I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what makes certain features stick around versus which ones fade into obscurity. So when I heard that Look Outside—an indie game that tasks players with surviving a cursed apartment building—decided to permanently keep their April Fools’ Day “smooch mode” feature, it got me reflecting on some broader principles about tool design that apply directly to how we build Photoshop actions and presets.

The Feature Nobody Asked For (But Everyone Wanted)

Here’s what happened: the developer released an update on April 1st that fundamentally changed how players interact with NPCs. Instead of the standard combat or dialogue mechanics, players could now kiss their enemies and neighbors. The team didn’t half-ass it either—they updated character sprites, rewrote dialogue, and added animations showing blushing eldritch horrors getting flustered. It was absurd, charming, and apparently, irresistible to players.

The developer made the right call by keeping it permanent.

Why This Matters for Creative Workflows

Here’s what this reminds me of: sometimes the best features in creative software aren’t the ones engineered by committees or planned in quarterly roadmaps. They’re the ones that emerge from genuine creativity and willingness to break convention. As someone who spends considerable time reviewing and testing Photoshop actions and presets, I’ve noticed that the tools gaining real traction aren’t always the “professional” ones—they’re the ones that delight users and encourage experimentation.

When you’re building actions or presets, there’s often pressure to optimize for efficiency alone. Faster renders, fewer steps, more predictable results. But users increasingly crave tools that spark joy and encourage playfulness in their workflow.

The User Engagement Blueprint

This smooch mode situation reveals something crucial: users will signal what they value through their behavior. If a joke feature generates genuine engagement and positive feedback, that’s real data. The developer listened and responded appropriately.

For those of us creating Photoshop presets and actions, this is our roadmap. Don’t assume you know what users want based on industry standards. Build things with personality. Test unconventional approaches. Most importantly, pay attention when users gravitate toward something unexpected.

The fact that a dating sim-style interaction system became a permanent fixture in a survival horror game proves that audiences appreciate surprise and delight. That same principle applies whether you’re designing film emulation presets or automated retouching workflows.

The Takeaway

Sometimes the best design decisions come from saying “yes” to the weird ideas instead of sticking rigidly to the original plan. If your tools can make users smile while solving their problems, you’ve built something genuinely valuable.