In a popular category crowded with major players, Tencent has finally made its move.

The popular life simulation genre has another standout title. Today, Tencent’s Silver Heart Studio unveiled a new, heartwarming life simulation game set in a miniature world: *Lili’s Miniature World*.

Recently, Tea House was invited to a studio to try out a new game. According to reports, *Lili’s Lilliput* is part of Tencent’s internal “Spring Bamboo Shoot Project,” which aims to explore new areas and incubate unique products. This aligns perfectly with Tea House’s first impression of the game: it’s simply marvelous.

The premise of *Lili’s Lilliput* is quite intriguing. As the title suggests, in this new game, players will shrink in size—much like in *Alice in Wonderland*—and embark on a wondrous journey.But what sets it apart is that *Lili’s Lilliput* revolves around the concept of a “Lilliput right at your fingertips.” With a bedroom desk as the main setting, players will build, explore, garden, and befriend Lili as they embark on a journey of everyday fantasy.

See the world from a smaller perspective; let your imagination take flight, and everyday life becomes “both familiar and unfamiliar.”A forgotten alarm clock can become a rocking chair; a glasses case lined with a blanket turns into a sofa; a wristwatch is repurposed as a clock that holds a few books; and a tape measure can serve as a coffee table… At the hands-on demo, these creations were brought to life in real-world settings.

Real-life scenarios

As everyone wandered around inside, eagerly posing for photos with lollipops in hand, the loneliness and anxiety that come from feeling swallowed up by the vast world seemed to be soothed. It allowed people to rediscover the overlooked beauty in the smallest details and brought to mind the little joys found in watching micro-stop-motion animations like *The Guinea Pig Car*.

On the day of the demo event, the development team also shared the creative vision behind the new game with the media: to build a “Lilliput” right in our own backyard, with “a sense of real life” as the key concept. Starting from the idea of “unique emotional experiences in Lilliput,” they aim to create the simulation game they’ve always envisioned.

To that end, they won’t limit themselves to life simulation genres like Animal Crossing, nor will they label their target audience, nor will they force social interaction… Instead, they’ll incorporate fun life experiences into microgames. Through this approach, they hope to shed light on players’ emotional worlds.

01

Sources of Inspiration

On Life

The creation of *The Little People of Grain* stemmed from an everyday scenario—a dream the team leader had while catching a nap at his desk.

As the team recalls, it was a magical dream in which his body shrank to a tiny size and he found himself back at his desk in real life. Inspired by this magical dream, the team began discussing late into the night during that overtime shift: what kind of wondrous experiences they might have if they shrank down to see the world.That day, everyone’s imaginations ran wild, and they chatted enthusiastically, coming up with many unique ways to explore and experience Lilliput—flying on dandelion seeds and using rulers as musical instruments.

Most importantly, they discovered that when they reopened their eyes to the real world from a smaller perspective, the beauty of life seemed to become even “bigger.”

And so, in the end, this dream became a desk in *Grainland*. Players, now shrunk in size, will build houses on the warm desk, explore all kinds of fantastical worlds, and invite the adorable Grainland creatures to live with them.

02

The Miniature World

Healing Life

This hands-on demo focuses primarily on showcasing the core gameplay features, including dress-up, exploration, building, and spending time with Lili.

First, players can create their own characters. *Grainy’s Lilliput* features a customization system as extensive as that of a dress-up game, with plenty of elements—from accessories and makeup to hairstyles—that players can mix and match as they please.The fashion styles are also diverse—from girls with twin braids to Halloween wizards—allowing players to become trendy and cool kids. What’s more, the overall style of the outfits gives off a warm, fuzzy texture reminiscent of a ball of yarn.

Costume Change Interface and Styles

This plush texture has also found its way into the "Land of Plush" in Lilliput.

In the demo version, the teahouse is the first to appear in a corner of the desk. It’s a unique world with varying elevations. As far as the eye can see—from the streets to the shops—everything has a subjective, fuzzy, textured feel.According to the development team, *Grainy’s Lilliput* revolves around the core concept of “a Lilliput right at your fingertips.” The art style emphasizes a “stylized cartoon rendering” rich in the feel of everyday life—a “Pixar-esque” blend of realistic and picture-book-style whimsy.

And CityWalk in Lilliput also reveals another side of the real world.

The streetscape of Lilliput naturally features green spaces along the roadside, but upon closer inspection, you’ll see that they’re actually cacti wrapped in balls of yarn and dotted with tiny yellow flowers. Walking up to a retail store, you look up and notice that its roof is topped with bottles and jars, with buttons scattered here and there as decorations.Climbing to a higher vantage point, I took a leap into the air, and the teahouse, swaying with its Upah tail, swung back onto the tabletop. I pulled out my skateboard and followed the shifting light and shadows streaming in through the windowsill all the way to the edge. There, suspended in midair, I saw the chair by the table, and my thoughts finally returned to the real world: So, I really am on my desk!

In this demo, the exploration module has also been unlocked. By hailing an Uba car, players can travel to the Morning Dew Flower Field area in the wilderness.

This is a corner of the tea party. As players make their way through the sweet-smelling tulips, they can collect pollen, petals, and dewdrops along the way, and hop on books to gather sunlight. Players can also hop along on the growing centers of little daisies.Sometimes, if you come across a Lucky Puff Daisy or a Wobbly Flower, you can collect large amounts of pollen. These resources will serve as materials for crafting furniture.

Out in the wild, players can also encounter all kinds of Lili. According to team members, the Lili in the game are divided into four basic races. Among them, the Xingyou race most closely resembles humans, while the Bubu race takes the form of small animals; the Yinsuo race consists of robots; and there’s also the Weika race, which is full of eccentrics.Different Lili have different preferences, so you’ll need to arrange their favorite furniture before you can invite them to make their home at your desk.

Different Grains

Overall, the “Lilliput in Our Midst” theme has become a highly distinctive feature within the current life simulation genre, and it has already sparked anticipation for the next gaming experience.

Precisely because of the game’s unique nature, the creative team says, “We face new challenges every day.” Among these, the biggest challenge the team has faced is how to reimagine the world of Lilliput.

“When people are shrunk in size, the density of objects around them increases dramatically, and the team’s workload also increases significantly,” the creative team explained. They noted that this would alter the way the inspiration for Lilliput is brought to life and the logic behind its design, requiring them to meticulously recreate a wealth of details—including the sounds of the wind, rain, and insects that are often overlooked in daily life.

When designing specific scenes, however, they had to balance realism with playability, which often led to many design details being scrapped and redone. Regarding the 3D scene design for the flower field area, the lead designer recalled that the team went through three iterations. They found that focusing solely on 3D pathfinding resulted in a scene that didn’t feel natural to humans.A simple recreation would lack the joy of exploration. In the final version, they needed to ensure that the scene resembled a tea party when viewed from a distance, while still offering engaging gameplay up close.

A Sea of Flowers

They describe it as a process of “having it both ways.” Starting with the desk that has grown alongside players, they hope to create a healing spiritual utopia for them—one that allows people to discover the beauty in their everyday lives through the small objects around them.

03

Back to Everyday Life

Understanding Emotional Support

It’s a bit surprising that Tencent—a company known for its strong social products—has chosen to focus the gaming experience on non-compulsory social interaction this time around.

Not only that, but the three words that Tencent Yinxin’s team repeatedly emphasized during the presentation were “sense of everyday life”—they hope to create a community in *Lili’s Lilliput* that focuses on emotional resonance rather than utilitarian goals, serving as a source of daily companionship.

To blend the gaming experience with the interview content, the “sense of real life” is primarily reflected in aspects such as building, exploration, fashion, and social interaction. However, while these are manifestations of gameplay, the starting point for creating this sense of real life comes from observing everyday life—uncovering the fun in every little detail of daily life and transforming it into gameplay within a miniature world.

Reimagining the functions and ways to play with every everyday object from the perspective of “Lilliput” is a particular test of the team’s imagination. In this regard, the creative team noted that even during the interview process, they look to recruit team members who are passionate about life—and one of the criteria they use to assess this is whether “the interviewee’s eyes light up when talking about their hobbies.”

When people who love life come together, the development process for *Grain’s Lilliput* also breaks down boundaries.Unlike the linear process where designers propose concepts and artists and programmers follow behind to implement them, in this game, everyone can contribute their own ideas. These inspirations are gathered into a “idea pool,” allowing the team to collaboratively bring the microscopic life of Lilliput to life.

And that is precisely why *Grain by Grain: Lilliput* doesn’t just rely on the “Lilliput” theme as a gimmick—it truly allows everyone to experience beautiful moments in their daily lives.

So, in this life simulation and management game, when players find themselves in a sea of flowers, what they collect isn’t wood, stones, or other items—but rather the direct afternoon sunlight and the scent of flowers lingering in the air.From the team’s perspective, these elements embody everyone’s vision of a relaxed atmosphere and the everyday charm of life—and they are precisely the details of daily life that humans, once shrunk in size, might rediscover.

The “Lili Companion” gameplay also incorporates details from everyday life. Team members say they have already designed over 100 Lili residents. Not only do they each have their own preferences and personalities—some are narcissistic, some act like children, and others have a “little adult” personality—but more importantly, they’ll create unique, shared memories with players as they interact.For example, when a player wears a nice outfit, a Lili character might spontaneously compliment them, saying, “That looks great!” Or when a Lili character asks, “Do you prefer sweet or savory mooncakes?” and the player answers that they like sweet ones, they might be delighted to receive a sweet mooncake during the next Mid-Autumn Festival.

The development team stated that their ultimate goal is to create NPCs with distinct personalities, each of whom will respond differently. The game’s character AI module will also be an area they continue to refine.

Previous job postings on the official website

When it comes to clothing, the keyword is “comfort.” In *Lili’s Lilliput*, the clothing is divided into three styles: trendy, special occasions, and the brand’s own line. But no matter what, the team’s standard for comfort is this: “When we see it, we want to wear it ourselves.” At the on-site fashion show, the outfits on display seemed to evoke specific lifestyle scenarios.The White Bear Milk Tea outfit evokes a sense of warmth, while the street graffiti outfit seems like it would let you glide effortlessly through the streets the moment you put it on.

That said, when discussing a new life simulation game these days, what players and the industry are most concerned about is this: Can the game strike a balance between a soothing experience and the grind-and-microtransactions that are almost inevitable in mobile games?

Regarding the monetization model for *Grain by Grain: Lilliput*, the team has not yet provided specific details based on the current progress of the game’s development.However, regarding the game’s grind mechanics, the lead developers have stated that the game as a whole will minimize competition. While players can choose to grind extensively, this process is not driven by a desire to avoid losses; instead, there are many alternative activities (such as cooking and farming) available for players to choose from.

In this regard, the development team also provided the media with additional details about the core gameplay loop of *Li Li's Lilliput*.

Specifically, the game as a whole will revolve around the core gameplay mechanic of “building Lilliput,” which ties together the experiences across different modules.“Players will first explore the world of Lilliput to uncover its backstory and gather various materials needed for daily life. They’ll use these materials to build their own homes and gradually unlock different sections of the desk, allowing them to invite more Lili to their homes and create a wider variety of living scenarios.”

“But there are no time-based requirements,” the development team added. Once the core experience modules have been gradually unlocked, the choice is entirely returned to the players. The development team explained that players can choose to cook and become master chefs, creating recipes for the Land of the Little People.If players want to surround their desk with houseplants, they can spend more time carefully tending to them.

In addition, *Grain of Lilliput* aims to reshape the game’s social mechanics through emotional experiences. The team stated that they will not rely on group-versus-group combat or strategic gameplay as the driving force behind the game’s social interactions; instead, they will recreate real-life social scenarios between strangers within the game.

In the game, they’ll design many touchpoints for players with low or no motivation. It might be a casual chat in a garden during a chance encounter in a public area. It could serve as an icebreaker. Of course, these activities can also be completed solo.The team hopes players will immerse themselves in the experience of exploring Lilliput and slowly build meaningful, close relationships. Once they’ve gotten to know each other, friends can then throw parties together.

Let everything return to its natural state, and let all chance encounters happen naturally. This seems to be the attitude toward life that the team wanted to convey in *Lili’s Lilliput*.

The key to this lies in perception. It’s not just about seeing the positive side, but also recognizing a wider range of emotions. With that in mind, they designed the “Dark Star Well” dungeon, where players can team up with friends to shatter the Dark Star with lollipops. They also noticed stray animals, which inspired them to create Upa.

They also saw themselves reflected in the game. Among the “Grains,” there was a newcomer to the Star’s Edge Association named Dili—who represented the very selves they had once been, when they first decided to set out on a new path.

04

Conclusion

Not limited to category labels

Currently, the life simulation genre is becoming a vertical category that developers are paying close attention to on mobile platforms.

This genre centers on a therapeutic experience. However, when this flow experience is ported to mobile platforms, it is frequently interrupted by the task-based design and forced social interactions typical of mobile games, ultimately turning it into little more than a series of tasks.

Tencent’s Silver Heart team’s *Grain’s Lilliput* is a cross-platform game that introduces the theme of “a Lilliput right at your fingertips,” delivering an innovative take on the genre.The game features building, exploration, and NPC interactions, but how to create an immersive experience centered on a “sense of daily life”—free from the distraction of a quest log—is undoubtedly an aspect the team is still carefully considering and refining.

Regarding the question of “target users” and how they view the “ceiling of the life simulation genre,” the creative team provided a sincere response that also reflected their determination.

They admitted that the life simulation genre is challenging to develop, as the immersive experience it offers places very high demands on the game’s content. However, they also stated that they would focus on themes and emotional experiences to create life simulation games that the team enjoys: “We hope to bring these experiences to life and continually push the boundaries of life simulation.”

They hope that *Lili’s Lilliput* will be a game for all ages that appeals to players who enjoy mixing and matching, collecting, and casual gameplay.He also added, “We didn’t develop this game strictly based on genre conventions; instead, we approached it from the perspective of its theme and the atmosphere it evokes. It’s a kind of ‘pretend play,’ and we hope *Lili’s Lilliput* will offer players a unique Lilliputian experience, just as our slogan says.”

“I’m small, but I live freely.”

Finally, the game’s themed events, user-generated content (UGC), and IP collaborations are all part of its long-term operational plan. Let’s look forward to its next appearance, and following this first reveal, we also look forward to *Grain’s Little World* unveiling more exciting experiences in the future.