Development Roadmap (Work in Progress)

For a long time, many of our players have asked us to provide a development roadmap.
The truth is, creating a strict roadmap for an indie game is quite difficult — plans can change, and sometimes during development we realize that new features can and should be implemented (as is happening right now).

That said, we believe the technical foundation of the game is nearly complete. What remains is polishing and, most importantly, adding core content.

Below is a rough roadmap for Acts 2–3.
Please note: there are no deadlines or dates, as development speed depends on the level of support, which is currently very limited.

ACT 2 — Expansion & Sandbox Focus

New Mechanics & Features

Optional blood splatter effects when hitting zombies (already implemented for the next update)
Optional Field of View (FOV) system — you only see what the heroine is facing (ready for next update)
Optional dynamic camera — slightly follows the mouse to extend visibility (ready for next update)
Dynamic loot system — ammo and bandages drop based on player inventory (ready for next update)
New weapon with ammo-switching mechanics (ready for next update)
Zombie sound system (experimental):Idle soundsCombat sounds (ready for next update)
- Idle sounds
- Combat sounds (ready for next update)
Difficulty system — adjustable during gameplay (ready for next update)
Animations for old and new scenes (partially ready)
Better AI for NPCs — now NPCs like David and Abe are making distance between them and zombies during fights (ready for next update)
Auto saving — (ready for next update)
Gallery — this one is a pain in the ass, really. It takes a lot of time to put implemented scenes there. (partially ready)

Graphics & Technical Improvements

Ambient Occlusion & advanced lightingNew, more powerful light sourcesLight no longer passes through wallsReal-time shadows(currently available on a new map)
- New, more powerful light sources
- Light no longer passes through walls
- Real-time shadows(currently available on a new map)
OptimizationOngoing processConstantly adjusted with each new featureNo fixed milestones here
- Ongoing process
- Constantly adjusted with each new feature
- No fixed milestones here

Design Direction: Sandbox Shift

Act 2 is conceptually different from Act 1.

Act 1: urgency — escaping the city
Act 2: adaptation — learning to live in the new world

This means:

More freedom of movement
More side content
Less linear progression

The main story remains, but player freedom becomes the priority.

Core Content Additions

Procreation mechanicCode existsNarrative and scenes are in development
- Code exists
- Narrative and scenes are in development
New settlementsPopulated with multiple NPCs
- Populated with multiple NPCs
Jobs & activities for the heroine
Light settlement development systemNot as complex as Fallout 4Focused on unlocking new people and opportunitiesDesigned to stay non-intrusive
- Not as complex as Fallout 4
- Focused on unlocking new people and opportunities
- Designed to stay non-intrusive

Exploration Systems

Free exploration mode (experimental)Procedural map generator in developmentMay be released as a test feature firstPotential integration into the main game later
- Procedural map generator in development
- May be released as a test feature first
- Potential integration into the main game later

Character Progression

Physical training via regular exercises (ready for next update)
Increased melee damage through usage (ready for next update)

Content Expansion

Large variety of new weapons
Situational outfits
New zombie types with unique attack mechanics

Mutant Branch Expansion

New mutant enemies (distinct from zombies)
Integration into the main story
Adult content involving mutants is uncertain (may not fit tone)
Don't expect overly grotesque designs (e.g., excessive tentacles or extreme body horror)

Narrative & Adult Content

Significant amount of adult-oriented content
Expanded character relationship arcs:Romance (heroine ↔ NPCs)NPC-to-NPC relationships
- Romance (heroine ↔ NPCs)
- NPC-to-NPC relationships

Tone & Themes

Death and darker themesThis is not a “safe” zombie apocalypse storyWhile we do not support or promote violence,expect darker aspects of human nature to be explored
- This is not a “safe” zombie apocalypse story
- While we do not support or promote violence,expect darker aspects of human nature to be explored

Note

Most of the above represents high-level plans.
More detailed changes will be shown in upcoming updates.

ACT 3 — Narrative Finale

Return to a more linear, story-driven structure (similar to Act 1)
Shorter than Act 2
Focused on concluding the heroine’s story

Features:

Guided progression (“on rails”)
Some branching paths leading to different endings

Design Philosophy

This structure is intentional:

To avoid gameplay monotony
To balance:narrative experienceactual gameplay
- narrative experience
- actual gameplay

Not everyone wants to spend 20 hours just watching scenes —
we want players to both experience the story and actively play the game.

This is not a strict roadmap — it is a development outline, as many small features are not mentioned.
Plans may change, expand, or evolve depending on various factors.

Final Note

Most importantly — whether the game will reach its conclusion depends entirely on you, our supporters.

At the moment, the project is only reaching about 20% of the required monthly funding, while our goal is just $2000 — which is actually a very modest amount considering the workload and our personal investment in resources.

After the upcoming update, we will reassess the situation and decide whether it makes sense to continue development.

Team Venus