I recently added a bit of voice acting to the game! There's a particular scene that I felt deserved it, so I commissioned a few hundred words of spoken dialogue. It might be a bit random to suddenly get a voice acted scene in the middle of the game, but I think it kinda fits. In an ideal world, my whole game would be voice acted (or actually, just actedI would love to have my game presented like a Supermassive Games production), but alas, I don't have that kind of money. Regarding the map I mentioned previously: It's now fully integrated into the game. You can toggle it anytime, and it'll show you the approximate location of the current scene. Or if you really want, you can just leave it open and watch the little red 'X' jump around from scene to scene. I've also finished writing the second of the three major branchesonly the true-ending path remains. Of course, finishing this branch doesn't mean the game is complete yet. I still have Day 5 and the epilogue left to write, plus the "ending timeline" feature I've mentioned before, where the game reveals a timeline of events, including some that the player couldn't possibly know during gameplay. After all that is done, I need to fully playtest the entire thing again, with every possible combination of choices. I should also take a look at which scenes could use additional sound effects, graphical enhancements, or possibly animations. And if the word count isn't quite where I want it, I'll probably write a few additional scenes. Actually, let's check the script's word count right now: it's currently around 40,000 words. I'd prefer at least 60,000 words for the finished product. Fortunately, there are still plenty of words to write for Day 5 and the epilogue. I'll keep you updated as progress continues!

[ 2025-04-30 11:12:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everyone, Thought I'd share an update on my progress with Shadows of Betrayal. But first of all, a huge thank you to all the new followers and wishlists from Steam Next Festyour support means a lot, especially for a tiny-budget indie game like this. I should probably have written a thank you message earlier, but instead I've put all my energy into writing the game, which is what matters the most in the end.

Background Art Overhaul

Regarding the temporary background art I've had in the game until now, I've made a complete graphics overhaul. The character art is from my own 3D-models, so that will not change, but all the backgrounds have been replaced (and corrected, some of them were daytime pictures when events were happening during the night). I've also commissioned an artist to draw a map of the game's surroundings. Hopefully, it turns out well and helps players better visualize and understand the area. Expect updated screenshots soon, and perhaps even a refreshed trailer and demo. We'll seemy priority remains finishing the game itself.

Progress on the Script

As I've previously mentioned, my plan is for the game to consist of five days plus an epilogue. On day 4, a major decision branches the story into three completely distinct paths. It's a lot of work to write and plan, but I'm making steady progress: I've nearly completed one path and started writing the other two. I'm personally very pleased with how the narrative is shaping up. Even though some initial plans have evolved, the pieces are still coming together nicely to form what I believe is a coherent and surprising story.

Release Date Estimate

So, the progress has been good, but we're definitely not going to have a release before summer. I could see August or September as a possibility. But who knows, it might even be earlier. I'll keep you updated! Thanks again for your continued support. If you have questions or comments, please don't hesitate to reach out! - JayzonBH

[ 2025-04-07 09:28:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello lovely people! I thought I'd write a little update about where I am with the game. I am still working on the script, but lately I've made a lot of progress. My vision for the game's length remains the same: five days plus an epilogue, with three different main ending routes. Each of those days is packed with meaningful eventsthere's no filler or aimless rambling. Every scene has a reason to be there. The days in this game are also quite long, especially in comparison to Dreamwalker, my previous gameI'm aiming for Shadows of Betrayal to be a little longer than Dreamwalker was in overall length, though not by a huge marginstill just a few hours per playthrough. Feedback from play testers has been very positive. Words like "entertaining", "interesting", "mysterious" and "energetic" have been used to describe the story. "Good stuff" as well. I'm behind schedule on my original release date, as I took a break from writing. I've got to admit, I felt a little frustrated when this game received far fewer wishlists than Dreamwalker after its initial announcementeven when I'm sure this is easily the best thing I've ever written. I'm especially proud of the character work in this. I'm obviously not doing this for money, but it's still demoralizing when reality doesnt match your expectations. A storyteller wants his story to be heard. Beyond the script, there are other aspects of the game I'm not fully happy with yet, and I hope to improve them before launch. For now, my top priority remains finishing the script. I'm not going to guess any release dates yetmuch of it depends on inspiration, since this is not my job, just a side project I'm working on because I love good storiesboth writing them myself, and enjoying them in many forms, be it video games, movies, books... What have you. Anyway, as always, thanks so much for your interest in my humble project. It's very much appreciated! - JayzonBH

[ 2025-02-19 17:07:53 CET ] [ Original post ]

Get to know the key players and explore the setting in this short demo covering the first day of Shadows of Betrayaland a glimpse into the second. Things are about to take a dark turn. Free demo available now!

[ 2025-01-10 16:19:01 CET ] [ Original post ]