Last week, we interviewed some team members from Red Spring Studio, the developer of the upcoming gothic horror romance visual novel TOUCHSTARVED. If you haven't read our interview with them yet, you can check it out here!

This week, we interviewed Ingrid, one half of Forsythia Productions, who is currently developing Of Sense and Soul. In our interview with her, we talked about her love for history, what makes for a good GUI and background, Of Sense and Soul, and more! If you would like to read our interview with her, you can read it here.

The Zeta Wolf Chronicles Kickstarter is live!

Rayen is just your average high school student, and his primary goal in life is to get a girlfriend before he graduates. Set in the fantasy world of Lunian, where she-wolves are commonplace, Zeta Wolf Chronicles is a dating sim that explores real-life struggles and anxiety when it comes to relationships. Lunian is ruled by a she-wolf known as Arctia, a love guru that's set on teaching Rayen how to find love. The game features over fifteen characters with a magnificently polished art style.

For the game to get funded, the developers are asking for just US $6,250 by March 31st. You can check out the Kickstarter campaign for Zeta Wolf Chronicles here.

The Imperial Grace Kickstarter has a launch date!

Last year, Synstoria developed a free otome game called Ballads at Midnight, a romance story that follows the relationship between a bard and a vampire. The game was made during the Otome Jam and released on itch.io, and later published to Steam, where it received hundreds of positive reviews.

Now, the developer is focused on funding their main project, Imperial Grace, a romance visual novel set in medieval times. The Kickstarter will launch on April 4th, 2023. In Imperial Grace, you play as the Empress of Calidya and navigate a world filled with political strife as you try to rule the empire with grace, and even find a lover in the process. The demo for Imperial Grace is currently available on Steam and shows that the game is very similar in theme to stories like Game of Thrones and allows players to decide how they will rule their kingdom. Other notable features of this game include resource management and protagonist customization.

You can follow the Kickstarter pre-launch page for Imperial Grace here.

It's your last chance to support Everdate: The Let's Play Dating Game on Kickstarter!

We covered the Everdate dating sim Kickstarter campaign in one of our previous newsletters, so many of you may already be informed about this Let's Play spin-off. It was exciting news when Everdate was funded almost immediately upon launch, and not only that, the game has surpassed US $200k in funding—an incredible feat for an individual creator. Mongie is truly an inspiration, and the Let's Play series is certainly a sensation to fans. Tomorrow, on March 16th at noon PDT, the campaign will come to an end, so if you are keen on receiving your Everdate game copy and any other rewards, now is the time.

You can check out the Everdate Kickstarter campaign here.

Belle Automata: Chronicle I released to the public on March 7th!

In our earlier updates, we noted the sci-fi otome game Belle Automata, a story about an android girl on her quest to find happiness in her new beginning and perhaps even love. The game was successfully funded on Kickstarter last year, and the first chronicle of the game has been released to Kickstarter backers and now to the public.

Belle Automata: Chronicle I includes Victor and the Nightmare Prince as the two romanceable characters. Victor is the handsome and snarky butler, while the Nightmare Prince is the mysterious character and new owner of Aureve. This edition of the game contains approximately 7-10 hours of gameplay. Fans can expect four more romanceable characters in the full game (Chronicles II & III). More details regarding the release of the next chronicles have yet to be announced. The art style for Belle Automata is stunning, and the plot is unique, as it illustrates love among androids, the perfect narrative for sci-fi and romance lovers.

You can purchase Belle Automata on Steam for US $19.99.

GOOD LUCK BABY!

Hifumi Tanaka has lived with a bad luck streak, but life turns around when she befriends an upbeat delinquent named Kasumi Itou, and the two develop feelings for each other. This yuri romance game comes with an unexpected but adorable twist when a baby with a halo miraculously enters into their lives. GOOD LUCK BABY! is a comedy that suits players looking for a GxG story with a family dynamic.

You can play GOOD LUCK BABY! for US $14.99 on Steam.

Bitter/Sweet Blythe

Play as Bunnie and pick your pronouns in this LGBTQIA-friendly yandere game. The artwork is painted with pastels and cute animals, but this sweet and cuddly romance also has a dark side. Blythe, the love interest, has two sides to their personality. One side is soft and squishy, and the other side is sinister and spicy. Your only wish is to be happy for your birthday. Do you think Blythe will be able to make your dream come true? What's special about Bitter/Sweet Blythe is that you can choose either a masculine or feminine voice for Blythe.

You can play Bitter/Sweet Blythe for free on itch.io.

The Things You Do For Love

With the Yandere Game Jam just recently ending, there are plenty of new yandere VNs that just been released. The Things You Do For Love is another submission, and this one has an attractive cast of characters that makes it shine. This game puts you in the shoes of a yandere character, allowing you to decide how you'll pursue relationships with those around you, whether they're your crush, your enemies, or a newfound friend.

You can play The Things You Do For Love for free on itch.io.

This week's theme is quirky dating sims. These games are filled with romance and laughter, and are dating sims we think are worth playing when you just want to kick back and play something casual.

Love at First Squeak!

Love at First Squeak! is a dating sim where your goal is to find a date at the Rat Hole Nightclub. The game has a unique pixel art style and offers players a vast number of choices, making this dating sim highly engaging. If you're looking for a casual and comedic gaming session, then look no further, as Love at First Squeak! is bound to have you rolling with laughter. The quirky dialogue, rat references, and silly choices keep you engaged and on your toes, so make sure you add this game to your must-play list. On the surface, this game is a comedy, but beyond that, this dating sim is also horror.

You can play Love at First Squeak! for free on itch.io.

Boba Dating Simulator

In Boba Dating Simulator, you play a girl named Easter Holiday and can date your favorite drinks. There are only three flavors at your local boba shop, and the employees there are acting kind of suspicious—that's because they have a secret and this isn't your average boba shop. In Boba Dating Simulator, you can choose one of three flavors of boba! What are you waiting for?

You can play Boba Dating Simulator for free on itch.io.

Cheesedate 2

Cheesedate 2, the sequel to Cheesedate, is a comedy dating sim where you play as a cube of cheese that's just landed from outer space. You meet various characters, including a man from Boston and Morgana the cat. Beware, the game does have a lot of punctuation errors, but if you can look past that, the writing is pretty funny, especially when the protagonist claims to "violently eat beans." What would you do if you were a piece of cheese?

You can play Cheesedate 2 for free on itch.io.

Asha Isabis

Asha is an intelligent woman who knows how to play the game of politics, and her wits and strength led to her role as ambassador in the Imperial Court. A fun fact about Asha is that she's a terrible cook, but something is endearing about that; she'd probably fall head over heels for a partner that can whip up a batch of cookies. On top of that, Asha is absolutely beautiful and knows how to dress to keep all eyes on her. You can find Asha in the upcoming game Imperial Grace.

Thank you to our wonderful Byters for all of their support!

Last week, we interviewed some team members from Red Spring Studio, the developer of the upcoming gothic horror romance visual novel TOUCHSTARVED. If you haven't read our interview with them yet, you can check it out here!

This week, we interviewed Ingrid, one half of Forsythia Productions, who is currently developing Of Sense and Soul. In our interview with her, we talked about her love for history, what makes for a good GUI and background, Of Sense and Soul, and more! If you would like to read our interview with her, you can read it here.

Celebrate the best in interactive fiction with The Storyteller's Festival, a Steam event starting March 25th!

The Storyteller's Festival, a Steam event that showcases visual novels and other narrative games, will start March 25th and end on April 1st! There are many visual novels that will be a part of the festival, such as Imperial Grace, Sigh of the Abyss, and VIDEOVERSE. Much like other Steam events, there will be livestreams from the participating developers, sales, and even exclusive demos that you can play during the event period, such as VIDEOVERSE's demo. This festival is an excellent way to see what's up and coming in the genre, so be sure to check it out when it starts later this month!

DemiDato: Monster Dating Show releases March 14!

DemiDato: Monster Dating Show, a comedy romance visual novel that's inspired by dating shows, will be releasing March 14! The game features twelve lovely monsters who are just waiting to be swept off their feet. The game is developed by Sad Ghost Studios, who also created Were|House and When Aster Falls. So if you're in the mood for a good laugh, then be sure to follow Sad Ghost Studios on Twitter and itch so you can be the first to know when the game drops tomorrow.

There is a demo out for DemiDato: Monster Dating Game Show. If you haven't checked it out yet or need something to hold you over until the game's release tomorrow, you can download it for free on itch.io.

GOOD LUCK BABY!

Content Warning: Mild language, tobacco use, mild references to alcohol use, mild blood, fantasy violence

GOOD LUCK BABY! takes place in Japan in the year 2002. Hifumi Tanaka is a regular high school student who just has the worst luck. But after meeting a kindhearted delinquent named named Kasumi Itou, she believes that her streak of bad luck has finally been broken. Just as the two girls become close and their feelings for each other start to intensify, Hifumi's bad luck rears its ugly head once more as a magical baby with wings and a halo appears at Kasumi's doorstep! While trying to solve the mystery behind the baby, they set off a chain of events that would affect the fate of the world. With an evil empress watching them, will Hifumi, Kasumi, and this strange baby be able to save the world?

You can purchase GOOD LUCK BABY! for US $14.99 on Steam and itch.io.

Happy Duckday

Happy Duckday is a short, adorable game about a duck who gets stuck in the snow after trying to venture out beyond their pond. When he loses all hope that anyone would find him, an individual named Linnet rescues him and brings him to their home. The game then focuses on their day together and budding friendship.

You can download Happy Duckday for free on itch.io.

Lurking for Love (Demo, R18)

Content Warning: Mild screen flashing, stalking, gaslighting/manipulation

You're getting your life started in your new place in a suburban area in Texas. Everything is going well, minus the fact that your mail keeps getting sent to your neighbor instead of you. Thankfully, your wonderful neighbor who has been receiving your mail, Jacob, doesn't mind delivering it to you. It gives him a chance to talk to you, after all. Though...is your mail really being sent to the wrong house?

You can download the demo for Lurking for Love on itch.io.

Meg's Monster

What would happen if the world's fate was determined by a little girl? Meg's Monster is a RPG where you play as Roy, a ogre with an attitude who stumbles upon a little girl named Meg. He and his friend, Golan, quickly realize that when this little girl starts to cry, the sky turns blood-red and the world begins to shake uncontrollably. That's when they realize one thing: if this girl cries, their world will be destroyed. So Roy, as much as he doesn't want to, must protect this little girl and help her find her mother while making sure she doesn't shed a single tear.

You can purchase Meg's Monster on Nintendo Switch and Steam for US $14.99.

The Last Werewolf (Early Access)

Content Warning: Topics regarding mental health such as sensationalism, identity, addiction, self-harm, suicide, grief, and daily struggles. Death, the afterlife, implied mild violence and betrayal are also explored.

In this supernatural mystery, you take control of Lachie, a young werewolf who wants to find her pack. On your journey to find other werewolves, you'll explore three towns shrouded in mystery, all of them with their own case for you to solve. By getting to the bottom of the mysteries, Lachie will uncover more about herself and get closer to finding where she belongs. The game is currently in early access on Steam with the first chapter, "Undead Rodents," out now for people to play.

You can purchase The Last Werewolf on Steam for US $5.99.

Don't Die Alone

Content Warning: Mentions of bullying, light gore, death, and occasional swearing

Submitted for last year's Spooktober Visual Novel Jam, Don't Die Alone is a short game that asks the question, "What happens if those chain messages were true?" You play as Petra, who is staying in for Halloween to take care of an old woman. While chatting with her friend on an instant messenger, she receives a chain message, saying if she does not send it to enough people in time, a boy named Josh will come and kill her...

You can download Don't Die Alone for free on itch.io.

Who's Lila?

Content Warning: Violence, topics of death, physical and mental abuse (including parental)

In this point-and-click adventure game, you play as William, a man who struggles with expressing his emotions. Life has never been easy for him, and it's only going to get worse, as a girl named Tanya Kennedy has gone missing and everyone knows that William was the last one to see her.

What makes this game unique is that during the course of the game, instead of making choices, the player will instead be able to mess with William's face in order to get him to express a certain way. Depending on his expression, characters will react differently and the story will change. Will you help William express himself or keep what he's truly feeling hidden?

You can purchase Who's Lila on Steam or itch.io for US $11.99.

Yandere Game Jam 2023

Last time we covered some of the submissions to Yandere Game Jam 2023. With the jam officially over, let's see what else has been submitted!

Heartburn

Content Warning: There is a gun in the game and mentions of non-consensual drug use, homophobia, and stalking.

Go on a date with your favorite streamer to a cute café! Surely nothing bad will happen, right?

You can download Heartburn on itch.io for free.

Line 88

Content Warning: Flashing lights, dark atmosphere

While riding the bus, Nao bumps into his old classmate Siren. During their conversation, the lights go out, and when they turn back on, no one else but them and "it" are on the bus. The two must find a way out before "it" consumes them whole.

You can download Line 88 on itch.io.

Our Dollhouse (Demo)

Content Warning: Drugging, isolation, and kidnapping.

You wake up in a windowless room with no memory of how you got there. You soon realize you're not alone, as another person named Tadeo is stuck there with you. You two find out that you've been kidnapped. While you two initially look for a way out, Tadeo gives up, believing that you two should stay in that room together forever...

You can download the Our Dollhouse demo on itch.io.

The Things You Do For Love

Content Warning: Depictions of blood, drowning, drugging, obsessive behavior, physical violence, screen shaking, self-loathing, stalking, strong language.

Help a love-struck romantic navigate through their feelings while pursuing their crush and taking down anyone who stands in their way!

You can download The Things You Do For Love on itch.io.

Caption Tool for Ren'Py by npckc

As we have mentioned previously, accessibility in games is important. Accessibility options shouldn't be optional; they should be a standard in games. One helpful feature that can you add into your game is captions with npckc's Caption Tool. This tool will allow you to add captions to your images, sound effects, and music. This tool is a fantastic way to make your games more accessible to players.

Kia's Ren'Py asset packs

itch.io user Kia has made numerous minigames that you can purchase and use for your own games. These minigames range from a ouija board and sliding puzzles all the way up to the card game crazy eights and Lingo (aka Wordle). If you would like to implement puzzles into your game but aren't sure how, Kia's assets are a wonderful resource that you can get.

Thank you to our wonderful Byters for all of their support!

Ingrid, also known as Ing or ingthing online, is an artist, designer, and visual novel developer. While she has helped many projects by creating backgrounds, GUIs, and logos for them, she is also one half of Forsythia Productions, the other member being Akaparalian. Forsythia Productions is currently working on Of Sense and Soul, a queer Victorian romance that focuses on two men: Hugo and Seamus. Today, we sat down with Ingrid to learn more about her, her journey in game development, her advice on creating assets like GUIs and backgrounds, and much more!

Hi! Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into game development?

Of course! I'm Ingrid (ingthing) and I'm an artist, designer, and lead developer over at Forsythia Productions, my dev studio. I stumbled into game development because my childhood love for visual novels revived a few years ago with the plan of telling a particular story—that story being my game, Of Sense and Soul.

You’ve worked on a few games to create assets (i.e., GUI and logos) and background work. These games include Vivica’s Heart, Parasite in Love, and TEISATSU. Let’s focus on backgrounds first. When it comes to making a background, where do you start?

Funnily enough, I never would have considered myself a background artist a year ago! But I suppose I have drawn quite a few by now…

I usually draw interiors, so what I like to think of first is whether the setting is public or private—is it a setting that appears only during intimate or isolated scenes, or is it one that is more lively and impersonal? And if there's a designated purpose of the room, such as being a living room or a bedroom, how is it used, and what objects should be in the space?

Once I have a good sense of that, I search for references, maybe create a 3D model (I use Homestyler) and then get the foundations down.

I actually tend to paint in grayscale for backgrounds rather than line and colour them like the rest of my work—I find this makes me less fussy about mistakes and more concerned about the whole image.

To you, what makes for a good background, and do you have any advice for artists who want to improve on creating backgrounds?

A good background to me isn't one that looks "perfect" or "real"—it's one that suits the game and story it will exist in. I think the most important thing to do is make a space feel lived-in. Think about the storytelling of a space—what details are important to telling that story, and what aren't?

In the below image from a background demo I did last year, I talk about the character and personality of a room—how the clutter and the way the space is navigated/used can help you add details that will draw the viewer's eye, away from empty corners or simpler elements.

Of course, as with any type of art, use references, references, references! Observing not just photos but also the world around you is the best way to start improving on background art. It hones your spatial senses and builds your "reservoir" of references you can whip out from your brain any time!

And when in doubt—break up any bare corners or edges by covering them. If everything in the room looks very crisp and neat, it is easier to notice bareness and mistakes. Adding clutter, as messy as it seems, can make it not only easier to pull attention away from those spots, but also make it more interesting for you to work on the background.

Let’s talk about GUI. GUI is one of the assets that developers struggle with the most. What is your creative process for creating a GUI? What are some things you consider when making a GUI?

It is very tricky to even start thinking about GUI because there can be a clash between the functional aspects versus the creative aspects, especially in visual novels where GUIs tend to be very themed.

My creative process first starts with understanding the story and the mechanics that will be included in it. A game like Parasite in Love, for example, has a very different tone and aim than a game like Once Upon an Earl. Then, I begin to research and brainstorm ideas for color palettes, textures, decorations, and shapes, based on that theme.

Thankfully, VNs mostly share a common set of interface elements, so I can use those menus and buttons as a base for whatever I design. But I also like to get creative with them!

In Parasite in Love, for example, the UI changes and "corrupts" as the story progresses. In Once Upon an Earl, the game menus transition by panning across a long hallway of silhouetted ballroom dancers, and the buttons for the CG gallery are "windows" along the hallway.

This, of course, is also up to the ability of the programmers involved—but I've found most are very enthusiastic to take GUI to the next level!

Re-using the same question from earlier, in your opinion, what makes for a good GUI? Any advice for artists who aren’t sure where to start when it comes to GUI creation?

A good UI to me is one that doesn't obstruct the player experience and enhances the storytelling. It has to be accessible in terms of reading experience, and it has to visually match the tone of the story.

(Storytelling is a Big Thing in my creative process, can you tell?)

For anyone who isn't sure where to start on GUI creation, I would recommend some of the same advice I gave above: search for references from other games you love and observe their GUI elements to figure out how they carry the theme across the game. Having a colour palette, pattern, ornament, or other unifying motif will help bring a UI together.

It can be difficult as a beginner to UI to make one from scratch without guidance—I would recommend downloading a free UI pack for whatever engine you're using and using the dimensions of the images there to guide your own asset creation and checklist.

I would also recommend inserting assets into your game as you go, instead of creating them all at once before implementing them. This way, you can adjust assets as they begin to fit together on screen and you can assess how things are looking.

(As a general note on how to plan any visuals for your game, may I suggest watching my VN;Conf 2023 talk on art direction? It may prove useful!)

While we are on the topic of premade assets, we have seen an unfortunate rise in AI art on sites like itch when it comes to backgrounds and sprites. What are your thoughts about that?

I can see why some might resort to using AI generated work for assets for either commercial sale or for their own games—there is no real labor involved, and there is a novelty to the wealth of "options" you can generate. However, as someone who takes pride in and values the manual creation of art and assets, I'm of the opinion that AI generated work takes value and opportunities away from creative people and damages the view of creative work overall—the same way mass manufacturing has taken away from artisans and craftsmen.

I think the use of AI art to make stock assets for games in specific can put indie game devs in a position of devaluing the work required to manually create those assets in a space where many freelancers are already underpaid and overworked. We should be cultivating and boosting the perceived value of art, not undercutting it. Developing a game is just as creative a pursuit as making art is—it makes no sense to me to pit one against the other when they're stronger together.

Beyond the moral implications lies a more inescapable issue with AI art for game assets: consistency. A game's art style is dependent on having assets that go together well, not only in colors or style but also in proportion and scale. An AI art generator may do well with standalone art pieces given certain criteria, but for the technical challenges of a game's appearance, which uses many different artworks, it may not be up to task for generating sprites or backgrounds to a story or game's specific needs.

Ultimately, you will have more agency and control over your art with manually made assets—even premade ones.

For game developers who want to avoid using AI art in their games, what is your advice to them on what they should look out for if they wanted to know if a piece of art was AI generated?

I'm not in the habit of examining AI work often, but there are often telltale signs of generation in the trueness of details to life.

The most notable/memed-about example may be AIs generating hands with six or more fingers. While there are people who have more (or less) than five fingers on each hand, that's not the average number most humans have, nor is it what we usually expect when we see hands.

You can also look out for areas with poor delineation between different parts of an image. If a bus' headlight blends into the background next to it or the hair falling down a person's shoulder seems to merge with their collar or neck, that's likely not a human error.

Lastly, look out for clothing details such as shirt collars, skirts, and accessories. AI is great at putting down the right colors and approximating the right shapes, but you'll often find it suffers in the realism department. A collar might look way different from a typical shirt collar, a skirt's fabric might fall unnaturally, and accessories may not be shaped correctly (like if the beads on a necklace don't seem to follow rhyme or reason).

Let’s talk about Of Sense and Soul, your queer Victorian visual novel set in 1875 London. You’re a big fan of history, as you have your own historical server. Can you tell us a bit about where that love for history came from?

Something about the lives of humans in the past has always been of interest to me, and I read a lot of kid-oriented history books as a child. It was only with Of Sense and Soul that I became much more engrossed by it, because beyond just looking at history as a retrospective, I have had to consider the daily lives and unique perspectives of people who lived in the past.

I can attribute my love for the Victorian Era specifically to two sources: the manga series Emma by Kaoru Mori (an absolutely gorgeous romance set in the late 1890s between a maid-of-all-work and a gentleman) and a university course I took about the history of design, in which I learned about design movements such as the Arts & Crafts Movement, as well as other aspects of the decorative arts that speak so much to the lives and perceptions of the Victorians in their rapidly changing society!

My favourite part about history is that at the heart of it, people always have been people, and I think they might be more relatable than we'd think! There's always something new (ironically) to learn from the past.

How did the idea of Of Sense and Soul come about, and what made you decide to set the game in 1875 London?

Of Sense and Soul was actually first born as a webcomic idea way back in 2016! My co-writer AKA and I decided it'd be cool to make a gay historical romance, and the Victorian era was something I had an interest in already.

The original idea was really just that—"let's make something gay and historical!"—and as such the first outline we drafted for the story was completely different beyond how Hugo and Seamus first meet. The plot used to be more centered on their romance and actually didn't contain a lot about the characters' individual paths. This changed with the shift from webcomic to visual novel, when the idea of making both characters playable came about. Then, we really dove into the bigger picture of what the game would convey and how the plot would culminate in it.

As for the specificity of the year, I honestly don't remember much about why we chose specifically 1875. I suspect it has to do with my preference for Victorian bustle era fashion (which began in the 1870s) as well as the modern preoccupation on anti-LGBT events in the 1880s onward (like Oscar Wilde's trials). We just didn't want to have that as a shadow over the narrative, or to make that the focus.

The 1870s are also a decade that are a little less documented/portrayed than, say, the 1880s or 1890s, which gives us some more room to play with the setting!

Moving onto Of Sense and Soul’s story, it focuses on two British men, Hugo Brooks and Seamus Charkham, men who both need change in their life. The two meet each other after Hugo reads Seamus’ ad in the paper mistaking him for a woman. Can you talk to us a bit about the themes for the game and how they’re connected to the protagonists?

The game's guiding force is the link between personal growth and deepened connection: we like to think that it's when both culminate together that the best outcomes can be achieved. And so, the first meeting between Seamus and Hugo not only sparks their romance, but also is the catalyst for personal growth.

Their stories are a bit different: Hugo's story is about him opening up to the world and becoming more assertive about the things and people he cares about. Seamus' story is about him coming to terms with the past, owning up to his mistakes, and seeking a way forward. Despite them each not being in the best of places at the start, their differences give each other a lot to feed off of and grow through.

Seamus, being a more sociable, put-together person, is someone Hugo grows to admire for his perceived confidence and poise—so Hugo begins to develop his own self-image and assertion as a result.

Hugo, being a more poetic, earnest person, is someone Seamus appreciates for his frankness and sense of wonder. This pulls Seamus towards being more honest with himself as well as others, which helps him work through bottled-up issues. Their connection, in addition to the many influences of the people and circumstances around them, provides a springboard for individual change…if the player decides to make the jump!

In the demo, it’s mentioned how the two, both together and as individuals, will depend on their choices. What sort of influence can players expect from their choices and how that will result in a particular ending?

The choices in Of Sense and Soul are designed to feel very realistic, in that most have the player character adjust their approach to communicating with other characters—or how they reflect to themself. An answer given at the start of a chapter may influence conversations they have during the rest of the chapter or beyond, creating variances in the player character's relationship and personal development. There's no clear "right answer" for many choices, because we wanted to reflect the nuances and complexity of real communication.

As such, there's no clear "branching" of the plot, but the minute decisions players make—such as the opinions they express, the tone their letters are composed in, the order in which journal paragraphs are ordered, or the actions they do or don't take in conversation—slowly work towards crafting an ending. It is possible, as a result, to make the wrong choices at times and still achieve the most satisfying ending.

No matter what, romance will happen, and so will the events the main characters need to traverse for their own character development. The potential of them, however, is up to the player to uncover.

Our hope is that this will encourage players to think about their decisions beyond the choice itself to the bigger implications they may have on the main characters as a whole.

As noted on the game’s itch page, despite the game being set in 1875, Of Sense and Soul  is a positive, uplifting queer story and will not display prejudices or discrimination of marginalized people from that time period. I think this was a fantastic decision! But for those who are curious, can you talk to us a bit about this decision and why it was important to focus on crafting a story where queer individuals are met with open arms?

This decision is something I feel very passionately about, so forgive me for getting on my soapbox: There is often a modern bias that the past was a hostile environment for everyone who diverged from the status quo, and this is a perception that is often applied to the Victorians.

That isn't to say there haven't been real prejudices, hate crimes, or acts of discrimination in the past—far from it.

But more often than not, those prejudices are conflated with entire time spans, narrowing the modern consensus on the opinions of people in the past to only the most documented, uncensored, and circulated ones.

If someone in the distant future looked back on the 21st century and assumed everyone must have loved Star Wars just because a lot of documentation is available for it, that certainly wouldn't be reflective of the diversity of tastes—or people—that exists in this time.

Queer people have always existed, and have even thrived in history, even in places and time periods we would associate with prejudice against them. The Victorian Era, especially, was queerer than one might think.

As such, it didn't make sense to (nor did we want to) give homophobia or other xenophobic views a foot to stand on. Queer people existed in history and went through their day-to-day the way we do today: affected by their circumstances, locales, and the voices surrounding them, but not devoid of happiness or contentment just because discrimination exists against them.

The main characters, Hugo and Seamus, don't necessarily "come out of the closet," but only in the sense of not growing or defining their identities through putting a name to their attractions. When their relationship fruitions, the focus is on the two of them—not what others might think or say.

Of Sense and Soul is a story meant to uplift and lend comfort to those who experience it, no matter their personal stories. Any queer panic in the plot is just feelings being dumb—as feelings always have been!

Can you tell our readers about what you’re working on and what they can expect to see from Of Sense and Soul  in the near future?

Lots of exciting things are happening with Of Sense and Soul this year! We're in the process of adding partial voice acting to our Extended Demo, which you can download on itch.io or Steam now!

We also have plans brewing for a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign towards May, to fund the production of the rest of OSAS. Of Sense and Soul is now becoming the story I only wished it could be all those years ago, and I couldn't be prouder of it, nor more excited for what is to come! It'll be a lot of work, but so, so worth it.

(If you've made it all the way to the end of this interview, thank you! I hope you found it interesting, and you can always holler at me on my socials.)

In addition to following Ingrid on her socials, you can follow Forsythia Productions and Of Sense and Soul on Twitter respectively to stay up to date on the game. If you are not on Twitter, you can follow Of Sense and Soul on Tumblr as well.

This week, we interviewed Red Spring Studio, the team behind the upcoming horror romance game TOUCHSTARVED! We asked them a bit about themselves, what it's like to work on this game while also fulfilling their duties at their full-time jobs, and of course, the game itself! If you're interested in learning more about TOUCHSTARVED and the talented people behind it, you can read our interview with them here!

Next week, we will be releasing our interview with Ingrid, one of the developers from Forsythia Productions. Forsythia Productions is responsible for the upcoming queer Victorian romance visual novel Of Sense and Soul. Be sure to look forward to that interview next week!

The Kickstarter for My Alien Roommate is now live!

Extraterrestrial dating isn't uncharted territory in visual novels, as we have games like I Was a Teenage Exocolonist, where players can date dog-boys and aliens, and the upcoming game KISS/OFF, featuring an alien dating show with romanceable aliens and other intergalactic characters. Dating ET is becoming increasingly popular, and Purple Herring Games has revealed an even more interesting and hilarious concept: what if an alien came to earth and became your roommate?

In 2022, the developer launched the demo for My Alien Roommate, and it was a popular game among VN streamers and content creators. The story is about Enoch, an alien from a distant planet, who has fallen onto the balcony of the protagonist, Riley (nameable). Riley, whose pronouns can also be determined by the player, decides to let Enoch be their roommate, but they must keep this a secret from everyone else.

My Alien Roommate is currently live on Kickstarter, and the developer is asking for just SG $5,500.  You can check out the campaign here.

The completed version of Dual Chroma: Academy Carols just dropped on itch.io and is coming soon to Steam!

Galen Games brought us Deliver Us From Evil during the 2021 Otome Jam. The game reached nearly 200 reviews on itch.io, and it's no surprise, considering the handsomely drawn sprites and heart-throbbing voices. Since then, the developers have been creating new renditions based on the original DUFE, leading to games like DUFE: Masquerade and Dual Chroma: Far Shore. Now, they bring us Academy Carols, featuring the fan-favorite imperial prince Keldran, with a new sprite design too!

Academy Carols takes place in a magic academy during the holiday season. You can choose your name and pronouns and spend wintertide with the beloved Prince Keldran. All chapters for Academy Carols are now available for free on itch.io, and you can also wishlist the game on Steam.

Heartburn

Content Warning: Non-consensual drug use, homophobia, stalking, a yandere, a gun

Heartburn is a GxG yandere visual novel where you date your favorite streamer, Serze. You play as Levia, an artist who drew fanart that Serze loved, so she agreed to go on a date with you! The game is a VN hybrid created in RPG Maker where players can navigate the game map using their mouse and keyboard. Heartburn has an adorable Valentine's Day aesthetic with various shades of pink and hearts that decorate the date spot/cafe.

You can play Heartburn for free on itch.io.

Reverie of the Lost

Content Warning: Use of profanities, references to sex, references to/occurrences of torture and rape (not graphically represented), occurrences of blood and death.

Reverie of the Lost is a sci-fi adventure following the relationship between Yoru and a mysterious girl who shows him an alien realm. A riveting and imaginative story with a pastel art style, Reverie of the Lost is a kinetic novel that will take you on an adventure of love, fantasy, and an alien war that threatens humanity's existence.

You can play Reverie of the Lost for free on itch.io.

Swallow's Tail

Swallow's Tail centers around a female glaciologist in Anarctica who makes a discovery that leads to civilization's first contact with aliens. The game features a highly realistic art style with GxB, GxG, and GxAlien romance options. Swallow's Tail currently has chapter 1 available, with more chapters expected to release throughout 2023.

You can play the demo for Swallow's Tail on itch.io.

Holier Than Thou

Long ago, a terrorist attack ripped through protagonist Emil's life, killing his family. Emil is determined to discover who destroyed his life, but will his desperation to find the truth outweigh his desire to live a normal life? Holier Than Thou has one female and one male love interest. The game looks promising, as it has stunning character art and an intriguing and mysterious plot.

You can play the demo for Holier Than Thou on itch.io.

Full Ride! A College Dating Sim

We always need more college dating sims, and that's where Full Ride! comes in. Full Ride! is a dating sim where you play as a college sophomore who has zero interest in dating or making friends, but somehow you've become a magnet for new relationships and everyone is interested in you. The game features phone and computer chat scenes for a true, modern-day college experience. The demo is currently available for Android, Mac, and Windows.

You can play the demo for Full Ride! on itch.io.

Hypnotic School Days

Content Warning: Some scenes in the game contain mild sexuality and strong language, and may not be suitable for minors or all age groups.

Hypnotic School Days is about a student, Kyoichi, who discovers an app that can hypnotize women into liking him. All he has to do is show them his screen, and they'll quickly be under his spell. There are three cute classmates for Kyoichi to choose to date, but one can only wonder if hypnotizing people into love has consequences. Hypnotic School Days contains mild sexuality and sexually suggestive character artwork.

You can play Hypnotic School Days for US $19.99 on Steam.

Red List Girls. -Andean Flamingo-

Content Warning: Contains violent language, depictions of blood and gore, dead bodies, and partial nudity and implied sexuality.

Red List Girls tells the story of a post-apocalyptic world where all animals are endangered because of humans, and so a group of individuals create an organization with the goal of saving the animal species. The organization, known as Agape, transforms animals into human form so they can have strength comparable to that of a human's. Red List Girls raises the spice level with partial nudity and textual implications of sexuality.  

You can play Red List Girls. on Steam for US $12.99.

The Yandere Game Jam 2023 took place from January 23rd to February 28th. There were a significant amount of visual novels submitted that stood out to us, so here's a closer look at some of these dark romance games.

My Dreamy Darling Deathwish

My Dreamy Darling Deathwish is a yuri VN where you play as the yandere character, Jessie Hall, a girl who has an unhealthy obsession with her fellow classmate at her university. Jessie wears a pink frilly dress and hair bow, giving the impression that she's innocent, but her obsession with her "girlfriend" is far from innocent, and it's up to you, the player, to decide how far her obsession will go.

You can play My Dreamy Darling Deathwish for free on itch.io.

Where Winter Crows Go (Demo)

Your car breaks down in the middle of a snowy winter wonderland, and to make matters worse, a sudden snowstorm falls upon you. The only hint of civilization is a lone log cabin deep within the forest. Inside, you meet an environmental researcher who saves you from the storm, but were you really saved, or did his hospitality lead you to an even darker storm?

Where Winter Crows Go is currently in development. You can play the demo on itch.io.

Enoch

Enoch is a purple alien who doesn't know anything about humans, but there's something endearing about his naivety, and his will to learn is admirable. Enoch is a funny alien, and let's be honest, he has exceptionally great hair. You can find Enoch as a love interest in My Alien Roommate.

Thank you to our wonderful Byters for all of their support!

This week, we interviewed Red Spring Studio, the team behind the upcoming horror romance game TOUCHSTARVED! We asked them a bit about themselves, what it's like to work on this game while also fulfilling their duties at their full-time jobs, and of course, the game itself! If you're interested in learning more about TOUCHSTARVED and the talented people behind it, you can read our interview with them here!

Next week, we will be releasing our interview with Ingrid, one of the developers from Forsythia Productions. Forsythia Productions is responsible for the upcoming queer Victorian romance visual novel Of Sense and Soul. Be sure to look forward to that interview next week!

Support My Alien Roommate on Kickstarter!

The romantic comedy visual novel My Alien Roommate is now on Kickstarter. When an alien named Enoch lands on Riley's balcony, the latter must keep the alien's identity a secret while trying to still keep a handle on their everyday life. Will Riley be able to keep Enoch hidden, or will their secret roommate get exposed for who he truly is?

Developer Purple Herring Games is looking to secure SG $5,500 for the game. If you would like to support My Alien Roommate in reaching its funding goal, you can pledge toward the game's Kickstarter here. If you would like to check the game out before pledging, you can download the demo either on Steam or itch.io.

Live out your final year in high school before the world ends in Goodbye Volcano High, releasing June 15

Goodbye Volcano High was first revealed back in 2020 in Sony's Future of Gaming Presentation. The game focuses on Fang, a nonbinary teen who is going through both their last year of high school and the end of the world. There is a lot Fang wants to do before the year is over: tell their crush how they feel, fix the problems within their family, and make it as a musician. However, with limited time and life getting in the way, not everything can be accomplished. Of course, there are other issues going on. Fang's bandmates have their own problems that they're trying to figure out. Will Fang and their friends make things right before it's all over?

You can wishlist Goodbye Volcano High on Steam. The game will also be released on PlayStation 4/5.

Melancholic Star (Demo)

Content Warning: Talks of gender

In this short demo developed by Taumi Licorice Jellyfish, who also created I wanna be her for Spooktober 2022, comes a piece that discusses identity. The game tells of stars and the idea of them being the souls of the unborn. One day, a shooting star collides into a tree. A flower is born from this incident, and then a person emerges, leaving no trace of the flower or the tree. The person is then sacrificed, leaving behind only their child who is brought into nobility. Many things are said about this child, how they're an improper man or weird. Some say that they're an adorable girl. With a longing for a sense of identity, the child wonders who they are and who they want to be.

You can download the demo for Melancholic Star on itch.io.

Nightmare Zapping

Nightmare Zapping is a pixel horror visual novel where you browse through TV channels watching the final moments of the residents in Canela Town, a cursed town where everyone is destined to die. There are multiple stories to see, and your choices will affect how the characters' final moments play out.

You can download Nightmare Zapping on itch.io for free.

BOKURA

BOKURA is a cooperative puzzle adventure game where two players play as runaways who want to go somewhere far away. Both players need to work together to solve the game's various puzzles. The catch is that what the two players see on screen is different. One player may be able to see an object that the other person can't, so communication is critical to your success. The game features a "Friend's Pass," meaning that if one individual owns a copy of the game, their friend can play for free through the use of the Friend Pass.

You can purchase BOKURA for US $10.99 on Steam.

Red Tape

Content Warning: Mild blood, suggestive themes, and mild language

You play as an angel who has been accidentally sent to work at Hell Incorporated. In order to get where you should be, you'll need to get through the nine circles of Hell Incorporated so you can meet the boss himself, the Devil. Unfortunately, it won't be easy. After all, it is Hell. You'll need to solve the employees' problems and experience the hardship of working at a corporation. But the pain should be worth it...right?

You can purchase Red Tape on Steam for US $5.99.

Women of Xal

Content Warning: Sexual themes, assault, recovery, exploitation, moments of intense violence and death.

You, a woman named Xjena, are in Xal, a universe full of political intrigue and people who want to get more power. Xjena came here to do exactly that. She wishes to assume the position of Matriarch. However, there are other women who want that job as well. Thankfully, she has a special gift: the power of foresight. With the ability to see into the future, what will you do with it?

You can buy Women of Xal for US $19.99 on Steam and itch.io.

Your Turn to Die -Death Game by Majority-

Content Warning: Death, blood, trauma, and grief.

After originally being translated by vgperson in 2021 and 2022, Your Turn to Die -Death Game by Majority- has now officially been released on Steam. The game focuses on Sara, a young woman who is kidnapped and forced to participate in a death game where the person who dies is chosen through a majority vote. The game features many twists and turns as well as different paths depending on your choices. For those who enjoyed Danganronpa or love RPG Maker horror games, Your Turn to Die is a story that you should invest time in.

For those curious on what the differences are between the Steam and free versions are: the Steam version will receive extra content, such as stories. In addition, the final chapter of the game will be released first for Steam before being added to the free version.

You can purchase Your Turn to Die -Death Game by Majority- on Steam for US $16.99.

Yandere Game Jam 2023

This year's Yandere Game Jam has officially concluded! Plenty more entries have been submitted to the jam since we last covered it, so let's take a look at what people have made!

It gets so lonely here

Trigger Warnings: Drowning, being buried alive, cannibalism, bullying, illness, vague references to homophobia

Lost in a forest with no map or light to guide you, you run as fast as you can so you don't get caught. But it's all in vain, because no matter how far you go or how fast you run, she'll find you.

You can download It gets so lonely here for free on itch.io.

Mushroom Oasis (Demo)

Content Warning: Implied animal death, implied player death, manipulation

Looking for your lost cat, you head deep into the woods to find her. While you don't find her, you do find a nice stranger who's willing to help you out.

You can download the demo for Mushroom Oasis on itch.io.

Sacrarium Pario (Demo)

Content Warning: Gore, human taxidermy, human dissection and vivisection,  flesh monsters, body horror, possible death, stockholm syndrome, dubious consent, and unhealthy/toxic power dynamics

After being betrayed by a confidant, the god known as Violo takes an interest in you. But his lover, Vivere, isn't happy that his lover is paying attention to you. Will you be able to survive and maybe win the hearts of both Violo and Vivere? Or will you meet a gruesome end?

You can download the demo for Sacrarium Pario on itch.io.

The Shades of Red (Demo, R18)

Content Warning: Strong language, suggestive themes, drug use, suicide, violence, and blood

After meeting artist Isaac Redfield, he agrees to give you painting lessons at his home...

You can download the demo for The Shades of Red on itch.io.

Marketing Visual Novels on TikTok by Arimia

With TikTok growing every day and Twitter slowly dying, it might be a worthwhile investment to market your visual novels on the former. However, TikTok thrives on short content, so you need to create content that quickly captures the viewer's attention, or else you may lose them. If you want to learn more about TikTok and how to create content for it, Arimia created a fantastic post about the platform. She breaks down the stats, how to make a 30 second video for your visual novel, and more.

Sprites, Camera, Action!: VN Cinematography in Of Sense and Soul by ingthing from Forsythia Productions

Animation, movement, and simple tricks with the camera can add a lot of value to your game. It brings life to what could be an otherwise static game. Ingthing (Ingrid) from Forsythia Productions wrote a wonderful devlog about the cinematography in the studio's upcoming visual novel Of Sense and Soul. She breaks down how she used the Ren'Py Action Editor plugin to enhance the game. With simple zoom-ins on the background, she's able to set the scene, and then by focusing on one character and moving another in the background, it helps the player focus on the person who is closer to the camera and give a feeling of closeness. We strongly recommend reading through this devlog to learn more about how cinematography can improve your game and pick up some of the tricks that Ingthing used.

Thank you to our wonderful Byters for all of their support!

Red Spring Studio is a visual novel team created by veteran game developers from across the industry. Currently, they are working on TOUCHSTARVED, a gothic horror romance visual novel focused on a cursed individual who twists the mind of whoever they touch. Desperate to find a cure, they travel to Eridia, where they meet five monstrous individuals who may lead them to their salvation or their doom. Today, we sat down with some of Red Spring Studio's team members to talk about themselves and the game.

Tell us a bit about your studio, who you are, and how you got into game development!

Dev (she/her): I’m Dev, a co-director on TOUCHSTARVED.

Lulu (they/she): I’m the other co-director. 🙂

Dev: Basically, it all began with a bunch of friends who’d been working in the mobile visual novel space for awhile. We really wanted to make our own game, and that’s how Red Spring Studio came together.

Lynne (they/them, but everything’s cool): I’m Lynne, a writer on TOUCHSTARVED! Creating our own game is a scary, but exciting, challenge. We’re laying the train tracks as we go.

Allie (they/she): I’m Allie, a writer and marketing manager. I got into game development through friends on the team after having been a long-time fan of the genre. After being on the sidelines of Dream Daddy’s development, I was itching to help make a VN myself.

Many of you are veteran developers from companies such as Bungie, Nix Hydra, and Riot. One of you also does video production for Game Grumps! Can you talk to us about how you all manage to balance your day job with working on TOUCHSTARVED and your other responsibilities?

Lulu: TOUCHSTARVED is a labor of love with the team working on it in their free time, all while balancing full time jobs and other projects.

Dev: Getting to make your own thing is incredibly freeing and incredibly terrifying. It’s been a learning experience for all of us learning to put out consistently high quality work while avoiding burnout.

Allie: I think the key to the balance of both a project of this scale and a full time job is true enjoyment of both things. It’s definitely false to say “if you do something you love, you never work a day in your life,” but it is true that it makes the project into, like… a hobby that only coincidentally is work. Since I’m a potato, making TOUCHSTARVED is just what I do instead of other things like going to the gym or going out on Friday nights. And most members of this team have donated two years of their Friday nights to these sexy monsters.

Lynne: It’s a tough juggling act, but in the end, we’re all putting this work in to make something that we’re proud of. That’s what keeps us going.

Lulu: The fanart keeps me going personally.

Lynne: Yeah, the coffee helps too.

What is it like to be an indie game developer working on your own game?

Lynne: The studio and project have come a long way from a couple of us throwing around ideas in an apartment! Since we’re a pretty small team, we’re constantly learning new skills and ways to solve problems.

Dev: It’s all fun and games until you realize that you’ve got to fix your own bugs.

Lulu: Dev makes a lot of memes instead of bug fixing.

Allie: And I make the bugs while they’re not looking

TOUCHSTARVED is a gothic horror romance visual novel where you go to a town to find a cure for your cursed touch: anyone who you touch has their minds horribly twisted. Can you talk to us more about the project and how it was conceptualized?

Dev: When we first started, we’d have these long calls trying to find a common element for the game that got us all excited. For some reason no one would listen whenever I mentioned yanderes.

Allie: Lynne was particularly vocal about sexy monsters. And I encouraged it.

Lynne: Look, the more limbs they have, the more appendages there are to hold! I just want to date the eldritch horrors beyond human imagination, don’t call me out like that.

Lulu: Appendages… 🤔

What is it about horror that you love? Is there a specific piece of media that made you fall in love with horror?

Dev: There’s this theory that the appeal of horror lies in how it allows you to explore your anxieties and fears around death, but like in a safe way. I’ve always loved ghost stories and horror movies. As a kid, I watched a lot of Ghostbusters and way too many low budget old horror movies. I’d say Guillermo del Toro’s films, especially the ones with heavy horror vibes, continue to be a big inspiration for me.

Lynne: I really got hooked on horror short stories first, because it made my imagination go wild. Thinking back on it, I’m really captivated by horror media that makes use of ‘negative space’, leaving room in implication without spelling things out, and letting me draw my own conclusions. Reading The Mist really sticks out in my memory, and I also used to play old Resident Evil games and scare myself so badly I couldn’t finish them!

Allie: Everyone’s answers are very deep and smart, I have to just agree. I was a casual horror movie lover my whole life but only for the cheap thrills, and the unique quality of horror media is that if it fails at thrills, it often transforms into comedy. Emily Carroll’s comics are what truly got me into horror in a way beyond simply being jumpscared or bravely laughing off fear, that it had complexity and nuance

With TOUCHSTARVED being a horror and romance game, how do you manage to balance those two genres together without either one overpowering the other?

Dev: I think it’s about following the horror with catharsis–that rush and emotional release you get after a scare. That’s a good place for intimacy and emotional connection, like the calm following a storm.

Lynne: I personally think romance is a little inherently horrifying. There’s vulnerability in letting someone else come close, lowering your guard, revealing all your flaws and foibles, and trusting them not to hurt you. Emotionally, it parallels the physicality of reaching out to a monster, and it can have just as dire consequences if things go wrong.

Allie: Vulnerability in both genres is definitely a huge part of it. The pursuit of romance as well as running from something you fear, but maybe don’t truly understand are narratively alike, so I think they compliment each other easily.

There are five monstrous, hot love interests in TOUCHSTARVED: Ais, Kuras, Leander, Mhin, and Vere. Do you mind telling us more about them and the team's design process for them?

Vika (they/she, Art Director and Character Designer): Our goal was to make an indulgent, memorable cast with characters strong enough to stand on their own. The difficulty laid in having to create a world from scratch and wanting it to feel fresh. That meant that the designs became the first stage of worldbuilding. It was pretty difficult, because that pre-production work sets the stage for the rest of the game afterwards. I like to think both practically and narratively when designing as there’s a lot of things to consider—how characters talk, how they move, what themes to emphasize. We designed Ais first; then the rest of the cast had to hit the same standard and look like they exist in the same world. Ais took the longest and went through many iterations. His final design ended up changing his route entirely. 👀💦 Overall, it was a collaborative process. For example, tight lacing became a key part of Mhin’s design due to the narrative team’s input and its relevance to their themes.

Lulu: Vika is very smart.

Lynne: Mhin’s theme is repression.

Vika, you talked about the importance of the character designs and how they ultimately shaped the world you all created, with Ais' route changing because of his final design. Can you and the rest of the team talk to us about how important character design is when trying to tell your story?

Vika: Because visual novels are so character focused and art focused, the job of a character designer is to support the storytelling by drawing the eye to specific parts of the character. A good character design defines what's appealing about a character in a very clear way, and lends to what kind of route they'll have. When these charm points are very apparent, it also makes a writer's job easier when trying to bring them to life, because the design already has a lot of depth to it.

And if you can, exactly how many iterations did Ais go through before he ended up with his final design?

Vika: Ais went through at least 4 rounds not including his tattoos or the small details like necklaces, shoes, or jewelry. His hair was particularly difficult to get right–we had to balance length and how disheveled it looked since it kept changing when we drew him early on. Ais has a very specific aesthetic to maintain, so we had to get it right for his sake 🤭 If you want to see exactly how Ais evolved from the beginning, be sure to keep an eye out for a future artbook…

Out of all the love interests, who is everyone's favorite? What about the players' favorite?

Lulu: The good thing is that since this isn’t a live service game, character popularity doesn’t drive our game development. Since we’re making what we want, we get to focus on creating a sexy cast that excites us, and we all get to be individually indulgent with our own contributions.

Dev: I’ve found that in a lot of my favorite games and media, the characters and moments that shine are the ones that clearly came from the creator’s heart. Every single character in TOUCHSTARVED has had so much care poured into them. I think that’s really clear in the design and writing.

Allie: Actually Leander is the best character. Everyone likes him. No one dislikes him. His boobs are too big for hate to have room in his heart :)

Given this is a horror game, how dark should players expect the story to get?

Allie: The game is meant for mature audiences, so there will be a content warning at the beginning.

Lynne: There are plenty of themes in TOUCHSTARVED that are hallmarks of gothic horror: isolation, destruction of self and others, the past haunting the present, the decay of bygone grandeur…

Dev: It’s way darker than any games I’ve worked on before. I finally get to have endings where the main character dies horribly…there’s even one hidden in the demo!

Lulu: That’s my favorite ending!

Your Kickstarter campaign is releasing in the spring. What sort of rewards will you be making available to potential backers? Will there be any stretch goals, and if so, what are they?

Lulu: I wanted to make boobie mouse pads. They didn’t make the cut, but one day…

Dev: One day…

Lulu: Being serious, the team is working really hard to design a ton of physical merch as well as DLC content. Our first stretch goal will be partial voice acting for the full game.

Lynne: I’m really excited for everyone to see the final result of what I’ve been seeing in the merch threads 👀

Dev: I fully plan on burying myself under a mountain of our charms as soon as they’re out.

Allie: At 200% funding the foot reveals are unlocked.

Lulu: (That’s not true.)

Anything else?

Lulu: We’re only a very tiny part of the bigger Red Spring Studio team, and there are many other extremely talented people working on TOUCHSTARVED. Thank you to the team for all your hard work, you’re the most wonderful and badass team I could ever ask for, and of course thank you to everyone who has supported TOUCHSTARVED so far!

Dev: Thank you! Our Kickstarter’ll be coming soonish, so follow us on Twitter or other hellsites for updates!

Allie: Thank you for having us!

Lynne: It’s been really amazing and humbling seeing everyone’s love and support. Thank you!

If you would like to stay up-to-date on all things TOUCHSTARVED, follow Red Spring Studio on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr. You can also follow some of the studio's team members on social media to see what they're up to: Allie, Dev, and Lulu.

Wishlist ebi-hime's upcoming game Fragile Feelings on Steam!

ebi-hime, author of popular titles such as Blackberry Honey, Salome's Kiss, and Embraced by Autumn, is working on her next visual novel, a yuri story named Fragile Feelings. This tragic story centers around a terminally ill girl, Ann Clements, who decides to live out her last days as an assistant teacher. At school, Ann meets a nurse, Kohaku, who she immediately takes interest in. The kinetic novel unfolds, detailing the slow-burn romance between the terminally ill teacher and the school nurse. The story is undoubtedly tragic, but ebi-hime assures fans that it will be emotionally uplifting. Perhaps Ann's future isn't so grim after all?

Fragile Feelings will be released Q3 2023. Wishlist it now on Steam.

Red Lilies'  Kickstarter has relaunched!

Krispy Cat, the developer of Red Lilies, initially launched their Kickstarter campaign in November of 2022. Unfortunately, the campaign did not reach its funding goal, but now they are back to give it another shot. Set in the British countryside of the Victorian era, Red Lilies tells a promising vampire story following a group of girls from Lady Lilianne's Academy. One night, something sinister makes its way into the girls' dormitory, leaving its mark on an innocent student left for dead. There's no way out, so the girls must stick together to find out how to survive the horrid attacks. During the game of cat and mouse, MC Irene has the chance to get to know the other girls better and find love.

Red Lilies must reach their funding goal of US $4,500 by March 14th.

You can check out the Kickstarter campaign for Red Lilies here.

The Inexperienced Exorcist

The Inexperienced Exorcist is an RPG Maker VN about an exorcist at the mercy of a ghost's desires. Follow the relationship between Axel the rookie exorcist and Ethan, a fun-loving ghost who just wants his wishes fulfilled so he can transition into the afterlife. This spooky romance features an unlikely relationship between the living and the dead, and leaves us wondering what could bloom between two characters with such differing destinies. What can Axel and Ethan's future hold?

You can play The Inexperienced Exorcist for free on itch.io.

As Long As It's Not Illegal: Act I

Content Warning: Suggested suicide, Self-harm, Partial nudity, Drugs, Crude humor, Strong language & depictions of violence... blood?!

Meet friends, enemies, and lovers on your rebellious trip to the Undercity to throw a party at at rival campus. The problem is, it's illegal for these two groups to associate with each other, but that doesn't seem to stop you from going on the adventure. Play as Roxanne, the renameable protagonist, and find love among 20+ characters. As Long As It's Not Illegal is a dating sim with a colorful art style that sets it apart from other visual novels.

You can buy As Long As It's Not Illegal: Act I for US $7.99 on itch.io and Steam.

Otome Reality

Content Warning: Rated 16+ for profanity, sex jokes, partial nudity

Some of the best heroines have a tragic past, and that's the case in Otome Reality, where Celine not only has a history of bad relationships, but she's been ironically assigned as a lead designer of an otome game. Of course, Celine crosses paths with four handsome bachelors along the way. Will Celine be able to create the best otome game even when love has left her bitter?

You can play the demo for Otome Reality on itch.io.

Leather Bound Love

Leather Bound Love is an upcoming otome game where you have the job of your dreams: working at a local bookstore. This is the meeting grounds for five bachelors, each with a story of their own. This game is currently in development, but what's amazing is the demo includes three chapters of each love interest's route, letting players have a taste of what's to come in the full game. Which of these eligible bachelors has stolen your heart?

You can play the demo for Leather Bound Love on itch.io.

Yours Truly

Yours Truly is another ghost romance, this one about a ghost boy named Ansel who, despite his bleak future, is a hopeless romantic who's determined to reach his happily ever after. Yours Truly brings us a relatively unique theme, because ghost romances aren't something that are common in VNs. This game lets players choose their name and pronouns. Get ready to fall in love with a ghost!

You can play the demo for Yours Truly on itch.io.

The Future Radio and the Artificial Pigeons

Set in a futuristic version of Japan, artificial pigeons have stolen the sky, putting an end to the digital world as we know it. Because of this anomaly, airplanes can no longer fly, and radio signals and the internet no longer exist thanks to the pigeons that devour the radio waves and hog the sky. Hope is regained when a new radio is constructed that is able to receive signals from the future. The Steam version of the game features a main story as well as multiple heroine routes, and includes dialogue based sexual references and spicy "veiled" artwork of characters kissing.

You can buy The Future Radio and the Artificial Pigeons on Steam for US $29.99. A free adult patch is also available, and the R18 version of the game is available on Denpasoft, JAST USA, and MangaGamer.

Selene ~Apoptosis~

Content Warning: This visual novel deals with mature themes and may not be appropriate for those who are easily disturbed.

A mysterious yet cute catgirl shows up on your doorstep well past bedtime; will you let her in? The girl seems to have appeared out of thin air, and is so irresistibly cute that she might easily lure the MC into something dangerous. Selene ~Apoptosis~ is a thriller VN with romance, and the creators mention that they sought inspiration from the works of David Lynch and Stephen King. The main story is free, and there are paid DLCs, including a R18 patch, for players to dive further into the story as well as enjoy the spice.

You can play the main story of Selene ~Apoptosis~ for free on Steam.

Monstera is this week's hot new love interest! Monstera is a flirty plant, and as far as we know, he may be one of the first flirty plants in existence. What makes Monstera so special is his mature look, cute smiling pot, and bright green leaves that just so happened to be slightly heart-shaped. Monstera is a plant from the new Kinder World dating sim, Take Me or Leaf Me.

Thank you to our wonderful Byters for all of their support!

Without them, Tiny Bytes wouldn't exist. Please consider becoming a patron to help keep our newsletter alive and get exclusive benefits such as monthly postcards!

Check out what our patrons are working on this month in our February 2023 devlog!

Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER  is releasing in summer 2023!

Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER, the sequel to 2064: Read Only Memories, will be releasing sometime in the summer. In this game, you play as ES88, a psychic detective who has to track down the Golden Butterfly, an esper who is wreaking havoc in Neo-San Francisco by messing with residents' minds. To track the esper down, you'll need to dive into the fragmented minds of her victims, fix them, and find clues that the esper left behind.

Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER will be releasing on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Steam, and Epic. There is currently a demo available on PC if you would like to try out the game before it launches later this year.

The Wreck, a visual novel focusing on trauma and its affects on the present, releases March 14th

Content Warning: Depiction of a car accident, difficult subject matter such as sickness, grief, toxic relationships, and self-harm.

The Wreck, a 3D visual novel, is set to release March 14th. You play as Junon, a 36-year-old woman whose life is falling apart. She's a failed screenwriter who receives a call about her estranged mother being in critical condition after suffering a brain aneurysm. While on her way to the hospital, Junon explores her memories, and it's up to you to get to the center of Junon's trauma and help her get through the hardest day of her life.

The Wreck will be out on Steam, GOG, and Nintendo Switch for US $19.99. Currently, there is a demo available for the game on Steam and itch.io.

Amarantus (Demo)

Content Warning: Drug and alcohol use, addiction, mental illness, suicide, violence described via text, sex and sexuality, toxic relationships, non-explicit depictions of nudity and sexual situations.

After his village was attacked and his family was captured, Arik goes on a journey to take down the tyrant lord ruling over the land. However, he can't do it alone. If he wants to successfully overthrow the government, he'll need to gather a crew. The people Arik recruits are all different; they have their wants, needs, and opinions. So while you may make decisions that will put you in the favor of some party members, it could turn off others. Not only will your decisions impact how your party looks at you, but they will also shape Arik's personality—for better or worse.

You can download the demo for Amarantus on itch.io and Steam.

Quaint Part One: The Society

Content Warning: Strong language, mature themes, blood, murder, suicide, mentions of homophobia and transphobia, mentions of violence and abuse

Q is an IT specialist living in the quiet town of Millbrook. However, he learns that there is more to this small town than meets the eye. It turns out there is a secret mage association known as the Snake and Saber Society which has existed for 200 years. Q is invited to join the group, but as he gets more involved, his past begins to resurface. Will Q be able to face his past and move on from it, or will he stay stagnant?

Quaint will be divided into three parts, with Part One: The Society currently available to download for free on itch.io.

Saint Maker

From Yangyang Mobile, creators of The Letter, comes their next horror visual novel: Saint Maker. Saint Maker focuses on a young woman named Holly who is sent to Saint Idelora's convent, a religious institution. During her stay there, Holly begins to discover the dark secrets of the convent and the strange hauntings that occur during the nighttime. The scary imagery and soft-spoken prayers Holly experiences at night bring up past memories that she would rather forget. However, will that be possible, or will Holly have to face the demons of her past if she wants to get out of this experience in one piece?

You can purchase Saint Maker on Steam for US $13.99. There is a demo available if you want to try out the game before purchasing it. Saint Maker will be launching on Nintendo Switch on March 22nd.

Dreams in the Witch House

Based on the H.P. Lovecraft story of the same name, you play Walter Gitman, who travels to Arkham, Massachusetts, to attend Miskatonic University. While there are plenty of rumors surrounding the town, especially the boarding house which he lives in, Walter ignores them so he can focus on his studies. That is, until he no longer can. He begins to have strange dreams of being in an otherworldly realm filled with creatures that take the appearance of geometric shapes. It turns out that these dreams are a sign and something sinister is going on. Walter plans on getting to the bottom of it all, but if he isn't careful, he could lose his soul.

You can purchase Dreams in the Witch House on Steam for US $10.99.

Sorry We're Open

Content Warning: Explicit language, blood and gore, animal death, civil unrest/violence, smoking, implied voyeurism, workplace violence, union busting, disturbing images and themes.

This RPG Maker horror title has you controlling the new manager of a supermarket. In order to keep the store running, you'll need to manage your employees, watch over the different shifts, and make decisions that could impact the store and the workers.

You can purchase Sorry We're Open on Steam for US $7.99. There is also a free demo you can try out.

Girlfriend Simulator

Content Warning: Depression, brief mentions of attempted suicide, asphyxiation, violence, bloody imagery, animated static, and flickering lights.

Submitted for Spooktober VN Jam 2022, Girlfriend Simulator is a horror visual novel where you wake up with a terrible headache. That's when you meet a girl named Nagi who claims to be your girlfriend. She tells you that you're sick and that she's there to take care of you. However... You don't recognize Nagi. Is she truly your girlfriend? Is your illness that bad that you simply can't remember her?

You can download Girlfriend Simulator on itch.io for free.

Limbo Line

Content Warning: Strong language, threatening behavior, references to self-harm and suicide, references to abortion, mild sexual references, depictions of blood, disturbing sounds, flashing lights, jump scares, and loss of life.

After ending their life, instead of being taken to Heaven or Hell, Nine is transported to Sanctuary Support Line (SSL). There, they must act as a customer service agent and provide help for whoever calls.

You can download Limbo Line on itch.io for free.

Last week, we interviewed Sam from Delphinium Interactive! We talked about her games and the experiences she learned during her journey as a game developer. If you haven't already, you can read our interview with her here!

Next week, we will be interviewing Red Spring Studio, the team behind TOUCHSTARVED! So if you're dying to know more about this horror romance visual novel and the people working on it, be sure to read our interview when it comes out March 6th.

Codex Screen for Ren'Py by Skolaztika

A codex can be great if you want to store additional information about a character or place. Alternatively, you can also use a codex in your game to define words that your player may not be familiar with. For example, if your game takes place in a fantasy setting, it may be useful to describe some of the terms you're using or give background information on the different species that appear throughout your game.

If you're looking for a codex screen for reasons like that, look no further than Skolaztika's. The code is already made for you and all you need to do is build upon it, tailoring it to your liking. If you need support setting it up, Skolaztika can answer any questions you may have in the comment section on the asset's itch.io page.

Ren'Py Credits Screen UI by Gaming Variety Potato

This free-to-use code by Gaming Variety Potato expands on Ren'Py's About screen. This credit screen can break up the team into their respective roles, such as writing, art, and more. Not only that, but you can display everyone's picture and social media links, like their Twitter or itch.io accounts. This is a great piece of code if you want to display more information about your team!

Thank you to our wonderful Byters for all of their support!

Without them, Tiny Bytes wouldn't exist. Please consider becoming a patron to help keep our newsletter alive and get exclusive benefits such as monthly postcards!

Check out what our patrons are working on this month in our February 2023 devlog!

Thanks to the support of our wonderful Byters, we were able to publish eight issues of our newsletters during the past month as well as two developer interviews (CatTrigger and Delphinium Interactive)! Some of our supporters have gone a step further and joined our top tiers, Alfy's Fan Club & Company Supporters; at these tiers, we invite developers to share monthly status updates with our readers about their projects.

Once you're done reading their updates, please check out the issues that were produced thanks to them and our other Byters and consider becoming a Byter yourself so that we can continue producing new issues every week:

Tiny Bytes for 2/1/2023, Tiny Bytes for 2/6/23, Tiny Bytes XOXO for 2/8/23, Tiny Bytes for 2/13/23, Tiny Bytes XOXO for 2/15/23, Tiny Bytes for 2/20/23, Tiny Bytes XOXO 2/22/23, and Tiny Bytes for 2/27/23.

Miracle Moon

Decide 4 God (Third game in the Abime seires)

The work on Decide 4 God continues. So far this month:

• Flowchart assets and layouts are finalized for both Side A and Side B.

• Writing has slowed down, but there's now a structure in place to facilitate it.

• Backgrounds have progressed; half the background art is complete.

• The Patreon bonus has been updated with a new segment.

Given the restructuration of the story and the planned content left to make, Q2 release might seem too optimistic; Q3 release is likelier. The writing of the story will resume in March and might be finished by the end of April.

If you would like to stay up-to-date on Miracle Moon’s games as well as the development of Decide 4 God, you join their Discord server here! You can also follow them on Twitter. If you haven’t already, we strongly recommend checking out the other entries in the Abime series: Head AS Code and Birth ME Code, both of which can be purchased on either itch or Steam.

And that is all we have for this month’s Patreon Devlog!

This week, we interviewed Sam from Delphinium Interactive! She's the lead developer on Whispers Through the Wall, Graveyard Girls, and Reflection! In our interview with Sam, we talked about her, her many projects and the inspiration behind some of them, and her advice to developers on cancelling a project. She also has a very special announcement, which you'll read first in our interview with her! You can read the interview here.

Norn9: Var Commons is coming to Nintendo Switch on March 30th!

With the Switch release for Norn9: Var Commons on the horizon, Aksys has announced a set of collectible character cards that buyers will find in the first-run copies of the game. Alongside this announcement, Aksys also announced the Norn9: Last Era limited edition, revealing the lineup of memorabilia that will be included: an artbook, a cloth poster of the characters, a full-color artbook, 11 vinyl stickers, and an acrylic chibi keychain.

Charade Maniacs is releasing in English this summer!

Charade Maniacs will be localized and released on the Nintendo Switch in summer 2023. It is a Japanese romance visual novel developed by Otomate. The story follows the female protagonist and second-year high school student, Hiyori, as she gets swept up into a fantasy world known as Arcadia. Nine others have also been pulled into Arcadia with no escape other than to perform in a drama at the request of a mysterious masked individual. They may be faced with the same situation as you, but does that mean you can trust them?

Kinder World creator Lumii Interactive has released a plant dating sim!

Lumii Interactive is an Australia-based developer that created a plant-themed mobile game, Kinder World, geared toward spreading kindness and improving mental health with the help of cute plants. The houseplant game was funded on Kickstarter for AU $88,950. The early access mobile game is available on Android and iOS, and has received over 100,000 user downloads, which is a huge feat for an indie developer. Kinder World is so successful that the developers have decided to branch out and create a dating sim, Take Me or Leaf Me, that was released on February 14th.

In Take Me or Leaf Me you can have romantic encounters with houseplants. Each character will have two sprite portraits that appear during conversations so that you can associate the plant with a human sprite. In Take Me or Leaf Me, these plants have unique personalities. Hang out with Pink Princess, Monstera, Dragon Tail, and Pilea, and see which plants steal your heart. Overall, you can look forward to a lighthearted time filled with hilarious moments when you play Take Me or Leaf Me.

You can play Take Me or Leaf Me in-browser here.

The popular webtoon Let's Play will be adapted into a dating sim!

The Kinder World developers aren't the only creators to announce a dating sim based on their original work! Mongie (Leanne M. Krecic), the creator of the webcomic Let's Play, has announced plans for a dating sim based on it. Let's Play is a popular series published on Webtoon which tells the story of an indie RPG developer and her real-life encounters. Her favorite internet gaming celebrity, Marshall Law, does a video review of her game, but unfortunately, his bad review causes a ripple effect and tanks the rating of her game. With comedy, drama, friendship, romance, and more, Let's Play is a story that will bring you through emotional twists of life.

The upcoming spin-off, Everdate, showcases 12 of the fantastic characters found in the webcomic, and players have the option to choose one of these characters as the protagonist and then build relationships with anyone of their choosing. Play the right cards to win over your love interest. They'll reveal their cards, and if you are compatible, you'll move on to your second date. Everdate is currently running a Kickstarter campaign and will be successfully funded if it raises US $50,000 by March 16th, 2023. As a stretch goal, fans can look forward to a voice-acted version if the campaign raises $100,000.

You can follow the Kickstarter page for Everdate here.

Fantasia: At Regime's End

Content Warning: Death, execution, suicide, language, minimal suggestive themes, drug use, alcohol.

Step into the shoes of a demon assassin, Ash, who hails from Valleydyne, the soon-to-be conquerors of the Requia Kingdom. Meet humans, navandels, and other demons as you journey to kill the princess of Requia. But even a demon assassin can have the heart for romance if she finds her match. This game has 341,000 words and six different routes to pursue.

You can play Fantasia: At Regime's End for free on itch.io.

Otome Legends

Content Warning: Themes of suicide and depression, graphic imagery of blood and gore, and themes of violence.

You play a popular otome game on your Nony console, but after playing, you only wish that fantasy were reality. Your best friend thinks she can make that dream come true, but her evil plan doesn't pan out the way she expected. Despite the outward pink and slice-of-life appearance, Otome Legends is a psychological horror romance.

You can buy Otome Legends for US $12 on itch.io.

A Date With Your Serial Killer

A Date With Your Serial Killer is an upcoming yandere romance that tackles the dark side of online dating. The MC comes across a blank profile and decides to give the guy a shot and go on a date, and to her surprise, he's actually pretty handsome. But as the title suggests, this handsome guy is probably a serial killer in disguise.

The developer mentions that the game will be updated in the future, but has not given any other concrete details regarding the future of the development.

You can play the A Date With Your Serial Killer demo here.

Lovebirb

Lovebirb is a bird dating sim with rhythm game mechanics. You meet birds on the online dating app Bumbird and swipe left or right to decide who you want to get to know better. Win over your favorite birds by playing the right tunes! If you were a fan of the pigeon dating game Hatoful Boyfriend, Lovebirb is a lighthearted story that will satisfy your bird romance needs without the dark horror elements.

You can play the Lovebirb demo on Steam and itch.io.

Love and Country

It's 1916 and Lillian Sinclair is a spy for a French spy bureau in this period piece, Love and Country. Lillian and another spy have been tasked with rescuing one of their agents that's fallen victim to the enemy. Lillian must learn to work with her difficult and possibly untrustworthy partner to bring the fallen agent home.

You can play the Love and Country demo on itch.io.

Heart Agency

Heart Agency is a BL game that revolves around Adrian Heart, a genius composer for his pop princess sister. Despite his massive talent, Adrian prefers to remain anonymous in the entertainment industry. Adrian crosses paths with other talent, including a famous music idol, a model, and an actor. One of these celebrity love interests just might capture Adrian's heart, perhaps bringing him out of his shadow of anonymity.

You can play the demo for Heart Agency on itch.io and Steam.

The games below have been out for a while, but we highly recommend checking them out in case you missed them!

Highway Blossoms

Highway Blossoms is a yuri story that takes place in the American Southwest and follows two girls in their travels across the desert. MC Amber kindly gives the damsel in distress/hitchhiker Marina a ride, but shortly after, the two find themselves in search of an old gold rush miner's hidden treasure. Highway Blossoms is a kinetic novel that focuses on the budding romance between Marina and Amber.

You can buy Highway Blossoms on Steam, itch.io, and GOG for US $12.99.

Perfect Gold

Perfect Gold is a magical girl yuri VN about the relationship between two magic students, Audrey and Marion. These girls have a rough past, and hopefully they can not only rekindle their friendship but realize there's something more brewing between them. Players can play from either Audrey or Marion's POV, seeing two sides of the same story. The game has full voice acting and intricately animated scenes that make it stand out from the crowd.

You can play Perfect Gold on Steam, itch.io, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS.

Monica McKenzie

Monica McKenzie is an internet celebrity and beauty queen who has respectfully earned the title of makeup guru. She has pink hair and sparkling blue eyes, and you'll rarely see her without a stylish outfit. Monica exudes confidence, and what makes her so special is that she loves to uplift other girls and teach them to be confident as well, which is why she proves to be a wonderful love interest and friend. Monica is from the webcomic Let's Play and will also be a character in the upcoming dating sim Everdate.

Thank you to our wonderful Byters for all of their support!

Without them, Tiny Bytes wouldn't exist. Please consider becoming a patron to help keep our newsletter alive and get exclusive benefits such as monthly postcards!

This week, we interviewed Sam from Delphinium Interactive! She's the lead developer on Whispers Through the Wall, Graveyard Girls, and Reflection! In our interview with Sam, we talked about her, her many projects and the inspiration behind some of them, and her advice to developers on cancelling a project. She also has a very special announcement, which you'll read first in our interview with her! You can read the interview here.

Red Lilies relaunches on Kickstarter

Red Lilies, a yuri horror visual novel developed by Krispy Cat, has relaunched on Kickstarter. The visual novel focuses on Irene, who is sent off to Lady Lilianne's Academy, a school aimed at properly preparing young women to enter into society. However, the entirety of the school is shaken up when one of the students turns up dead. While the teachers claim that an animal attacked her, the facts of the case point to a creature that's much more sinister. Will Irene and her friends be able to survive their time at Lady Lilianne's and find the killer, or will one of them become the next victim?

The developer is seeking US $4,500, and any additional funding past that will go toward stretch goals. If you would to pledge to the Red Lilies Kickstarter, you can check it out here. Additionally, if you would like to play the demo for Red Lilies, you can download it from itch.io.

The Trans Witches are Witches Bundle, a game bundle whose profits go to LGBTQIA+ game devs, is now active

Right now on itch, you can purchase the Trans Witches are Witches Bundle. This bundle contains 69 games, a mixture of physical games and downloadable titles. Some of these games include visual novels, such as Do I Pass?, Witch Was Lost (And Has Been Found), and Wizard School Woes. The bundle has an amazing collection of games whose profits all go to the LGBTQIA+ game developers who are participating in the bundle. It originally had a goal of US $6,000, but has quickly smashed its goals and every one after that. At the time of writing, both the main bundle and its sister bundle have raised over $100,000 combined.

You can purchase the main bundle for US $60 or its sister bundle for $10 until the bundle ends on February 24th.

PARANORMASIGHT, a supernatural visual novel from Square Enix, is releasing soon

Shortly after February 8th's Nintendo Direct, Square Enix announced PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo. Set in Tokyo during the 20th century, seven people find themselves investigating the Seven Mysteries of Honjo after witnessing supernatural events unfold right before their eyes. Intertwined with death and the ability to curse others, they all must do what's right to survive the ordeal they now find themselves in. The game is set to launch March 8th on PC and March 9th for Nintendo Switch.

You can pre-order PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo on Steam for US $15.99, 20% off from its normal price of $19.99. The game is also set to release on iPhone and Android, where it will retail for $14.99. However, no release date has been announced for either platform.

Sanguinary

Content Warning: Blood and death.

You're celebrating New Years' with your friends Annabeth and Kiyana. When the pair arrive, though, there's a third person with them. The stranger introduces himself as Elijah. Although he may have a nice smile, there's something off about him, and as the night progresses, that feeling of unease only gets worse. That may just be your paranoia messing with you, however. All that's certain is that this party will be something to remember.

You can download Sanguinary on itch.io for free.

FAVOR Episode 1: Simplicity (R18)

Content Warning: Alcohol ingestion, violence (descriptions and images), blood, mentions of arson, mention of an explosive device, threat of violence, and death (player death and possible main character death)

After some drinking, you awaken in a pub with a devil named Z standing over you. He sits down at your table and asks you about topics ranging from your current job to what you like and what you enjoy doing. Will you find yourself falling for this demon, or will his personality become too much for you to take?

You can download FAVOR Episode 1: Simplicity for free on itch.io.

Midnight Scenes: From the Woods

Content Warning: Adult and horror themes. This includes bullying, blood, gore, homophobia, non-explicit animal cruelty, and racism.

In this short horror experience, you play as Elijah, a patient at Fernwood Creek Mental Health Center. The psychiatric center receives a new patient named Oliver, a young boy who was recently found after being kidnapped. Shortly after his arrival, Elijah and the others at the center begin to experience strange happenings, including a monster roaming the area. What is the cause behind what's going at Fernwood Creek Mental Health Center, and is there any way to stop it all?

You can purchase Midnight Scenes: From the Woods on Steam and itch.io for US $4.99.

Loretta

Content Warning: Violence, blood, strong language, and adult themes including alcohol and tobacco addiction.

In this psychological thriller, you play as Loretta, a housewife in the 40s who has moved to the rural south with her husband. The two are not only struggling financially, but their relationship is rocky. Everything comes to a head when Loretta finds out that her husband has been cheating on her and he has a life insurance policy for himself that gives out a lot of money. Reeling from her husband's betrayal, Loretta begins to think of a plan to get rid of her husband. But the question is... Will she follow through with it? The choice is yours.

You can buy Loretta on Steam for US $14.99. There is also a free demo for the game that you can try out if you want to get an idea of what the game is like before purchasing.

Amelie

Content Warning: Suicide, obsession, death, blood, bones, stalking, pandemic mentioned, flashing images, and domestic abuse.

Inside of a manor that's far out in the countryside is Amelie and her friend Lilika. Amelie has invited her penpal Sofia over, since the former is forbidden from leaving the manor. Despite Lilika saying Sofia won't arrive, Sofia does. What should be a nice day together slowly turns into a day of discovery and perhaps even death. What will Sofia discover at her time at the manor, and will she live to see the morning?

You can purchase Amelie on Steam and itch.io for US $3.99.

Wandersong

In this magical and colorful adventure, you play as a bard who loves to sing. One day, he learns that the world is about to end, and he vows to save it by learning all the parts to the Earthsong from the seven Overseers. Traveling around the world with a witch named Miriam, the happy-go-lucky bard is ready to sing his heart out in order to save the world he holds so dear.

You can purchase Wandersong on Steam, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4 for US $19.99.

Yandere Jam

Yandere Jam is still going strong with more games being submitted to the jam. Let's take a look at a couple more submissions!

Love Letter

Content Warning: Physical violence, non-consensual drug use, and yandere themes.

You have a new mail carrier in your neighborhood named Patter! Although they appear to be friendly, it becomes evident that they're hiding something...

You can download Love Letter on itch.io for free.

A Cry for Help (R18)

Content Warning: Suicidal ideations, stalking, jumpscares, horror and dark themes.

While working your job as a call center agent, you get a crisis call where a frantic man asks you to help him locate his package. How will you act towards the stranger on the other end?

You can download A Cry for Help for free on itch.io.

Customizable Character Tutorial using Ren'Py's LayeredImage by Jaime Scribbles Games

Ren'Py's LayeredImage function allows you to use multiple layers of a sprite to create an image. Instead of having to create a sprite for every single expression or outfit your character may have, you can save each layer of that sprite separately and combine it all later in Ren'Py. This is especially helpful for those looking to create a customizable character, where the customization options are almost endless.

In this tutorial done by Jaime Scribbles Games, who has created games with customizable MCs (Pinewood Island and As We Know It), she walks the reader through creating the art needed for layered images and how to code it into your game. She also goes into detail about making your gallery so if you feature CGs with the customized protagonist, the CG in the gallery will show that exact CG the player got with their MC.

Ren'Edit by Theo

Designed for beta testers, proofreaders, editors, and developers, Ren'Edit allows you to enable a GUI overlay where members of your team can mark areas that need fixing and generates a text file with their feedback. This tool is great for reporting bugs or typos and having it all in one place.

Thank you to our wonderful Byters for all of their support!

Without them, Tiny Bytes wouldn't exist. Please consider becoming a patron to help keep our newsletter alive and get exclusive benefits such as monthly postcards!

Sam is a visual novel developer who released her first visual novel, Tidal Blossoms, back in 2020. Now, she has released many more projects such as Whispers Through the Wall, Reflection, and Graveyard Girls. For this interview, we sat down with Sam to learn more about her, her journey in game development, and the various games she's made over the last few years!

Hi! Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into game development?

Hello and thank you for having me on VN Game Den!

My name is Sam, I’m a visual novel developer and the owner of Delphinium Interactive. I’ve worked as a narrative designer on several indie horror games, but my current work is visual novel development.

Gaming is one of my earliest memories, sitting on the floor playing Ocarina of Time in my grandparents' living room immediately comes to mind. Many nights were spent playing Halo and Smash Bros in my parents’ basement with my friends. I still vividly remember making my 8th birthday party a game tournament (I did not win).

During the summer before my last year of high school, I applied for a job as a freelancer at a gaming news website. It was a year-long contract and it lit a fire inside me; I loved writing about games!

Despite the freelancing, I didn’t see game development as a career option until I started college. Around that time, my dad unexpectedly passed away and my life changed drastically.

His passing led me to write a deeply personal tribute to him online, and it caught the eye of a friend I’d met through gaming conventions. He’d just started his own indie game company and needed an editor. I accepted the offer, and my role grew into a narrative design position a few years later.

That’s how it all began!

One of your early projects was Tidal Blossoms, a BxG romance VN which was later cancelled. Can you talk to us a bit about why you decided to end development on the project?

Tidal Blossoms was the first project I ever created in Ren’Py. It’s the game that led me to become a visual novel developer, but I never created Tidal Blossoms with the intention of it being a public project.

As my confidence grew, I challenged myself to see what others would think of it. I commissioned the necessary artwork and assets, and by the time I published it on itch.io, I felt certain that I wanted to develop visual novels.

I decided to make a small project for NaNoRenO 2020 to challenge myself and continue to learn Ren’Py, which became the demo for Starlight Shores.

I immediately felt a deeper connection to the characters and project because I love writing short stories! I knew that Starlight Shores was right for me, and the game jam experience led me to set Tidal Blossoms aside and create smaller-scale projects.

Tidal Blossoms was an excellent way to learn what kind of stories I want to write and I’m grateful for the lessons it taught me.

In any creative endeavor, many people have a hard time letting a project go even when that’s the best option for the project and the creator. Did you have any hesitation when it came to cancelling the project?

I left the project alone for a while to make sure I was ready to let go. Doing that helped cement that I was ready to move on. I felt a small degree of hesitation because I didn’t want to disappoint anyone, but in the end, I didn’t let that hold me back and I went forward with formally cancelling the project.

Cancelled projects are lessons and we need to make mistakes to learn and grow as developers.

Do you have any advice for those who are hesitant about canceling a project?

It’s a good idea to ask yourself why you’re hesitating to cancel it.

The experience of making games can be fun and rewarding, but it can also be incredibly stressful. It’s important to examine when a project is burning you out or isn’t meant to be finished.

It’s okay to let go and accept that a cancelled project isn’t a personal failure!

Starlight Shores, a BxG romance that takes place in the same town as Tidal Blossoms, was released on October 30, 2020. What about this project worked compared to Tidal Blossoms?

The scale of Starlight Shores was much smaller, but more importantly, I felt a connection to the story and characters. I’d stay up late coding and writing because I loved making the game. The drive to finish Starlight Shores was there from day one. Once the demo launched, I put all my time and energy into finishing it. It captured my attention in ways that Tidal Blossoms never did.

Starlight Shores is also a commercial title. Marketing a commercial project can be harder than a free one because it has a price tag attached to it. So, what were some of your strategies on getting this project out there to the eyes of your target audience?

Having a demo to give players a taste of the game is very important to me! Many reviewers indicated that the Starlight Shores demo was what led them to eventually purchase the game.

A demo gives you a chance to gather player feedback that you might’ve missed during QA testing, and a fresh perspective can help shift development in the right direction. It’s one of the most important steps that I took.

On a side note, I enjoy sharing sneak previews and mini devlogs on Twitter and Itch.io to help demonstrate how development is coming along. It’s nice to remind players that the game is still on track.

Your next release was Graveyard Girls, a yuri Halloween-themed VN where two grieving girls, Elle and Lucia, meet at a cemetery. What was the motivation to create a project like this?

Graveyard Girls is a deeply personal project that I poured years of emotion and experiences into.

Losing my dad suddenly when I was on the fringe of adulthood changed my life, and I wanted to share a story about how impactful grief is, even years after the loss of a loved one.

Lucia was the perspective of fresh grief while Elle demonstrated the complicated and traumatic aftermath.

I wanted to create a game that handled death honestly, not shying away from the darker details that people tend to keep to themselves. I tried to stay away from touching on any religious topics so that it could speak to a more universal experience.

I’ve since learned that the game could be classified as “death-positive” although I was unfamiliar with the term when I started developing Graveyard Girls.

Keeping on the spooky theme, you later released Reflection, a horror game made for O2A2! Horror is a tough genre to pull off, since you need to build up tension in order to scare the viewer. Given the limitations of O2A2, can you give us some insight on how you managed to pull such a wonderful game off?

When I pictured Reflection in my mind, I clearly saw Ivy in that dark room calling out to an evil spirit. Given the limitations of the jam, I understood that the body of the story existed in that pivotal moment.

My goal was to illustrate a fragment of a truly horrifying experience, instead of telling an entire story in such a limited setting. Breaking the concept down into the smallest version of itself was challenging, but I loved it.

Honestly, I can’t wait to participate in 02A2 again in the future!

Many of your titles are romance or have light romantic tones in them. Can you talk to us about what makes for a compelling romantic story?

Although I don't believe that characters need to immediately become attracted to each other, in my own stories, I try to emphasize the novelty of the "first meeting".
It's also one of my favourite scenes to write.

Creating a moment when that first spark is felt by both the characters and the reader is important. I tend to focus on playful dialogue and excited energy.

It doesn't need to be a magical moment, but it should be memorable.

It's the foundation of their future intimacy, so while I try to be realistic with occasional stumbles and awkwardness, the goal is to craft a situation where the characters want to see each other again and explore their feelings.

I want the audience to know that when the characters leave that situation, their potential love interest is already occupying their thoughts because they felt some chemistry, even if they question what it could lead to.

Due to my preference for short stories, these early scenes tend to carry more weight than if I was creating a longer story. A strong opening can be told through a character's desire to see that person again

You’re about to host your first-ever game jam, Blossom VN Jam! Can you tell us what made you decide to create Blossom VN Jam?

Personally, I love seasonal game jams. Having participated in both Spooktober and Winter Jam, I found myself thinking about the thematic possibilities of a “spring” VN jam.

I’ve also wanted to get involved in hosting jams within the VN dev community, so Blossom VN Jam was created! I’m incredibly excited to see what kind of stories are submitted.

What were some unexpected hurdles you encountered when creating the jam? Do you have any advice for future jam hosts who wish to start their own jam?

I’d suggest focusing on creating clear rules as to how you’re running the jam and what the participants should expect.

I wanted to create a “comfort jam” to help participants avoid stressing themselves out, so they’re welcome to start development before the jam, and unfinished works can be submitted and improved upon afterwards.

Developers need to consider scoping their projects to fit development timelines, but this jam isn’t about concrete rules, and I wouldn’t want anyone to hesitate to join because they felt a demo or partial submission wouldn’t be welcome.

Personally, if you were to create a spring-themed visual novel, what would it be about?

100% a cottage-core yuri romance! There’d be lots of picnics, gardening, and cozy afternoons spent bonding… I often start writing stories with those kinds of little scenes in my head, then I try to stitch the story together to reach that point. I’d also love to revisit characters from previous stories and bring them into a wholesome spring setting with themes of personal growth.

What are you currently working on that you would like to tell our readers about?

First, I’d love to share that Graveyard Girls will be coming to consoles with the help of Penguin Pop Games! We don’t have a release date currently, but please keep an eye out for that in the future.

I’m slowly working away at creating a continuation of Reflection which I’ll be sharing more updates about as assets are created and milestones are hit.

I’d love to encourage any devs interested in joining Blossom VN Jam to visit the itchio jam page, we hit 65 participants with a month and a half to go before it begins.

Thank you so much for having me, I loved chatting with you!

If you would like to keep up to date on Sam's games, you can follow her on social media; you can find all the links on her Linktree. Additionally, if you would like to check out the publisher for the console port of Graveyard Girls, Penguin Pop Games, you can check out their website here.

There's a new otome game, The Crimson Flower that Divides: Lunar Coupling, coming to Switch on February 23rd!

Dramatic Create, a visual novel publishing studio based in Tokyo, published the console and PC versions of the otome visual novel EPHEMERAL -FANTASY ON DARK-, a zombies-and-werewolves paranormal romance that takes place during a zombie outbreak. The same studio teamed together with developer Operetta Due to release The Crimson Flower that Divides: Lunar Coupling, a fantasy adventure otome game.

In The Crimson Flower, an incurable disease known as the Rot swiftly spreads across the fictional countries of Nasla and Rus, wiping out most of the female population. You play as Naala, a surviving woman of the Rot who's been kidnapped and arranged to marry the King of Rus. Instead, Naala is kidnapped by the King of Nasla, and in her imprisonment, she meets her potential suitors.

The Crimson Flower will also be coming to Steam in the future, but an official date has not been announced.

Amarantus is coming to Steam this year!

Content Warning: drug and alcohol use, addiction, mental illness, suicide, violence (text descriptions), sex & sexuality, toxic relationships.
Contains some non-explicit but spicy depictions of nudity and sexual situations.

Play as Arik and explore relationships in a world of political tyranny. How you pursue your romantic endeavors is entirely up to you. You'll have the opportunity to engage in brief hookups, develop polyamorous relationships, explore individual romances, or even create enemies. The most enticing and perhaps most intriguing aspect of Amarantus is that not all relationships are guaranteed, and even if you enter into a romantic relationship with someone of your choice, that does not mean that it will work out.

Amarantus is expected to release in Q2 of 2023, but for now you can try out the demo on Steam.

QUALIA ~The Path of Promise~, an android girl romance, is now on Steam!

Developed by PURESIS and published by Sekai Project, QUALIA is a kinetic novel about a maid android named Machina and the scientist who brings her home. The story is comparable to other well-renowned titles such as Lucy -The Eternity She Wished For- or the series Chobits, both stories that encompass the love between a human and a robot. In QUALIA, the scientist, Dr. Hiro Koshino, develops feelings for his new android maid the more time he spends with her, but will Machina be able to return his feelings?

You can buy QUALIA ~The Path of Promise~ on Steam for US $19.99. The adult-only version of the game and an R18 patch are available on Denpasoft.

Under Maintenance is coming to Steam!

Content Warning: Strong language, suggestive/sexual themes, and mentions of alcohol/alcohol use.

Hearty Soup Studio, the developer of Under Maintenance, just announced their official Steam 'coming soon' page for the game. The game was originally released on itch.io for Otome Jam 2022 and was wildly popular, currently standing at 5 stars with 180 reviews. Under Maintenance explores the life of the nameable MC and the struggle of her favorite otome game being under maintenance. Instead, MC must pursue romance in real life, but how she goes about it is entirely up to the player. There are three love interests, Luca, Tristan, and Theo, and what's special about them is they are all in their late twenties and early thirties, something that's uncommon in your average otome game.

You can wishlist Under Maintenance on Steam now.

The Fairy's Secret

The Fairy's Secret, a kinetic visual novel by ebi-hime, serves as the sequel to The Fairy's Song, two years after Marnie trekked into the forest to discover the existence of fairies. The story follows the sweet romance of Marnie and Lisbeth, but this time around something looms within the forest, and whatever it is will surely bring trouble to the two. It is recommended to play The Fairy's Song before playing the sequel.

You can play The Fairy's Secret for US $11.99 on Steam or itch.io.

The games below were released for the week of Valentine's Day and have a Valentine's Day theme.

Deep Sea Valentine

Deep Sea Valentine is an RPG/visual novel hybrid that takes place under the deep blue sea. You play as Inia, a pink dolphin who needs a date for Valentine's Day, but her best friend has to give her approval for your chosen lover in order for the date to actually happen. The game features six female love interests and a gorgeous underwater aesthetic and matching UI. The game is relatively short and takes just a few hours to complete. Deep Sea Valentine has excellent writing that's sure to make you laugh, so make sure you check this one out!

You can buy Deep Sea Valentine for US $4.99 on Steam and itch.io.

Blind Dirting

Content Warning: Death, Abuse, Animal Cruelty

Blind Dirting is a quirky spin on the popular activity known as blind dating, where you go on a date without knowing what the person looks like first. In Blind Dirting, you play as a pigworm that interacts with trees from underground, and once you find a tree worthwhile, their appearance is revealed once you decide to go on a date. Help Piggles find a tree to date so he doesn't have to spend Valentine's Day alone.

You can play Blind Dirting for free on itch.io.

Eat Your Heart Valentine 2

Eat Your Heart Valentine 2 is a yandere boyfriend dating sim that reintroduces the same boys from the prequel, Eat Your Heart Valentine. EYHV 2 captures the painful reality of adulthood and what it's like to be unemployed with rent due. On top of that, you don't have a boyfriend, and it's almost Valentine's Day. Rather than dwell on the negatives, you decide to pick your new job and download a dating app to get your life back on track. You have two weeks until the big day; can you woo one of these boys before then?

You can play Eat Your Heart Valentine 2 for free on itch.io.

Halloween in Hollywood

Content Warning: Sexual content, nudity

Like many people with a dream of entering showbiz, Martina moves to Los Angeles to fulfill her dreams as a screenwriter, but quickly realizes her dream is not easy to achieve. Reality sets in as Martina works as a barista and barely makes ends meet, but her new roommate might have the answer that will kickstart her career. This sapphic visual novel is filled with spicy scenes and girls in cute Halloween costumes.

You can buy Halloween in Hollywood for US $3.99 on Steam.

Content Warning: Substance Use (consensual and non-consensual), Sexual Assault, Physical Assault, Consensual Sexual Scenes (No Nudity)

Glass Heart is a bittersweet story following Meira, a girl who has suffered from illness for most of her life, and now she has just one month left until her surgery that may or may not be a success. Players get to experience what it's like to find value (and romance) in your last days of life. The game has six love interests, all of whom will have something to offer Meira in what might just be her last few weeks. Glass Heart takes romance to the next level and offers textually depicted sex scenes.

You can play Glass Heart on Steam for US $19.99.

True Colours

Content Warning: This game contains depictions of threat, violence, death, mild gore, mental illness and mild sexual references.

In True Colours, you experience the excitement of an office romance with one of your three trainees, one male, one female, and one nonbinary. All of the love interests have endearing qualities, but each of them also has something hidden beneath the surface that may shock you. What are their secrets? Find out in this upcoming office romance game with a dark twist!

You can play the True Colours demo now on Steam or itch.io.

Fool's Gold: Dice, Death & Dating

Fool's Gold: Dice, Death, & Dating is an upcoming dating sim inspired by tabletop RPGs. In Fool's Gold, you have the option to date a magical girl, a druid, a monster, and more! Embark on an adventure filled with laughs and single bachelors in the small town of Bundariko. Your goal is to scour the dangerous jungle and land a date for the Bundariko Ball. Roll the dice and see where life (the game master) takes you!

Fool's Gold: Dice, Death, & Dating is coming soon to Steam. A demo is available.

Lisbeth

Lisbeth is a former knight and the cute girlfriend of Marnie. Lisbeth has it all: she's beautiful, she looks amazing in a bathing suit, she's athletic, and she's also really funny without even trying to be. Lisbeth is a character with long, auburn hair and golden eyes from the The Fairy's Secret.

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An LGBTQIA+ visual novel filled with magic, Quaint Part One: The Society, releases this Thursday!

Quaint Part One: The Society is a queer story filled with magic which will be releasing on February 16th. The game focuses on Q, an IT specialist who lives in the quiet town of Millbrook. However, he learns that there's more to this town than meets the eye. Turns out there's a secret society called Snake and Saber, a 200-year-old mage association which Q is invited to join. But will he be able to become a full-fledged mage when his troubled past comes back to haunt him?

You can try out the demo for Quaint on itch.io. If you would like to follow the development for the game and be notified when part one goes live, we recommend following the developer, Hiro, on Twitter.

Debate for your life in Socrates Jones: Pro Philosopher when it re-releases March 28!

If you love comedy, witty dialogue, and debating, then you should keep your eyes on Socrates Jones: Pro Philosopher. The updated version of this classic Flash game is set to launch on March 28!

Despite his name, Socrates Jones does not care for philosophy in the slightest. He would prefer to work his job as an accountant and take care of finances rather than spend time pondering about philosophical questions and debating. But when he's put into a situation where he has to do exactly that in order to live, Socrates Jones has no choice but to embrace it, whether he wants to or not!

You can wishlist Socrates Jones: Pro Philosopher on Steam to get notified when it releases. If you want to see snippets of the game before its release, you can follow the game on Twitter.

Missing Gem

Content Warning: Mentions/Imagery of murder and death, slight gore, and cursing.

In Missing Gem, the protagonist goes looking for their lost gem, which they find fairly quickly. However, after retrieving their lost item and falling asleep, they wake up and realize that they're not on the same train as before, and now a stranger is sitting across from them. They're told they're in a world called Corrosion and that the reason for it is because they stole the stranger's gem, although the protagonist believes it's theirs. Will you give the stranger back his gem and return to your boring life, or will you explore the strange world of Corrosion instead?

You can download Missing Gem for free on itch.io. The game is available in English and Spanish.

What's Wrong with the Girls' Staircase?

What's Wrong with the Girls' Staircase? is an incredibly sweet story that focuses on a group of wizards and witches who are trying to go back to the girls' dorm. However, the school has enchanted the staircase to protect the girls' dorm from being entered by boys; when it detects a boy, it transforms into a slide. When the group climbs the stairs, the staircase transforms into a slide, making them all slide back down to the lobby. They talk to each other trying to figure out who the boy is. When the boy is revealed, he is welcomed with open arms by his friends.

You can purchase What's Wrong with the Girls' Staircase? on itch.io for US $2.99. The game will be a part of a bundle called Trans Witches are Witches, a game bundle where all funds will go to LGBTQIA+ creators!

Blackout Hospital

Content Warning: Flashing lights, loud noises, strong language, medical malpractice, violence, blood, death, mentions of child death, mild gore, body horror, suicide, and optional gambling with in-game currency

In Blackout Hospital, you play as Vasilis, a janitor at Altobuck Hospital. While working, the power goes out on them, and when the emergency lights turn on, strange occurrences start to happen throughout the hospital. Vasilis wants nothing to do with these strange happenings, so they get to searching for an exit pronto. With enemies and interesting characters inhabiting the halls, will Vasilis be able to escape?

You can download Blackout Hospital on itch.io for free.

Changeling Charade

In this 450,000-word supernatural romance game, you play as a female fairy who lives in the city of New Victoria, where magic is illegal. But that doesn't stop people from trading spells and potions in secret. You are one of the individuals participating in the illegal magic trade in hopes of getting enough money for a better life. To make your dream a reality, you transform into Lady Constance Weatherby, a noblewoman who has everything the protagonist ever wanted: a good house, nice clothes, and more. As you begin to live amongst those in high society, you come to realize they're also using magic in secret, but how and for what purpose?

With all these new secrets being revealed to you and the fairies uprising to change the laws on magic, what will you do?

You can purchase Changeling Charade for US $4.99 on Steam, Google Play, and the App Store through the Heart's Choice app. You can play the first three chapters for free on the Heart's Choice website if you want to give the game a try before purchasing, and the mobile version can be played for free with ads.

Heart on Your Sleeve

What was supposed to be an ordinary date with Taylor turns into one filled with anxiety. Though this is only your second date with them, you can't help but feel nervous, especially when picking the right outfit. No matter what you wear, nothing seems right. However, you can't keep Taylor waiting. How will your date with Taylor go, and what will you learn during it?

You can download Heart on Your Sleeve for free on itch.io.

Tales of Misteria

When returning to Misteria, it doesn't take Ame and Kira long to realize that something happened: someone got murdered. Kira, rightfully, doesn't want to get involved in the case and wishes to let things be. But when they find out the circumstances around the murder are reminiscent of a book they read as kids, well, they can't help but get curious, and of course, eventually get involved! Will Ame and Kira be able to solve the murder?

You can download Tales of Misteria on itch.io for free.

Global Game Jam 2023

Global Game Jam ran from January 30 to February 5 with the theme "Roots." Let's take a look at some of the visual novels that were submitted to the jam this year!

Uprooted

After a semester of college, Dylan returns to their home for the break and realizes that the place they called "home" has changed.

You can download Uprooted for free on itch.io.

Root of the Problem

Help Merle, a therapist, with his clients by gathering key information to get to the root of their problems!

You can download Root of the Problem on itch.io for free.

Yandere Game Jam 2023

Yandere Game Jam 2023 started on January 23, and while we still have a couple of weeks until the jam ends on February 28th, there already have been some great visual novels submitted! Here are some of the entries that caught our eye so far from the Yandere Game Jam!

10:16

Content Warning: Death, religion/religious trauma, and themes of possessiveness.

After dying in an accident, you're sent to Hell, where if you want to ascend, you need to travel through the Nine Circles and plead your case to Satan. However, when the Keeper of Heresy acts incredibly kind to you...maybe, just maybe...you don't want to leave.

You can download 10:16 on itch.io for free.

PRETERNATURAL (R18)

Content Warning: Obsession, stalking, description of gore, and implied murder

When you have trouble sleeping, you learn that it's because there is a ghost residing in your home. And they just so happen to be madly in love with you!

You can download PRETERNATURAL for free on itch.io.

The Science of Staying Awake

Content Warning: Cartoon-stylized blood and gore, violence, flashing images, sudden loud noises, and strong language.

After returning home from college, you find a complete stranger in your bed! Although you really don't want to deal with this, it seems that the stranger has already become fond of you...

You can download The Science of Staying Awake for free on itch.io.

Last week, we interviewed CatTrigger, the developer behind Melissa💗, Morris💗, and Long Time No Life. If you haven't checked out our interview with them, you can read it here!

Next week, we will be interviewing Sam from Delphinium Interactive! She's developed Reflection, Whispers Through the Wall, and Graveyard Girls. Learn more about her career as a game developer, her advice on cancelling a project, and more. We also have a special, exclusive announcement in store, so stay tuned for that!

Content Warning Generator for itch.io by npckc

If your game has any content or images that could be harmful to players, it's your job as a developer to make a content warning to properly inform them of the story ahead. npckc's content warning generator is a fantastic resource, as they show you how to add two forms of content warnings to your game page: a pop-up window that shows up when the player gets to the page and an embedded version that can be placed in the description. The latter is similar to a bullet list, but if the user clicks on one of the bullet points, a small description will pop up below it. You can utilize this code to give more details about what happens in the game while the bullet point is the content warning itself.

The only thing you will need to do in order to utilize the code that npckc has here is to enable custom CSS on your account. To have custom CSS access, you'll have to email itch.io.

Naninovel Scene Assistant by idaocracy

Naninovel is a powerful visual novel plugin that Unity developers can use. The only struggle is that, by default, you don't have an easy way to edit a scene to your liking without making small adjustments until you get exactly what you want. Thankfully, there is a tool that makes animating in Naninovel much easier: Naninovel Scene Assistant. For those who use Action Editor for Ren'Py, it is essentially that. You'll be able to easily modify objects, such as sprites or the in-game camera, in real time and then copy the code right into your script thanks to the "copy command" button. This is incredibly useful and will definitely make programming in Naninovel a lot easier.

Ren'Py Save/Load Screen Overhaul, Seen Text Color, and Choices Code by Knickknack PJ

There are a ton of amazing codes that people have created for Ren'Py. One that we want to highlight today is Knickknack PJ's code that overhauls the Ren'Py save/load screens, changes seen text to a different color, and shows the player what choices they've made before! If you want any or all of these features in your game, make sure you check out this code!

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Without them, Tiny Bytes wouldn't exist. Please consider becoming a patron to help keep our newsletter alive and get exclusive benefits such as monthly postcards!

This week on Tiny Bytes, we interviewed CatTrigger, a Chicago-based comic artist and game developer! They are the developer behind the hit horror visual novels Melissa💗 and Morris💗. They also made Bad Faith, which was first a comic that they later turned into a horror VN. In our interview with them, we asked them a bit about their game development career, their approach to making comics compared to VNs, what it was like to work on their different games, and of course, Melissa💗! You can read that interview here.

Belle Automata's creator is working on a new project!

Belle Automata: Chronicle I, created by owl., will be released to the public on March 3, 2023 for US $19.99. Aureve (whose name can be changed) is an android girl who rediscovers her purpose in life when she is resold to a new owner. Chronicle 1 will feature two routes, Victor, the polite butler who helps Aureve get adjusted to her new life, and the mysterious Nightmare Prince, who also happens to be Aureve's buyer.

Now that Belle Automata is launching soon, owl. has recently unveiled her latest work-in-progress: Afrodesia, a romance VN and dress-up game. Afrodesia is a work-in-progress for the upcoming Black VN Jam, whose submissions close on February 8th.

In Afrodesia, you play as the renamable Desia, a perfume designer who's been royally invited to create the princess' coronation fragrance. You can team up with three different potential love interests: your rival, your close friend, or a guy that grates on your nerves.

owl. has yet to release any images of the work aside from the logo, and fans are eagerly waiting for screenshots. We can expect the Afrodesia demo in February 2023.

Victorian romance Of Sense and Soul is coming to Steam

Of Sense and Soul is a queer Victorian-era romance centered around two polar opposites: Hugo Brooks, a man who finds solace in books rather than people, and Seamus Charkham, a man who never intends to settle down. Both are stubborn, but can they change their ways if something blossoms between them, or will their differences set them apart?

The extended demo is now available and has bug fixes, so if you were playing this or planned to play it, you can expect a smoother gameplay experience.

The creators of Of Sense and Soul just held a casting call that ended on January 31, 2023, so we can expect role announcements at some point in the future. It will be exciting to see who voices this Victorian duo!

You can play the Of Sense and Soul demo on Steam and itch.io.

La Isla Perla

Jihyo's trip to Mexico City comes to a roaring halt after her plane crashes in the ocean and she finds herself waking up to a golden tropical beach. Luckily, she makes it out of the crash alive, but now she's your average castaway with no way home. She eventually meets Perle, a lovely mermaid who might be able to show Jihyo a life more adventurous than her mundane city life. Get ready for a mermaid romance in La Isla Perla!

You can play La Isla Perla for free on itch.io.

Friendzone

You play as the renamable male MC who's been cast into the infamous dark corner known as the friend zone. Your best friend Mia was cheated on by another rotten boyfriend, and you know that you can do better, but you need to get out of the friend zone and into the boyfriend zone first. Would you confess your feelings to her or watch her get swept away by another bad boy?

You can play Friendzone for free on itch.io.

Neruvia

Disclaimer: Certain elements even in the demo might not be suitable for those under 13.

In Neruvia, you play as a spunky princess of a magical kingdom, but something dark looms above your once peaceful kingdom, and it's up to you to solve the mystery and restore the peace. Neruvia has romanceable characters such as your loyal knight, two mysterious individuals, and a witch.

You can play the Neruvia demo on itch.io.

The Dino of My Dreams

The Dino of My Dreams gives you the chance to date cute dinosaurs. There's Artie, a nonbinary dinosaur that's also a bookworm with a knack for writing romantic letters. Cerah is a female dinosaur that wears a fluffy pink apron and is prepared to brew you the best coffee (or tea) that you could ask for. And last but not least is Ravi, a male dinosaur that's also a famous rapper/influencer. Which dashing dino would you date first?

You can check out The Dino of My Dreams' demo on itch.io.

Self Made Man

Self Made Man is a dress-up game/VN hybrid about dating and gender nonconformity. Choose your name, pronouns, and outfit before you dive into celebrating your best friend's birthday. You both head to a dive bar for a night of fun, listening to a rock indie band play. You'll meet a few interesting characters, like the rock band members and the guy who sold you a birthday gift. Self Made Man is a slice-of-life romance with bits of comedy, which makes it a great game to play for Valentine's Day.

You can play Self Made Man on itch.io for free.

Ace Jam 2023 ran from December 31st, 2022 to January 31, 2023. Below are a few jam games that we think are worth highlighting.

Gris & Dwayne: Opening Up

Content Warnings: Discussion of vore, sex, and open relationships.

Gris & Dwayne: Opening Up is a story about Gris and Dwayne, a wolf and a human, and the steps they take to push their relationship forward. The game captures the relationship between an ace and non-ace character and their decision to move into an open relationship in order for everyone to feel satisfied. Gris & Dwayne is hypertext fiction, meaning the story progresses when the player clicks the highlighted words.

You can play Gris & Dwayne: Opening Up for free in-browser on itch.io.

All In

Content Warning: The game is tagged as NSFW as it contains adult themes and imagery.

Play as an asexual who's just been invited to a kinky night with a group of people. Meet and mingle with a ton of characters of varying genders and personalities, and enjoy the night by exploring a variety of kinky affairs. All In is about exploring intimacy and figuring out what you like and don't like. What's interesting about the characters is that they are each given names based on playing cards, like The Joker, The Ace, and the Queen of Hearts. Which card will you play tonight?

You can play All In for free on itch.io.

These are a few romance games that have been out for a while but you might not have played. Check them out below!

Repurpose

Content Warnings: Strong language, sexual themes, references to death, mentions of police violence, discussions of gender and sexual identity, mild horror elements, mild violence

Repurpose is an LGBT+ visual novel about finding your purpose after getting sent to Limbo. You can either float around in Limbo forever or enter trials for a chance to break into either Heaven or Hell. More importantly, it's the perfect time to make friends, or find a soulmate, in the afterlife. Drama, comedy, horror, romance, fantasy, Repurpose has it all, which is why it's received over 400 glowing reviews since its release in 2018. Where would you rather be: Heaven, Hell, or Limbo?

You can buy part 1 of Repurpose on itch.io for US $6.99.

Nowhere Girl

Content Warnings: There are descriptions of sexual acts and some foul language.    

Released in 2018, Nowhere Girl is a ghost-girl romance about the events following your meeting with a biker wizard that leaves you chained to a ghost named Psuedo. In order for you to both break free, you have to fall in love with Pseudo. That should be easy, considering how adorable Pseudo is, right? Nowhere Girl is a game for romantic comedy fans, but with a dark twist.

Nowhere Girl is on Steam, itch.io, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, and Xbox One/Series X/S for US $6.99.

Valentine's Day is around the corner, so this week we're picking a character who would make for the perfect valentine!

Victor

Victor is a gentleman butler, so if you're into the butler types, it's pretty easy to fall for him right off the bat. Despite his formal persona, he's actually quite snarky, yet at the same time, there's something about him that gives you butterflies in your stomach. Victor is from Belle Automata, and he's the perfect valentine because he'll do all the cleaning and cooking for your Valentine's Day dinner.

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