To understand why Keita Takahashi makes the kinds of games he does, you have to go back to the time he made a goat.

While studying fine art and sculpture at Musashino Art University, Takahashi wanted to create things that served a purpose beyond just being looked at. One day, when at a loss for ideas, he decided to sculpt a goat-shaped vase. Flowers and soil went in the goat's back and excess water drained from its udders.

"Then I did a presentation of my goat to the other students and the professor, and they laughed, because it was so stupid," Takahashi said at an interview during BitSummit, the annual independent games festival held this year in Kyoto, from June 1-2. "That's the moment I knew what I should do: Make something that makes people smile."