Busan-based studio Sunny Side Up has quietly become one of the standout indie stories of the past few years, thanks to its cozy adventure game The Little Witch in the Woods. At the Busan Indie Connect Festival (BIC) 2026, we sat down with the studio’s CEO, Park Eun-hyun, who also serves as executive director on the game, to talk about the title’s reception, its design process, and what players can expect going forward.

Reception and the Keys to Success

The Little Witch in the Woods has picked up a lot of positive attention on Steam since launch, and we asked Park whether the response caught the team off guard. Park was quick to stay humble about it. “Of course, we put a lot of effort into making the game, but we have seen a lot of games that are not popular,” Park said.

“I think it’s great luck that we get good reviews and are mentioned a lot.”

With a genuine hit now under their belt, we also asked Park what they believe contributed most to that success. According to Park, it came down to constantly checking in with players throughout development, rather than working in isolation and hoping for the best. “We have developed the game while observing the user’s reaction and feedback,” Park explained.

“We are continuously reviewing the user’s response while they make the game.”

Park walked us through the different channels the team used to gather that feedback. Social media posts and videos helped the team gauge how players felt about the game’s concept and tone. Participating in Steam Next Fest gave them a clearer read on interest through wishlist and follower numbers, along with direct gameplay feedback. The team also ran a crowdfunding campaign on the Korean platform Tumblbug and released an early access version before the official launch, giving players even more chances to weigh in before the game was finished. “We saw the game from multiple angles, and we posted distinct parts of the game so the users can get feedback about the concept,” Park said.

“I think that’s the best way to get feedback for gameplay.”

One thing that stands out about The Little Witch in the Woods is its cast, which goes well beyond human characters. We asked Park what inspired that variety in the game’s world and its inhabitants. “We thought we could express diversity in a way that’s not too sensitive,” Park said.

“We wanted to express a fairytale-like feeling, like in Animal Crossing.”

Sales Numbers, Platforms, and What’s Next

Asked about how many copies the game has sold, Park shared that the title has passed the half-million mark, with more than 500,000 copies sold. The game is currently available on PC, and Park said the team is preparing a PS5 version, though it’s not confirmed yet, with current plans centered on bringing the game to Xbox and Switch as well.

Looking further ahead, we asked whether more content is planned for the game. Park kept details light, noting that at the time of the game’s official release, only a broad and general idea of future updates had been shared, without locking in specifics. Still, Park offered a small look ahead. The team put out a major update about 10 days before our conversation, and while the next one isn’t ready to be detailed publicly, Park confirmed it will be a big update rather than a small one, centered on giving players more to do once they reach the game’s ending.

“We are trying to make the game more enjoyable even after the current ending,” Park said, adding that the goal is to give players more reasons to stay engaged with the world even after the credits roll.

A Message to the Players

To close out the conversation, we asked Park if there was anything else they wanted to share about the team or the game. Park reflected on the journey of making Sunny Side Up’s very first title. “We had a lot of trials and errors while developing it. We had a lot of difficulties, but we learned a lot. I think our team has grown a lot,” Park said.

“When we prepare for future updates and creations, we will do our best to make better games based on our experience.”

Park ended with a note of thanks to the community that helped carry the game to where it is today. “Above all, I want to say thank you to the people who love and support our game. By making this game, they had a lot of ups and downs.”