2005 · Gainax · Simulation · Strategy

Princess Maker 4

PlayStation console exclusive

Princess Maker 4 is the 4th installment of the Princess Maker series. It was released for PS2 then for PC and then ported to DS and PSP.

Released: 1 September 2005
Platforms: PlayStation 2 Windows
Genres: Simulation Strategy Visual novel
Developers: Gainax
Publishers: Gainax CyberFront
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Text
Themes: Fantasy
Age ratings: CERO C

About

Princess Maker (プリンセスメーカー, Purinsesu Mēkā), commonly abbreviated in Japanese fan usage as PuriMe (プリメ), is a series of raising simulation bishōjo games in which the player assumes the role of a parental figure raising a young girl. The series was produced by the video game and anime production company Gainax.

Gameplay across the series centers on scheduling the daughter's activities over a fixed span of in-game years, from childhood to adulthood. Players allocate time and money to activities, which in turn shape her abilities. At the conclusion of the game, these accumulated choices determine one of many possible endings, ranging from royalty to ordinary professions or more troubled futures.

›Story

The human kingdom is at war with the kingdom of magical creatures, commonly known as "demons". Human heroine Isabelle puts a stop to war, but disappears. Protagonist, a human soldier, sets out to search for her. 10 years later, when the war between humans and demons is igniting again, he finds her, only for her to pass a little girl into his care, along with a demon servant Cube, and disappear again.

The fate of the girl is now in protagonist's hands. And with it - the fate of both kingdoms.

Keywords

life simulation
multiple endings
passage of time

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Reception

Princess Maker is recognized as the progenitor of the "raising simulation" genre, sparking a wave of games focused on nurturing virtual characters. In 1995, Game Conference highlighted how the game's premise of raising a child in a simulation format resonated with societal shifts, especially in the context of Japan's declining birth rate and the growing sense of loneliness in modern households.

In Taiwan, Princess Maker is described as having left a lasting impression on players of the 1990s. In South Korea, Princess Maker is described as an early PC game that also attracted a significant female audience during the 1990s. The series was popular at the time. The series has had a lasting impact in Chinese-speaking regions, where Princess Maker gained popularity and continues to influence titles such as the Nikki series and Volcano Princess.