Today is a special day🎂❤️

Hey everyone! Today marks a huge milestone!

It's been one year since the original release of the game! Not only am I celebrating this anniversary, but I also celebrating having 400 supporters. When I started this Patreon, I never imagined reaching this number! Even if the patron count fluctuates, it's still an amazing milestone.

When I began this project, my aim was to create a game that I would enjoy playing myself - one that resonates with fans of the genre. It is thanks to your feedback, enthusiasm, and support, that I am able to dedicate time to this project.

The genre market looks very different from a year ago. While this brings increased pressure and expectations (cough cough reason #69 to do the remaster cough ), it's fantastic to see the growth and interest - it motivates me to push the 'walls' even further.

Now, let's address the elephant in the room:

I know many of you anticipated a release today to coincide with the anniversary. I avoided specifying a date because I knew it would be really hard to achieve. I had hoped to have the Remaster (and ideally, the 0.6.0 Update) ready to share with you as part of the celebration of course. However, I do need more time.

After reflecting on the delays, I've decided to release the Remaster first, as I believe it's a significant milestone in itself and might make the wait a bit easier. While it's not quite ready today, I'm cautiously excited to let you know that I'm aiming to release it on Sunday. Please keep in mind that this is a target, not a promise—and it's only for the Remaster. Version 0.6.0 will still come later.

The Remaster is more than just a simple resizing of CGs. Throughout development, I've kept a backlog of ideas and improvements (which I've mentioned in the past), and when I had the opportunity to utilize new tech, it was the perfect time to implement some of these. So, besides more consistent CGs, you can expect a few extra scenes - but I won't spoil too much. Nothing crazy, just enhancements that build upon the story. You can also wait for the actual 0.6.0 release to drop.

As for version 0.6.0, development is still underway. Truth be told, I've been so busy with the Remaster that I still need to review the 0.6.0 content 💀(the 90% is done but that 10% can be time-consuming). Once the Remaster is released, I plan to put my full attention into 0.6.0 and power through it. It's an ambitious update with new content but I'm eager to share with you, and I'll keep you posted on its progress as things come together.

Why the delays?

I understand that some of you are feeling frustrated and disappointed with the delays, and I apologize for that. I initially thought I'd progress through the remaster more quickly. Early scenes gave me the impression it would be faster, but as I continued, that wasn't the case.

I recognize that my communication and setting of expectations weren't ideal, and I can't change the past. All I can do is move forward. Undertaking both a remaster and a new update is a significant amount of work, but it was necessary. As the scenes become more complex, using the old tech became too cumbersome, which I've explained before.

Development can be unpredictable, and I try to convey that. Just because something seems close to being finished doesn't mean it actually is. If you were here during the 0.5.0 release, this shouldn't come as a surprise. Sometimes ideas evolve unexpectedly.

I understand that delays can be frustrating. The development process has been way more complex than I initially anticipated, but a Remaster of this scale is a one-off, and I hope future development goes more smoothly. While I want to be careful with expectations I am genuinely happy with how the Remaster is coming along and it keeps me motivated.

Finally, it's sometimes really hard to juggle life responsibilities, especially with a main job and being solo. Patreon would need to hit a very high milestone for me to ever consider going full time (I have 0 expectations of that ever being achieved, it's not a goal) but I do the best I can under these constraints. Time is limited, but my brain never stops.

If you're still here supporting me, thank you. Your patience and encouraging words is what makes this possible.

PS: If life gives you cake, eat it. If Ari gives you cake, duck! Unless you're Terrace, then just accept your (delicious) fate.