Where was that guy?

To those of you who've been following my game, let me tell you a quick story about my intellectual prowess. A year ago, after developing the first demo that was published elsewhere, I decided it was a fantastic time to reinstall Windows. Unfortunately, due to a failure to back up files, I lost all source development files and rigs of the game. Every scene file was gone. Everything I had rendered would need to be redone from scratch. Approaching March 2025 (literally this week), during a brief moment of sobriety, I had a realization. I had a secondary GitHub account that had backed up my files, as my primary account had failed to do so. And thus, I have just recovered all my work.

What is happening with the game?

To those of you who came to my Steam page from... certain other platforms which shall remain nameless, I've decided to transition the game into a visual novel more akin to Slay the Princess. Some level of spice, the maximum that Steam allows, focused on a fully branched narrative with no common route. Every choice creates consequences. There are still three key characters with different degrees of connection to you, but in one way or another, all share family bonds. The game is already written, but since developing my 3D and cinematic abilities, I now have a better way of making the content feel alive. I've committed to turning around the free demo on Steam as quickly as possible, with regular development updates here and on other platforms. I'm honestly stoked to continue making the game, and while it might not be what you originally signed up for, playing Coffin of Andy and Leyley showed me that intensity can be delivered through subtext and layered writing. Not that I have this ability, but who knows?

New Direction

The game has moved past explicit elements as a key focus into human connection and family dynamics. The characters aren't caricatures anymore. They're people with layers of defenses, coping mechanisms, and moments of tenderness with notes of bitterness. Their motivations are a lot clearer too, now that I actually have most of the story. And I don't only want to focus on the main characters but give ample opportunities to experience the stories of others, with meaningful long-term impacts. The original version of the game taught me that a character brushing their teeth with tears in her eyes and trembling hands after a night of bad decisions hits harder than whatever grotesque depiction of violent acts you can showcase. That even depicting them feels bad taste. This is the direction I want to take - dysfunction and uncomfortable feelings. Because I am, myself, quite an uncomfortable person. Thanks for reading and I hope you follow for more.

[ 2025-03-20 03:21:29 CET ] [ Original post ]