A Japanese developer noticed that a player from the Czech Republic had added his simulator to the Steam wishlist. Instead of ignoring it, he implemented a new language and even received praise from a major Czech studio.
What game is it about? Ball Boy Simulator (originally: 球ひろいSimulator) is an upcoming game by Eba Games, a Japanese solo dev. In the game, you play as a ball boy for baseball, simulating the everyday life, which according to the trailer can also become quite absurd. There apparently are also elements of psychological horror – definitely a quirky game.
As the developer announced on August 1, 2026, on x.com, the game, which is unfortunately not available in Germany, will receive a Czech translation, but not because there are countless fans in the country, but because of a single entry on the wishlist.
You can watch the trailer here:
Reward for a fan
Why is there a Czech translation? In his announcement (x.com), the Japanese developer explains that one day he discovered that there was a single wishlist entry from the Czech Republic. Instead of ignoring it, he announced Czech as a language.
As justification, he mentions that during the last World Baseball Championship (World Baseball Classic), he learned how much the Czech Republic respects baseball and Japan. He is translating the game for the one baseball fan.
The announcement is well received under the x-post. There is even praise from a major Czech studio. Warhorse Studios, the developers behind Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, write to the solo dev: As a Czech studio, thank you!
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The Japanese developer thanks the studio and posts a screenshot of his desktop with Kingdom Come: Deliverance and the message that he will immediately buy the second part as soon as he finishes the first one.
What connects the two countries regarding baseball? As The Japan Times reports, there has been a good vibe between the two countries since the World Baseball Classic (WBC) 2023. There, Japan won 10:2 against the Czech team, but they were able to earn the favor of Japanese fans.
Thus, the Czech manager Pavel Chadim is quoted saying: We felt the support from Japan […] That is really very, very nice, and we feel like a little brother. We feel supported. We feel protected, and that has advanced our baseball.
A form of baseball partnership has emerged.
This connection, according to The Japan Times, also seems intact for the WBC 2026. It took place in March 2026, and the developer appears to be referring to that.
What do you think about the developer’s action? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments. Meanwhile, there are countless solo developers who want to succeed with their games on Steam. A young developer sold his game often, but the millions are still not there: 18-year-old sells his game on Steam over 6,700 times, would be a millionaire now if not 99.9% of buyers had refunded the game
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