Hierophant 

Hey everyone!

I’ve put together a development plan for the upcoming update and finalized how the game should look and feel going forward.

As I mentioned in my last post, combining a branching narrative with free exploration is really tough—you have to constantly juggle and keep track of countless events that need to shift depending on the context.

What I’m changing:

    Script & Pacing: I’m already revising the text to ensure a smoother narrative flow, as well as double-checking the facts regarding chemistry and what was realistically possible in that era.

    Movement & Focus: I’m removing free movement in the way it previously worked. The game will become less grindy and much more focused on the story.

    Visuals & UI: Taking this opportunity, I’ll improve the visual presentation and, if time permits, polish the UI.

This will allow me to completely wrap up the game's first arc and kick off work on the second arc alongside the update.

All of this will help me stay focused on the story's progression, especially since it will soon branch out between three different characters. The first arc will serve as an entry point—a crucial decision where players choose who they want to align with.

Thank you for your support!

Hey everyone!

The week is coming to an end, which means it's time for a weekly update.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the last release, along with the growing complexity of development.

I'm thinking of structuring Act 1 a bit differently, tweaking a few narrative elements (not a complete overhaul, of course).
This includes reworking the core gameplay loop as well. Originally, the focus was on free movement, but combined with a branching narrative, it’s turning into a bit of a chaotic mess that I haven’t quite figured out how to tame.

Because of this, I've concluded that it would be better to streamline the gameplay and shift the main focus toward the story. I’ve outlined a few options, but I’m still weighing my choices.
By next week, I’ll let you know how it’s going to look and what changes I’ll be making—if any at all.

On top of that, I’ve figured out animations a bit better. Here’s a quick preview:

Hey everyone!

Right now, I’m planning the next update. I’m currently torn between keeping it shorter with just new content, or slightly reworking the entire first arc. The revamp would add the correct timings (the ones I originally intended according to the lore) and introduce new events for the villagers.

To be honest, I haven't quite decided yet. I’m going to try working on the animations and voiceovers (or at least one of the two)—if it turns out well, then rebuilding the first arc will definitely be worth it. Otherwise, I’ll just continue the story and work on updates for the already published chapter in the background.

I’ve also created a Discord server! The link will come with the next release.

Thanks for sticking with me!

On a fresh install, the intro_completed flag was triggering too late in the story. Because map visibility relies on this flag, first-time players were unable to see the map.

The fixed build is now available for download via the link below. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience—I will ensure future playtests are always conducted on a clean slate.

PLOT:

Added new dialogues and events revealing background story for Tressa and the main character.

FIXES:

Relaxed restrictions and reduced difficulty for mini-games

Simplified the map system for now while continuing work on its final visual style

Fixed minor bugs reported by players

If you were playing Lotta's route, please start a new game!

Hello everyone!

I'll keep it brief today, as I'm currently preparing the game for the next update, which I plan to upload on Monday.

To make sure everything works smoothly and without bugs, I'm playtesting the game from the very beginning. For now, I'm testing on PC, but I'll switch over to mobile soon.

At the same time, I'm slowly putting together a plan for the following update. I have big plans for it, but I'll share more details closer to the release.
(Though you'll see a hint at future developments right in the game!)

I'm also setting up a Discord channel to make bug reporting easier and to post small progress reports there.

Thank you all for your support!

Hi everyone!

I'm currently busy writing dialogues and adding events into the engine to reveal a bit more about Tressa's background and the main character themselves. After all, they’ve barely interacted with each other up to this point.

Also, regarding the previous post about changing mechanics:
I've significantly relaxed the restrictions for mini-games and added an option to skip them entirely, since a lot of players complained about them.

Regarding the map:
Even though I showed you some nice previews, I haven't been able to get proper control over the image generation just yet. To avoid leaving the issue up in the air, I went with a slightly simpler approach for now, but the core concept remains the same. I'll keep working on the map because it’s still not quite what I originally envisioned.

Hey everyone!

It’s been a pretty low-key week.

I’ve put together a detailed plan for the upcoming update, which will include progression for Tressa's route.

After going through your feedback, I realized that, on top of everything else, I need to start reworking the mini-games and the journal. Since introducing them, I never intended to leave them as they are and have been looking for ways to improve the gameplay experience, though I hadn't found a definitive solution until now. I've taken a look at how fellow developers handle this and have a rough idea of how to shape these mechanics. We'll see if I can pull this off in Ren'Py—I'll keep you posted on the results.

There were also some bug reports, but they're quite minor this time around. I'll get them patched up by the release.

Thank you! 

FIXES:

PLOT: