Hello, detectives! We have two major announcements today.

Mac & Linux Releases

At long last, we've released versions for Mac and Linux systems. If you encounter any issues, please let us know. You can post on the discussion forums here, but we'll be faster to respond on our Discord server. We achieved this by making a significant upgrade to the game's engine. Hopefully you shouldn't notice much of a difference, although you may notice things should run smoother and faster than before. So this upgrade may also help those who had previously posted issues on the discussion boards, and we hope it resolves those problems and allows them to experience the game properly.

Save Data

For Windows users, if you update your game to the latest version, your save data will not work anymore. It uses a completely different system now, and has no way to read the old system. (Don't worry though, because it does not affect your Steam achievements.) If you are concerned about this, you have two options: 1. You can hold down CTRL to quickly skip through the game (should take ~15 minutes). 2. You can choose to switch back to the old engine. Your saves didn't actually go away, so the old engine can still read them. You'll need to right click on the game in your Library, go to Properties, and on the Betas tab enter "old-engine" without quotes, and click "check code". Then select it from the drop-down menu. You can switch between the two engines at any time.

Why Make a New Engine?

So, you might be wondering why we took the time to remake the entire engine. The game was originally made with ONscripter, which had been used for many popular Japanese visual novels in the 2000s. However, over time it became difficult for us to maintain the engine and integrate it into more modern technology. For a long time we'd been planning on using Unity for the next game, and after a few years of learning it and trying to get things to work, ultimately decided that it just didn't make sense for this kind of game. So last year, we started development on our own game engine. After releasing the DLC, we realized that those who own Mac and Linux still couldn't experience the game. However, because we were already in the process of making our own game engine, we had two choices: either struggle through the abandoned and complicated build process of the old engine, or just remake the game using the new engine and get everything working once and for all. We chose the second option. In order to get this out before Christmas, we had to prioritize which features to include, and we're happy to say that we met all of our goals. But we'll probably push some minor updates over the next few months to make small improvements.

What's Next

Our plan is to use this engine for the next Detective Butler game, and now that we've successfully ported over the first game to it, we can feel confident that the next game will be just as great. Thank you all again for your patience, and we're happy so many people enjoyed the DLC! Until next time, we wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! - Goldbar Games

[ 2020-12-19 17:26:19 CET ] [ Original post ]

Visual novels are story-based games, displaying characters on the screen while playing sounds and music in the background to create an immersive storytelling experience. Although most visual novels include branching paths and choices that affect the outcome of the story, Detective Butler: Maiden Voyage Murder has just one outcome. The only choice is how you choose to solve the mystery.

In 1962, a popular cruise ship goes out of business after the accidental deaths of two of its passengers. The ship remains a tourist attraction, until it sets sail again half a century later.

The CEO of a wealthy company takes his closest employees and son Gilligan on board for the maiden voyage. Gilligan happens to meet Detective Butler during the cruise, and as the two of them delve deeper into the ship's history, another incident occurs... Will Detective Butler find the culprit before it's too late? And will you be able to solve the mystery before the solution is revealed?

Meet the crew

• Through the eyes of Gilligan, you'll get to know the members of his father's company, the workers of the cruise ship, and Detective Butler himself.

Enjoy the atmosphere

• Hundreds of photo-filtered backgrounds and 29 lively music tracks create the backdrop for a mysterious cruise on the Pacific Ocean.

Review your notes

• During the game, your journal will update with any relevant information regarding the suspects and any evidence found.

Solve the mystery!

• Just like any classic fair-play detective story, the case can be solved through careful observation and deduction.