Tiny Bytes for 1/9/23
Buy your tickets for Visual;Conference now!
On January 28 from 11 AM to 6 PM EST, Visual;Conference, the annual visual novel developer conference will be taking place! The conference consists of talks from developers in the community.
This year, developers such as Alanna Linayre, Maxi, ShibaList, Quilly, and Vimi will be giving talks. These talks range from "How to Write Triggering Scnees without Triggering Players," where Alanna will give advice on how to carefully write difficult subject matter, to "Adaptive Audio in Visual Novels - Mycorrhiza as a Case Study," in which composer Tim Reichert will talk about how adaptive audio can enhance your game. If you're a developer, you'll definitely want to attend Visual;Conference, because you'll gain a lot of out it.
At the time of writing, you can purchase a single ticket for US $15 or group tickets (five tickets) for $60. The price will increase as we get closer to the event, so if you want a discount on your ticket, you should purchase your ticket now!
VIDEOVERSE, the next game from Kinmoku, is releasing in 2023
Content Warning: VIDEOVERSE will contain online abuse and swearing, as well as inappropriate drawings which include: nudes, drug use and mild gore.
Kinmoku, also known as Lucy Blundell, developed One Night Stand, a short visual novel about waking up next to a complete stranger who you had a one-night stand with. The game was well-received by many players, and thus, people were excited to see what Lucy would do next. She's teased her upcoming project, VIDEOVERSE, for a while on Twitter. But now, she has officially given a time frame for the game's release: 2023.
VIDEOVERSE is a visual novel that takes place during the early days of the internet, when forums and the fictional social network "Videoverse" were still popular. The game takes inspiration from older social networks as well as Miiverse, Nintendo's now-defunct message system where you could draw something and publish it for everyone to see online.
You can wishlist VIDEOVERSE on Steam. You can also follow Lucy on Twitter if you wish to keep up to date on the game's development.
Fairy Deer
Content Warning: This game contains violence and gore.
Fairy Deer is a kinetic visual novel where the game's main character, Mischa, lives in the Forest, an area covered in dense fog and trees. With monsters roaming throughout the area, those who reside in the Forest live in constant fear and have to fight for their lives to just see tomorrow. While many have tried to leave the Forest, none have been successful.
Mischa decides to look for a creature called the Fairy Deer, who's said to carry anyone out of the Forest if they are able to find it. Will Mischa be able to find the creature in time before the Forest consumes him?
You can purchase Fairy Deer on Steam for US $1.99.
ONYX ~separate dream~
Content Warning: This game contains descriptions of gore, violence, murder, dismemberment, paranoia, recurring nightmares, jump scares, unreality, derealization, bullying, eyes as a source of horror, and gaslighting.
Despite living in a small town, Leo is enjoying his life with his friends by his side. That is, until he starts having strange, terrible nightmares where he's being ripped apart in front of a pair of eyes. Shortly after these nightmares start occurring, Leo's life begins to change as everyone around starts to act strange and his reality becomes distorted; his dreams and reality are blending together, making the truth hard to distinguish. What is going on in this small town, and what's the meaning behind Leo's dreams?
You can download ONYX ~separate dream~ for free on itch.io.
Time to Die
In a world where the human body doesn't deteriorate, the only way for new life to be born is for people to give up their body so a new soul can inhabit it. You play as a human whose soul is ready to leave its body and give it to someone who deserves it. You have to interview three souls and decide which one will take over your body. Who will you choose, and how will that soul live out their life in your body?
You can play Time to Die in-browser or download it on itch.io for free.
Beyond the Edge of Owlsgard
Content Warning: This game contains cartoon violence.
In this point and click adventure, you play as Finn, a young roebuck who goes to see his family after not having seen them for years. However, when he arrives at their home, he sees that it's destroyed. When he tries to investigate, mysterious machines appear. Believing the machines will lead him to his family, Finn decides to go on a journey to find them. He's soon joined by an owl named Gwen, and both of them will come to realize that there's more behind the machines than meets the eye.
You can purchase Beyond the Edge of Owlsgard on Steam for US $24.99.
Margo
In Margo, you play as the game's titular character, who just woke up from a nap. You need to help her complete the day's tasks, such as taking her dog Bean somewhere and renewing her library book. You'll need to click around your environment and drag items to Margo or other objects to help her get through the day. The game has an interesting look to it, and if you have thirty minutes to spare, you'll definitely find yourself enjoying this puzzle game.
You can download Margo on Steam for free.
StrayCatDoors2
StrayCatDoors2 is an adorable puzzle adventure game where you play a series of levels and solve the puzzles in them. While the game is a sequel to the mobile game Stray Cat Doors, you don't need any prior knowledge to get enjoyment out of the second title. The game is incredibly relaxing, and adding on the colorful, cute world you find yourself exploring, StrayCatDoors2 is an enjoyable experience that'll warm your heart from its cuteness.
You can purchase StrayCatDoors2 on Steam for US $8.99 or download an ad-supported version of the game for free on Google Play.
Asher
Tetrine is a librarian's assistant in the city-state of Asher, which was once a part of the fallen Aeserian Empire. Tetrine has a couple secrets: one, she is having strange dreams that might pertain to her future, and every single one of them involves a strange man. Second, she sees magic. Try as she might to hide that secret about herself, it seems others in the Asher have caught on, because one day, someone comes into the library asking for a magical book—one that you don't carry.
With her magical secret being known, what will Tetrine do? That's for you to decide. You can download Asher for free or play it in your browser on itch.io.
Cookie's Bakery
Cookie's Bakery is a cute game stylized like a Game Boy game. You play as Cookie, a baker who has to get ready for the upcoming Winter Festival. As you prepare for the festival, you'll also still need to tend to your customers till then. You'll need to listen to their requests carefully so you can make their orders properly. Will you be able make your customers happy?
You can play Cookie's Bakery in-browser or download the Game Boy ROM on itch.io.
We Are OFK
Content Warning: This game contains usage of alcohol and references to sex.
We Are OFK is a five-episode interactive story about an indie band called OFK. OFK is made up of four friends who are all trying to live their dream of being big in the music industry. However, in Los Angeles, there's plenty of people trying to make their dreams a reality, especially in music. But the group believes that they can make it, even with life trying to drag them down. What does LA and the future hold in store for our young characters?
You can purchase We Are OFK on Steam, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4/5 for US $19.99.
Witchy Life Story
In Witchy Life Story, you play as a witch who is a member of the very renowned von Teasel magical family. But you're not exactly living up to the family name. You're mischievous and don't take your job seriously, so your grandma sends you off to the village of Flora in hopes of you proving yourself. During your two-week stay in Flora, you'll need to help the villagers as the upcoming Harvest Festival is approaching. But will you actually help them, or will you continue to live the way you did before arriving here?
You can purchase Witchy Life Story on Steam for US $19.99.
Winter VN Jam
There's still a lot more to uncover with Winter VN Jam, as it received over 130 submissions! So if you're looking for more winter-themed games to play, check these ones out!
Halcyon Winter
You need to take a photo of the kingfisher. However, the sassy and loud bird won't make it easy for you. Will you be able to successfully take a picture of the kingfisher to please your boss?
You can play Halcyon Winter in-browser or download it for free on itch.io.
Hibernation Day
Hibernation Day is supposed to be a happy holiday for all. However, your family seems to be having some issues. You'll need to help them resolve those issues so you all can enjoy the fireworks together!
You can play Hibernation Day in-browser or download it for free on itch.io. It's important to note that downloadable version of the game runs much more smoothly, so it's recommended to play the game that way.
Hot Cocoa Magic!
Enjoy a cute story about a socially anxious witch enjoying a cup of cocoa with her guest, Maple.
You can download Hot Cocoa Magic! on itch.io for free.
No-good Noelle
Noelle and Ivy's friendship is on the rocks when only Noelle is accepted as the Snowflake Maker apprentice. Will Noelle be able to patch up their friendship?
You can download No-good Noelle on itch.io for free.
Ace Jam
Jam Period: January 1st to January 31st
Ace Jam is a game jam about making a game featuring an asexual character or talking about the asexual identity or experiences. You can check out the Ace Jam 2023 page and the jam rules here! If you would like to find others who are looking to participate in the jam, join the Queer Game Dev Discord server, a server for queer game devs and respectful straight and cis people. In the server, there will be a channel titled "#acejam" where you can converse about the jam.
Yandere Game Jam
Jam Period: January 23rd to February 28th
Love yandere characters? Have you been wanting to create a game featuring one? Well, Yandere Jam is your chance to create a game featuring a yandere! You can check out the Yandere Game Jam 2023 jam page and the rules here! In addition, the jam has their own Discord server and Twitter that you can follow for updates.
This week, we interviewed Moirai Myths, the team behind the fantasy romance The Good People (Na Daoine Maithe), which is currently on Kickstarter. If you would like to learn more about Moirai Myths and The Good People, you can read our interview with them here.
ChoiceBeat
If you're looking for more visual novel coverage, then we highly recommend checking out ChoiceBeat. ChoiceBeat is a zine dedicated to talking about visual novels, interactive fiction, and more. The zines include reviews, upcoming releases, articles, and interviews with developers! You can find their issues online, where you can download the issue or read it in your browser.
If you would like to know when the next issue of ChoiceBeat is releasing, follow Willy Elektrix on Twitter.
The Last Minute VN
Are you looking to participate in a game jam, but there's only a week left? Well, even if it may seem impossible, you can definitely still create a visual novel within that time frame; it's all about limiting your scope and using what you have to create something great. There's a fantastic guide called "The Last Minute VN" which is about creating a visual novel in a limited amount of time; in this case, the document says nine days or less.
This document outlines what you should think about and what you do on each day. For example, day 1 is all about setting the groundwork for your game and limiting yourself. Remember, since you have a short amount of time to make your game, you can't spend all your time writing super-detailed character sheets or a plot outline. Instead, keep it simple. What kind of visual novel do you really want to make and what themes do you want to focus on? Who are your characters in three sentences?
So if you're looking to participate in a jam but don't have much time to make something complex or long, make sure to read this guide!
Templates for Pitching Your Game by Jacky Martin
If you're looking for funding for your project or wanting to get your game published, you're going to need a good pitch. A pitch is essentially has all the important information about your game: what it is and what makes it unique among others in the genre. However, trying to come up with a good pitch can be hard, especially when a lot is riding on it.
Thankfully, Jacky Martin, a game developer who has talked about things like marketing on Twitter, has created a short Twitter thread showing templates to help give you an idea on what investors or publishers are looking for. In one, she links a pretend pitch for the turn-based RPG Wargroove, and in another, she links a template for when you're trying to get funding. By taking a look at these pitches, you should have a much better idea of what investors and publishers are looking for from you.
Writing With Color by WWC
WWC is a blog that's about racial, ethnic, and religious diversity in writing. They have a masterpost centered around stereotypes and tropes that writers should try and avoid when writing a character who is a part of a marginalized group. They have a recommended post titled "Stereotyped vs Nuanced Characters and Audience Perception," where they dive deep into stereotypes and how none of them are good, not even "positive" ones. We strongly recommend checking out WWC's content so you can become more conscious of what you're writing.
Supporters
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!
