[Insufficient balance.][Insufficient balance.][Insufficient balance.]
Before a single notification could sound, Chu Qing had already removed the items one by one from the silver metallic shopping basket.
But the three consecutive prompts reminded her that tonight, she would be dining on nutrient supplements alone.
[Payment successful. 40 star coins deducted.]
Staring at the three-pack of nutrient supplements, Chu Qing let out a sigh, turned, and walked toward "home."
She passed by towering buildings stacked tightly together, a mix of faded gray hues and occasionally flickering neon lights in every color. The scenery was both bleak and high-tech, with an eerie cyberpunk beauty.
Chu Qing had transmigrated to this place earlier that morning.
Her still-hazy memory told her she had somehow arrived in the interstellar era, hundreds of years into the future. The current location: the lower-class star region γ-393.
You could call it a freak accident—last night, after working overtime, she was hit by a car that ran a red light while crossing the road, ending her young life.
She died at 25, with the position of a genius-level lead game producer at a major tech company.
Key point:"Genius-level lead game producer."
She had planned to finish her current project, cash in the hefty bonus, and quit to pursue her dream of making indie games. But before the plan could even start, her life was abruptly ended by a random misfortune.
Coincidentally, the original body she now inhabited was also named Chu Qing. Orphaned young, the girl had survived on government assistance and occasional help from neighbors. She had just graduated and dreamed of becoming a game developer. Unfortunately, her poor health couldn't handle the dual load of working part-time and developing games. She collapsed and died from exhaustion the previous night.
While waiting for the public transit train, Chu Qing saw the old neon signs flickering with ads. A robotic female voice crackled through a sea of static.
[Are you still worried about your unclear future? Still anxious about your blurry goals? What's the hottest trend right now and most supported by the Star Alliance Government? That's what you should pursue! Start learning about the game development industry today. Here, you'll find your ultimate calling. Game development welcomes you…]
Chu Qing muttered under her breath, "Even in the interstellar era, they still run ads this cheap?"
It was right up there with scammy fertility treatments and shady health supplement ads—only an idiot would fall for that.
Back home, she resolutely opened her AI terminal and searched for "game development."
—Because frankly, the ad was ridiculous, but this was her field of expertise.
And considering how broke the original Chu Qing was—her bank balance barely enough to buy nutrient supplements—she couldn't afford to ignore any opportunity.
The results stunned her.
Game development hadn't evolved much in this era.
Currently, the only well-known game genres were mech battles and dungeon crawlers focused on grinding and loot drops.
Decades ago, humanity had just emerged from a devastating war against the Zerg. The general population's mood was bleak. Games had unexpectedly helped boost morale, and their financial returns were so substantial that the Star Alliance Government decided to encourage everyone to become a game developer.
All in all, it was a golden opportunity for Chu Qing to shine.
Digging deeper, she discovered that this era had developed "full-dive pods" for immersive experiences, used widely across entertainment and gaming industries.
Making a game was surprisingly simple. The government provided an official "Game Developer" app. To create full-dive games, all one needed was a substance called "Star Energy." For AI terminal games, one only needed to learn the software.
As a game developer, Chu Qing was naturally more interested in full-dive games, so she looked into that first.
[Essential Tool for Creating Full-Dive Games: Full-Dive Game Pod (Developer Edition) – 108,000 star coins]
Then there were the asset packs, most costing tens of thousands, plus server rentals, marketing, post-launch maintenance…
"..."
Okay, next.
Upon further research, Chu Qing found that AI terminal games were far less advanced.
At least full-dive games had something to show: mech battles, grinding dungeons, etc. But AI terminal games? Not even a single halfway-decent title.
They were either painfully repetitive—boring by the third level—or absurdly difficult, offering less satisfaction than solving advanced calculus problems.
Most importantly, the "Game Developer" app for full-dive games charged for nearly everything. In contrast, the AI terminal version had its costs heavily subsidized by the Star Alliance Government. During this developmental phase, even server fees and maintenance were covered.
Key point:Right now, developing AI terminal games required almost zero investment.
Chu Qing felt she had found her way to avoid starving to death.
Staring wistfully at the full-dive game development page, she muttered to herself, "I know how enticing full-dive games are for any developer. But you're just too expensive for me right now. Wait for me. Let me make an AI game first, then I'll come back for you."
Her tone was exaggerated, but as a top-tier game producer from the past, Chu Qing believed that in a world where game development was still in its infancy, she could absolutely make her mark.
.
After checking everything, she confirmed that the original owner's AI terminal could run the "Game Developer" app.
Taking a deep breath, Chu Qing began the exhilarating process of game development.
For this kind of mobile-friendly game, she threw three keywords into her mind: uses fragmented time, easy to pick up, and rewarding.
The original Chu Qing had the same wish—to make games—so her head was full of experiences with AI terminal games.
Put simply, among all existing AI games, very few achieved even one of those three points. Those that hit two were considered excellent. But none hit all three.
In the bare, modest room, Chu Qing sat at the desk, fingers tapping slowly on the surface, deep in thought.
In this situation, what kind of game would be most suitable?
Thoughts churned in her mind, a thousand ideas tangled into chaos, until an invisible hand seemed to sort them out—ultimately merging into a single game genre: Match-3 Puzzle.
Match-3, a game that seems unremarkable but actually has broad appeal. Universally loved by all ages, playable anytime, anywhere. All it takes is a flick of the AI terminal screen to launch a quick round—just three minutes on average.
From what Chu Qing knew, match-3 games had huge user bases. In Huaxia alone, one top match-3 game had over a billion users. Even with a pay rate below 1%, it still earned billions annually.
And in overseas markets, match-3 games also occupied substantial market share, proving their universal appeal across cultures and lifestyles.
And so, Chu Qing concluded: This was the perfect first game to develop.