Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth’s Dondoko Island Furniture Came From Reused Game Assets

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth’s lead designer reveals the surprising secret behind Dondoko Island's expansive furniture collection: clever reuse of existing assets. Discover how this approach significantly impacted the minigame's development and scale.

Dondoko Island: A Minigame That Grew Beyond Expectations

Reusing Assets: The Key to Dondoko Island's Expansion

In a July 30th interview with Automaton, Michiko Hatoyama, lead designer of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, shed light on the unexpected growth of Dondoko Island. Initially conceived as a smaller minigame, its scope dramatically expanded during development. Hatoyama stated, “At first, Dondoko Island was a little smaller, but it kind of grew larger before we knew it.” This expansion was fueled by a significant increase in available furniture recipes.

RGG Studio cleverly leveraged its extensive library of assets from the Yakuza series, repurposing and modifying existing elements to create new furniture. Hatoyama revealed that individual pieces were crafted “in a matter of minutes,” a stark contrast to the days or even months typically required for creating entirely new assets. This efficient approach allowed for the rapid creation and integration of a vast array of furniture.

The decision to expand Dondoko Island and its furniture selection stemmed from a desire to provide players with fresh and engaging gameplay. The sheer scale of the island and the extensive list of furniture recipes offer players unparalleled freedom in transforming the dilapidated island into a luxurious resort.

Released on January 25, 2024, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth—the ninth mainline entry in the Yakuza series (excluding spin-offs)—was lauded by fans and newcomers alike. The game’s rich asset library played a crucial role in the creation of Dondoko Island, demonstrating the effectiveness of repurposing existing resources. The result is a surprisingly massive minigame capable of providing players with countless hours of enjoyable island-building.