Khemia - Build 2 - The Favorite Sibling
Added 2025-03-11 18:25:38 +0000 UTCDownload links below
Note that Build 2 is technically build 3, but build 1 and 2 were combined into 1, so this is an all-new build.
First of all, huge apologies here from Howly. Multiple saving mistakes, along with needing to travel delayed me longer than I could have predicted. Sometime I just have to keep my head down and work, so I apologize for not keeping you updated. I will need to be MUCH more careful about release dates in the future, because I don't want to fall into that habit again. I think, going forward, I will announce the month of intended release, and once it's a few days away, make a few announcements on social media and the discord to give a heads up. Thanks if you stuck around though, and if you were looking forward to this build, I really hope you enjoy it! Feedback is always appreciated!
With all new illustration and sprites by HAPS!
WIN: https://www.mediafire.com/file/klfmz1k86291xqd/Khemia-0.2-win.zip/file
Mac: https://www.mediafire.com/file/4az77mv5h06e6q4/Khemia-0.2-mac.zip/file
Linux: https://www.mediafire.com/file/dd6ezve9eyd5gfr/Khemia-0.2-linux.tar.bz2/file
Android: https://www.mediafire.com/file/qqcw3wrlylmmzsm/khemia_0.2_-_release.apk/file
Comments
Spoiler Below! It's so surreal being introduced to new Khemians other than Neferu. I've been waiting for this moment for years.
Perry the Political Platypus
2025-04-30 21:21:20 +0000 UTCSPOILERS BELOW!!! TALKING ABOUT EVENTS IN THIS BUILD!!! Loving the direction of this story! Scipio is a unique character that, from what I can tell, has the potential to do some real good…. or some really misguided harm. The panic attacks he is having make me feel so hard for him though. Maybe Khemia offers CBT therapy? Haha I hope so 😅 Also, I don’t trust “Meera” for a second. Personally, I don’t trust The Other OR The Parents, but I guess if you must choose between working with a universe gobbling monster or manipulative but “rewarding” beings… the latter is the lesser of two evils. Unless they are one and the same and this is some sort of trick. I mean look what is happening with Marco… seems really messy and I hate how much power these “Parents” seem to have. Hopefully the Khemians can “ascend” to parenthood soon with their technological advances so there can be some equal playing field. I must say, the whole concept of The Parents has me thinking about this story more than anything and is a brilliant idea. As for Virginia and Cassius, I SO HOPE HE IS BEING GENUINE!!! I want them to be a power sibling duo and heal their relationship so bad…. but I have seen too many Game of Thrones type situations and can’t help but think this could be a trap. This would be a perfect time to strike from the Omorfan’s POV, and using Cassius as a trojan horse makes a lot of sense. I hope that isn’t the case, but Virginia girl… you may wanna plan ahead just in case. Can’t wait for what’s to come! I’m really new to Echo Project and am so happy to have discovered this community. I haven’t read this much in YEARS! So thank you for the journeys and giving me some sort of reading bug again.
Werewolf - Therewolf
2025-04-17 15:11:17 +0000 UTCGreat new release thank you! Would it be possible to get a chapter index so we can go straight to the newest chapter? Or have a way to transfer saves?
Raffie Foxmew
2025-04-07 22:24:56 +0000 UTCIs it safe to assume that since the Lingua is basically a Matrix implanted in your brain, correct? So, does that mean literally everything after it's installed can not be trusted into being actual reality?? All of their experiences could be all a lie, fed direct to their brains and as such they cant tell whats real or not? Their love for each other could be all a lie as well, no? Will only Marco die? Or will Amicus somehow get roped in as well? Being that Marco is currently and has been in solitary confinement for 5yrs so far, it's not possible for him to complete "his mission." Ergo, they don't get to reunite, don't get the wedding, the "happy ending" The Parents showed them in order to manipulate both of them.
dipstik subaru
2025-04-07 03:42:03 +0000 UTCW build im addicted only issue i have is that whenever there's something animated like those light ray looking things in the windows while on the ship it caused my mac to lag (like moving windows was laggy, and the text popping up looked laggy) but then when there's nothing animated it returns to normal
SomeGuy WithMtnDew
2025-03-30 07:15:11 +0000 UTCI think your post here is a good shout, though there’s also the Itch.io page.
TheTerribleBook
2025-03-17 00:00:39 +0000 UTCDoes anyone know a place where you can report bugs/issues with the builds. I've been having a visual glitch where the background and sprites just kind of flash. I think it was present in the previous build too. But other than that it's great
Blue_Warrior
2025-03-16 00:51:52 +0000 UTCI think the same! Excited on how this plays out.
Shaunnphillipe Virtudez
2025-03-15 04:49:21 +0000 UTCHello! New subscriber here. So far the build has me on the edge of my seat. The political landscape in khemia, adastra, and omorfa is getting intense. I am curious how this will all play out as the story progresses. Less than 2 hours later, the read was over, definitely needed more, but props to the developers, artists, and writer. I hope to see this VN in near completion!!
Shaunnphillipe Virtudez
2025-03-15 04:46:32 +0000 UTCGuys does anyone know if it's possible to update the app on android without loosing progress? I get the classical renpy "Can't install because the app conflicts with another installed app" becuse the version number was not propperly updated...
ranfur8
2025-03-14 17:28:03 +0000 UTCIs it possible that there might be a new build every few months?
AbnrmlGmr64
2025-03-13 23:19:09 +0000 UTCWARNING: SPOILERS, SPOILERS AND LOTS MORE OF SPOILERS!!!!1!11! Well, I think it's safe to say that the wait was more than worth it! The build lived up to the expectations around the arrival to Khemia, as it showcased some important aspects of the planet's society, technology and, of course, political landscape, which was presented along with one of the most anticipated aspects of Khemia: Neferu's family. Haps did an excellent job on the character design department, and Howly's writing is, well, impeccable as always, being able to not only present lots of information about the aforementioned topics, but also portray feelings, tensions and concepts in such a way that the reader can 100% empathize with the characters, NOT necesarily agreeing, but more in an "I get what you mean" kind of way. Regarding the political aspect of the VN, the central theme of how resentment between classes is not only built, but also fed back and exacerbated if enough time passes without it being treated is still superb, and Howly really outdid himself in this one by also opening new fronts on every corner of the plot. Something that particularly caught my attention is how Cassius character has developed since we last saw him on Adastra and a bit of Interea: we have not one, not two, but at least THREE different sprites of him SMILING. I'd argue that he smiles more than he frowns not only in this build, but in the entirety of the other two VN's combined. It's not just that he is less grumpy, but he's a lot more "confident" (or, more exactly, he is not putting a facade of fake confidence anymore), far more competent than during the peak of his political career, less of a jerk (WE LOVE A SUPPORTIVE GAY THAT IS READY TO CHOP A MISOGYNIST'S BALLS BECAUSE HE INSULTED HIS SISTER SLAY SLAY) and overall a more well-rounded person, which goes to show that it really has been 3 years since Adastra's events; I guess that being scolded by the Parents, surviving an assasination attempt and realizing that your lover was a ruthless spy conspiring against your own people inevitably gives you character development. Speaking of which, I also really like how Alexios is becoming more and more of an "irredemable monster" kind of villain rather than a "bad-but-was-manipulated" one, the absurdity of keeping him so close to the palace and royal family is being REALLY acknowledged, and the Omorfans are becoming a real, serious threat to Adastra as a whole. I feel like in Interea and towards Adastra's end, Alexios was shown more as a "cornered victim" who did horrible things because he was being forced to and, because he also failed on his main mission, he could maybe be redeemed in some way. Despite being (at least at the moment) absent in this VN, Khemia delves deeper into the consecuences of Alexios's actions and how horrible of a person he really was. Lastly, there are some typos that will probably be fixed for the public release, and Ramoses's sprite has his ears chopped at the tip, which should also be attended, but, as I said in the beggining, it was definitely worth the wait and the Patreon subscription! To Howly, as a great fan whose life was changed for the better by Adastra: such art pieces take time to produce, so don't beat yourself up for making last-time changes that delay a bit the release! They make the final reading experience much better, and simply making an announcement or even setting the release date further in the first place is enough! Keep up the good work 🫶
NSEMEOCURRENADA
2025-03-13 05:17:15 +0000 UTCNot wanting to put a bunch of spoilers in the comments, but sometimes I hate how fast I read. Now I've got to wait for a long time to see payoffs. There are a lot of cool intro threads here and I can't wait to see how they develop.
BuckTurner
2025-03-12 15:25:19 +0000 UTCAppreciate it. Keep up the good work!
Lazurite
2025-03-12 12:19:33 +0000 UTCI’m back after enjoying the build! I see others have already gone into some of the errors, so I wanted to share my thoughts on the plot some. I really enjoyed seeing the sibling relationship between Virginia and Cassius. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting it so it took me by pleasant surprise. By the book, usually events playing on at the place where the journey begins aren’t covered. Usually it’s played as a tease, such as the report from earth in the first build. I understand why that’s only alluded to, naturally, as it isn’t the focus of this instalment but it is an easy thing to fall into so I’m really glad the politics of the greater situation are shown. Not that everything needs to, but I think certain moments really help with the gravitas of it all. The tension building both on Khemia and Adastra is also, as usual, well conveyed and builds anticipation for what’s to come. The style, especially in the CG’s are also wonderfully vivid and have their own flare, Haps, Stranj and BlackSunDi should be proud of their work. The transitions and animated features (The Other) are also enjoyable for that same reason, it’s a marked improvement on style. I still think it’s too early for me to comment much more (we’ve only just arrived after all!) but I wanted to show my support regardless in what ways I can.
TheTerribleBook
2025-03-12 12:11:36 +0000 UTCSome more tiny typos just in case this is the preferred way to point 'em out: -Capitalization on "Welcome Emperor Amicus And welcome Amicus's subjects." -"she only nods, and I'm relived" -Capitalization on "My witchcraft? my imagination?" -"It's wonderful to see you gain." -Some kinda punctuation needed in "This is what happens he looks 'to the stars'..." -Question mark for "Are they planning something." The story's really movin' now! The rebuilds were a fun retread, but this is the kind of momentum and density I really enjoy from the Adastra series, back in that space where every re-read gives me more details to chew on. It seriously feels great to have some proper reveals on all these plot points I've been anticipating for years-- super solid build, hope you all are finding your groove in making whatever comes out next.
Furry Mango
2025-03-12 07:57:22 +0000 UTCThank you so much for the typos you noticed. Helps so much. Also I'm glad to hear what you liked about it!
Howly
2025-03-12 05:03:50 +0000 UTCbeen waiting so long to see the first new content in this universe, def excited to read this~
Jojo6716
2025-03-12 04:18:00 +0000 UTCWhat a lovely build! This has truly been a delight to read, and I’m excited where it’s going next. As usual, I’ll start with the negative and drift toward the positive. Errors and Typos: The ship fades out twice after Scipio’s vomiting scene. Something with the type of transition used most likely. Typo on Scipio’s dialogue starting with “And I trust you…” change “tt” to “it” Typo on Scipio’s dialogue starting with “Do you think the parents…” change “answers” to “answer” Ramoses sprites are clipped at the top, his ears are chopped off! Scipio’s line of “I stand there helplessly, looking at Neferu for help.” could be rephrased to “… glancing at Neferu to intervene/some-other-synonym” Virginia Typo with Cassius “me a be a…” change to “me a” Onto the neutral! The last few scenes could use some more time in the writing oven, but you’re certainly cooking Howly, excellent direction! I do think that more care could be taken with how the writing is phrased from Virginia’s perspective. I feel like it could still be written more intimately while still being in third person. Going back to an earlier scene, Amicus’ line of: “You know, I almost felt guilty assigning a drone to tail you covertly.” Covertly is redundant, assigning a drone to *tail* someone implies covert operation. Also, after this phrase, I think the Amicus sprite spends too long on “open mouthed surprise”. Likewise, some sprite expressions either linger to long, or don’t change to match the dialogue. Possibly good work for an editor if you have one. Nitpick, but Amicus’ line about “at the very least, keep you alive” is a bit of a run-on. I suggest: “… would demand an answer from Khemia! It would set…” The fadeout on the bath scene feels a bit rushed to me. The pan to the right is a bit distracting. Perhaps it could slowly all fade to black, and then a horizontal or vertical transition to Neferu’s room. Even better, it might be good to make the reader press a key to continue, to give time to process and slow down along with Scipio. I do wish the ship was shown on departure, or an aerial view of the lake or something, but I get it, CGs are expensive and time consuming. Very good transition to Meera, but she moves too much while floating for my taste. It’s really distracting. Perhaps tone down the intensity or speed? Okay, time to gush about all the good things! I can tell this build has an extra layer of polish put into it: the transitions, the animations, and the minor edits make s1 and s2 slick as hell. Hats off to you! The “after” scene in the den is much better, well done. I feel it much more accurately describes a flashback from my experiences, especially feeling in-two-places-at-once! Also, Amicus’ human cursing is handled flawlessly on the arrival to the palace. I love the new dialogue on Lux during the garden scene, very vivid and fluid, love it! I particularly love “not compatible with the Khemian mindset.” What a riot! Lovely touch with the stars animating out the window. Gorgeous, dahling, gorgeous! Finally, I love the introduction of Ramoses and Aya. Aya is best girl! To echo my comments (pun unintended) from the last build, I feel like the curtain has dropped completely on who these people are. Don’t be afraid to be a bit cagey and mysterious at first. Instead of “Ramoses is an ass”, maybe keep readers guessing, perhaps on *why* he is being an ass. Same thing with Aya, make her motives a bit unclear! She can still be bestest girl with dubious motives. Keep up the great work Howly. With all the recent stresses and delays, don’t overwork yourself. If you don’t already have an editor, I highly recommend you get one. I may be able to provide some assistance, with a high level of discretion and respect for your writing process. Reach out to me if interested. Best, Lazurite.
Lazurite
2025-03-12 03:04:46 +0000 UTChell yeah, a tasty Tuesday treat. Thanks, Team Echo!
Redvedev
2025-03-12 00:06:44 +0000 UTCJust glad to finally get to read this! Though it is funny that I now have 3 different 'build 2' folders for this one. :)
BuckTurner
2025-03-11 23:37:07 +0000 UTCDon't be too hard on yourself. If anything, it might be nice to have an "Announcement Date" and a "Release Date". You can plan ahead the build 3 announcement date far in advance, say April or May 1st or something. Then on the announcement date, you give a progress report on the next build and the *anticipated* release date (say, in one week, or if things go smoothly, release it on announcement day!). If there are delays, you make a minimal post updating the anticipated release date, and nothing more. This would keep you to a schedule, while keeping everyone else updated. If all else fails, make the builds smaller and more manageable, or revise your schedule. Y'all can't magically do more work. That's crunch. Crunch is bad. Also, I've been really fucking tired and burnt out from work. Echo team, you've made Tuesday night special, thank you. I'll post feedback and a full review later.
Lazurite
2025-03-11 23:15:13 +0000 UTCThanks for all the hard work! Looking forward to playing this evening 🙂
spooty
2025-03-11 21:10:01 +0000 UTCHURRAY!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Brian Thomas
2025-03-11 20:56:48 +0000 UTCI reaaaad iiit and I have a lot of questiooooons aaaaa xddddd I want moooor xd
fr4n_arts
2025-03-11 20:43:30 +0000 UTCThis is gonna be great! And yeah the anouncements thing sounds like the most sensible thing to do. Lots of good wishes for the future! You guys are creating amazing things <3
ABC
2025-03-11 20:21:51 +0000 UTCThis is awesome! Thank you so much for all the good and hard work! 💖
VoVarorgogenon
2025-03-11 19:55:29 +0000 UTCSweet!
Cjreiff
2025-03-11 19:45:27 +0000 UTCBless you, kind sirs.
Victor Kowalski
2025-03-11 19:25:17 +0000 UTCThank you for the food! Also don’t worry yourself too much about it, though I do think this plan works well. As someone who has had similar experiences with deadlines, I think that makes a good bridge of communication.
TheTerribleBook
2025-03-11 19:13:45 +0000 UTCThank you! Don't beat yourself up about being late, we're just glad that we get a new update.
AbnrmlGmr64
2025-03-11 18:58:30 +0000 UTCAlso with the credits on the next page. Does that mean this is the final build of the comic?
Zilch1998
2025-03-11 18:58:13 +0000 UTCLet’s gooo!
Zilch1998
2025-03-11 18:52:38 +0000 UTCI was about to give up hope. So glad the series continues
FAMI1990
2025-03-11 18:42:07 +0000 UTCYesssss Let's go!
Dustan Strong-Reed
2025-03-11 18:27:57 +0000 UTCTHANK YOU I LOVE YALL
pluk
2025-03-11 18:26:13 +0000 UTC
