What will come after 'Anh Hai's Pho Restaurant'?

Marisa0704 is the mysterious author behind Anh Hai's Pho Restaurant, the indie game that's currently trending on Vietnamese social media.

In recent days, Brother Hai's Pho Restaurant has been receiving significant attention from Vietnamese internet users. Beyond being just a game, its related content has spread rapidly, giving rise to numerous derivative products.

Surprisingly, the team behind this game consists of only one person. The game was completed on a low-spec computer in the free time of a student at Hanoi University of Technology after school. Tri Thức - Znews had a conversation with Marisa0704, the author of Brother Hai's Pho Restaurant.

Anh Hai's pho restaurant is inspired by John Wick.

Your only publicly available information is your nickname, Marisa0704. Are the rumors circulating online about you true?

I'm a student from the 66th cohort of the Faculty of Information Technology and Communications, Hanoi University of Science and Technology. I'm currently still working hard to graduate. I've been passionate about game programming since 10th grade, specifically after seeing the success of Flappy Bird by Nguyen Ha Dong, also a former student of Hanoi University of Science and Technology.

I've worked on many small projects before, but most weren't very popular and a large portion were deleted. Anh Hai's Pho Restaurant is the first project that has achieved success.

The author's biggest inspiration is Nguyen Ha Dong, a former student of Hanoi University of Technology and the creator of the Flappy Bird phenomenon. Photo: Tech Frontier.

What inspired you to choose a pho restaurant as the theme for this game?

My initial idea was to develop a game with a purely Vietnamese cultural theme. However, the supernatural horror genre, like "The Insect God" or "Blood Grass, " isn't my forte or something I enjoy.

So I chose a different direction, focusing on pho. This topic is both relatable to Vietnamese people and globally popular. I chose a small pho restaurant in Dan Phuong (Hanoi) as the setting to conveniently promote my hometown.

However, the main motivation for me to see the game through was creating the character of Anh Hai, the owner of the pho shop. It sounds strange, but the idea came to me while watching action movies like John Wick or Now You See Me . Suddenly, I thought, why not combine the simplicity of selling pho with action and mystery? This excited me greatly, and I immediately started working on the project.

Are you developing this game entirely on your own, or are you receiving support from friends or a team?

This project was done by one person. I came up with the idea, programmed it, and designed the environments and character animations myself. However, the game does use some resources that are publicly available on the internet.

It took me over a month to complete. Game development only took up my free time, as I spend most of my time on school courses.

In terms of graphics, my laptop isn't powerful enough to run Unreal or Unity, so I chose Godot Engine. Overall, the finished game looks a bit rough. But in the end, it was a reasonable choice. It was my initial intention; the graphics weren't chosen out of necessity.

Anh Hai Pho restaurant is a blend of everyday life and the action-packed cinematic universe of John Wick. Photo: Summit Entertainment.

What was the biggest challenge you faced during game development, and how did you overcome it?

Fortunately, the development process went smoothly without major setbacks. However, problems arose after packaging the game. The itch.io platform only allows uploads of files under 1 GB, while the game was 1.6 GB. I panicked at that point.

Luckily, I found a few tricks to compress files to a very small size while preserving the content. However, these techniques are causing game crashes for a small number of players. Currently, I'm trying to find a way to fix this completely.

Many people have also suggested putting the game on Steam. But the platform requires a $100 fee per game. Currently, I don't have the means to do that. The approval process takes quite a long time. However, I will try my best.

You may also like

Hackers stole real photos of the iPhone 18 Pro.Hackers attacked a major Apple component supplier in India, stealing crucial information about the iPhone 18 Pro.

Digital signatures remove the 'bottleneck' of paper documents at Cho Ray Hospital and Thu Cuc TCI.With 2 million digital signatures via VNeID at Cho Ray Hospital and a flexible signing model at Thu Cuc TCI Healthcare System, CMC Cyber ​​Security demonstrates that digital signatures are a crucial technology for enhancing patient experience and hospital operational efficiency.

How is Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service currently operating in Vietnam?Mr. Do Ba Thich, General Director of Starlink Services Vietnam (a subsidiary of Elon Musk's Space X), said that they are currently preparing the infrastructure to provide Starlink satellite internet service and have not yet revealed the launch date in Vietnam.

I've already considered a mobile version. If demand is high enough, I'll find a way to release it. MacOS is a bit more difficult because of the strict security requirements. For an indie game like this, the chances of it being published are very low.

A mobile version of Anh Hai Pho Restaurant may be coming soon . Photo: Marisa0704.

Where did you learn game development?

The Polytechnic University doesn't have a specific game development major. I'm studying traditional IT. My game programming skills are entirely self-taught, mainly through free resources on YouTube. I often watch existing projects to understand the structure and how they create a game.

Part 2 of the Pho Restaurant

Is there anything else you need to do with Anh Hai's Pho Restaurant?

Currently, I'm focusing on urgently fixing minor bugs that cause the game to crash due to file compression. I can't confirm anything about adding more content, features, or expanding the storyline at this time.

The T1 World Championships are coming up soon. Many fans have asked if I'll update the 6-star rating. I'm thinking about it, but if T1 actually wins, I'll most likely do it.

If T1 wins the World Championship, I'll add another star to my wheelchair.

Marisa0704

What are your plans for the next product?

The game has been so well-received that I never dared to dream of it. Although I can't confirm anything about a sequel or the future of Anh Hai and Cau Vang, I am very grateful for this support.

A sequel to Anh Hai's Pho Restaurant could be a game related to Bun Dau Mam Tom (rice noodles with fermented shrimp paste). Photo: Gemini/AI.

Even before the game became popular, I had the idea for a new story, set in the same "universe" and also related to a traditional Vietnamese dish: bun dau mam tom (vermicelli with tofu and shrimp paste).

In this story, Anh Hai and Cậu Vàng will make cameo appearances, but their screen time will be significant. Currently, this is still purely an idea.

What is the secret to the success of Anh Hai's Pho Restaurant?

First, there's the familiarity and closeness of Vietnamese culture. Then, the game features many memes (jokes), which players find very enjoyable. And, of course, there's the element of surprise in the storyline.

Initially, the jokes I added to the game were just for my own amusement. After all, making a game should be fun first. But repeating old jokes can easily become boring.

For future projects, I want to be more serious and limit "sensitive" content. The storyline might be more serious, but I will still try to retain some comedic elements.

There are several controversial details in the game. Can you explain them?

United States - Vietnam: Don't miss

Vietnam encourages US businesses to expand investment in high technology.On the morning of June 26th, at the Government Headquarters, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung received Mr. Jeff Place, Supply Chain Director of Coherent Group (USA). During the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister affirmed that Vietnam encourages US businesses to expand investment, especially in high-tech, innovation, and semiconductor industries.

Encourage U.S. businesses to expand investment in high-tech sectors.Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung said that Vietnam welcomes US businesses to continue expanding their operations in Vietnam, especially in high-tech industries and sectors with high added value.

Vietnam and the United States strengthen cooperation in addressing the consequences of war.VTV.vn - On June 22, General Secretary and President To Lam received Acting Secretary of the US Navy Hung Cao.

The character Cậu Vàng (Golden Boy) is indeed inspired by the work Lão Hạc (Old Man Hạc ). However, the real-life model was a dog near my house. But that dog passed away, so I included it in the game as a way to pay tribute. Coincidentally, I saw a picture of a dog in Hanoi that people were sharing that looked very similar to Cậu Vàng.

Tam, the owner of a barbecue restaurant in the Dong Da district, is "going viral" because of his resemblance to the character Cau Vang from the game. Photo: Facebook.

Dan Phuong District is my hometown, now Dan Phuong Commune. The location "Number 10 Dan Phuong" is entirely fictional. I included it to create a sense of familiarity and closeness, like the signs of real-life pho restaurants.

Regarding the logos of many YouTube Gaming channels, those are the people who inspire me. They regularly play and support independent horror games – small projects with little media attention. It's this support that brings unknown games to the attention of the public.

As a student at the Polytechnic University, do you still have many subjects you need to retake?

I'd prefer not to comment on this matter. (laughs)

Source: https://znews.vn/sau-quan-pho-anh-hai-se-la-gi-post1599836.html