The Musical Magic of Laura Shigihara

Laura Shigihara streamed a new song on March 14, 2026, playing it on piano. At least 290 viewers, including me, tuned in the moment the notification landed — mine arrived by email.

During the stream, Shigihara revealed that the song — Colony VI — would get a music video release on March 16, 2026. She also talked about digging through her archives and hinted at upcoming projects. Many of us, myself included, started crying when she closed the stream with "Build a Little World with Me" from Rakuen. (No spoilers, but the song marks a harsh turning point in the game.) We thanked her for it, even as the performance ripped our hearts out all over again.

Colony VI follows a crew sending out distress messages as they travel to another planet. They've come a long way, but they need help as they test for viable plant life and contend with suit malfunctions. That message lands hard in 2026. We've come far, too, but as people we need more than a pep talk and positive messages to reach our goals. The animation only brings on more waterworks.

More likely than not, a Shigihara creation will make you sob. She has a gift for breaking players' hearts through her writing and composing — and it's a privilege to feel that agony.

From Music Engineering to Enchantment

Gaming and music were a huge part of Shigihara's life from a young age. She trained in classical piano for eleven years and has talked in interviews about playing World of Warcraft since 2005. Her love of both — along with a reluctance to sign a contract as a professional singer — led her into sound and audio engineering. Game composing followed, starting with a volunteer project that turned into a paying gig. (I really miss the pre-2020 economy.)

Shigihara wears plenty of other hats: she worked on a beta for an indie game called Melolune, composed music for the first chapter of Deltarune, and even provided voice work for World of Warcraft. Though Melolune was never released — Shigihara confirmed in 2022 that she'd put it on indefinite hiatus — it developed a fan following. She also found a new home for some of its NPCs, the Leebles.

I know Shigihara best from Rakuen, a game she didn't just score but also developed. Rakuen follows a boy and his mother as they explore a fantasy world connected to a hospital, helping the patients there. It's set in a world where the Fukushima meltdown never happened.

Mr. Saitou, Rakuen's sequel, is on my to-be-played list, and I'd hoped to play it in May to celebrate AAPI creators. I expect it to break me on stream — though I'll probably take longer to muddle through it than my friend would, given he once watched me spend hours struggling with Celeste.

To the (Acoustic) Pain

Listening to Shigihara means unlocking emotions and grief you'd tucked away. I was spellbound by her credits song for the first chapter of Deltarune, and its closing line: "I'm with you in the dark." The line promises drama and something haunting, but it also sounds wistful and determined.

To the Moon and Rakuen are games about death, grief, and courage. While To the Moon didn't shatter me the way it shattered other gamers, Rakuen absolutely did. I watched a friend play, and we both broke down by the end. If I'd been playing on my own? I would have needed a lot of hand-holding, especially around the time COVID hit.

Shigihara is exactly the kind of creator worth protecting. We need to keep supporting our indie developers and composers as corporate interests keep buying up gaming companies. That means seeking out the people who deliver an immersive experience alongside exquisite sensory detail. Pain is a welcome bonus — especially when, as with Shigihara, it leaves you with catharsis.