This. This is what a good visual novel looks like. I really was considering that maybe I was too harsh about visual novels for being slow and dry - but this completely reignited my standards. Far too many are slow and dry and my disappointment in many is warranted. Thank you for reminding that yes I DO know what I'm talking about and my taste is still solid; many visual novels DO indeed suck in the quality department and are simply comics that gamers are demanded to click through to look at and nothing more.
This is probably one of my most favorite games I've ever played (even though its a demo). The detail, story line, art style and everything about it is amazing! I'm also in love with Theodore (he gives me Prof Snape vibes :D). Thank you so much for making it and I'm very eager for the release of the full game!!<3
Thank you for those heartfelt compliments, it's really moving for me every time someone really loved the demo, thank you for your support!!! I hope the full game can be released in Q1 2025!
I can't wait for this game to come out. great job the entire team and I pray your artist's health is in good condition. May they be safe. I join with the many others in admiring this game. Thanks for making it.
Thank you so much for your encouragement, we are working hard on it! Our artist is doing okay, thank you so much for wishing our well being it's really important for me to have healthy practices for a healthy team <3
first of all i want to say that my comment doesn't mean that i don't like the game. the game is great: it has beautiful art, well thought out system of empire development, good UI. I thought what you did with the display of character sprites on screen was very unique. i liked the possibility to play on easy and hard modes, the amount of work that was put into making this game (it truly feels like a labour of love) and i like the MC.
however while I was playing the demo, I couldn't get rid of the question: do people even know how to do their job in this empire?
so far, out of all the MC's entourage, it seems to me that only three are competent enough to hold their position: Alexander, her bearded counselor dude (sorry, can't remember the name) and her lady-mentor.
the moments that made my eyebrows go up into my hairline:
1. the spy master who withholds information from the empress (and I'm talking about appointing a stranger as her maid-in-waiting). it doesn't matter if it's important information or not. it doesn't matter how big or small it is. it's his job to notify her which he failed to do. and that would've raised a question for me: what else isn't he telling me? what else won't he tell me in the future and how much potential it has to screw my cards? if I was the MC, it would 100% plant the seed of doubt and the thoughts of a replacement needed. with his network he is arguably the most powerful person in her small council. and if the empress can't trust her spy master, it's the end game.
2. a spy girl who is now our lady-in waiting (I'm bad with names). is she aware that in the imperial setting people easily give up their lives for less than a sneeze? the fact that she is a spy suggests that she either doesn't have a title or it is very minor. we have already seen in this setting how many problems MC had before the coronation and how much she had to do to be put on the throne instead of one of her bastard brothers, which means the world there is quite patriarchal. it's very unlikely that a significant noble house would let a woman who could be profitably and beneficially married off to work in a potentially deadly and difficult job like this. so, basically a commoner insulting the empress to her face (and in a political-imperial-medievalish setting, what she said about the “sheltered little princess” is an insult) without much fear of consequences makes me think that the spy-girl-lady-in-waiting considered herself comfortable enough to do that; at least irreplaceable, and at max invincible. which probably means that she has a protector with enough resources to shield her from the consequences of such behavior. of all the people we know, only our spy master is suitable for the role of such a patron, and, with his previous experience of withholding information from us, the picture doesn't look good for him.
3. claims from the lady-in-waiting-girl that our MC “has never been out there and doesn’t even know what it’s like to be out there in the field.” well, yes? because she doesn't have to. she is a princess, now an empress. she is not obliged to know the exact difficulties her subordinates go through, to know their job in detail, to relate to every single problem of her subordinates, or do their job instead. to climb forests, mountains, infiltrate into dangerous settings and whatever else her spies do. the accusation is childish. for this she has people, such as this spy-girl-lady-in-waiting. if the empress did everything herself, she wouldn't need such people.
4. the fact that MC just let the insult slide. I suppose because it was a closed setting (her personal office) she didn't feel the need for anything drastic. however, benevolence like this often gives people ideas that they can have their way, which often gives example to other people. MC doesn't have to go around beheading everyone left and right to instill the understanding that some things mustn't be said. her lady-in-waiting insulted her, that's enough to fall out of grace and end up in a monastery (in imperial medieval setting) if she is lucky enough, and she doesn't even have a title. I think that a week or two in the dungeon on gruel would be a really nice option.
5. and my favourite, probably - the person who has a title of a DUKE accusing our MC of "being born with a silver spoon". excuse me, duke, was your own spoon a wooden one? bronze? did you eat scraps and wear rags? no? then shut your annoying mouth please. yes, his family had some estates and lands taken away, but it doesn't mean that his life wasn't a life of privilege. the fact that he's accusing MC of growing up in privilege while he clearly hasn't been swimming in poverty is so hypocritical that I can't lol
well, this was my Ted Talk and my rant. I want to state one more time that I liked the game. the fact that some characters caused enough frustration for me to compose a bedsheet means that it has a great potential to keep player engaged.
Hello, what a passionate answer! I am not going to answer the part about the Master of Murmurs (the spy master) and Sophie (the lady in waiting). I might adjust a couple of things in the final game on this scene, but overall MM being a wild card and Sophie irreverent was both intended, now I think it's a fair point to envision a MC a bit less forgiving, I will see if I can add small choices about that!
About Theodore (the Duke), if you are curious here is a very old post I did about his animosity over the MC (I thought you might enjoy some extra lore :p) also, as an additional note, the Faraam duchy is right in the middle of mountains. The climate there is cold and sterile, they clearly has the toughest life of the whole kingdom, even if of course Theodore himself never lacked anything, his education were much harsher than MC one that's for sure.
Thank you for giving a try to our demo, I hope you have fun in the full game <3
hi, does anyone know when this game is coming out? i know it says on here Spring 2024, but since that has passed, i was wondering what was the new ''timeframe''?
Hello, sorry we are a bit late I need to update this page! Frankly it's hard for me to give a new date right now, we made huge progress, the script is done but we are late on the art area so I need a clearer view on that. I am still very hopeful for a release this year, something like September/October depending on our artist health!
I genuinely loooove this game the management of the kingdom and actually having to think about your decisions is so immersive and fun!! I was wondering if the full game would cost any money or would remain to be a free download when the full release comes out? Regardless if I had to pay or not to get the full game I still love this game sm and you guys did such a good job with it!!
Hello, yes the game will be commercial in the release (probably around 20$ with a discount at launch), thank you so much for your support and your kind words <3 I am very glad you liked the strategy aspect since I worked so hard on it :p
Hi, I'm a fan from Brazil and I wanted to know if you'll adjust the price for other currencies or if it'll be the same for everyone. I know working with art is very difficult, I've developed games myself, and specially now with everything happening in the world you should never lower your prices for anyone. I'm just asking because for me and most people that live in the south, the devalue of our currencies makes us unable to apreciate and contribute to a lot of games because of the differences in price (for example, 20 dolars for me is almost 100 in my currency - reais -, and even more than that), so it makes it a lot harder to buy games and people just end up giving up on playing altogether, with is bad for both the artist and the costumer.Because of that, some developers chose to adjust the prices according to the countrie's currencies, but I would very much understand if that was not your choice, after all it's your work that is being valued or devalued.
Thank you for reading everything <3
I don't actually know if you can adjust the price here, because I'm used to buying games on Steam and usually there they already have the prices ready in my currency, but nevertheless it is still a relevant question. I wish you all the best on the development and will continue to enjoy playing your demos even if I can't really afford the final product.
Currency disparity is a valid concern. I don't think it's an option on itchio indeed, we are going to consider regional pricing for steam, and I think it was great and fair for a very long time. Unfortunately people abusing the system using VPN has made things very difficult for dev to do that now... and even when there is adjustment they are minor (like the price might be lower but not super low).
It's something that need careful consideration and thinking. Like we will probably do some level of regional pricing following the steam guideline (which as I said are not as generous than before). But maybe I could do other alternative... Like it would be cool to do a partnership with a Brazilian outlet or streamer and have them distributing very cheap keys for ex, I really don't mind "devaluating" my work if I know it goes toward the right person? But then, I also don't know how much English speaking VN fan there is in Brazil either and since I don't speak Portuguese it's hard to reach for the right people...
Anyway, I am rambling, but I heard your concern! <3
Well, regarding English speaking people in Brazil I can say I know a lot of people that can understand the language, given that it is simple structure wise and we have access to lot of media in English. But it is true that it would reach a lot more people if it was in Portuguese.
I don't know if you are interested in translating the game, but if you are, I could do it for you. Like I said I've developed games before (I write visual novels) and have just started freelancing in translation (usually English to Portuguese).
Thank you so much for listening and I understand the problems with VPN (gives me so much rage to see people ruin things like that, but I guess there's always someone to take advantage of nice things). Regardless, I really appreciate your effords.
Keep up the good work, been loving the demo so far!
Hello, thank you for your answer, about the translation, we cannot afford professional translators for a game of this size unless it's a huge hit, but if we do, Portuguese is among the 3 languages I really would like to translate the game so, maybe?
Thank you for your support, it's also annoy me so much that people are abusing systems, I really hope we can do something fair for eveyone!
And I was really happy to hear more about this project since it's been a year for me since the last update.
I didn't remember the Master of Murmurs being so naughty. And it was really fun to tease our dear ice block Theodore.
Still the more the game goes on, the more we can see the consequences of our previous choices. I'm still waiting to see more about our half-siblings but I'm not sure letting them alive was not a future big problem. Still killing them can be a problem. Hummm....
We'll have to be strategic. Really love the extended demo. I can't wait to play more.
Hello, it's true I should communicate more about what is happening on itchio too. Sorry for that! The script is fully written we are finishing the art/editing/scripting right now!
Anyway, I am glad it helped you notice how intricate the choices were, I really tried hard to craft interesting choices with short, mid or long consequences and I am so proud when people notice it and play strategically <3 Thanks for giving a shot to our extended demo!
Hello, unfortunately we are a bit late on the schedule, but it will definitely be in 2024, please join our newsletter or our discord to be informed when we have a solid release date!
Hello, it's not planned right now, we only plan on adding the Master of Murmurs as DLC. That said you are not the only Alden lover and I am very fond of him too, so I was considering doing maybe a bit of fiction for him when the game is done. No promises, but I would like to do a little something for him, but it won't be a full DLC!
Is there any updates on the development of this game? There's really no rush but wow such an amazing demo, like I need more 😭 Art, writing, and style is beautiful!
Hello, hello! True I should post the devlogs here too huh But development is going well, I am super close of putting the final point on the storyline! I hope for a release in spring this year, but we have a ton of work in editing left, finger crossed!
Eheh! I can't wait to show off more of the fullbody sprite we are creating currently thanks to our successful Kickstarter! Even more pretty art and customisation ~
yay im glad to hear it, they're so pretty, you're doing awesome! i've only gotten so far into the game due to a busy personal life, but i love it so far!
Hello, thank you for your interest! For now a phone port seems difficult, but the good thing with Renpy game is that they don't require any installation, you can download them, put them in a USB key and play them on any computer, so like even school/library ones. I hope it helps!
I'd say getting me utter the words "You will approve my coronation or I will trans your gender, don't test me." to a pope like figure makes this a pretty good game
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This. This is what a good visual novel looks like. I really was considering that maybe I was too harsh about visual novels for being slow and dry - but this completely reignited my standards. Far too many are slow and dry and my disappointment in many is warranted. Thank you for reminding that yes I DO know what I'm talking about and my taste is still solid; many visual novels DO indeed suck in the quality department and are simply comics that gamers are demanded to click through to look at and nothing more.
This is probably one of my most favorite games I've ever played (even though its a demo). The detail, story line, art style and everything about it is amazing! I'm also in love with Theodore (he gives me Prof Snape vibes :D). Thank you so much for making it and I'm very eager for the release of the full game!!<3
Thank you for those heartfelt compliments, it's really moving for me every time someone really loved the demo, thank you for your support!!! I hope the full game can be released in Q1 2025!
Your welcome<3 Looking forward to it!!!
I can't wait for this game to come out. great job the entire team and I pray your artist's health is in good condition. May they be safe. I join with the many others in admiring this game. Thanks for making it.
Thank you so much for your encouragement, we are working hard on it! Our artist is doing okay, thank you so much for wishing our well being it's really important for me to have healthy practices for a healthy team <3
first of all i want to say that my comment doesn't mean that i don't like the game. the game is great: it has beautiful art, well thought out system of empire development, good UI. I thought what you did with the display of character sprites on screen was very unique. i liked the possibility to play on easy and hard modes, the amount of work that was put into making this game (it truly feels like a labour of love) and i like the MC.
however while I was playing the demo, I couldn't get rid of the question: do people even know how to do their job in this empire?
so far, out of all the MC's entourage, it seems to me that only three are competent enough to hold their position: Alexander, her bearded counselor dude (sorry, can't remember the name) and her lady-mentor.
the moments that made my eyebrows go up into my hairline:
1. the spy master who withholds information from the empress (and I'm talking about appointing a stranger as her maid-in-waiting). it doesn't matter if it's important information or not. it doesn't matter how big or small it is. it's his job to notify her which he failed to do. and that would've raised a question for me: what else isn't he telling me? what else won't he tell me in the future and how much potential it has to screw my cards? if I was the MC, it would 100% plant the seed of doubt and the thoughts of a replacement needed. with his network he is arguably the most powerful person in her small council. and if the empress can't trust her spy master, it's the end game.
2. a spy girl who is now our lady-in waiting (I'm bad with names). is she aware that in the imperial setting people easily give up their lives for less than a sneeze? the fact that she is a spy suggests that she either doesn't have a title or it is very minor. we have already seen in this setting how many problems MC had before the coronation and how much she had to do to be put on the throne instead of one of her bastard brothers, which means the world there is quite patriarchal. it's very unlikely that a significant noble house would let a woman who could be profitably and beneficially married off to work in a potentially deadly and difficult job like this. so, basically a commoner insulting the empress to her face (and in a political-imperial-medievalish setting, what she said about the “sheltered little princess” is an insult) without much fear of consequences makes me think that the spy-girl-lady-in-waiting considered herself comfortable enough to do that; at least irreplaceable, and at max invincible. which probably means that she has a protector with enough resources to shield her from the consequences of such behavior. of all the people we know, only our spy master is suitable for the role of such a patron, and, with his previous experience of withholding information from us, the picture doesn't look good for him.
3. claims from the lady-in-waiting-girl that our MC “has never been out there and doesn’t even know what it’s like to be out there in the field.” well, yes? because she doesn't have to. she is a princess, now an empress. she is not obliged to know the exact difficulties her subordinates go through, to know their job in detail, to relate to every single problem of her subordinates, or do their job instead. to climb forests, mountains, infiltrate into dangerous settings and whatever else her spies do. the accusation is childish. for this she has people, such as this spy-girl-lady-in-waiting. if the empress did everything herself, she wouldn't need such people.
4. the fact that MC just let the insult slide. I suppose because it was a closed setting (her personal office) she didn't feel the need for anything drastic. however, benevolence like this often gives people ideas that they can have their way, which often gives example to other people. MC doesn't have to go around beheading everyone left and right to instill the understanding that some things mustn't be said. her lady-in-waiting insulted her, that's enough to fall out of grace and end up in a monastery (in imperial medieval setting) if she is lucky enough, and she doesn't even have a title. I think that a week or two in the dungeon on gruel would be a really nice option.
5. and my favourite, probably - the person who has a title of a DUKE accusing our MC of "being born with a silver spoon". excuse me, duke, was your own spoon a wooden one? bronze? did you eat scraps and wear rags? no? then shut your annoying mouth please. yes, his family had some estates and lands taken away, but it doesn't mean that his life wasn't a life of privilege. the fact that he's accusing MC of growing up in privilege while he clearly hasn't been swimming in poverty is so hypocritical that I can't lol
well, this was my Ted Talk and my rant. I want to state one more time that I liked the game. the fact that some characters caused enough frustration for me to compose a bedsheet means that it has a great potential to keep player engaged.
Hello, what a passionate answer! I am not going to answer the part about the Master of Murmurs (the spy master) and Sophie (the lady in waiting). I might adjust a couple of things in the final game on this scene, but overall MM being a wild card and Sophie irreverent was both intended, now I think it's a fair point to envision a MC a bit less forgiving, I will see if I can add small choices about that!
About Theodore (the Duke), if you are curious here is a very old post I did about his animosity over the MC (I thought you might enjoy some extra lore :p) also, as an additional note, the Faraam duchy is right in the middle of mountains. The climate there is cold and sterile, they clearly has the toughest life of the whole kingdom, even if of course Theodore himself never lacked anything, his education were much harsher than MC one that's for sure.
Thank you for giving a try to our demo, I hope you have fun in the full game <3
hi, does anyone know when this game is coming out? i know it says on here Spring 2024, but since that has passed, i was wondering what was the new ''timeframe''?
Hello, sorry we are a bit late I need to update this page! Frankly it's hard for me to give a new date right now, we made huge progress, the script is done but we are late on the art area so I need a clearer view on that. I am still very hopeful for a release this year, something like September/October depending on our artist health!
great, thank you
I genuinely loooove this game the management of the kingdom and actually having to think about your decisions is so immersive and fun!! I was wondering if the full game would cost any money or would remain to be a free download when the full release comes out? Regardless if I had to pay or not to get the full game I still love this game sm and you guys did such a good job with it!!
Hello, yes the game will be commercial in the release (probably around 20$ with a discount at launch), thank you so much for your support and your kind words <3 I am very glad you liked the strategy aspect since I worked so hard on it :p
Hi, I'm a fan from Brazil and I wanted to know if you'll adjust the price for other currencies or if it'll be the same for everyone. I know working with art is very difficult, I've developed games myself, and specially now with everything happening in the world you should never lower your prices for anyone. I'm just asking because for me and most people that live in the south, the devalue of our currencies makes us unable to apreciate and contribute to a lot of games because of the differences in price (for example, 20 dolars for me is almost 100 in my currency - reais -, and even more than that), so it makes it a lot harder to buy games and people just end up giving up on playing altogether, with is bad for both the artist and the costumer.Because of that, some developers chose to adjust the prices according to the countrie's currencies, but I would very much understand if that was not your choice, after all it's your work that is being valued or devalued.
Thank you for reading everything <3
I don't actually know if you can adjust the price here, because I'm used to buying games on Steam and usually there they already have the prices ready in my currency, but nevertheless it is still a relevant question. I wish you all the best on the development and will continue to enjoy playing your demos even if I can't really afford the final product.
Thanks for listening, wish you all the best.
Currency disparity is a valid concern. I don't think it's an option on itchio indeed, we are going to consider regional pricing for steam, and I think it was great and fair for a very long time. Unfortunately people abusing the system using VPN has made things very difficult for dev to do that now... and even when there is adjustment they are minor (like the price might be lower but not super low).
It's something that need careful consideration and thinking. Like we will probably do some level of regional pricing following the steam guideline (which as I said are not as generous than before). But maybe I could do other alternative... Like it would be cool to do a partnership with a Brazilian outlet or streamer and have them distributing very cheap keys for ex, I really don't mind "devaluating" my work if I know it goes toward the right person? But then, I also don't know how much English speaking VN fan there is in Brazil either and since I don't speak Portuguese it's hard to reach for the right people...
Anyway, I am rambling, but I heard your concern! <3
Well, regarding English speaking people in Brazil I can say I know a lot of people that can understand the language, given that it is simple structure wise and we have access to lot of media in English. But it is true that it would reach a lot more people if it was in Portuguese.
I don't know if you are interested in translating the game, but if you are, I could do it for you. Like I said I've developed games before (I write visual novels) and have just started freelancing in translation (usually English to Portuguese).
Thank you so much for listening and I understand the problems with VPN (gives me so much rage to see people ruin things like that, but I guess there's always someone to take advantage of nice things). Regardless, I really appreciate your effords.
Keep up the good work, been loving the demo so far!
Hello, thank you for your answer, about the translation, we cannot afford professional translators for a game of this size unless it's a huge hit, but if we do, Portuguese is among the 3 languages I really would like to translate the game so, maybe?
Thank you for your support, it's also annoy me so much that people are abusing systems, I really hope we can do something fair for eveyone!
I really like the new extended demo.
And I was really happy to hear more about this project since it's been a year for me since the last update.
I didn't remember the Master of Murmurs being so naughty. And it was really fun to tease our dear ice block Theodore.
Still the more the game goes on, the more we can see the consequences of our previous choices. I'm still waiting to see more about our half-siblings but I'm not sure letting them alive was not a future big problem. Still killing them can be a problem. Hummm....
We'll have to be strategic. Really love the extended demo. I can't wait to play more.
Hello, it's true I should communicate more about what is happening on itchio too. Sorry for that! The script is fully written we are finishing the art/editing/scripting right now!
Anyway, I am glad it helped you notice how intricate the choices were, I really tried hard to craft interesting choices with short, mid or long consequences and I am so proud when people notice it and play strategically <3 Thanks for giving a shot to our extended demo!
Hello! Is there already a release date for the full game? I can't wait to play it T-T
Hello, unfortunately we are a bit late on the schedule, but it will definitely be in 2024, please join our newsletter or our discord to be informed when we have a solid release date!
Is there any chance of getting a dlc where Alden of Valbleu will be romanceable?
Loving the demo and looking forward to purchasing the full game and dlcs once they are finished! Great concept and lovely work.
Hello, it's not planned right now, we only plan on adding the Master of Murmurs as DLC. That said you are not the only Alden lover and I am very fond of him too, so I was considering doing maybe a bit of fiction for him when the game is done. No promises, but I would like to do a little something for him, but it won't be a full DLC!
Thank you for your support <3
Will there be a mobile version?
Unfortunately I don't think there will be, I might consider it if when I revamp the UI it's easier to adapt it to proper mobile
Is there any updates on the development of this game? There's really no rush but wow such an amazing demo, like I need more 😭 Art, writing, and style is beautiful!
Hello, hello! True I should post the devlogs here too huh But development is going well, I am super close of putting the final point on the storyline! I hope for a release in spring this year, but we have a ton of work in editing left, finger crossed!
Thanks for your support <3
im soo pumped for this game, it's so beautiful and interesting already. thank you so much for the hair options and actually realistic skin tones <3333
Thanks for the kind words! I can't wait to have all the MC new fullbody sprite finish so we can enjoy how beautiful she is :p
i havent played yet but im excited lollll the art is so pretty and omg customization?
Eheh! I can't wait to show off more of the fullbody sprite we are creating currently thanks to our successful Kickstarter! Even more pretty art and customisation ~
yay im glad to hear it, they're so pretty, you're doing awesome! i've only gotten so far into the game due to a busy personal life, but i love it so far!
Feel you, I hadn't the time to play a demo since 2020
when I say I am so excited for this game. Words cannot express.
<3 <3 <3
When will the full game be released?
Hello, hopefully somewhere in May. It's hard to know for sure, but definitely this year!
Yay! :D Thank! I can't wait
I really want to play this game, but it doesn't have an Android version and I don't have a PC. Is there any alternative way I could play it?
Love everything btw.
Hello, thank you for your interest! For now a phone port seems difficult, but the good thing with Renpy game is that they don't require any installation, you can download them, put them in a USB key and play them on any computer, so like even school/library ones. I hope it helps!
Ayael
I'd say getting me utter the words "You will approve my coronation or I will trans your gender, don't test me." to a pope like figure makes this a pretty good game
LMAO