Dev Update 06

Hello again!

We've made a lot of great progress this month and we're closer than ever to the Welcome Week Update! Let's jump in show you what we've been working on!

1. Scene Assembly

This month we have continued the work of assembling the scenes! That means taking the dialogue and artwork and stitching them together line by line. We’ve been implementing facial expressions, character movement, dialogue choices, and animations. It’s a lot of work because the script is huge, but the payoff feels incredible. Everything is really coming to life!

Below are some screenshots from the update. None of them are spoilers, but they’ll give you an idea of what some of the scene might be about.

2. Artwork Touch-Ups

Even though we said art was finished, we decided to polish a couple of things. We've redone the backpack graphic and the Dorm Exterior background to make them sharper and more in line with the rest of the visuals. They both feel much stronger now!

3. Poses

Some more poses of characters you know! ( and one you don't :D )

4. Wallpaper Update

A new Victoria wallpaper is now available exclusively for Junior and Senior Tier supporters here on Patreon!
We’ll also be running a poll for Junior and Senior supporters in the next few days so you can help us decide who gets the next character wallpaper.

5. Bug Fixes

We’ve knocked out a handful of pesky issues that you brought to our attention, including:

• Opening the phone no longer hides background elements

• Phone texting history now savers properly and won't disappear

• A ton of other small bugs

6. Timeline

Okay, we’re getting close to being able to announce a release date! For full transparency, here’s where things stand:

• About 10 more scenes of varying lengths need to be assembled

• Then we’ll implement all the new sound effects and music (just a few days of work)

• After that, we’ll do a full sweep for major bugs to get things ready for playtesting

• Once playtesting begins, we’ll comfortably announce the release date!

As always, the update will release to Patreon supporters first, and then later it will be made available on our Itch page for everyone else.

7. After the Welcome Week Update

Here’s a peek at what’s you can look forward to after the Welcome Week Update:

• Character Update Poll – Once Patreon supporters have had time to play the update, we’ll hold a poll to let you choose which character gets the spotlight in the first character-focused update. We’ll provide spoiler-free descriptions of what each path will entail so you can vote for your favorite. These updates will not include the full storyline of a character, but will serve as Part 1 of their larger arc, with our goal being to release more frequent updates moving forward.

• The HookUp App Feature Update – While Dr. Bird polishes the character update, Gopher and Kicks will be working on the first feature update, which will drop first. It’ll be a separate experience outside the main narrative where Elliot/Ella can match with people on a dating app, invite them over, and well... hook up. These characters won’t tie deeply into the main storyline, but will serve as fun side stories for players who want more casual encounters without us needing to rush the main romances.
  (The artwork/characters below are temporary and may change.)

8. Thank You!

That's all for this month's update! Again, we could not do this without you <3 Your support brings this project to life and keeps us motivated every single day. We are so excited for you to play the Welcome Week update and see everything we have been working on. Thank you.

– Gopher & Dr. Bird