This dev log was originally posted on Patreon and SubscribeStar on December 18, 2023.

Don't forget to leave a review on Steam!

Your reviews help other players like you find and enjoy our game.

Steam Launch

We are so excited with how the A Shot in the Dark launch has gone on Steam! This was our second major goal for the year, along with releasing V1.0 of Prince of Suburbia, and we are very proud for accomplishing both goals. It was a lot of work to get to this point, and we have a lot more work in front of us (particularly when it comes to releasing translated/localized versions). We still plan to a take some time this holiday season to reflect and celebrate all that we've accomplished so far!

Chapter 4 Development

As far as Chapter 4 development, the main writing tasks are done. There is one tiny scene left to write, some editing to do, and then some writing tasks that always happen toward the end of the development cycle such as texting content, Photograph content, chapter wrap up, etc. The word count for scripts written is ~60K words, but not all of that is dialogue (some is narration, code instructions, dialogue tags, etc). We won't know the dialogue-only word count until we prep the chapter for translation (which happens after the writing has been implemented into the code). The current render count is ~1,750 which definitely confirms this is shaping up to be our largest update in terms of renders. Renders for the Delia lewd scene are almost complete, with only a day or two left to finish those up. Renders still need to be made for the non-lewd hypnosis scene. Here are some previews from the lewd scene!

Previously Shared Previews

Here are the other previews for Chapter 4 that were previously shared on other platforms earlier this year:



































We wish all of you a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season! We can't wait to show you what we have in store for 2024!

[ 2023-12-21 18:17:55 CET ] [ Original post ]

A Shot in the Dark is a choice-driven adult visual novel about new possibilities and dark secrets. Navigate romance, relationships, and rivalry as a young man during your first semester of college. Can you make a fresh start, or will the past catch up with you?



A mystery to solve
You play as a young man hoping to make a fresh start in college. But when a sorority girl goes missing, any hope of a normal semester disappears along with her. Will you be able to solve the mystery of her disappearance before it's too late?



Your choices matter
Choose wisely. There is no right or wrong. There is no one "happy path." From the first chapter to the last, your decisions can have permanent impacts on the story. Many branching story paths—each with its own joys and tragedies—will eventually lead you to one of the multiple endings.



Compelling characters
Ten main love interests represent a variety of body types, personalities, and skin tones. Your choices will decide how each relationship progresses and whether lewd scenes are revealed. Additional romanceable characters will be included based on Patron polling and requests.



Transparent gameplay
The mystery is in the story, not the gameplay. You will always know what aspects of the game your choices affect, for optimal replayability. No grinding or pointless minigames to stretch out the content. Every mechanic is designed to move the story forward, not to slow it down.