This post is all about good news, dont worry! Just like many people said in my Discord server, I really needed to make a big post for all my social media about whats been going on with the game since the last update. First, heres the very VERY short version in a message I wrote recently:
Then the more detailed answer: Ive actually been very active on my Discord and posted many small updates about the progress and what was my goal with the game and my life situation etc, but I never took the time to properly make posts on my other socials because I felt guilty of not posting any BIG update about the game itself. So Im truly sorry to all the people who werent on the Discord and were expecting any news this whole time. Im gonna try to explain whats been going on for the last 2 years with the game and my life. Just know that you can read the older and more detailed posts on my Discord server (in big info)!

SOLO DEV PROJECT

A lot of people believe that this is a multiple people project, which is a HUGE compliment to me, but no, Im a solo dev whos too passionate about this game and story. With this info, I think you can guess why it is very difficult to work on it and post updates regularly. This is not a book or a webcomic, its a game, with programming, music, art, some animations, etc. AND I also have to do the promoting/marketing all alone. FINANCIAL STRUGGLES I believe that most people reading this know the struggles of indie creators online, whatever the media is, you either do it in your spare time by sacrificing other things in your life, or you do it full time when you have financial stability from somewhere (whether by making money with the project itself, or a partner, etc). Currently I dont gain anything from this project. (It's a free game) 2 years ago I had to come to the realization that I cannot continue FSOP without trying to have a better financial situation (at least on the side) so that I can work on it more regularly. And I also realized that I probably needed to focus more on the marketing/promoting side of the game, to grow a bigger audience so that maybe I could make it a sustainable project. Which is, on itself, A LOT of work And it also meant NOT working on the game/story at all Which sucks a lot. Many of you predicted that this was going to be like the majority of episodic games where the first chapter is free and the next ones are not, yes that was the plan, but Im still not sure if its a good idea, free stuff attracts more people, but yeah its a tricky subject. I don't like talking about it. But I really need to point out how much I don't care about the money part, I just wished I could work on it full time like any other creator. You have no idea how much this project means to me, I have every intention to finish it and work on it my whole life if I have to. If I could do it for free while being able to live with enough Id do it, but thats not how it works lmao. So for the last 2 years I tried to find a better financial stability with my other jobs and stuff, so that I can MAYBE pay for advertisements or do marketing stuff etc. Or just be able to live off from a guaranteed job and work on the game in my spare time. But I was not so successful at it.

RECENT REALIZATION

At the very end of 2024 I had to question myself about the future of FSOP. I was terrified at the idea that I was going to struggle my whole life and NEVER work on the game ever again, just imagining that situation almost made me go back to dark places mentally. There is no way I'll EVER give up on it, that thought never crossed my mind once. I dont want to live with regrets. And Im too passionate for this story. (Im much more frustrated about the wait than the players lmao) So in short, I basically had enough of waiting, waiting to have a better financial situation is really awful, I can't fully control my future so I decided to find ways to be able to work on it REGULARLY and post big updates. That means sacrificing more stuff about my private life that I wont talk about, I dont want to promote unhealthy stuff here, but thats how it is. Thats a sad reality but Im still optimistic at the idea that one day I might be able to live off of these projects.

WHATS COMING?

So with that decision in place, Ive been very serious about doing two things: 1- Improving the 2 parts thats already out! By deleting some stuff, updating art, and improving the pacing and length of the whole project, so that new players discovering the game can experience the meat of the story and the ending twist sooner and quicker. 2- Actually post a REAL BIG UPDATE of the next part (or parts!) of the game/story in the coming months (in 2025!). Like an actual chapter update! Im not giving specific dates for many obvious reasons. But I have every intention to do these two things in 2025! (or at least early 2026) You need to understand that in the years I havent updated, I became a better artist but also a better writer. And just like any normal writer, even if I couldnt work on the game itself, I could still write notes, add stuff, change things here and there, so the story improved in a lot of ways! Like, Im genuinely so proud of its new version, Im so excited to let you experience it! But also, If I want to finish this project with my current situation, I had to work on shortening the length of the story/project and all the work around it. I dont want to insinuate that the quality will decrease, but Ive been working really hard on making it easier for me, its difficult to explain without details I still want you to experience it in the best way possible, but Ill have to make some choices. PROMOTING And after the true demo is out, Ill probably have to work on promoting the game more. If I want to live off from it its important that I grow the visibility of the game. So, to every player who talked about FSOP to their friends and stuff, online or elsewhere, thank you so so much, I do hope you realize how powerful the players are at promoting games on their own on the Internet. Thats how most of us discovered our favorite games, whether its lets plays, talk/discussion on social media, fanart, shares etc! And thank you SO MUCH to all the people who left reviews! Seriously, you help me in so many ways! If you genuinely want to help, you can leave reviews on Steam and itchio, talk about it to people, share stuff about it, anything really. Its so helpful you have no idea. THANK YOU Im so sorry for all the wait. As you can see, its even more frustrating for me. Thank you SO MUCH to all the people who enjoyed the first parts and have been waiting for any news this whole time. This post is already so long lmao, but its impossible to make it shorter. Thank you also to the people who actually supported me on Patreon! Its seriously really awesome, you have all my thanks! Ill have to find ways to make this game more sustainable in the future, but for now like I said, I just want to work on it and just do it. Whatever the cost. Thank you for reading, I hope to see you soon with real updates! I post more stuff on the Discord server if you are interested! You can also follow me on Twitter!

[ 2025-05-31 16:05:03 CET ] [ Original post ]

Minor French translation corrections / Correction de la traduction franaise. Thank you Streekay for the proofreading in French and thank you RangerCoco for the proofreading in English.

[ 2022-11-01 15:20:01 CET ] [ Original post ]

It's finally out ! Enjoy !
This part ends exactly where I initially intended the 'true Demo' to end. It's a very important ending point to understand where this story is going. If you want to be updated for the future of this game, don't hesitate to Follow me on Twitter or Join the Discord !

Author's note :

With how little time I have to work on this game, I have decided to concentrate on promoting the game instead of 'just' working on it because it won't be good in the long run if I can't have a decent audience following this project. So expect to see me work on very short bonus games (in the same universe/story) that I'll release on Itchio to promote the main game. For example : I want to make a short game about the kidnapping of Timor and how it happened in his house !

[ 2022-10-30 14:29:53 CET ] [ Original post ]

For those who don't know, I've decided to release an early version before the True Release of the next part, because this is an ONLY ENGLISH version without the french translation and without a beta read. So instead of waiting 1 or 2 months more for me to finish these tasks, I decided to give a limited access to an early version for my English players. And then I'll take either 1 month or 2 to finish the translation and let a beta reader correct errors I missed. So the TRUE RELEASE might take 1 month minimum to be out, I stopped giving dates because of how awfully unpredictable my side job is. This part was supposed to be out in June, that's insane to me.

Here's how to access this early version :

I already made a raffle on my DISCORD to make a player win an Early Access, join me there for future raffles and info ! The other way to get it : Check the SECRETS section on my PATREON page (read well how it works because Patreon is pretty weird) I launched a Patreon page as a Developer and 2D Artist, if you enjoy my work and want to support me and also get Early Access to not only the next Parts but also many other things related to the game (behind the scenes) or Photoshop files and art for it, please consider checking it.
Or if you just want to leave a tip without specific rewards you can check my Ko-fi page ! Thank you so much !

Author's note :

I'm still in a position where I can't work full time on this game since I can't be financially stable with it (not even close to be stable), so sorry for those long waits and I hope you understand that I also need to take care of my sanity and not suffocate with this amount of work. This project is TOO IMPORTANT for me, but sadly I can't really focus on it 100%. I hope one day I can.

[ 2022-09-23 12:10:24 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey ! Very important things about the next Part and Early Access you can get !

PART 2

On my Discord I post updates on my progress for the next part of Five Stages of Pink, here's the last update : Dialogues = 100% Artwork = 95 % Character sprites and their 'animation' = 60% Gameplay (Point and Click + Journal elements) = 35% Sound and music = 0% So it's not out yet and I can't give definite dates for now. But there isnt much left ! This part was supposed to be finished within 2 months after the first launch. But I'm the unluckiest person : At the launch of the first part I was so ready and excited to work and finish the next part but one of my side jobs suddenly sent me urgent missions and I couldn't say no because I need to eat and sleep in a bed. And then I got VERY sick and 'suffered' for 3 whole weeks where I spent my time feeling guilty about not progressing anything (on the game and my side job). And with that I had to work on promoting my game in some ways and I noticed that I spent more time trying to promote it than actually MAKING the game. Being a solo developer without money is the worst. I just want to make games and write good stories. Seriously. Anyway, I hate talking about private life stuff but I wanted to explain to you my situation and why it took so long to even progress a little. And I decided to stop giving release dates I cant keep up with my unpredictable life. I hope you understand.

EARLY ACCESS

I made a raffle on my Discord to make a player win an Early Access (of two weeks) for the next part ! So don't hesitate to join the Discord to participate in future raffles !

You can get an Early Access too !

I decided to launch a Patreon page as a Developer and 2D Artist, if you enjoy my work and want to support me and also get a two weeks Early Access to not only the next Part but also many other things related to the game (behind the scenes) or early art and sketches for it, please check my PATREON page and especially the SECRETS section. I also make tutorials for artists and developers and post Photoshop files of my art with layers to show how I work, so it might interest some people who follow me !
Or if you just want to leave a tip without rewards you can check my Ko-fi page ! Thank you so much. (Two weeks is the time I let my beta reader correct minor errors/typos and to let me translate the game in french. So it's an only english version that might have errors I missed.)

BONUS CONTENT : I participated in a Jam

A dev friend of mine greatly advised me to participate in a Itchio Jam (O2A2) with the limitation of 1000 words, 1 background, 1 illustration, 1 music, all that in one week only. This is a VERY short bonus content game (15-20 min) in the same universe as Five Stages of Pink and with a character who's going to appear in a later part of the main game. Check it out !
Thank you so much for your support ! I seriously cant wait to finish the next part, Im so excited ! Follow me on Twitter !

[ 2022-07-30 10:27:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

I added the very first Steam Achievements for the first part ! It was quite fun to make. I had many ideas for future achievements but I fear spoilers so I'll just do it every chapter updates. I'm not gonna lie that for some of these you'll need to restart the first part. You can just skip through most things but still try to interact with everything so you won't miss the actual achievements ! I also changed the design of some characters, just a little.

NEXT PART "COMING SOON" !

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter ! Or Join the Discord !

[ 2022-07-04 12:45:37 CET ] [ Original post ]

What the title says ! I can now publish it for Mac and Linux players !

NEXT PART ?

Regarding the next part "coming soon", as I mentioned in my previous post, my unpredictable life took a turn (because of my side job) and I don't believe I'll finish it before the end of June, my wishes are for during July ! And I want to add Steam achievements ! So this will take time too ! Don't forget to join the DISCORD ! And my Twitter ! If you want to support the project (and support me) you can buy the Soundtrack, thank you so much !

[ 2022-06-18 19:41:51 CET ] [ Original post ]

It has been such an awesome first month for the game ! Starting form zero I didn't expect this many people showing their appreciation of my story/game ! Thank you so much for your support !

PART 2/3 COMING SOON !

Part 2/3 and not Part 2/2 ? I understood the difficulty in my situation to post regular updates with these really long chapters. As some of you know, I can't work full time on the game (yet), since I have a side job and an unpredictable life with it. And my fear as a creator is that the updates will take so long that players will forget about it or forget about the story, and if you played the first part you know how many info there is to retain in it, it's important for me to post sooner. So I decided to Fragment Chapters into 3 parts for now.

End of June ?

And the reason why this next part will be published this quickly is because, since I originally planned to post the whole Chapter 0 at first, I already made most of the arts of this part, so it will be faster. But I still have a lot to do ! So please, knowing this, understand that the next parts after that won't be this quick to be released ! (As long as I can't work full time on this project) End of June is my guess but don't take it as an absolute truth ! (it can be more or less actually) I seriously can't wait ! Don't forget that you can join our DISCORD ! And if you want to support the project, you can buy the Soundtrack here ! The Digital Art Book will come at some point but it takes longer !

[ 2022-05-28 10:44:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

Two big changes

1) More Tutorials

Players didn't know that you are supposed to complete the Character Sheets yourself, it's not Automatic like the 'NOTES' Section. This is a big part of the game's features so it's important to understand it at the beginning of the story so you can pay more attention to dialogues and complete the Journal fully. This will not change the Main Story, if you complete a character profile you will get More Content about THEM specifically.
At first I wanted to make concise Tutorials, but from what other players said they didn't really retain what the Tutos said so I added more images, without changing much of the text, to help it.

2) Better Interrogation System

Now you know which subject you already asked about !
I knew I had to add this feature at some point but it was the most complicated thing to script, and I succeeded ! (For now) I hope it won't bring other types of bugs in the future. But I'm proud of how it turned out ! Some players also didn't know you could ask about Items of the first page ! Or ask about Sub-Titles and not just Titles (which is really important if you want to finish the first part). These things were explained in the Tutorial but like I said some players didn't really catch it I guess so I made better Tutorials about the Interrogation sessions (by just adding images).
I really hope this is the last BIG update of this first part of the game. It's really important for me that players understand fully every features of the game I worked hard on right from the beginning. I'll probably update it again for very minor corrections and stuff. Don't forget that you can join the Discord to ask about anything or just talk about the game ! Thank you for all your support !

[ 2022-05-15 15:01:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

Join the very new Discord and don't hesitate to ask/inform/report/suggest/talk about anything concerning the game ! Even if I'm busy with the game's next part and everything around the release, I'll answer your questions there ! Click here to Join !
Thank you for your support ! Kaffein

[ 2022-05-06 16:39:16 CET ] [ Original post ]

The Original Soundtrack of Five Stages of Pink is out now ! Thanks to Steam's update system the Soundtrack file will automatically be updated for each Chapter releases. So you do not have to pay more for the additional future content of the soundtrack. Thank you for your support !
I would like to thank all the reviews since the game released ! And all the people that enjoyed this first part of the game. It's all thanks to you ! I'm already working on the second part of chapter 0, I'm so excited to show you what's to come next in this story ! Prepare yourselves and enjoy the ride !

[ 2022-05-05 13:58:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

After great feedbacks I added clarifications for some features. Some players didn't know you could skip already seen dialogues (with the right button) and also that the Dialogue History was in the menu (even though this was shown in the menu directly) So I added a 'Controls screen' in the beginning. I also added the possibility to hide the interface to see the artwork better with the middle click button. I changed very little things in dialogues to help players who believe they are stuck but are not.

[ 2022-05-03 12:13:53 CET ] [ Original post ]