Hello, lovely players! Im Ya Mao, and heres the October game development update for Shiba Sweet.

This months progress has been amazing. I completed several major systems including the Recipe Unlock System, Bankruptcy Rescue System, and Ingredient-to-Trash System. I also improved the Ground Decoration System, fixed many bugs, and added a brand new event called Dog Day to the demo, making the game feel much richer and more complete.

1. Detailed Development Updates

(1) Recipe Unlock System Logic and Animation

When a recipe is unlocked, players can now enjoy a cute animation showing which new recipes, ingredients, and utensils have been unlocked. If the maximum number of desserts that can be placed has increased, that information will also appear in this animation.

Originally, I used a plugin that allowed 3D visual effects to be projected onto 2D widgets, but it caused conflicts during packaging and made the build fail repeatedly. I eventually decided to stop using the plugin and recreated the visual effects using Unreal Engines built-in tools instead.

(2) Major Improvements to the Ground Decoration System

The layout of the information panel has been adjusted to make it easier to read. Players can now continuously place the same type of object in build mode without having to reselect it every time, which provides a smoother building experience.

I also added anchor points for the players position so that decorations or furniture will not overlap with the player while building.

(3) Testing and Bug Fixing

This month I fixed many bugs of different sizes, such as the flickering icon on the mixer, button safety checks, corrected tutorial images, adjusted the ingredient box collision, and fixed the problem of ingredients clipping through the table.

I also fixed issues observed during a game exhibition earlier this month, such as an incorrect day setting that prevented the shop from progressing and unclear tutorial messages that made players confused about how to place ingredient boxes. These improvements helped the game move in a better direction.

(4) Completion of the Bankruptcy Rescue System

Thats right, the Shiba dessert shop can actually go bankrupt. When the player faces a financial crisis due to poor management, a hidden rescue system will automatically detect the situation and provide timely help. This feature allows the game to continue smoothly and prevents the shop from closing down.

(5) Ingredient-to-Trash System

To stay true to the games world and rules, I developed a system that turns unused ingredients into trash. If players forget to put ingredients into the storage cabinet before the day ends, they will find spoiled food the next morning that must be cleaned before the tables can be used again.

This system also applies to desserts left on the table, unfinished food in cookware, and ingredient boxes left on the ground. If these are not handled properly before closing, the kitchen will become a mess the next day.

(6) Added Japanese and Simplified Chinese Localization

In addition to English and Traditional Chinese, I added Japanese and Simplified Chinese versions this month. Each language uses carefully selected cute fonts that match the cozy and friendly atmosphere of Shiba Sweet.

Adding new languages took much more work than expected. Besides accurate translations, I needed to make sure there were no text conflicts, and I also had to redraw some UI textures for each language to ensure everything displayed correctly.

(7) New Special Event: Doggy Day

In the game, most customers are various types of cats and dogs. There was already a Kitty Day on the 12th, so I added a new Doggy Day on the 24th. On this day, all customers are dogs, and players need to prepare and pack delicious dessert bento boxes for them.

2. Summary

This has been a very productive month with lots of effort and progress. Looking back, Im happy to see how far the game has come. The official release is getting closer, and my current focus is to finish the demo and start a playtest in December to gather valuable feedback from players.

If you would like to try the game early, please keep an eye on the upcoming announcements. A limited-time playtest is planned for December.

Thank a lot for reading this far. See you in next months devlog!

---

Follow my development journey:

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Maowoo-studio

TikTok Channel: https://www.tiktok.com/@maowoo_studio

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shiba__sweet/