A year after its full release, SmileBoom Co.Ltd. has marked the maturation of RPG Developer Bakin — a no-code game creation tool born from the belief that the impulse to make games should not be gated by the ability to write code. The Version 2.6 update, arriving on the anniversary of that August 2025 launch, deepens the tool's creative vocabulary with automated combat systems and cinematic video integration. It is a quiet but meaningful moment in the longer story of democratized creation: a small Sapporo studio, founded in 2008, continuing to lower the threshold between imagination and a fini
RPG Developer Bakin Marks First Anniversary With Major Update, Auto Battle Features
Multiple battle AIs, switched on the fly, reshape what games you can design
Mark
So Bakin hit its one-year mark since full release. What does that actually mean for someone thinking about using it?
Mimi
It means the tool has moved past the "we're still figuring out what this is" phase. They've had a year of real creators using it, asking for things, and the company responding. Version 2.6 is proof of that cycle working.
Luke
But how many creators are we talking about? The press release says "many creators" and "a wide variety of genres," but there's no actual number. We don't know if it's hundreds or tens of thousands.
Mimi
Fair point. What we do know is specific: the Auto Battle system now lets you configure multiple AIs and switch between them. That's a concrete feature that changes what games you can design.
Mark
Why does Auto Battle matter? Isn't that just... letting the computer play?
Mimi
It's more than that. It's about design flexibility. You could have a game where the player chooses a strategy at the start of combat, or where different enemies use different tactics, or where you can toggle between manual and automatic mid-fight. Without this, you'd need to code all that yourself.
Luke
The video handling is interesting too—treating movies as image assets you can scale and rotate. But I notice the press release doesn't show examples of what that actually looks like in practice.
Mimi
True. We're told it's possible, but we're not shown what a creator would actually do with it. That's a gap in the announcement.
Mark
What about the business side? Is this a sustainable model for SmileBoom?
Mimi
They're running a 30 percent discount on the base tool and up to 70 percent off DLC packs. They just released new DLC for environmental effects. It looks like they're betting on volume and ongoing content sales.
Luke
Which is smart, but it also means they need to keep releasing DLC to keep revenue flowing. The question is whether the creator community keeps growing or plateaus.
Mark
And the artwork campaign—is that just marketing, or does it actually matter to creators?
Mimi
It's both. It gives creators a reason to show off their work, which builds community. But it also gives SmileBoom free marketing material. Everyone wins, but it's not altruistic.
Luke
The one thing I'd want to know is retention. How many people who bought Bakin in the first year are still actively using it? That's the real measure of whether this anniversary means something.
Der Puls
- Creators who once needed programming workarounds to build automated combat sequences can now configure multiple battle AIs and toggle between them mid-fight using Bakin's new Auto Battle system.
- Video assets have been liberated from passive playback — they can now be scaled, rotated, placed on maps, and converted into sprites, blurring the line between cinematic and interactive design.
- A long-standing friction point for isometric and quarter-view builders is addressed: characters now move along the map's true directional axes regardless of camera angle.
- SmileBoom is reinforcing community ties through a creator artwork campaign, inviting Bakin project screenshots for placement on the official homepage, with submissions open through September 7.
- An anniversary sale running through September 10 offers 30% off Bakin and up to 70% off DLC, lowering the entry cost at the same moment the tool's capabilities are expanding.
A year after its full release, SmileBoom Co.Ltd. has marked the maturation of RPG Developer Bakin — a no-code game creation tool born from the belief that the impulse to make games should not be gated by the ability to write code. The Version 2.6 update, arriving on the anniversary of that August 2025 launch, deepens the tool's creative vocabulary with automated combat systems and cinematic video integration. It is a quiet but meaningful moment in the longer story of democratized creation: a small Sapporo studio, founded in 2008, continuing to lower the threshold between imagination and a finished game.
RPG Developer Bakin, the no-code game creation tool from Sapporo-based SmileBoom Co.Ltd., has turned one. The software moved from early access to full release on August 28, 2025, and the company has marked the occasion with Version 2.6 — an update substantial enough to reshape two of the tool's core creative dimensions: combat and video.
The headline addition is Auto Battle, a system that lets creators configure multiple battle AIs and switch between them based on in-game conditions. An aggressive strategy might give way to a defensive one mid-fight; enemies can be assigned their own automatic behaviors. Paired with adjustable battle speed controls, the feature opens the door to fast-paced automated sequences that previously required cumbersome workarounds. Alongside this, video assets can now be treated like image objects — moved, scaled, rotated, embedded in maps, or converted into 2D stamps for use as sprites or event graphics. A third improvement lets characters move along a map's true directional axes regardless of camera angle, making isometric and quarter-view designs significantly more intuitive to construct.
The update reflects how SmileBoom has operated since Bakin entered early access in October 2022: listening to creators and building what they actually need. The tool was designed from the outset for people without programming knowledge, using a panel-based event system, a visual map editor, and a comprehensive character database. Over the past year, the variety of games built with it has shaped the development roadmap.
To celebrate the anniversary, SmileBoom is offering a 30 percent discount on Bakin through September 10, with DLC packs ranging from 20 to 70 percent off. A new Environmental Effect Variations DLC, released August 26, adds ten color variations for every effect in the existing Effect Pack Vol.1 — covering flames, rain, lightning, magic circles, explosions, and more. The company is also running a community artwork campaign, inviting creators to submit screenshots of their Bakin projects for potential display on the official homepage, with the window open through September 7.
SmileBoom has spent nearly two decades building tools that lower the barrier to creation — from the SmileBASIC programming series to Smile Game Builder. Bakin is the latest expression of that mission, and the first anniversary update suggests the company intends to keep earning the trust of the creators who have made it their home.
RPG Developer Bakin, the no-code game creation tool built by SmileBoom Co.Ltd., has reached a milestone. One year ago this week, on August 28, 2025, the software moved from early access into its full release. To mark the occasion, the Sapporo-based company has released Version 2.6, a substantial update that reshapes how creators can build combat systems and incorporate video into their games.
The new Auto Battle feature sits at the center of this update. Rather than forcing players to manually command every action in combat, creators can now configure multiple battle AIs and switch between them based on game conditions. A player might toggle between an aggressive AI and a defensive one mid-fight, or a game designer might set certain enemies to use specific strategies automatically. Combined with adjustable battle speed controls, this opens possibilities for fast-paced automated sequences that would have required workarounds before.
Equally significant are the expanded video capabilities. Movies can now be treated as image assets—moved, scaled, rotated, placed on maps, or converted into 2D stamps for use as event graphics or character sprites. This transforms how creators can layer cinematic elements into their games without leaving the tool. A third feature addresses camera perspective: characters can now move according to the map's directional axes regardless of camera angle, making quarter-view and isometric designs more intuitive to build.
The timing of this update reflects SmileBoom's development philosophy. Since Bakin launched in early access in October 2022, the company has consistently added features based on creator feedback. The tool was designed from the start for people without programming knowledge—it uses a panel-based event system, a visual map editor that mimics gameplay, and a comprehensive database for character stats and effects. Over the past year, creators have used it to build games across multiple genres, and that variety has informed what gets built next.
To celebrate the anniversary, SmileBoom is running a 30 percent discount on Bakin itself through September 10, with DLC packs ranging from 20 to 70 percent off. A new DLC called Environmental Effect Variations arrived on August 26, offering ten color variations for every effect in the existing Effect Pack Vol.1—flames, smoke, rain, snow, lightning, waterfalls, magic circles, explosions, and decorative auras. The launch discount on this pack is 10 percent through September 9.
The company is also inviting creators to submit screenshots of their Bakin projects for a community artwork campaign. Selected submissions will appear as background images on the official website's homepage. Creators can post their work on X or submit directly through a dedicated form; the submission window runs from August 21 through September 7, with a limit of three images per person.
SmileBoom's track record suggests this momentum will continue. The company, founded in 2008, has spent nearly two decades building tools for creators—the SmileBASIC series for programming on consumer hardware, Smile Game Builder for 3D RPG creation. Bakin represents the latest iteration of that mission: a tool that lowers the barrier to game development without sacrificing depth. The first anniversary update signals that the company intends to keep listening to its community and building features that matter to the people actually using the software.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
We have received countless comments, requests, and game creations from our users. The fact that Bakin has reached its first anniversary since its full release is thanks to everyone who has supported and encouraged us along the way.— SmileBoom Co.Ltd.
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