Hi, everyone. Its me, the developer, checking in and responding to some comments, reviews, feedback, criticism, and support Ive received throughout our journey so far.

Lets take a trip back in time!

November 2021

I first discovered AVNs and was instantly hooked. I fell in love with some of the greatest gamesmany of the same ones you enjoy. At the same time, I played quite a few AVNs that werent great and thought to myself, "Wait, I could actually make something much better!"

December 2021

I downloaded Daz Studio, played around with it a bit, and saw the potential in this software.

January 2022

I started learning Ren'Py, watched tutorials, and gradually became more familiar with Python.

February 2022 March 2023

During this period, I learned a lot about Daz, Ren'Py, and Blender. I also invested thousands of dollars into assets. Finally, I was ready to begin production on what is now known as Hardenville.

Late October 2023

Hardenville: The Prologue was released on Itch.io and Patreon, generating only a few purchases (three to five). The Steam version was supposed to launch simultaneously, but unfortunately, it remained stuck in the approval queue for three to four weeksfar longer than the usual 2-5 business days.

Early November 2023

Hardenville finally launched on Steam, and to my surprise, it was a big hit during the first weekend. It grossed almost $6,000 before Steams cut and taxes. I was excited about the future and believed I could already start working on this full-time. Then, a wave of negative reviews came in: "It's too short," "Almost no content," etc. However, I had always been transparent about the average playtime on the store page.

Why Did I Release Hardenville on Steam When Only the Prologue Was Finished?

As a brand-new developer in the AVN industrywhere new games release dailyits incredibly difficult to get recognized and build a player base. Releasing in Early Access on Steam helps gain visibility much faster. However, the trade-off is lower income on Patreon and other subscription-based platforms that many AVN developers rely on. Hardenville is and will remain a single-purchase game. You get all episodes for one priceno extra fees, no paid DLC for more lewd scenes. Unfortunately, after the big opening weekend, sales dropped drastically. In fact, from the Monday after release until today (March 2025), the game has earned less in total than it did during that first weekend alone. This financial reality has been a major factor behind the delays and unfulfilled promises.

Why Has Development Been Slower Than Expected?

At first, I thought I could work on this project full-time. But I quickly realized that wasnt feasible yet. My hope is that after a few more episodes and more positive feedback, Ill be able to make this my full-time job. If that happens, development will speed up significantly because Ill be able to dedicate more time to it. Im a solo developer, and yes, I have missed deadlinesa lot. I sincerely apologize for that. Thats on me, and I truly wish things had gone differently. However, my goal remains the same: to deliver fantastic episodes that leave you feeling satisfied and make your hard-earned money spent on this game worth it. Its better to take the time to create something greatsomething Im proud ofrather than rushing the process and leaving you uninterested in playing future episodes. Hopefully, once Hardenville is completed and I begin a new project, youll be able to look back and say: "I really liked Hardenville, and I have high hopes for his upcoming game. The only issue was the delaysif the dev has mostly sorted that out, were in for a great experience!"

Addressing Concerns About the English Version

Ive seen comments across the web mentioning that the English version had poor grammar. As of a recent update, the game has been fully proofread by a professional English proofreader.

Addressing Concerns About the Future of Hardenville

I know many people believe this project will end up abandoned like many other AVNs. Some even think Im scamming them. Personally, this is really tough to hear. All I want to do is create a fantastic game that we can all enjoy, given the time I have available. I will finish and deliver up to Episode 9, as promised. However, as with many Early Access games, development takes time, and delays happen.

When Is Episode 2 Coming?

Ive been careful about sharing release dates, especially after the backlash over previous delays. However, I recently announced that Episode 2 is coming in May. Unfortunately, even when I provide a release window, I still receive negative feedback.

Final Thoughts

Please rememberIm just one guy, working on my first release, doing something I love. I truly hope I can do this full-time in the future. More content will lead to better reviews, which will lead to more income, which will eventually allow me to make this my career. To be clear, I havent taken a single penny from Hardenville as salary yet. Every dollar earned has been reinvested into the project. I want you to know that I hear you, I care about your feedback, and I truly appreciate your patience, support, and for purchasing Hardenville. Lets make this a fantastic game together!

Hardenville

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2010460/Hardenville/

[ 2025-03-18 21:50:22 CET ] [ Original post ]

About

A 20-year-old guy studying at the Hardenville University named Jack (or custom name), suddenly has important decisions ahead of him. This virtual novel is filled with amazing girls, drama, romance and moral choices.

Includes

• Male-female

• Female-female

Info about Early Access

Early Access starts with a short intro, Episode 0: The Prologue. And then the planned, upcoming episodes 1 to 9 will have about 1000 images and 25 animations each episode. Which means it will have a lot more content than the prologue.

General info

• Images are rendered in 4k

• Animations / videos are rendered in 1080p with an upscaling to 4k

• Made with Daz Studio and Ren'Py

Discord

Please join our brand new community on Discord!
https://discord.com/invite/XPmezdYHeX