diverse characteristics – how important is diversity and representation when you’re designing a new character?

R: “Diversity in character design is definitely one of our team’s standout features, and it’s driven by two key factors: First, based on our experience operating AFK Arena, we’ve observed that our players deeply value and appreciate diversity in games. We’ve also learned that designing unique and different characters to cater to players from different cultures, backgrounds, and identities is essential for a game with global aspirations.

Second, as a series that embraces ensemble storytelling, AFKJ strives to avoid being confined to a single style or approach. Drawing inspiration from the diversity of the real world has naturally become a vital source of creativity and a way to keep our work fresh and dynamic.”

How do you go about choosing collaborations, and what specifically drew you to working with JaidenAnimations (and her birds)?

R: “When we collaborate, we look for creators who genuinely align with our brand’s values and style while connecting with our audience. Working with JaidenAnimations felt like a natural fit because her fans and our player base share a lot in common. Jaiden’s creative style, vibe, and artwork perfectly complement our visual and narrative components, enabling us to connect with audiences through playful yet meaningful storytelling.”

Why is now the best time to jump into AFK Journey for the first time?

R: “The new season is just about to launch! Compared to the launch phase, we’ve added more gameplay modes and events, enriched the single-player RPG experiences through Peaks of Time, and implemented a wide range of optimizations based on player feedback. From reducing grind to enhancing accessibility, the game is now better than ever before.

Second, thanks to the seasonal design, new players joining AFK Journey now can complete the introductory season and seamlessly transition into the newest season alongside the global player base. This eliminates the common challenges new players face in traditional card-based games, such as long catch-up periods, feeling disconnected, or missing out on the latest content.

Finally, for the upcoming season, we’ve designed a series of exclusive events tailored for returning players, addressing pain points they previously faced. These initiatives are aimed at helping returning players to catch up, earn more rewards, and enjoy an improved gaming experience.”

If you’re looking to jump into Esperia for the first time, make sure you check out our AFK Journey codes to stock up on gold and diamonds. We’ve also got an AFK Journey tier list to help you prioritize your pulls and build your teams.