Bobo Bay is a brand new pet simulation game by NewFutureKids which was inspired by the Chao Garden mini game from the classic Sonic Adventure titles.
After years of development, the game is now available on PC, and just ahead of its launch we were given the opportunity to speak with the developer to learn more about it.
Hello my name is Ben and I'm one of the co-founders of Netto's Game Room! Before we get started, could you introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Austin. I’m part of NewFutureKids, and I made Bobo Bay! I also like hanging out with my wife and pets, reading, and volleyball lol.
Bobo Bay is a brand-new pet simulation game heavily inspired by the Chao Garden minigame from the Sonic Adventure series. It is hard to believe that, excluding the version in SEGA Superstars for the EyeToy, twenty-five years have passed since the Chao Garden's last official appearance. For those who missed the original craze or haven't experienced it through the Steam releases of Sonic Adventure DX and Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, how would you describe Bobo Bay in your own words?
Bobo Bay is a pet simulation game where you collect, train, customize, and compete with little creatures called Bobos. You enter them in competitions like racing and brawl. The general loop is collecting Bobos, feeding them to raise their stats, entering them in competitions to win money, and then using that money to buy more fruit, snacks, and accessories. There’s plenty more to the game, but that’s the gist.
The original Chao Garden system included mini games such as Chao Race, Chao Karate (added in Adventure 2 Battle), and a Chao Kindergarten that offered ways to check on your Chao's health and teach them new skills. Can we expect something similar in Bobo Bay's town?
My main goal from the beginning was to take what people loved about the Chao Garden experience in Sonic Adventure and make that the core of the game. I didn’t want to leave out any major part of it, and I think I did a good job with that. The kindergarten is represented by the camp, which is an overnight camp you can send Bobos to. There’s racing, brawl, the doctor, and the black market. Basically, everything I knew people would ask about, besides Sonic and the platforming levels, is in the game. Even down to the small things like Bobos forming bands and playing instruments together.
While the Sonic series allowed you to gather resources from the main "action stages" to bring back to the Chao Garden, Bobo Bay includes an island exploration system instead. How does this exactly work, and what are some of the things we'll be able to discover out there?
Once a day, you can go out on an excursion. You take something called a Bayfarer out on the ocean, and you have a certain number of item slots and battery power to spend. Every day has randomly generated islands, so you never know exactly what you’re going to get. You can find common loot, rare loot, races, platforming challenges, secrets, and islands that progress the story.
Speaking of resources, could you tell us a little more about the stat and the Bobo customization system? Will players be able to freely change their look, or is it more of an evolution system where they change based on our actions as a player?
The customization system has a lot going on. There are literally millions of possible combinations. You have primary color, secondary color, eye color, patterns, body part scaling, sheens, forms, species, eye shapes, personalities, traits, and more. Some things are random when a Bobo is born, but you can also mash Bobos together to pass on traits, colors, and features. Snacks also affect how they evolve and morph over time, so there is some luck in what you find, but a lot of the outcome comes from the player’s choices.
Of course one major difference between Bobo Bay and its original inspiration is the fact that this is a full game based around Bobo, it isn't a mini game like the Chao Garden. With this in mind, you've added a lot of features and mechanics that are entirely unique to Bobo Bay. Could you tell our readers a little about what they can expect?
There’s a full calendar system, similar to something like Stardew Valley, with four seasons and scheduled races and trials. The difference is that time does not move automatically. You choose when to advance to the next day, which gives the player more control. There’s also a betting lounge, a town you can upgrade and customize, NPCs to meet, excursions, relay races, and a big trait system that makes each Bobo feel more unique.
One thing I have personally been curious about is the time system featured in Bobo Bay. As someone who filled multiple Dreamcast VMUs and GameCube memory cards with nearly every "type" of Chao, I know all too well that a "Chao Year" lasts roughly three to five hours, with a full lifecycle being approximately fifteen hours. How is this handled in Bobo Bay, especially with its full seasonal system?
I didn’t want the life cycle system to be too punishing. Bobos don’t age until you choose to sleep and advance to the next day or night. Their life cycle is based on how many in-game days they’ve been alive. For example, if a Bobo is 15 days old, that’s when they turn from a baby into an adult. So the calendar system exists, but the player controls when time moves forward.
The protagonist is a young woman named Parfait Biggs. Could you tell us a little more about her? Her design is especially interesting!
Parfait Biggs moved from Loafer Heights, where she was living with her sister. Mayor Mill and the town you move to(Starling Isle) set her up with a teapot house and a garden because she had a dream of raising a lot of Bobos. The agreement was that she would help build up the town using some of the earnings from raising Bobos and entering competitions. And yes, she is a zombie with a skeleton arm. You’ll notice all the characters are zombies... you’ll have to play the game to find out why...
Besides Chao, were there any other games that have influenced your design of Bobo Bay? Maybe something others would be surprised to hear?
Stardew Valley was definitely an obvious influence. To me, it’s one of the most complete cozy games. The jet ski idea came from wanting players to have something else to do outside of raising Bobos, similar to how Stardew has farming but also mining. One of the weirder influences is RimWorld. Its trait system, especially the negative traits, helped solidify the idea of humble traits in Bobo Bay. Humble traits are always negative, and you don’t officially discover them from the doctor until a Bobo is 15 days old. I wanted players to fall in love with their Bobos even if they have flaws, kind of like a real pet.
This might be a bit too early to ask, but currently Bobo Bay is a PC exclusive, but would you like to change that in the future?
I’ve always said that if the game is successful on PC, I would love to bring it to console. There’s no guarantee, and it depends on how well the game does. If it sells great, that would be one of the first things I’d want to look into. But right now, since the game is not out yet, console versions are not currently in the plans.
Bobo Bay isn't the only Chao-inspired game coming to PC. Star Garden was also announced in 2025; it mixes Kirby Air Ride—and by extension, Kirby Air Riders—with a similar Chao Garden gameplay mechanic. Some might see this title as competition for Bobo Bay, but Parfait Biggs will actually be featured in free crossover DLC! How did this deal come about, and do you think Star Garden content could make its way to Bobo Bay as well?
I don’t remember exactly how the full deal came about. I think one of the Star Garden developers joined my Discord, talked to me, showed me the game, and asked about doing a crossover. There is Star Garden content in Bobo Bay. I shared a little bit of it on Twitter, but I’m sure people have forgotten about it by now. If you’re a fan of Star Garden and you play Bobo Bay, you’ll see some of that content later in the story.
With the game's full release, it is clear this is only the beginning of what is hopefully a bright future! Do you have any post-launch plans currently in the works, such as new features? Or is this something you will consider after reviewing fan feedback?
I’d like to add new pop-up shops in town, new trials, and new sagas. The goal is to hopefully support at least the first year after release. I don’t know if I’ll be able to hit this, but I’d like to do one saga a month, meaning a new goal for everybody to work toward each month. One of the first big additions would probably be either a phantom garden or a fairy garden. I can’t promise additions forever, but if the game is doing really well, then why would I stop?
On the more technical side of things, were there any challenges you faced while developing Bobo Bay? The Chao system is actually surprisingly complex, so it couldn't have been easy to create your own take on the formula.
I think the Chao system is easier to achieve than people expect. It seems more complex than it is because the game hides a lot of information from the player. If you had all the numbers in front of you, it would be pretty simple to understand. The hardest part of making Bobo Bay was really just fixing bugs. Luckily, I’ve been doing game development for nine or 10 years now, so the project was relatively smooth overall.
Is there anything else you'd like our readers to know about Bobo Bay?
I hope people enjoy it, whether they played Chao Garden or not. I think this game has something for everybody. I’m very proud of what I was able to make. I basically achieved exactly what I wanted with this game, and the release is very close to what I imagined when I started four years ago. Please share your Bobos with me. I love seeing them. Join the Discord, or post them on Twitter or Bluesky. There are 5 species/26 forms, so I’d love to see your best Bobo.
And finally, just for fun, what would you say your favorite type of Chao is? Personally, I am partial to the Advance Dark Run Chao, which is essentially a "Shadow Chao," red color and all.
I really like the Hero Power Chao. I don’t know why. I like his thick arms and beefy head pieces lol.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with us, and congrats on the launch. I know it has been a long time coming, and it is great to see you finally reach the finish line!
As previously mentioned, Bobo Bay is now available on PC, and fans can head over to the Steam Page to play it for themselves today.
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