So I just realized I've been really silent on Steam lately, and thought I might as well pop in here and ramble for a bit. I have no idea how many people actually read these things, so if you're reading this, hi! It's a pleasure to meet you! I'd offer a cookie, but unfortunately I'm outall my extra cookies are going in to the Nepenthe update. Speaking of that update, it's pretty much finished and I've got it sitting on my computer right now, but I've been putting off actually releasing it for a while. I don't really have an excuse for that, and I can't explain why this is taking me so long to actually release, but my brain is a strange thing. Sometimes I'll find myself procrastinating on stuff that really should be simple to do, but for some reason just. Doesn't. Happen. I'm quite annoyed at myself that that's a thing, and have been trying to work on breaking that tendency. I'd like to say the update will be out before the end of November, but honestly, who knows. My schedule is quite unpredictable, even to myself. Do know that when it does come out, it will be freaking awesome. I'm grinning chaotically to myself just thinking about it now. Anyway...
In related Nepenthe news, we've reached 40 positive reviews on Steam! (It's actually more like 60 positive reviews, but Steam doesn't count it if someone uses a key to play) With just 10 more, Nepenthe will get a "very positive" rating, which, while totally useless, will make me feel very good about myself. If you want to support me and my feelings of self-worth, leaving a review on Steam is always appreciated. charmed
In non-Nepenthe related news, development on TTDT is going really well! There are less than 30 lines left, out of more than 200 total. It's going to feature an absolutely drop-dead beautiful soundtrack by the one and only Michael Becze, and to be honest, I don't think I can be more excited. Regardless of if anyone ends up playing this or not, I'm having an absolute blast making TTDT, and feel like I've learnt a tremendous amount. We also kind of managed to get Steam to add the LGBTQ+ tag as a weird side effect of researching the history of Robert Browning (the person who wrote the poem TTDT is based on), so yeah. That happened. You can wishlist it here, if you want to get an email notification when it releases: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1079740/To_The_Dark_Tower/
Overall, I'm really excited about what the future holds, and incredibly grateful to have such awesome supporters as you guys. Thanks for this incredible journey. From your friendly neighborhood game developer, Yitz

I'm happy to report that I'm working on a new game: To The Dark Towera visual experience based on the nightmare of a long-dead poet. For more information, and to get an email notification when it releases, you can wishlist it here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1079740/To_The_Dark_Tower/ I'm really excited about this, and I think you will be too :) From your friendly neighborhood game developer, Yitz

I would like to introduce you to a strange and haunting poem, one written by the Victorian author Robert Browning, who recorded this text, fully written, as seen in a dream one night. The title of the poem is "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came," and I think you will enjoy it very much. Here it is: "CHILDE ROLAND TO THE DARK TOWER CAME" _(See Edgar's song in "Lear.")_ My first thought was, he lied in every word, That hoary cripple, with malicious eye Askance to watch the working of his lie On mine, and mouth scarce able to afford Suppression of the glee, that pursed and scored Its edge, at one more victim gained thereby. What else should he be set for, with his staff? What, save to waylay with his lies, ensnare All travellers who might find him posted there, And ask the road? I guessed what skull-like laugh Would break, what crutch 'gin write my epitaph For pastime in the dusty thoroughfare, If at his counsel I should turn aside Into that ominous tract which, all agree, Hides the Dark Tower. Yet acquiescingly I did turn as he pointed: neither pride Nor hope rekindling at the end descried. So much as gladness that some end might be. For, what with my whole world-wide wandering, What, with my search drawn out thro' years, my hope Dwindled into a ghost not fit to cope With that obstreperous joy success would bring,-- I hardly tried now to rebuke the spring My heart made, finding failure in its scope. As when a sick man very near to death Seems dead indeed, and feels begin and end The tears, and takes the farewell of each friend, And hears one bid the other go, draw breath Freelier outside, ("since all is o'er," he saith, "And the blow fallen no grieving can amend;") While some discuss if near the other graves Be room enough for this, and when a day Suits best for carrying the corpse away, With care about the banners, scarves, and staves: And still the man hears all, and only craves He may not shame such tender love and stay. Thus, I had so long suffered in this quest, Heard failure prophesied so oft, been writ So many times among "The Band"--to wit, The knights who to the Dark Tower's search addressed Their steps--that just to fail as they, seemed best, And all the doubt was now--should I be fit? So, quiet as despair, I turned from him, That hateful cripple, out of his highway Into the path he pointed. All the day Had been a dreary one at best, and dim Was settling to its close, yet shot one grim Red leer to see the plain catch its estray. For mark! no sooner was I fairly found Pledged to the plain, after a pace or two, Than, pausing to throw backward a last view O'er the safe road, 'twas gone; gray plain all round: Nothing but plain to the horizon's bound, I might go on; naught else remained to do. So, on I went. I think I never saw Such starved ignoble nature; nothing throve: For flowers--as well expect a cedar grove! But cockle, spurge, according to their law Might propagate their kind, with none to awe, You'd think; a burr had been a treasure trove. No! penury, inertness, and grimace, In some strange sort, were the land's portion. "See Or shut your eyes," said Nature peevishly, "It nothing skills: I cannot help my case: 'Tis the Last Judgment's fire must cure this place, Calcine its clods and set my prisoners free." If there pushed any ragged thistle-stalk Above its mates, the head was chopped; the bents Were jealous else. What made those holes and rents In the dock's harsh swarth leaves, bruised as to balk All hope of greenness? 'tis a brute must walk Pashing their life out, with a brute's intents. As for the grass, it grew as scant as hair In leprosy; thin dry blades pricked the mud Which underneath looked kneaded up with blood. One stiff blind horse, his every bone a-stare, Stood stupefied, however he came there: Thrust out past service from the devil's stud! Alive? he might be dead for aught I know, With that red gaunt and colloped neck a-strain, And shut eyes underneath the rusty mane; Seldom went such grotesqueness with such woe; I never saw a brute I hated so; He must be wicked to deserve such pain. I shut my eyes and turned them on my heart. As a man calls for wine before he fights, I asked one draught of earlier, happier sights, Ere fitly I could hope to play my part. Think first, fight afterwards--the soldier's art: One taste of the old time sets all to rights. Not it! I fancied Cuthbert's reddening face Beneath its garniture of curly gold, Dear fellow, till I almost felt him fold An arm in mine to fix me to the place, That way he used. Alas, one night's disgrace! Out went my heart's new fire and left it cold. Giles then, the soul of honour--there he stands Frank as ten years ago when knighted first. What honest man should dare (he said) he durst. Good--but the scene shifts--faugh! what hangman hands Pin to his breast a parchment? His own bands Read it. Poor traitor, spit upon and curst! Better this present than a past like that; Back therefore to my darkening path again! No sound, no sight so far as eye could strain. Will the night send a howlet or a bat? I asked: when something on the dismal flat Came to arrest my thoughts and change their train. A sudden little river crossed my path As unexpected as a serpent comes. No sluggish tide congenial to the glooms; This, as it frothed by, might have been a bath For the fiend's glowing hoof--to see the wrath Of its black eddy bespate with flakes and spumes. So petty, yet so spiteful! All along, Low scrubby alders kneeled down over it; Drenched willows flung them headlong in a fit Of mute despair, a suicidal throng: The river which had done them all the wrong, Whate'er that was, rolled by, deterred no whit. Which, while I forded,--good saints, how I feared To set my foot upon a dead man's cheek, Each step, or feel the spear I thrust to seek For hollows, tangled in his hair or beard! --It may have been a water-rat I speared, But, ugh! it sounded like a baby's shriek. Glad was I when I reached the other bank. Now for a better country. Vain presage! Who were the strugglers, what war did they wage Whose savage trample thus could pad the dank Soil to a plash? Toads in a poisoned tank, Or wild cats in a red-hot iron cage-- The fight must so have seemed in that fell cirque. What penned them there, with all the plain, to choose? No foot-print leading to that horrid mews, None out of it. Mad brewage set to work Their brains, no doubt, like galley-slaves the Turk Pits for his pastime, Christians against Jews. And more than that--a furlong on--why, there! What bad use was that engine for, that wheel, Or brake, not wheel--that harrow fit to reel Men's bodies out like silk? with all the air Of Tophet's tool, on earth left unaware, Or brought to sharpen its rusty teeth of steel. Then came a bit of stubbed ground, once a wood, Next a marsh, it would seem, and now mere earth Desperate and done with; (so a fool finds mirth, Makes a thing and then mars it, till his mood Changes, and off he goes!) within a rood-- Bog, clay, and rubble, sand, and stark black dearth. Now blotches rankling, coloured gay and grim, Now patches where some leanness of the soil's Broke into moss or substances like boils; Then came some palsied oak, a cleft in him Like a distorted mouth that splits its rim Gaping at death, and dies while it recoils. And just as far as ever from the end, Naught in the distance but the evening, naught To point my footstep further! At the thought, A great black bird, Apollyon's bosom-friend, Sailed past, nor beat his wide wing dragon-penned That brushed my cap--perchance the guide I sought. For, looking up, aware I somehow grew, 'Spite of the dusk, the plain had given place All round to mountains--with such name to grace Mere ugly heights and heaps now stolen in view. How thus they had surprised me,--solve it, you! How to get from them was no clearer case. Yet half I seemed to recognize some trick Of mischief happened to me, Gods knows when-- In a bad dream, perhaps. Here ended, then, Progress this way. When, in the very nick Of giving up, one time more, came a click As when a trap shuts--you're inside the den. Burningly it came on me all at once, This was the place! those two hills on the right, Crouched like two bulls locked horn in horn in fight; While, to the left, a tall scalped mountain ... Dunce, Dotard, a-dozing at the very nonce, After a life spent training for the sight! What in the midst lay but the Tower itself? The round squat turret, blind as the fool's heart, Built of brown stone, without a counterpart In the whole world. The tempest's mocking elf Points to the shipman thus the unseen shelf He strikes on, only when the timbers start. Not see? because of night perhaps?--why, day Came back again for that! before it left, The dying sunset kindled thro' a cleft: The hills, like giants at a hunting, lay, Chin upon hand, to see the game at bay, "Now stab and end the creature--to the heft!" Not hear? when noise was everywhere! it tolled Increasing like a bell. Names in my ears, Of all the lost adventurers my peers,-- How such a one was strong, and such was bold, And such was fortunate, yet each of old Lost, lost! one moment knelled the woe of years. There they stood, ranged along the hillsides, met To view the last of me, a living frame For one more picture! in a sheet of flame I saw them and I knew them all. And yet Dauntless the slug-horn to my lips I set, And blew. "_Childe Roland to the Dark Tower came._" * * * * * I mention this poem because it will come in useful later. If you want to talk about your interpretation of it, feel free to chat!

So I was playing around with Google's Deepdream software today, and out of curiosity, gave it the Nepenthe logo. This is the result:
For comparison, this is the original image:
Um... yeah. I have no idea why I did this. Please forgive me, for I have sinned. Amen. Yours truly, Yitz PS: We're almost at 30 reviews, which is crazy! Thank you so much for all the support :3

https://discord.gg/Zbfy899

I'm close now. Very close...
If you have no idea what's going on, that's totally understandable, considering I'm being cryptic and spooky and all that jazz. Rest assured that I'm not trolling youdespite the ridiculously long amount of time this is taking, everything will eventually come together. I'm hoping for a big announcement in this or the next month, but I can't promise it. Until then, if you want to support what's coming (which will be totally free if you already own Nepenthe, btw), please consider leaving a review on Steam.
Cookie Monster wants your critique, and can you really say no to that face? Have a good one! From your friendly neighborhood game developer, Yitz

Imagine, if you will, a baked potato. Its pretty normal as far as baked potatoes go: brown, slightly mushy, and better with salt. There is only one thing that makes this baked potato uniqueits 30 times the size of our sun. Obviously, this presents some problems for the hungry scientist. For one thing, every portion of the potato is gravitationally pulled towards every other portion of the potato. The portions on the outside are pulled toward the center, since that is where the most potato parts lie. It quickly becomes an almost perfect sphere, any irregularities crushed to the ground. Those in the center are pulled outwards in all directions equally, resulting in no overall movement. There is thus tremendous pressure exerted on the center of the potato by its own gravitational pull. AT this point, the core is squeezed to the point where its very atoms collide, creating enormous energy. The center explodes. The explosive force of matter and energy pushes outward, balancing the gravity pushing inward. The potato reaches an uneasy equilibrium: constantly exploding and imploding at the same time; a floating ball of fire in space. We have successfully baked our potato. For the next few million years, our giant baking potato acts like a giant fusion reactor. It burns the elements in its core, producing tremendous force to counteract the constant pull of gravity. Simpler elements collide to form heaver ones, so hydrogen is the first to go. The potato eventually runs out of that, and gravity makes its move. The center compresses further, until its hot enough to fuse the next element up, helium. Being a potato, there isnt much of that, and so the fusion cycle continues for a while. When it reaches iron, a strange thing happens: it isnt fused. Iron is an incredibly stable element, and the amount of energy required to turn it into something heavier is beyond even our potatos power. As the other elements are used up, eventually only iron is left; A perfect giant sphere of it at the very core. Something tragic and beautiful happens then. Our potato has been burning for millions of years, and its all about to end. The potato has no energy left. Gravity wins. It pushes inward, and this time there is no fusion to stop it. It pushes the elements, the atoms, brings even the electrons togethera single moment and that which makes up everything touches, kisses, hugs each other for the first and last timeand keeps on pushing. The core becomes a point. Just a dot, with no width or depth or space. Its only gravity now. The gravity of a former potato thirty times the size of the sun, all in a space so small it can hardly be called a space. The outer layers of the potato are brushed away into the cosmos by the aftershock of the event, to be forgotten among the stars. Observers far away might note an explosion in deep space, then they too will turn their attention elsewhere. No one sees whats left behind. The gravity of that single point which lies there is so intense that nothing can escape for one hundred miles away. Nothing. Not even light itself, the fastest possible thing in the universe. Think about that: a space the size of Honolulu, in which anything that enters never leaves. It was a potato once, and now its a hole in space itself. A black hole, if you will. Our former potatonow black holestill has close to the same mass it started off with. Its in a smaller area, but the stuff it was made of is still there, in some form. Occasionally, a nebula or a star may cross its path, and will be swallowed by the black hole. What made up the star will be added to what made up our potato, indistinguishable in every way. As the mass increases, so will the size of its gravitational pull. The point at which even light itself cannot escapecalled the event horizongrows larger. As for the insidethere is no way to know what is happening inside. Nothing can ever come back to tell us. All we know now is that the black hole consumes, and grows, and eats, and grows. But one day the stars will die. Nebulae will disperse. Galaxies will crumble away. The universe will grow old one day, and our black hole will still be there. Eons will pass, and nobody will be there to watch the worlds clock tick, tick, tick; Our black hole will still be there. Humanity will become a distant memory, and the concept of memory itself will be forgottenOur black hole will still be there. It will still be there, when everything else has reached its end. H.P. Lovecraft once said that with strange aeons even death may die, and perhaps he was right. Black holes represent a sort of cosmic death, and black holes themselves will someday die. No one will be there to witness it, but space itselfthe shifting quantum foam that softly bubbles everywherewill take its due. At all timeseven nowparticles are created out of the foam, both of matter and its twin, antimatter. The two are born, then touch, then annihilate each other. This dance of death takes place all around us, every second of every day. We dont notice it, since we dont have to: The particles are gone as soon as they appear, leaving no net energy behind. Around a black hole however, things are different. If the particles appear near the event horizon, one may fall in, while the other escapes. The one that escapes must by definition have an incredible amount of energy, in order to flee the gravity well. Since both particles brought together produce zero net energy, the one that fell into the black hole must have negative energy. Einstein famously showed that energy can be converted to mass, so in some sense the black hole just lost mass. It shrunk. Over an unimaginable length of time, this shrinking by quantum radiationHawking radiation, as it is called will become noticeable. The particles involved are among the smallest known, so for a practical eternity they have little effect. Of course, we have forever to wait. One day the last star will die, and the only source of energy left will be hawking radiation. If there is anyone left alive, they will have to live off of its power, scant though that may be. As the black hole gets smaller, the curve of the event horizon becomes more pronounced. This makes it easier for quantum particles to diverge, since the gravitational pull will be significantly different depending on how close to the horizon they are. The hawking radiation thus becomes stronger, and the black hole shrinks faster. Our black holeonce a giant potato the size of thirty suns will die in an explosion of hawking radiation, millions of megatons flowing from an event horizon the size of a proton. Our potato will be the dying light of a black universe. Now thats food for thought. Further reading: https://www.livescience.com/39620-how-big-is-solar-system.html https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/pdf/2013/06/aa20920-12.pdf https://arxiv.org/abs/1511.08221 http://www.slate.com/blogs/quora/2013/11/12/what_would_the_death_of_a_black_hole_look_like.html PS: Wow, I'm impressed you read all that! If you liked it, well, thanks I guess :3 If you're confused, good. The plan is working. MWAH HA HA HA! -Yitz

This is the lowest price Nepenthe has ever had on Steam, so I'm both excited and mildly terrified! For those wondering, this is not the super-exciting news that's coming up. Trust me, you'll know when that's arrived :) For now though if you don't own Nepenthe yet, what are you waiting for? Other than the zombie apocalypse, of course. Because we're all waiting for that.
If you do own Nepenthe good for you! I hope you're enjoying it (maybe not as much as the zombie apocalypse, but still), and please consider leaving a review on Steam :) Happy holidays, Yitz

In some Very Exciting News (for me at least; I can't personally guarantee you will shout in joy towards heaven), I can now proudly announce that I've teamed up with the developer of The Endless Empty to create a Steam bundle! This means that you can buy both of our games at a 15% discount, on top of any other Steam discount. Yes, I'm practically throwing savings at you. (It's to take revenge. Savings killed my family. To conquer my fear I now only attack with great savings. It's a heartbreaking story, really.) Not only that, but we plan to get more developers involved in this bundle in the futureso we all can RULE THE GALAX-oops. Too soon to tell you that. :_: So yeah, go get it here: https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/9336/The_Surreal_RPG_Collection/ If you want to help, please consider buying The Endless Empty (I may or may not have cried a bit while playing), and leaving a review on our games. (My goal? 50 total reviews on the bundled games by the end of January. That should allow me to do some things I think you'll all enjoy...)
Yours non-falsely, Yitz

Welp, the Steam Awards Nominations have begun, and I highly recommend you go and vote in that! Here are my submissions, and I have of course nominated myself as "best developer" because I'm a loudmouthed shnook. ;) Also, Nepenthe is on sale (again)! If you haven't bought it yet, or you want to give a very strange gift to a friend, now's the time. If you do buy it, you get free eternal joy. Or at least a slight smile. Maybe a general not-depressed feeling. Or not. It's a surprise! Also, also, something very exciting is on it's way: [spoiler]lol you're not getting it that easy[/spoiler]! I think you'll enjoy it... Yours, Yitz
PS: If you haven't done so yet, please consider leaving a review on Steam. Positive or negative, it really helps me figure out what I'm doing right (or wrong), and lets Steam know that people are interested in Nepenthe. PPS: If you have written a review, know that I've read it, and really appreciate your words. It means a lot to me. :)

...Um, not literally. That wouldn't be nice. Metaphorically though, I want you to hurt me. Not that way either. Wow, this really isn't coming out well... What I'm trying to get across is that I need your help: I want to become a better artist, and to become a better artist I need to know what I'm not good at. And then become good at it. And then master it and sit in a cave for fifteen years until I have reached inner peaceor get hungry, whichever comes first. Anyway, in order to learn what things I'm not good at, I need you to tell me what those things are. So here's the deal: You give me the most honest critique you can, and be brutally honest in what I could do to improve. Don't hold back. In return, I Will Give You ... A cookie. Yes. This is a great privilege. Treasure it, for cookies are delicious and warm the soul. Seriously though, I could use some critique. So if you have any issues, ideas, or suggestions as to how I could make Nepenthe better, please tell me! You can contact me through literally any method that causes the message to reach my eyeballs (although Discord or email is preferred). A great cookie awaits you. From your friendly neighborhood game developer, Yitz
PS: while we're on the subject of being punched in the face, here's a great song I found about that very topic that I can't stop listening to (TW for bullying): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK7y3gVad98

If you've been following me on Discord, you already know about this, but for those of you who don't: There's something coming. What is that something? Well, you'll know soon enough.
How soon exactly is still up in the air, since I don't know myself, honestly. If you want to know more you can follow me on Discord, or just wait and see... You'll like it, I can tell you that much :) Form your very excited friendly-neighborhood-game-developer, Yitz
PS: I just want to say thank you again for all the lovely responses and reviews I've received from you guys. It really means a lot to me :3

I was bored, okay?
Inspiration from this tweet. This was edited somewhat to fix repeating text and other issues. I'm posting this here since it may give you some insight on an upcoming project, which I won't say much more about—I'll leave you to figure this one out ;) From your game developer who loves you, Yitz

For the next 18 hours, Nepenthe is in the "Monday Motivation" IndieGala bundle! check it out here: https://www.indiegala.com/monday-motivation-bundle-57-steam-games-bundle I'm very proud to be working with IndieGala (who approached me first, btw), and I highly recommend supporting them. They have been very open with me, which is nice for a change *cough cough* So yeah, that's happening! I'll probably delete this announcement once the bundle is over, so as not to confuse anyone. Thanks for being awesome, Yitz

Yay. Um, yeah... if you need a hand-drawn font for a project or something, here you go: https://yitzilitt.itch.io/yitziscript If you use it for anything, I'd love to see what you make! You can contact me on Discord, or by using telepathy. Telepathy is preferred. That would be cool. Thanks for being awesome, Yitz

In my never-ending attempt to actually make money, I have decided to give away said money. "How does that work," you may ask? Well, it probably doesn't. But I'm doing it anyway, because I love you! Or because I'm stupid. Idk. You can enter the giveaway here (link is to my twitter with a link to the giveaway, since Steam doesn't let me link non-affiliated sites): https://twitter.com/YitziLitt/status/1031750673321213952 yours's (with an extra apostrophe that tottally isnt a tiepo), Yitz

And hopefully Nepenthe isn't one of them!:) Um... yeah. I'm just popping in here to say thank you for all of the lovely reviews I've been getting. It's really been a pleasure seeing what you've gotten out of this weird game that I made. On that note:

The best way to help me (or any developer) grow right now is by leaving honest reviews, positive or negative. I think I can fairly speak for most devs in saying that good (or exceptionally bad) reviews can help player growth in remarkable ways. It also helps me get to do things like [strike]classified: coming soon[/strike], and be taken more seriously when trying to get noticed by the press. So: leave reviews! Not just on my games, but on any game that you think could use some attention. You have no idea how much it helps.

Ten percent off; It's very exciting— Nothing compares except maybe yo' face. Ten percent off; terribly frightening— nothing's so scary except maybe yo' face. Why am am I writing this; It's really quite boring— I'm stuck in the car just me and yo' face. So yeah, Nepenthe is 10% off this week, and I'm stuck in a car for a few hours, wasting my time by writing weird poems about Steam sales and faces. Have a nice day!

The Fugue State Steam page is OUT!!! https://store.steampowered.com/app/905760/Fugue_State/ Check it out and wishlist it, then tell all your friends! … or you know... don't [passive-aggressiveness intensifies] For those of you who are very confused right now, Fugue State is an upcoming horror game I'm working on. It will NOT be as lighthearted as Nepenthe, and some people may find it disturbing. Please consider that if you're averse to this sort of stuff. Thanks for the support, Yitz

So the Children Of The Sun theme-tune in Nepenthe is fairly simple, but if it had worked with the theming of the rest of the game (and if I had the money to license it), this would have been this instead: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpxtuUQ28UM That's not canon, but the song is so awesome I'd thought I'll share it with you. ;)

I just fixed a bug caused by a bug cause by a bug... Game development is weird, guys. It should all be good now, but if anything buggy happens, feel free to contact me.
PS: we now have an official Steam rating of "Positive"!!! Thank you so much for your support and general awesomeness, it means the world to me. :)

So Steam just released this "Creator page" thingy, and I'm in it here! I'll be posting reviews of games I play over there, and followers will get notifications when I release new stuff. So yeah, if that sounds cool to you, feel free to join in the fun!
PS: We are one (1!!!) review away from having an official Steam rating, so if you want to make me say "yippee" softly to myself in the dim silence of twilight, you know what to do ;). PPS: If you do not want to make me say "yippee" softly to myself in the dim silence of twilight, why? What did I do to you to deserve this scorn? Please forgive me... ;_;

So... um... wow. During the summer sale so far, more people bought the game than on opening week! That is pretty crazy. Like, really crazy. I'm popping in here to say a few simple words of thanks, most of which are "OMG WHAT" and "AHHHH." So yeah, this means a lot to me. Thank you for being awesome people, and supporting me and my weird ideas. Thanks, Yitz
(PS: if you wanna help even more, leaving a review is the best way to do that ;))

-The bugs, that is! What did you think I killed? So yeah, here are some of the things you won't notice anymore:

• Windows 10 users should no longer experience random crashes on launch
• Freddy The Teddy works on more enemies (I'm not telling you which :))
• Potatoes are no longer free (I am so sorry)
• Spealleng hes ben fexed
• and more...

So it's been just a few weeks since release, and I want to take the time to look back and say thank you. (Warning: I may ramble on about personal life experiences, so feel free to skip to the end if you're here for the competition) I started working on Nepenthe over a year ago, and didn't expect to take more than a week on this weird idea that I had. Oops. A few months later, and I had a growing story, enough to start looking to share it. Nobody outside my family had seen it yet, so I did what every new game developer does: eat a pancake. After that necessary step, I emailed Toby Fox (the developer of Undertale), asking for critique. To my surprise he responded (If you're reading this, thanks for being awesome!), and gave some great advice to boot: make your own art. I was using the default RPG Maker assets at the time, and his criticism was enough to decide to go full-out artist When drawing the art for Nepenthe, I used a single box of Prismacolor Watercolor pencils,a felt-tip pen, and a standard pencil--all on normal printer paper. That's all. I still have the box, and it's only half used up. Make of that what you will, I guess. I scanned the art in, then used Photoshop to edit it for use in-game. A few months later, and the art was all set. I now had a working demo, and wanted to share it with the world. I was sort of broke at the time though, so I set up a Kickstarter project to fund Steam and advertising costs. To my surprise, not only did I get funded, but I made over 600 percent more than asked! This let me focus on getting the full game up and running, and so that's just what I did. I think you know the rest of the story. So now here we are. Without your support, encouragement, and critique, I would never have been able to do this. I would name you all, but that would take up too much room to type in this already giant post. ;) For those who supported financially so I could make this, thank you. For those who found bugs, and told me about them (even if it took a few months to fix), thank you. For those who messaged me, saying how much you enjoyed playing, thank you. For those who messaged me, telling me I'm utter trash--really? What were you thinking? Thank you for caring enough to message me, though. So yeah, um... thank you! As a small way of giving back, I have included a little ARG Alternate reality game ) in the last update. The first person to reach the end of the ARG, and message me the final link (you will know when you find it), will get a free copy of Heartbound , an awesome upcoming RPG by Pirate Software . (Warning: the out-of-game content may be PG-13) Enjoy hunting! :)

It is now possible to beat the game without killing! If you're looking to do a pacifist run, here are some tips:

• try using items on enemies - they may react in unique ways...
• try avoiding fights in the first place - if you never fight you never kill.
• try being a nice guy - be willing to take a few punches!

So it turns out that not all gamers are psychopaths! A number of you reached out to me, asking to not have to kill your friends. So now you can not murder innocent beings. Yay! *Note: There still are some unavoidable fights, but I'm working on those Also, more bug fixes! You guys are super observant, and I am honored to have you playing this weird thing I made. Thanks, Yitz

I fixed some bugs today! Thanks to everyone who messaged me about it. Also, the endings and credits have been very slightly altered, for reasons that should make sense over time. [insert self-deprecating joke here] -Yitz

I am proud to say it: "IT." ... I am also proud to say that Nepenthe is out for public play on Steam now! If you're reading this, you probably already know that, since it can only be read on Steam (as far as I know), but I'm saying it anyways. So yeah. Buy, play, and review Nepenthe now, or else I'll come quietly into your home at night and steal all your potatoes! ːsteamhappyː