Tiny Bytes for 2/20/23
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.
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.
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