How Uraga Studio is Creating a Tattoo Removal Simulator

Introduction

Hi, my name is Andrius Gricius. A long time ago, with my close friend, we started Uraga Studio in 2014, with me as a founder and CEO. Long before Uraga, I began as a Tattoo Artist and a Pencil Artist, sharing my artwork online. Fortunately, in 2007, my work caught the attention of KOEI Tecmo Holdings, a Lithuanian-based department of a Japanese game production company.

They invited me to Tokyo to become a lead character designer and learn all there is regarding game development in general. With no formal 3D or game development education, it was quite overwhelming, and everything I learned was inside this studio. I'm still deeply grateful to that studio for the opportunity, which eventually led me to where we are today.

From the very beginning, Uraga Studio had an ambitious vision: to create a space for like-minded creative people to express their potential regardless of their previous discipline and build something original and genuine. The reality, however, was much tougher than we expected. It took years to break out of the never-ending cycle of service work, client projects, and outsourcing work, before we gained the experience needed to start developing our own game concepts.

Some titles we worked on got great player feedback and became games with a cult following. Projects and results like this fueled our motivation for over 12 years to keep moving. Most of the titles we worked on are under NDA, but one we can mention is Star Trek: Resurgence. Some of the other projects were even bigger titles. These experiences taught us production discipline and pipeline management, and gave us the confidence to create something original at a high-quality level.

Today, our team consists of around 20 people, from industry veterans to young talent, covering all areas of game production. Tattoo Removal Simulator is our first fully internal project and very special to us, as everyone contributes as a creator, not just as a professional delivering tasks. That collective involvement is truly visible in the project. I'm deeply grateful to every member of the Uraga team.

Tattoo Removal Simulator

The idea came from real life, something very human. Tattoos are visible marks of invisible emotions. You see them every day, but you rarely know their true meaning. This game is not an idea from a single person, but of Uraga Studio as a whole. So, after conversations with friends and the team, we noticed a shared experience around tattoos.

Some team members had friends who worked as tattoo specialists and shared funny or memorable stories. Others had considered opening a real tattoo removal clinic. Many of us have tattoos ourselves, with histories and meanings that still matter today. These shared experiences sparked our concept.

It became clear that people all over the world carry hidden stories behind their tattoos: sometimes funny, sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes simply thought-provoking. That's when we decided to make a Tattoo Removal Simulator, a game that would reveal these stories and emotions. We asked ourselves: what motivates someone to remove or forget a part of their story, their past?

This led to our central idea: in our game, players don't just remove ink, they uncover the story behind it. The game evolved into more than a cozy, relaxing simulator. It became a unique storytelling experience where players meet clients from all walks of life, encountering humor, emotion, irony, and even trauma related to real-life experiences of the players.

As development progressed, we understood that most tattoos in the game can be more than just random decorative assets. They would carry life-related themes. When the player focuses on removing the tattoo, they begin to notice subtle details inside the design itself: hidden symbols, visual metaphors, and small narrative elements. The gameplay becomes reflective and transformative.

In some cases, answers reveal themselves. In others, it leaves space for interpretation. Different players will discover different things, depending on their own life experiences. It's subtle. We don't force meaning. But it's there. In this case, we wanted the experience to be felt by the player as if they were dealing with real-life characters.

To bring this vision to life, we collaborated with talented movie director, writer, and producer Tadas Vidmantas, crafting story-driven, memorable characters portrayed by real actors, capturing authentic emotions for each client by directing each voice actor, for story-driven, unique characters, and game client session reactions in general.

The Story

Tattoo Removal Simulator puts the player in the role of a tattoo removal clinic owner. You begin with a small studio in the city and gradually upgrade your equipment, build your reputation, and expand into new districts. Eventually, you can manage multiple studios across different parts of the city. Each district has its own atmosphere and clientele. Some clients are everyday people, others are high-profile individuals, and some arrive with emotionally complex stories.

Tattoo Removal Simulator combines satisfying laser mechanics with character-driven encounters. Players who enjoy games based on visual results as Powerwash Simulator, will enjoy our project as well. Additionally, the experience revolves around diverse clients, each bringing their own personality, reactions, and life consequences expressed through their tattoos.

This may entice players to explore and find some solace in knowing that stories as such exist, and they are not alone in it. Players will also encounter uniquely crafted story characters with deeper narrative layers, revealed as they progress in their career and unlock new locations that will reinforce the self-exploratory effect of the game.

In the future, we plan to expand the city's narrative even further, connecting characters across districts and developing richer story arcs with more interactive gameplay elements, or even including fantasy characters common in the game universe.

Tattoo Removal Simulator is designed to appeal to different types of players: those who enjoy cozy, zen-like simulator experiences with satisfying gameplay similar to PowerWash Simulator, and those who are drawn to character-driven, human-centered experiences.

Some players may focus on career progression, optimization, and studio growth, while others may immerse themselves in the emotional depth of the stories they uncover.

Research About Tattoos

Before starting development, we researched both the technical and emotional sides of tattoo culture. On the technical side, we studied tattoo removal methods, laser technologies, skin behavior, healing processes, and the level of discomfort involved. We wanted the gameplay to feel believable without becoming uncomfortable or overly clinical.

Understanding how the process works in reality helped us design mechanics that feel grounded while still accessible and enjoyable as a game. On the emotional side, we explored real-life stories behind tattoos: why people get them, why they regret them, and what they symbolize at different stages of life.

Tattoos often represent strong emotions: love, rebellion, identity, loss, humor, or impulse decisions. That research directly influenced how we approached character design and tattoo artwork in the game. It also shaped how clients react during sessions.

Their responses reflect the intensity of the procedure, the player's precision, and occasionally create light, situational humor when things don't go exactly as planned. In the end, the research helped us balance realism and empathy. We didn't want to simulate a medical procedure. We wanted to simulate a human, life-like experience.

The Game's Mechanics

Tattoo Removal Simulator is intentionally built around a refined core gameplay loop rather than a large number of overlapping systems. The primary mechanic revolves around laser tattoo removal. Players must carefully control the laser and monitor a visible pain tolerance bar during each session. If the player applies too much pressure or moves carelessly, the client's discomfort increases, which directly affects satisfaction, ratings, and income.

This creates a light but meaningful layer of responsibility without turning the experience into a stressful simulation. We deliberately avoided overcomplicating the system with technical overheating mechanics. Instead, the focus is on precision, pacing, and client response. As players progress, they unlock three different laser head sizes: small, medium, and large.

This allows them to adapt their approach depending on tattoo scale and detail. Larger heads allow faster removal on broad areas, while smaller heads offer more precision. This simple upgrade path adds strategy without overwhelming the core loop. This also allows for including a more challenging aspect when removing a tattoo that is next to another tattoo that should not be affected.

In addition to laser removal, players use a healing spray tool to treat skin irritation and reduce scarring, creating a balanced rhythm between removal and recovery. Outside of the procedure itself, players can freely move within their studio. A central part of the progression system is the in-game computer interface.

Through the clinic's PC terminal, players manage client flow, upgrade equipment, unlock new districts, and expand their business. The mechanics are intentionally focused. The depth comes from refinement, pacing, and atmosphere.

Sound design plays a subtle but important role in immersion. We approached the audio with restraint. The laser feedback is responsive but not aggressive. Subtle shifts in tone and volume reflect precision and intensity. Client reactions are tied to the player's actions. Changes in discomfort level are reflected through breathing, vocal reactions, and body language.

To enhance the atmosphere, players can unlock and purchase a Robo Music Box inside the studio. Through it, they can select their preferred background music or tune into the in-game city radio. The city radio adds another narrative layer: podcasts, weather forecasts, news updates, and subtle world-building details.

Sometimes these broadcasts hint at future clients, events happening in the city, or larger narrative elements unfolding beyond the clinic walls. This system helps the studio feel connected to a living world rather than an isolated room. Overall, immersion in Tattoo Removal Simulator comes from small, intentional details, not loud signals.

Challenges

One of the most important aspects for us was making the world feel alive beyond the studio walls. Even though most gameplay happens indoors, we wanted players to feel that the city continues moving outside. Through the windows, you see cars passing, people walking, traffic lights changing, and subtle looping systems that create the sense of a living urban environment. That constant background activity adds quiet realism and prevents the studio from feeling isolated.

From a technical perspective, one of the core challenges was calibrating the laser behavior. We spent significant time refining how the laser interacts with the skin surface: its visual feedback, movement precision, and responsiveness. The goal was not to simulate medical accuracy, but to capture a believable feeling inspired by real laser removal processes. Finding the right balance between realism and satisfying gameplay took multiple iterations.

Another key layer was progression and economy. We carefully designed a system where players can genuinely feel career growth. From a modest studio to owning multiple locations in different districts of the city. Expanding into new areas is not just cosmetic. It changes the atmosphere, clientele, and overall tone. Studio customization was also important.

Players can upgrade equipment, invest in better tools, and gradually improve the design of their workspace. Making the studio feel more refined and comfortable enhances both the player's experience and the perceived quality of the service for clients. We wanted the space to evolve along with the player's journey.

On the character side, we developed a modular character generation system. Since the game features a large number of clients, and our long-term vision is to create an ongoing experience with continuously arriving new customers, we needed a scalable solution.

We built a system composed of multiple character elements: body types, facial features, clothing styles, accessories, and visual details. This allows us to create a wide variety of colorful personalities representing different social layers of the city.

Depending on the district where your studio is located, you will encounter very different types of clients, reflecting how real cities function. Downtown districts feel different from luxury areas, and that diversity is reflected in character design, clothing expression, and personality tone.

One of our main goals was to ensure that meeting a new client always feels fresh, that every session introduces someone visually distinct, with their own presence and story behind the tattoo. That diversity is one of the pillars of the game's long-term potential.

Development Process

It was a lot of trial and error, feedback, and brainstorming. Getting funny errors, collecting some precious feedback from our Reddit fans, and creating funny or meaningful tattoos is in itself a unique process. Then again, this project presented a handful of very memorable and rare occasions.

A few notable stories from our development would include one of the original DOOM developers and creators giving us his feedback after trying out Tattoo Removal Simulator. Getting a positive thumbs-up from him fueled our motivation to keep improving the game.

At the same event (GameOn Vilnius 2025), for the first time, we presented our game live and had a chance to get live feedback from players and game development veterans. This pushed us to adjust a few gameplay settings, and to our own surprise, the game became more alive. Another unique part of our development is the inclusion of an actual movie producer to create stories. The creative scope of this project proved to be unique.

The Reception so Far

The demo reception has been very encouraging. Many players mentioned that the experience feels unexpectedly calming, while others highlighted the satisfying mechanics and high visual quality. We carefully read Steam comments, and the feedback has already helped us refine the pacing, improve balance, and shape future ideas.

In terms of plans, we see strong potential to expand the city's boundaries and deepen the overall experience. We have ideas for DLC expansions that would introduce new districts, social environments, and more interconnected character arcs, even including some fictional settings and clients. Our goal is to gradually evolve the city into a more dynamic space where characters feel less like isolated sessions and more like part of a living system.

For example, we envision adding more interactive elements within the studio itself, including dynamic characters who enter from the street with specific messages, packages, or unexpected requests. We are also exploring ideas for more reactive scenarios in certain environments, such as tense situations in prison settings, where aggressive characters might create unpredictable moments before security intervenes.

Another direction we are interested in is allowing certain characters to migrate between districts, creating subtle narrative threads across different studios. A client encountered downtown might later appear in a VIP district, or a figure from the city's underground scene could resurface with deeper connections to other characters.

We see long-term potential in exploring the city's hidden layers, from high-profile individuals to underground elements, gradually revealing more complex social dynamics. In this evolving structure, the player becomes not just a technician but a quiet participant in the unfolding life of the city.

However, we approach this step by step. As an independent studio, our expansion plans depend on how the full release performs and how the community responds. If the game finds its audience, we are ready to grow this world carefully and organically.

Conclusion

The most important advice we can give is simple: start small, and finish what you start. Many beginner developers aim too big at the beginning. It's natural to have ambitious ideas, but learning how to complete a project, even a small one, teaches more than endlessly expanding a concept that never reaches release. Understanding scope is crucial.

Game development is not only about creativity. It is structure, iteration, discipline, and collaboration. The sooner you understand production reality, timelines, limitations, and teamwork, the faster you grow. From our experience, most meaningful breakthroughs don't happen because everything went perfectly. They happen through failure. Through mistakes. Through trying something, seeing that it doesn't work, and adjusting.

No amount of theory or completed studies can replace the raw learning process that comes from building, testing, failing, and improving. Real growth comes from practice and from listening to feedback, especially from players. Where should they start? Start with something manageable. Build a prototype. Test it. Finish it. Release it, even if it's imperfect.

Real feedback is more valuable than endless polishing in isolation. What helps the most is the team. Surround yourself with proactive people who genuinely care about what they create. Passion alone is not enough. Reliability and shared responsibility matter just as much. Releasing a game is not about having the perfect idea. It's about having the courage to ship, learn, and evolve.

Wishlist Tattoo Removal Simulator on Steam.

URAGA Studio

Interview conducted by Emma Collins