Hey everyone!
I've been super eager to start sharing what's coming next for House Chores now that Beta 0.6 has concluded!
The recent update (0.6) focused a lot on rounding out what was previously started with Julie. So in terms of progression, it felt like there wasn't much of that, despite some pretty important things getting done.
For Beta 0.7, the goal is to continue working on some of those long overdue tasks like Emily's Bedroom while also adding in some new NSFW interactions around the house.
Pictured above is an early look at her bedroom. The finer details and coloring/shading are still being worked on. This room in particular is very fun because you may notice it's absolutely littered with easter eggs & references.
I'm still not 100% sure where this update will get it's share of NSFW content quite yet. It'll likely either start Emily's story or give Linda and/or Julie some more around the house interactions. As things progress further, I'll have a better idea of what will be added!
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That's everything for this update! Can't wait to share more sneak peeks of upcoming content!
Thank you all for your support and I'll see you soon! =D
2021-07-27 22:46:19 +0000 UTC
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Hey everyone!
Short post but I uploaded a very small tweak/update to the Android version of House Chores - Beta 0.6. (See post below this one for the links!)
A few users in the past have reported a crash that usually happens when going to the hallway from the Living Room after the Day 1 video game 'event'. I found something that I think could be causing this.
If you were affected, hopefully this update fixes that for you. Thanks to everyone who has reported it to me. I don't believe this issue has affected anyone on PC so that version is still 0.6.2.
I hope you are all enjoying Beta 0.6! See you soon with news on 0.7!
2021-07-20 05:24:50 +0000 UTC
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Hey everyone!
The next major update to House Chores, Beta 0.6.2 is live now for public release on Windows and Android devices!
Download Link
=====
The new update makes a few major changes to existing content to help better prepare for the future. Both Julie & Emily have received re-designs with Emily now having proper expressions. I tried to make some use of them in this update so you can get a glimpse at how future content with her will play out ;)
In addition, Julie now has a special outfit for when she's working out and her exercise plotline has gotten a little bit more content added to it. Her future content will drift away from yoga and will focus on more night time activities. I'm thinking maybe movie night? I'll talk about that more in a future update!
All in all, this is a short update so the added playtime isn't too large here. But the tasks that were completed here are necessary for future content. I'm looking forward to sharing updates on Beta 0.7 very soon as some work on the next major background (Emily's bedroom) has begun! Look out for that within the next week or two!
Thank you all so much for your support! I'll see you all very soon as I start looking towards what's to come for the lovely ladies of HC! =D
2021-07-19 17:20:38 +0000 UTC
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Hey everyone!
This post is part of a new routine announcing that the $10 Lavish Tier and $15 Legend Tier have been updated to include rewards from the latest update, Beta 0.6.
$10 Lavish Download
$15 Legend Download
====
As a reminder, the $10 Lavish tier grants access to download all of the major scenes in House Chores in their full size/resolution to view outside of the game.
The $15 Legend tier grants access to download all of the major animated scenes in .mp4 format in their full size/resolution as well!
Thank you all so much for your support! I will see you tomorrow with the public release! =D
2021-07-18 18:02:13 +0000 UTC
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Hey everyone!
In case you missed it, House Chores - Beta 0.6 released today for $5+ Patrons! The public release will be on Monday!
Link to Update
However, I wanted to address that there were some hotfix updates quietly released throughout the day.
On Android, specifically, there was a newly introduced glitch so I released two separate updates to help prevent scenes crashing. I believe this same glitch can happen on PC (Beta 0.6) if you are in Low Quality mode so I do intend to update the PC version soon. It will probably get included when I update the $10/$15 rewards so follow the page and you'll be able to see if the PC link has been updated if you are someone who plays LQ mode on PC.
That's everything for now! Thank you to everyone who has reported bugs my way. See you all soon with the $10/$15 rewards in the next day or two and then the public release on Monday!
After the public release, I'm going to hit the ground running sharing some new things coming in Beta 0.7 as well ;)
2021-07-16 22:45:44 +0000 UTC
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NOTICE: Download links updated from Beta 0.6.0 to Beta 0.6.1
Hey everyone!
Here's the next update to House Chores, Beta 0.6.0!
IMPORTANT: Out of respect for all the $5+ Patrons and the team that works so hard on House Chores, please refrain from sharing this build/link with others.
Windows
Android (Beta 0.6.1.3)
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At first I was a little worried about the length with this update but ultimately I'm pretty happy with how it turned out!
It's definitely still a short & sweet update but I don't think it's too different than most HC updates either. With Emily's bust now being complete, I was able to have a little bit of fun with her too during Julie's storyline. It's sort of like a teaser for what's to come for her!
The new scene for Julie as well received some modern improvements. The 'before' image is now animated and this particular one is pretty awesome! It really goes to show how much of a tease Julie is. I hope that shows in the rest of her scene as well!
Not to cut away from the excitement of this update but I'm very excited to start sharing details on the next one! I'll start talking about that soon!
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy Beta 0.6 and more of our friendly 'neighbor' Julie! ;)
As usual, if you find any bugs or sequence breaks, let me know over on Discord. Thank you so much for your support!
2021-07-16 16:02:11 +0000 UTC
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Hey everyone!
Quick little update today but the next update to House Chores should be releasing in roughly 1-2 weeks from now!
I can't give an exact release date yet because I'm hard at work with Zombie's Retreat 2 as well this month. Balancing between the two games makes it harder to predict when each one will be finished. No need to worry about delays. Both updates are coming along smooth and HC in particular will be an easy one-
All of the art that I need for the update is finishing up and all I have to do now is finish putting it all together!
== Short Update ==
I want to make it very clear right now, this update will be incredibly short.
From a player's perspective, this update mostly is just adding the scene from the yoga workout that, to be honest, should've been included in Julie's original update last year. Because of that, it won't take players long at all to see the added content. Some minor dialogue/changes will be made too but that's the gist of it.
However, getting Julie & Emily's refreshed designs is super important for the game as a whole moving forward. Linda will get updated too when the backlog is less severe.
The next big task is to work on adding a new room- I think it'll be Emily's room. Not quite sure yet as I need the laundry room as well for both Linda & Emily actually. I imagine these will take some time to do. But once they're done, the gigantic obstacles are mostly out of the way!
== Concluding Thoughts ==
I feel like I'm often apologizing or typing some sort of 'damage control' post when it comes to HC. I know you guys are often understanding and patient which I appreciate. I also know I won't be able to please everyone either. So in the future, I'm going to stop apologizing every damn post. I think those who support and follow the project can hopefully see that sense of stability coming to the project now.
Thoughts during my spare time- This will likely be the only sandbox visual novel I ever make, haha. Any future visual novel's will have the more traditional linear style: No clickables and likely no custom backgrounds. I actually already have an idea for a visual novel after HC is finished up!
In the mean time, thank you all so much for your support! I'll see you with another post which will detail the exact release date and then the update will follow shortly after! =D
2021-07-08 06:00:43 +0000 UTC
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Hey everyone!
Didn't realize it's already been nearly 2.5 weeks since I revealed the new Julie design. Time flies X_X
Wanted to spend some time today just updating everyone on where the progress was for this next update of House Chores.
== Art ==
The new scene that will be featured in this new update to HC is complete! Still needs to get animated but the art itself is finished which is usually the lengthiest part. It's a juicy one ;)
As mentioned before, a big part of this update was getting Emily redrawn so she now has proper expressions. In addition, Julie's bust was re-done to support costumes and give her a more appropriate range of emotions too for her bright personality! - a lot of future proofing tasks that needed to be done.
No new backgrounds/locations just yet. This was the thing I was hoping to add in this update but the redraws kind of took priority. The next update should focus on Emily and will include AT LEAST 1 new location. Ideally, there are two locations I want to add though, her room & the laundry room.
Now, Mogucho (the artist) is working on some new clickables. These are the overworld objects/characters that you see during parts of the day. This is all that's left to get done as far as art is concerned right now.
== Release Window: July ==
Going to need time to obviously let art get finished but also put the update together. For the most part, I don't think this update will take me too long as it's mostly adding a little bit more to Julie's story and patching up the sloppy job I did with her initial progression system. (Under the hood, it's terrible. I was pretty stressed at the time of that update I think hah...)
I don't see myself needing to push the update into August but if I do run short on time for any reason, I'll keep you all updated! Like I said though, don't think that'll be necessary.
Normally I wouldn't address this but I did see some impatient comments over on the itch forum. Really appreciate people's enthusiasm and excitement to see new House Chores updates but I can't stress enough: it takes time to get the art done and put it all together.
The 6+ month wait between updates should be a thing of the past. (This was due to losing the og artist and finding a new one). But with the backlog of backgrounds, clickable objects, & bust refreshes, I won't be able to deliver with an update every 2 months quite yet. We're getting there though! Especially with Emily's update where I hope to have some of those new backgrounds done. Those are huge roadblocks that eat up precious time that would otherwise be used for NSFW scenes.
Appreciate everyone staying patient though! Trying to keep the wait between updates as short & efficient as possible X_X
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That's everything for this update! Stay tuned for, likely a $3+ teaser of the new NSFW scene and then soon after, I think that update should be getting close to completion!
Thank you all so much for your support and I will see you all soon!
2021-06-25 01:50:41 +0000 UTC
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Hey everyone!
Today I'm happy to share with you all Julie's new look moving forward in House Chores!
With Julie, I wanted her to be a bit more dynamic than the initial design so her new bust comes with a more expressive set of emotions. I think this will better match her personality since she's very gaudy and exaggerated in regular conversation.
Additionally, I wanted to emphasize a little more her slim yet busty body type. The original bust has her a little thicker which, normally I wouldn't mind but it didn't feel right for Julie. Julie's very conscious of her appearance, often doubting her own appeal and as a result tends to eat and live a very healthy lifestyle. She could probably cut back on the wine a tad bit but I think that's going to all the right places ;)
Lastly, I wanted to include a new costume/outfit for her to occasionally be in so redrawing the bust meant that we can easily add new costumes in the future as well!
For the most part, her design was kept the same at it's core but it's definitely a big change compared to Emily's redraw which kept most of the pose & other details similar.
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Now that this redraw is complete, the artist is working on an upcoming scene so things are moving forward again with brand new content!
As far as a Linda redraw goes, I do plan to give her one too to keep a visual uniformity going on, however, it's a much lower priority so it won't be happening anytime soon. Likely in an update that includes new content for her. There's still a backlog of new NSFW scenes & backgrounds that need completing so those are the focus for now!
I hope you all enjoyed this reveal. Thanks for your support and I will see you all soon with more news regarding the next update!
2021-06-07 04:28:23 +0000 UTC
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Hey Patrons!
Today I wanted to share a first look at the revamped look for Julie!
Getting a refreshed bust for Julie was important for this upcoming update because I plan to give her a second costume with her yoga outfit. Rather than using some placeholder image or something, it made more sense to go ahead and refresh that bust now!
With her new design, I wanted Julie to look a little more fit as it matches her overall theme and personality being a very active and fit individual while still struggling with her own opinion of her appearance due to the messy divorce.
Her new pose is a bit more relaxed and sophisticated. There were some other poses we tried that I was a big fan of but then we realized all three character would be messing with their face, haha! So I went with this one, something simple and elegant.
While this is just a sketch of her, I have seen the base colors and her hair color and overall outfit have still remained the same. The main changes was just some tweaks to her body shape and obviously re-doing her pose & expressions to be a little more dynamic overall.
Once the new bust is entirely complete, I'll probably make a public post sharing it but in the mean time, I figured I'd share some of the progress with the Patrons just so you guys can see some of the behind the scenes progress going on!
Thank you all so much for your support! I hope you enjoyed this little sneak peek. I will see you all soon with a better update on my estimates for the next build's release as well as more art progress!
2021-06-01 03:47:14 +0000 UTC
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Hey everyone!
Just wanted to share another progress report of what's going on with House Chores as things are starting to fall into place as far as what I want to do for this next update.
== Julie Focus ==
This update will indeed focus on Julie (pictured above)!
Scrubbed from the previous update, which was originally intended to be for her, things are now moving well enough that she can get her time to shine once again. I'll detail some of the main things that this update will bring:
1: New NSFW Scene
She's had a sketch of a scene that was done before the artist swap so we'll be piggy-backing off of that sketch and will properly finish it! It's a good pose and should make exercising around the house a little more fun and 'rewarding' ;)
2: Redraw
I know some people may be asking why but it's very important to get a redraw in for Julie for a number of reasons. For one, I think her current bust could use some tweaking with the pose & expressions to be a bit more expressive as she's intended to be. This should make a big difference in her dialogue.
2.1: New Costume
Additionally, I want to give her a separate outfit for when she's exercising and so if I'm going to do a bust redraw at some point in time, it makes no sense to have the costume designed over her original bust when it'll get replaced.
The redraw is getting started now so I should have some teasers of that soon!
3: Bonus Stuff?
I've been talking about this in previous updates but new bedrooms, more on-screen interactions & interactable characters, etc. Stuff that's not necessary for this update but still important to work on, I'm hoping to knock out a couple of these things!
I'll also be looking back at some of Julie's original content & tweaking some things.
== Full Speed Ahead! ==
I'm also happy to announce that the art rotation for Town of Passion is complete! This means Mogucho, the current lead artist for House Chores, is able to focus entirely on HC tasks! Since the previous update, Mogucho has worked on ToP & HC at a 50/50 split so updates should start releasing much more consistently moving forward.
Unlike my other games, House Chores requires a lot more complicated stuff like backgrounds, on-screen interactables, etc. My goal is to have a new update every 2 months but b/c of this stuff, we'll see. Updates every 2 to 3 months seems a bit more reasonable as some updates may take much longer depending on complexity.
== Release Window: June ==
I think it's safe to say May will not be possible to release this next update. The Emily redraw, while important to get done, does set me back a tad bit as far as relevant content needed for this update.
However, an update in June seems very possible. Since this update doesn't require a new room location, I think that will be really helpful.
I can't give an exact date yet but I do have my sights set on a June release! I'll let you know a specific date as we get closer!
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That's everything for this update. Next Patreon update should be an actual teaser/look at upcoming content!
Thank you all so much for your support and I will see you all soon with more House Chores goodies!!
2021-05-19 04:15:46 +0000 UTC
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Hey everyone!
Got a bit of an info drop here so I'm just going to divide things up into various topics so you can see everything going on with House Chores!
== Next Update Focus ==
This one has been a bit tricky to decide over the past couple of weeks. There are a number of different things I can focus on for the next update (ex, Emily's story, Linda's, Julie's, etc) but I want to go with something that won't take too long to get the next update out so that way HC fans don't have to wait as long.
Because of this, I think continuing Julie's storyline is the way to go!
Before the original artist stopped working on the project, he had sketched up the first major scene for her storyline and I was really looking forward to it. So the plan is to have the current artist pick up from that sketch and finish the scene! The HC MC is looking a bit scrawny too. Some exercise with Julie is much needed ;)
In addition, I want to look at a potential redraw of Julie. I was blown away by the support of Emily's redraw and for Julie, getting a redraw of her could be very useful for her storyline so I can give her a proper yoga outfit variation.
Lastly, during this time, I'll be trying to get that backlog of new locations moving as well. I want to add the laundry room & eventually Emily's room so if we have spare time, this will be a perfect time to get started on all of that.
Once Emily's room is complete, that's a huge hurdle finished that's necessary to begin her story so she'll probably be up next for NSFW content ;)
== Town of Passion Concluding ==
In case you're out of the loop, the artist working on House Chores (Mogucho) now has been helping me finish up another game, Town of Passion. Mogucho is currently working on what is likely to be the last bit of art I need for ToP.
Once that's complete, that means Mogucho can now focus ENTIRELY on House Chores! No more rotating between HC & ToP like he's been doing in 2021. This means that in the next month or two, House Chores should be capable of releasing updates on a roughly 2-month release schedule which is my goal! This would keep it in the rotation between my other two main projects.
As mentioned a while ago, House Chores was meant to be a low priority side-project but I really want to step up it's production and have it equally prioritized between my other projects. We're nearly at that point!
== Release Date ==
I know this is the answer people probably hate the most but it's still a bit too soon to say.
Because Julie will be the likely focus of this next update, I don't think I'll need too much art before another update can be released. However, I do want to wait a bit longer until I can get a more certain window of when the update could release.
If things move faster than I'm anticipating (it's happened before), it's possible I could have an update out by late May. I think June is a much likelier release window, though.
As soon as I have a better idea, I'll let you all know! I see no reason why the update wouldn't be out by June. Since ToP is wrapping up, that should nearly double the rate at which House Chores content is completed- Excluding any health or personal reasons that would require the artist a bit more time. That's always the top priority!
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That's everything for this update!
I hope everyone's been having a good week. Thank you all so much for your support and I will see you soon either with some NSFW teasers or a general progress report!
2021-05-11 22:51:54 +0000 UTC
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Hey everyone!
I'm (nervously) excited to share with you all a refreshed face for the next update to House Chores! Emily has finally received a re-draw that was critical for continuing on with her story. I'll explain why:
== Why? ==
When the original artist left the project, he never gave Emily her various emotions. Notice how her appearance in the game is incredibly brief and she never changes expressions. I tried to reach out to get these done but never heard back about it.
Because of this, when working with the new artist, we both agreed it'd be easier to start from scratch and re-draw to have proper expressions, a glasses-less variation, and easy support for more costumes in the future potentially!
Originally, we had experimented with a few different poses but ultimately I wanted to stick with the one closest to the original. I think it's perfect for her personality and it looks very natural & comfortable!
== Change ==
The reason why I say I'm nervously excited is because for one, I absolutely LOVE this re-draw. I think the pose is a bit more natural, the proportions still juicy, and her glasses-less version is the cutest thing I've seen in a while.
But I know not everyone is happy with any particular decision I make and when choosing to change a pre-existing thing, I've learned there are always some people who just don't like it. Sorry to those who may not enjoy the change. I hope you can grow to enjoy it if it's not initially to your liking.
== Future Redraws? ==
This is only an idea and it's not a top priority at the moment but the results of this re-draw have made me want to consider getting a re-draw for Julie & Linda as well. For Julie especially, I wouldn't mind her pose being a little more comfortable. For Linda, it would mostly be a consistency thing so her and all future characters can stay similar in proportions/coloring, etc.
Let me know your thoughts. This isn't really a poll per say but maybe a lot of people would like to see that in the future as well.
Now that Emily's gotten a re-draw, the next main focuses are a new location within the house and then back to some good ol' NSFW scenes!
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That's everything for this update! Thank you all so much for your support. I will see you all soon with some more updates & teasers about what's coming next for House Chores! =D
2021-04-24 03:14:30 +0000 UTC
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Hey everyone!
I want to start off by saying thank you all so much for a warm return to House Chores. I received a lot of positive comments and a lot of players really seemed to enjoy the new update. Thank you all for your support!
So now that Beta 0.5 is out, it's time to start looking forward to what's next- Beta 0.6.
== Beta 0.6 Content ==
This update is going to add new NSFW content, but the main focus is going to be on catching up with some of the small necessities.
Little details like having Linda appear at night, new house locations, etc. These tiny details seem small in-game but still take time to make and are important to add. Beta 0.5 was heavily focused on getting new NSFW content out so we didn't spend any time adding these new on-screen necessities (this is why you can't enter Linda's room at night quite yet).
As far as which characters get NSFW content in Beta 0.6, it's still up for debate. It'll likely be Julie but I don't know quite yet. Should know soon!
== Re-draw(s?) ==
With this next update, right now, the artist is actually working on a redraw of Emily which I hope to share soon.
Some may be concerned about this decision so let me go into details.
Emily's original bust, I never received proper emotions for her which is why she barely talks at the moment. At this point, I just won't receive these so it's much easier for Mogucho (current artist) to re-draw Emily for ease of adding emotions and future costume support.
We opted to keep her original pose as I felt it nailed her personality. So far, she seems very similar to the original design as we wanted to keep all of those character elements in tact.
Depending on how this re-draw goes and how players receive it, we may look at eventually redrawing Linda & Julie as well. There are slight little tweaks/changes I wouldn't mind seeing and this may help keep more visual consistency with potential new characters moving forward.
== New House Locations ==
In addition, there are still 3/4 locations around the house that I really want to add. So with Beta 0.6, my hope is to add at least one in this update.
Laundry Room
This location will be a second place to complete chores for Linda (her chore point requirements will go up slightly but her progression will feel slightly more varied). There will also very likely be some funny interactions in this room. Hope no one gets stuck anywhere here ;P
Some other important locations that I will eventually add or am considering adding are: Emily's Room, basement, dining room area, backyard/pool, etc. There's a ton of potential for various locations but we're starting with the Laundry Room so Mogucho can get some practice designing new house locations. Afterwards, Emily's Room is very likely next.
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That's everything for this update! A bit of an info drop but I figure folks don't mind being in the know about what's going on and where things are headed.
Thank you all so much for your support. I hope to see you very soon with some updates on that re-draw and eventually some more NSFW content!
2021-04-07 19:56:59 +0000 UTC
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Hey everyone!
The next major update to House Chores, Beta 0.5.2 is live now for public release on Windows AND Android devices!
Download Link
=====
This update is the first major update in over 7 months for House Chores! For those out of the loop, the original artist was unable to continue working on the project so during that time, I needed to search for a new one who could match the style and keep the project going. I've been able to do just that!
== Beta 0.5 ==
Beta 0.5 focuses on the conclusion of Linda's 'base' story. She will still have more interactions & scenes later! I also did a little bit of a dialogue improvement on Day 1 & 2 to help explain her actions a bit more. One critique I've read is that the action starts a bit too fast. I didn't want to drag the action out and I really enjoy the doorbell 'moment', but it does make it a challenge to have the story make sense with the pacing. I'll be tweaking this and other things over future updates until it feels just right!
== Low Quality Mode & Android ==
I was also able to add a very important feature: Low Quality mode. There's a problem with some of the scenes on certain hardware which results in a black screen. If you have this issue, enabling Low Quality mode in the options should help. The scenes are slightly less smooth but should function. This new mode has also allowed me to continue with House Chores on Android again! From personal testing, it seems to function but I will be listening for any possible issues/feedback.
== Beta 0.6 ==
Speaking of Beta 0.6, I'll talk about this more in an upcoming Patreon update but this next update will likely add a lot more functionality to HC. A new room in the house, some more overworld images for characters, and more minor things that are absolutely necessary for the game to make sense.
I'll stop making a lengthy post even longer haha. Thank you all so much for your support and I will see you soon with more House Chores!
2021-03-31 16:48:08 +0000 UTC
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Hey everyone!
So sorry for the spam. In order to add the new tiers, it requires an individual page for each one so that's a one time thing! X_X
== New Tiers ==
In case you missed it, the new $10 (Lavish) & $15 (Legend) tiers are live for House Chores! These tiers grant you access to a download with either image files ($10) or video loops ($15) of most scenes in House Chores! This includes CG content and even the on-screen scenes.
These tiers will be updated to include new content every time a new update to HC releases and I will link to their respective downloads each time.
I don't plan to add any more new tiers to House Chores. Keeping it at 4 is pretty simple and hopefully easy to understand.
IMPORTANT: If you were already pledging $10 or more, you may need to edit your pledge to make sure you are pledged within the tier. In the past, adding new tiers wouldn't automatically include you within the tier despite meeting the monetary requirement.
== Beta 0.5.2 ==
It was a stealth release but I updated the Android link exclusively to 0.5.2. This adds an audio file that was missing causing an incredibly annoying loading issue on Android. If you were playing Beta 0.5.1 on Android and encountered this issue, updating to 0.5.2 should fix it!
== Public Release ==
Wednesday March 31st! Coming soon, that's all haha!
I hope you all are enjoying or looking forward to the new House Chores update! Thank you all so much for your support! I'll see you soon with the public release! =D
2021-03-30 00:18:43 +0000 UTC
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Here's a local compilation of all of the $15 Legend tier rewards.
This will update whenever new Legend Rewards are released and compiled!
The Legend Reward is a .zip or .rar file that needs to be extracted to view. The download contains animated loops for most scenes in House Chores in their original resolution. The files are typically .mp4 files that can be viewed with most video viewers.
Disclaimer: Do NOT redistribute this artwork under any circumstances. This artwork is owned and by Sirens Domain, and commissioned by respective artists/animators.
2021-03-30 00:13:16 +0000 UTC
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Here's a local compilation of all of the $10 Lavish tier rewards.
This will update whenever new Lavish Rewards are released and compiled!
The Lavish Reward is a .zip or .rar file that needs to be extracted to view. The download contains most scenes in House Chores in their original resolution. The files are typically .jpg files that can be viewed with most photo viewers.
Disclaimer: Do NOT redistribute this artwork under any circumstances. This artwork is owned and by Sirens Domain, and commissioned by respective artists/animators.
2021-03-30 00:10:08 +0000 UTC
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Hey everyone!
Have a pretty exciting announcement to share today.
The latest update for House Chores - Beta 0.5.0 has been updated to Beta 0.5.1 for Windows AND Android devices this time!
Link to Download Post
Reminder, the public release of this update will be Wednesday March 31st.
The $10 & $15 Patreon tiers will likely be launching tomorrow as well.
=====
Some PC users were having an issue with some NSFW scenes showing up as a black screen. I added a new "low quality" mode that cuts the framerate of these scenes in half. They're a little less smooth but they should function for those players having troubles. It is able to be toggled in the settings option on PC
(if you don't see the option in the pause menu, enter your bedroom so your save file can get updated. this should let you view it)
For Android, low quality mode is enabled by default and currently can not be disabled (i'll look into that ability). In testing, this was enough to get the scenes working on my own Android device so this should work for most others hopefully. Obviously, I'll keep my eyes peeled for feedback. If it's still an issue for most Android users, that's gonna be some pretty rough news.
Thank you all so much for your support. Hopefully this fix is able to solve the black screen issue. That's been the main plague preventing an Android release so it almost feels too good to be true that this has worked so far... Fingers crossed!
2021-03-28 21:28:55 +0000 UTC
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(Download Links updated from Beta 0.5.0 to Beta 0.5.1)
(Android link is Beta 0.5.2 to fix issue with sound file missing)
Hey everyone!
Here's the next update to House Chores, Beta 0.5.0!
IMPORTANT: Out of respect for all the $5+ Patrons and the team that works so hard on House Chores, please refrain from sharing this build/link with others.
Windows
Android
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7 months... It's been 7 months. Finally, I can stop apologizing and promising a new update. It's finally here!!
With a new artist on board, I am absolutely stoked to see how the future of House Chores looks and this update got me really excited to continue on with the project. Almost all of the new content in this update was drawn by the new artist. One on-screen scene was from the previous artist, can you spot the difference?
I haven't been so hooked on working on an update in quite some time. I had a ton of fun working on this one and I can't wait to start working on more!
Do keep in mind, there's still so much stuff I want to add, including stuff to Linda's base story. CG, new locations in the house, a second set of chores to complete (laundry??), updating dialogue of older scenes, etc. So I'll be making more tweaks & adjustments to this story over upcoming updates on top of adding the other two girls' stories.
Thank you all so much for your continued patience and support. It means a lot knowing many people kept their faith in this project continuing <3
As usual, if you find any bugs or sequence breaks, let me know over on Discord. I hope you enjoy!
2021-03-27 17:09:25 +0000 UTC
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Hey everyone!
Short update today but it's close enough now that I can confidently share a release date.
I plan to release House Chores - Beta 0.5 to $5+ HC Patrons this Saturday, March 27th!
This means the public release should launch around March 31st.
The $10 & $15 tiers should launch over the weekend as well. Either on Sunday or Monday. I don't want to congest this Patreon page over the weekend so I'm spreading out the releases by a couple days.
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I was hoping to have the release out by tomorrow but what frequently happens is I misjudge by a day or two. It's easy to underestimate all of the little things that need tweaking. With this update, I actually spent a little more time going back to some of Linda's pre-existing content as well to add some small improvements so that set me back a little bit.
I do still plan to go back and add/tweak things in future updates as I can get more time for things like CG & other character interactions.
The new passion/lust feature that I teased on twitter is an example. It's a small thing but for folks who like multiple playthroughs, you may enjoy some of the slight dialogue changes depending on your choices.
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That's about everything. Next update should be the actual update to House Chores that's been due for over half a year now X_X So close!!
Thank you all for your support and I will see you soon!
2021-03-26 01:26:38 +0000 UTC
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Hey everyone!
I just wanted to share a little two-piece update about the next update and this Patreon page!
== House Chores Beta 0.5 ==
I received the last bit of art that I believe I will require for this update. This means I can be a little more certain about when the build will release.
I'm AIMING to have the build out by this Friday, March 26th for $5+ HC Patrons HOWEVER, I want to make myself very clear, this date isn't 100% certain.
If I find that throughout the week I'll need a couple extra days, I will take them to make sure the quality of the update is up to my liking. As we get closer to the end of this week I will try my best to have a date solidified but I've got to chill with announcing dates during a time where I may still require slightly more time.
Fortunately, for those who have been waiting so patiently over this lengthy time, I can say for certain that the next build is almost here! =D I'm so happy that HC is back on track.
== New Patreon Tiers ==
Previously, I was very hesitant opening up new Patreon tiers because I just wasn't confident in being able to reliably and consistently provide new art for those rewards. However, with Mogucho (the new artist) now leading the art, I'm much more comfortable exploring those tiers.
The plan is to, likely shortly before or after Beta 0.5, launching a new $10 & $15 tier. These tiers will function like the ones on my other games' Patreon pages:
$10 tier - Receive access to a .zip file containing all major NSFW scenes in their native resolution (in .jpg/.png format). A small HC logo is placed in an empty corner as well.
$15 tier - Receive access to a .zip file containing all animated NSFW scenes in their native resolution in a 10 second .mp4 loop. (Also grants access to the $10 tier's downloads)
The rewards for these stack as well so every new update, you will receive the old AND new content in the downloads.
The $3 tier is one that I skipped out on but on other games I use that as a tier to share upcoming NSFW scene teasers/sketches. Would anyone like to see that tier make a return here? I wasn't really planning on it but again, now that I'm more confident about NSFW content releasing more steadily, it could serve a purpose.
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That's everything for this update. I will see you all soon with that new House Chores update! I hope you all enjoy =D Thank you all so much for your support!
2021-03-22 03:14:32 +0000 UTC
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Hey everyone!
Just wanted to share a little unexpected update. There have been a few little improvements & features that I'm really excited to share.
== Profile Pages ==
The first new addition are these little profile pages! I wanted to include some sort of 'status' page for characters but really wasn't sure how to do it. The progression system in-game is complicated behind the scenes but to the player, I feel is fairly straight forward.
So instead of trying to somehow visualize that, I instead went with general biographies to add a little bit of fun details to the characters. I was really pleasantly surprised with how these came out. I was able to color coordinate each character's page and it makes for a pretty cute bio that fits the theme of the game.
The bottom right section of the 'favorites' DOES have some text that goes there. However, it will only show up when you have a strong relationship with that person. It's more private information ;P
== Mouse Cursor and Icons ==
This is a small thing to most but a big thing for me, haha. When I switched engines, I lost the custom mouse cursor. I think mouse cursors are a small, yet significant detail for visual novels. I was stoked to find a plugin that works with everything else in the game and adds custom mouse cursor support so that's back!
If you don't like the custom cursor, I will likely add the option in the future to disable it.
I've also spent some time tweaking some of the icons that appear when you hover over interactable objects/characters. I think these look a bit better and further help add a bit more polish that I felt HC was lacking.
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That's everything for this update! Sorry, I know it's not the usual NSFW teasers or things like that but I'm just really happy to see some of the other features coming together. NSFW content is super important for a project like this but it's all of the other small details that are just as important imo to help round out the overall quality of a project.
Thank you all so much for your support and I will see you soon with Beta 0.5!
2021-03-14 18:40:03 +0000 UTC
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Hey everyone!
Super short update today but I just wanted to mention, I am very confident in a March release for this next update!
Shortly after the previous update, the artwork for the final scene was actually completed. Much faster than I anticipated. Right now, it is in the process of getting animated and the animator is confident that they can finish it in time. Obviously, unexpected delays can still happen but if everything is smooth, that update will be here in the next couple of weeks!
I'm going to hold off from announcing a specific date. I've been doing that in the past and the amount of stress and cram that can cause just isn't worth it anymore. The update will be out when it's out!
Thank you all so much for your support! I'll see you guys soon with either another release update or the actual update itself! =D
2021-03-10 21:12:52 +0000 UTC
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Hey everyone!
I wanted to share a general news update about what's happening with House Chores.
== Next Update ==
This month, I will begin resuming work on the actual contents of the next update for House Chores! It's been a long time coming. I'm going to have to familiarize myself with working on this game in particular since it's so different from the others I work on haha.
This update will focus on finishing up the 'main' part of Linda's story. This does not mean she won't see new content in the future. This will just conclude most of the build up to the real action ;)
Since it's been a while, I'm also going to go back and re-evaluate some parts of the game. The main thing is simplifying the notification system and hopefully making things much easier both for myself and for the player as far as needing to know what to do next within the game.
I will also be looking at more work arounds for Android users as there are still technical limitations preventing the Android port from working smoothly. I'll have to do something about the NSFW scenes but I don't want to completely sabotage the quality of them in order to find that answer. No promises on Android yet, but I will be testing some stuff.
== Release Plans ==
My hope is to have the new update out this month, late March. However, I'm working on being kinder to myself and not announcing release dates before I REALLY should be announcing them. It's been causing a lot of crunch & unnecessary stress on my end.
The actual release date window, however, should safely be late March or early April if the art needs more time.
As usual, once things are more clear, I will give you all a better, more accurate release date.
== Art ==
Most of the art is complete, however, the 'big' scene still needs to be finished and then also animated. Because it still has a bit longer to go, I can't guarantee when exactly it will get finished. I'm hoping it can be completed by late March but if not, I need to give the game a bit more time until the next build is ready to launch. Mid April should be the absolute worst case scenario if everything progresses smoothly but takes a bit longer than expected.
March is only just beginning though so there's quite a bit more time to get that content finished up!
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Finally! An end goal is in sight for the plans to bring this project back from the brink of death.
Now that the new artist has been figured out, things should be quite a bit more smooth from here on out. The goal is to finish the main trio for House Chores and if that can all be done and people want more... I'll look into it ;) The idea of expanding outside of the house (neighbors, teachers, etc etc) has really been piquing my interest. One step at a time, though!
That's all for this update! Thank you all so much for your support and I will see you soon with more news on the update's progress!
2021-03-04 06:46:45 +0000 UTC
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Hey HC Patrons!
I'm finally able to share some behind the scenes sneak peeks at upcoming content! Here's a first look at a very special scene with Linda!
This scene is NOT yet finished as only the very basic coloring has been applied so if that was worrying you, that's not how the final scene will look.
I was really hoping to have this new update out in March but it's going to be cutting it a little close. Keep in mind, this scene still needs finishing and then I send it off to also get animated. On top of that, I have to actually make this update so it may end up taking slightly longer. The March/April time frame is still pretty accurate though. I can't see this update taking any longer than April.
Things are happening! I'm finally seeing the pieces fall into place with House Chores which is pretty relieving. Last year was not terribly kind to the project but I'm glad things have been able to push forward.
Thank you all so much for your support and I will see you all soon with another update about the game and hopefully shortly after, the actual update itself!
2021-02-27 19:06:35 +0000 UTC
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Hey everyone!
I wanted to just give another update here to provide players with an up-to-date post on what's happening behind the scenes!
Normally I don't go into THIS much detail but because of how long it's been since the last update, I want to make sure supporters know exactly where the next update is terms of progress.
== Progress ==
For art, right now the minor scene I teased last month is sent to get animated.
The only other thing I think I need for this next update is one 'full' NSFW scene for Linda. These are like the scenes that take place in the living room & bathroom/kitchen. Progress on that should begin within a week. Remember, for a short time, the artist working on HC is also helping me finish up my other game, Town of Passion so the plan is to alternate between drawing something for ToP & then HC, vice versa. Once ToP is finished, HC will get the full attention which should allow for more frequent updates.
Once the full scene is finished, it'll need to get animated. After that, I should have everything I need.
This could change if I want to add some misc 'moments' to her storyline but currently this is what I've got planned.
== Release Window ==
IF everything goes according to usual when it comes to having the art complete & animated, I could see art being ready by sometime in March.
From there, I need to actually design the update and the part that might be tricky is I have to sort of 'de-rust' since it's been so long working on HC haha. This step shouldn't be that bad though.
I'm thinking I can have the next update out NO LATER than April but as soon as March.
As we get closer to this time frame, I'll be able to know with more certainty. But I'm at a point now where I can start seeing a good window of time to knock this update out and have it released.
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That's everything for this update! Like I said, normally I will NOT fully detail the behind the scenes schedule for a number of reasons but in this case, I feel like it's owed that you guys know exactly how things are progressing. I hate false promises so I want to help reassure supporters where things are at. Once that next build comes out, I'll be able to relax a bit haha.
Thank you all so much for your support! I will see you all soon with another update. Hopefully I'll be able to share a sketch for Linda's scene soon as well! Until then, see ya!
2021-02-16 05:34:29 +0000 UTC
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Hey everyone!
Small update mostly just reminding you all, Patreon charges ARE back to enabled so when the month changes Patrons will be charged again.
The reason this is starting back up is because actual progress has resumed on House Chores so even though we still have a little more to do until the next update, things are actually happening behind the scenes! (Reminder, second half of 2020 I did not have an artist so there was 0 physical progress being made on the game)
If you aren't comfortable pledging to HC until an update is released, this is why I'm giving the memo before the month switches over in case you want to update your pledges accordingly!
I deeply appreciate everyone's patience with this next update. 2020 was definitely not a good year for House Chores or it's supporters. Soon, I can stop talking about it and finally show that 2021 will be a much better year for the project! Speaking of...
== Next Update ==
When can you expect the next update? That's a little tricky to estimate atm.
Originally, the next update was going to focus on the 'neighbor' but Linda has had an on-screen scene that's been finished for a while. Problem is, given the 'action', it's not quite ready to be implemented yet if that makes sense. (I have to use PG language)
So I was thinking this next update actually goes back to Linda and finishes up her main story. This would optimally cut down time needed until the next update.
If I had to give an estimate, I'm hoping to have the next update available in March. Two more months to get enough content finished AND animated feels doable. From there, the hope is to start updating the game every ~2/3 months so later this year the pacing of the game should speed up significantly!
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That's everything for this update! In Feb, look for likely another teaser or two as well as a more solidified update on when the next build should be releasing!
Thank you all so much for your support and I will see you all soon!
2021-01-31 17:32:08 +0000 UTC
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Hey Patrons!
Just wanted to share a sketch that the new artist just sent me! So far, this is the first test to see just how close we can keep the original style consistent and as of right now, I am very excited with what I'm seeing.
In addition, the artist sent me some backgrounds they had worked on a few years ago and I was astonished just how close they ALREADY matched House Chores' style despite being drawn before HC existed. This is INCREDIBLE news for fans of the 'Tutor' character who still doesn't have her room designed. It just now might become a possibility again!
I don't want to speak too far into the future but this sketch is a small step potentially towards some really incredible news. I was thinking HC was going to have to get cut short, but maybe not now. I'll try not to get too ahead of myself though ;P
Hopefully this sketch helps restore a little more faith that HC is indeed resuming and while the next update needs more time, 2021 is looking like a good year for the project.
Thank you all so much for your support and for sticking with me during this transitional time. I will try my best to make the wait worth it for you. See you soon with more teasers & updates!
2021-01-11 20:59:41 +0000 UTC
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Hey everyone!
I wanted to talk about some of the current plans with House Chores. As many of you know by know, the game has been in limbo due to the previous artist being unable to continue working on the project so I was working to find a replacement.
Well now, it's time to begin working with a new artist and testing things out! Let me detail some of the current plans!
== January Plans/Patron Charging ==
This month, the new artist is going to start small with a minor NSFW scene: One of those scenes that takes place over the pre-existing background. The goal is to see just how accurate they can match the style/shading.
If this test goes well, the next commission will presumably be a full-blown NSFW scene and the game should be in a position to wrap up nicely by sometime this year!
Because progress has officially resumed, I think I will keep Patron Charging open this month. There is still time to decide so if plans go awry and I'm not happy with the amount of progress this month, I can still notify everyone and cancel the monthly charging. Previously, I had stopped Patron charging since there was virtually 0 progress being made. That is changing now!
Now, I want to talk a bit about potential changes/priorities for House Chores-
== 'Maid' Character ==
The maid is the character who this game was originally meant to focus on exclusively. After a while, we had decided to add two extra characters to spice up the interactivity but now that expansion has sort of backfired.
The main focus right now is to finish up the Maid's storyline. This really only requires one more major NSFW scene but I would like to add a few minor interactions around the house to help bring life to the story. Once her story is complete, I may find a way to wrap up the story so House Chores can be at least mostly complete.
If the art style is able to be matched very closely, I will look at finishing up the planned story for the maid's sister as well. Her story had just gotten off the ground so it would be nice to wrap that up as well!
== 'Tutor' Character ==
I have some bad news in regards to the 'Tutor' of House Chores: The girl with the glasses.
Her bedroom is the only location in the house that isn't complete. In addition, you may have noticed she doesn't change her expression. I had been previously waiting to receive her expressions and sadly just never received that part of the commission. Safe to say, I don't think I'm going to be receiving them at this point =/
So this puts me and the new artist in a tricky spot with her in particular. I don't know how well her bedroom & facial expressions can be added in so at this point, I don't know if it's even going to happen.
Best case scenario: the new artist does a PHENOMENAL job adapting to the art style and her expressions/bedroom can be added while still feeling natural to the rest of the game.
The possibility is still there but for right now I'm going to consider writing her off as more reclusive so the story can focus on the maid. I want to stress: this plan may change and she may get attention down the road!
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That's everything for this update. Fingers crossed that this first test commission goes well. I have high hopes but the fate of this project does rely pretty heavily on my satisfaction with this transition.
I will see you all with another update later this month confirming/denying the future of the project so stay tuned! It's going to be a very important month for HC in general.
Thank you all so much for your patience and support. We've weathered the storm and now it's time to get this ship sailing once again! I'll see you all soon =D
2021-01-09 23:36:09 +0000 UTC
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