That's right, folks. It's time for another bi-annual update.

When did they become bi-annual, you ask? They didn't, really. But that does seem to be how often I post these updates.

If it's any consolation, a lack of updates usually means I'm hard at work developing games. It's actually a sign of progress... in a way.

So, what's been happening these past 7 months? And what's coming next?

I'll start with some housekeeping and then get onto the good stuff.

Social Media

With BlueSky now open to the public, I decided to join the platform.

I'll continue to post on Twitter/X and Mastodon. So regardless of which platform you use, my posts there will be the same.

Links to all three can be found in the Socials/Links section of this website.

Website

This software used to build this website has been updated from Ghost v5.54.0 to v5.87.2.

There shouldn't be any notable changes, and hopefully nothing has broken.

Steam Deck verified

Two more of my games, My Heart Grows Fonder and Sable's Grimoire, have now been Steam Deck verified.

The latter is part of the reason why this blog post is a month later than intended. Between Sable's Grimoire being mid review and the Steam Summer Sale starting, it seemed like a bad time for a blog post.

Anyway, verified! That's 7 down and 3 to go.

Unfortunately the verification process is initiated by Valve. So all I can really do now is wait until they review another one of my games.

Sable's Grimoire 2

And now, the part you've been waiting for.

It's been 7 months since the last update, and most of that time has been spent working on Sable's Grimoire 2.

You may have seen some of my posts on social media with character bios and introductions. Those might give you an idea of how far along the sprites are progressing, but what about the rest of the game?

Fortunately, the rest is progressing just as smoothly. Let me throw some numbers at you.

• 18 new backgrounds are complete
• 31 new CGs are complete
• all(?) sprites are complete
• just over 500k words done of the writing
• new music tracks and GUI not started yet

So, what does all of that actually mean?

Artwork

The total number of backgrounds and CGs needed can't be confirmed until the writing is complete, so I can't accurately express those numbers as a percentage.

With that being said, at this stage I expect another ~5 backgrounds and ~10-15 CGs to be needed, but those aren't solid numbers.

Similarly, all of the sprites needed are currently complete, but that might change. Maybe a couple more sprites and outfits will be needed, but overall I don't expect much to change here.

Writing

500k words sounds like a big number. But is it? It's hard to make sense of that number without a frame of reference.

To put that number into perspective, the original Sable's Grimoire launched at 350k words, and after a few years of updates it is now 585k words in length. So it's fair to say that the writing for SG2 is pretty far along.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. There's still a lot of work to be done.

In particular, the common route (ie. the core part of the game leading up to the individual routes) is not complete. So even though a lot of the game is done, it's not in a state where it could actually be released, even if some routes were to hypothetically be cut out and released later.

Also, keep in mind that this is the first draft. That draft is incomplete, and proofreading/editing takes time. So even though a huge portion of the game has been written, it's still a long way off being "complete".

Caveats aside, tons of work has already been done. The writing is coming along well, and everything is progressing smoothly.

I just don't want you to see a big number without context and mistakenly think "it's almost done!"

Routes

Excluding music, and without naming which routes they are, the above progress translates into:

• Route #1 is complete. Writing, sprites, backgrounds, CGs, everything.
• Route #2 is nearing completion. It needs a couple of CGs and a few more scenes need writing. Maybe one more background.
• Route #3 needs a bit more work. A few scenes need to be written. 2-3 backgrounds are needed. A few CGs are needed.
• Route #4 also needs a bit more work. It needs a few more scenes to be written, a few CGs, and maybe one background.
• Route #5 might be pushed back into a post-release update. The CGs are done, and only 1 background is needed. But this is the longest route by far, and there's still a bit of writing needed, so more artwork might end up being needed.
• Routes #6 and #7 have been started, but they're in the early stages. These won't be in the initial release.
• The common route (ie. the game before it branches off into different routes) still needs a fair bit of work. Mostly writing and some CGs.

Music, GUI

Now that the rest of the game is pretty far through, work will soon start on the new music tracks and an updated GUI.

I usually leave music until later, so it can be matched to particular backgrounds and scenes.

Likewise, some of the GUI elements need other parts of the game to be finished first to avoid tweaking them later. This is particularly true of the route map screen.

Fortunately, work on the GUI is a lower priority, since Sable's Grimoire already has a perfectly good GUI. Updating it is something I'd like to do before SG2 releases, but it doesn't hold up the development of the rest of the game.

So both of these will be worked on while the remaining backgrounds, CGs and writing are being finished off.

Testing

Once all of the above is finished, it'll be time to start testing in earnest.

This part takes a while, and will be done in stages across different operating systems and different sections of the game.

I plan to start by making sure everything works from start to finish. ie. Someone can actually play the game. Not perfect, but at least playable.

After that I'll submit the playable build to Steam so it can be reviewed as early as possible and avoid delays later on.

While/After they review SG2 I'll be testing again more thoroughly, looking for things which won't stop the game from passing review, but which need to be fixed regardless. That means visual bugs, typos, refining scenes, or anything else which comes up.

Finally, I'll run through the game from start to finish "as a player". ie. Not looking for bugs, but trying to play the game all the way through without anything seeming wrong.

Once I can play the game from start to finish without noticing anything obviously amiss, it'll be ready for release.

Release date?

I know, I know. Hearing about "progress" is great and all, but when is it going to be ready?

The remaining artwork should be done over the next few months.

Music is hard to estimate, but there are fewer new music tracks than there are new pieces of artwork. So I don't expect it to be a cause for delay.

The amount of writing needed isn't huge, but it's still a few months of work. Followed by editing, which is also not a quick process.

And of course, testing can't be done in earnest until all of that is done.

So, where does that leave the release date?

If the initial release only includes the first 4 routes, then 2024 seems achievable. If it includes route #5, then Q1 2025 seems more likely.

For now I'm going to focus on the common route and finishing off the first 4 routes. After that I'll reassess whether or not to hold up the initial release for the sake of putting route #5 in there, or if it would be better added later as a post-release update.

So I'm going to disappoint everyone again by holding off on specifying a release date. I'll put out another blog post in a few months when some routes are fully completed and give a better indication at that time of when I expect the release date to be.

Has it really been 6 months already? It's hard to believe that Christmas is right around the corner.

I guess that means it's time for an obligatory year-end update on what's been happening over the past 6 months.

Man And Elf on consoles

I mentioned in the last update that, with A Dragon's Treasure released on consoles, Man And Elf would be coming sooner or later.

Thankfully it was sooner! Man And Elf is now available on Switch and Playstation. Unfortunately, like A Dragon's Treasure, it is not available on Xbox as it was rejected by that store.

Links to the store pages can be found on the page below.

Sable’s Grimoire: Man And Elf

Sable’s Grimoire is a visual novel series set in a fantasy world filled with magic and monsters. It follows the adventures of Sable, a young human who wants to become a magic researcher, during his time at Amadronia Academy. Sable spends his everyday life at Amadronia surrounded by demi-humans, inc…

Zetsubou GamesZetsubou

My Heart Grows Fonder on consoles

And by "on consoles" I unfortunately mean just one.

My Heart Grows Fonder is now available on Nintendo Switch. It was rejected on Playstation and Xbox due to the adult content.

Download links can be found on the page below.

My Heart Grows Fonder

Cassius, a jilted and bitter man, is reunited with his ex after a three year separation. As the two begin to cohabitate, he realizes that he may not be over her after all.

Zetsubou GamesZetsubou

My Heart Grows Fonder v1.2.0

Accompanying the console release of MHGF is also a long overdue update.

v1.2.0 adds in a couple of new routes/endings, adding a fair amount of new content overall. This includes story content as well as 18+ content.

Max Massacre released on Steam

It feels weird to announce the release of a game which was already released years ago. But the important thing is that Max Massacre is finally on Steam.

In case you haven't already played it years ago, Max Massacre is a short, free visual novel set in a fantasy world of magic and monsters.

For more information about the game, and download links, you can visit the link below.

Max Massacre

A visual novel about a wannabe hero who is hated by those he wishes to protect.

Zetsubou GamesZetsubou

Steam Deck verified

Since the last blog post, 3 more of my games have been Steam Deck verified: Max Massacre, Sickness, and Man And Elf.

I'd like to get all of my games verified, but unfortunately Steam Deck verification is still a Valve-driven process. ie. It involves waiting for Valve to pick games to test.

But hey, it'll happen eventually. One game at a time.

Sickness and Man And Elf both required minor GUI updates to get verified, so they each received a small update on Steam.

Max Massacre, on the other hand, underwent a GUI overhaul and had Steam Deck support specifically added prior to its release on Steam. Luckily that work paid off and the game was verified shortly after release, without any modifications needed.

Website updates

In the menu bar of this website there is now a link titled "Upcoming", which brings you to a page featuring any games which I'm currently working on.

This includes basic information about the game and/or its status, as well as rough ETAs.

There's also a new link titled "Socials/Links" which opens a page containing links to a few different store pages and my social media accounts.

Those same links can also be found at the very bottom of this website.

Circadian Loop

New game incoming! I've been working on another short, free, probably kinetic visual novel titled Circadian Loop.

I'll post more information about it closer to the release date, but the quick pitch is that this is a story of tragedy, violence, and maybe a little bit of time-travel.

Sable's Grimoire 2 store page

Last but not least, the store page for Sable's Grimoire 2 is now live on Steam!

Needless to say this is where most of my recent efforts have been focused, and will continue to be focused for the foreseeable future.

The actual release is still a long way off, so the screenshots, store description and such will likely change over time.

For now, however, the store page does show some of the new characters and locations which will appear in SG2.

The development of SG2 is going smoothly. The expected release date should be either 2024 or 2025, depending on how many routes the game launches with.

It's still early days for SG2, but I'll likely start posting new character bios, screenshots, etc. on Twitter and Mastodon starting next year.

For other updates, you can subscribe to the Steam community forum and add SG2 to your wishlist here:

Sable’s Grimoire 2 on Steam

Sable’s Grimoire 2 is a visual novel featuring monster girls in a magic academy setting. This is a sequel to the original Sable’s Grimoire game. It follows Sable’s studies of magic and his budding friendships with his demi-human classmates and teachers.

STEAM

Oren has always dreamed of becoming a knight. It's what he's trained for all his life, and he was all too happy to squander his savings and leave his home behind to make it happen.

Unfortunately, the reality of being a knight isn't so glamorous. What's common sense for Oren is unthinkable for the knights, and he quickly finds himself tossed out onto the street after failing to adapt.

Just when Oren thinks his life has hit rock bottom, an adventurer named Litia invites him to join her party. Knights and adventurers are usually mortal enemies, but desperate times call for desperate measures, and Oren isn't above swallowing his pride in order to survive.

Oren and Litia bicker to no end. There seems to be very little the duo can agree on. But as a team, the two work together surprisingly well, and the work of an adventurer is nothing like what Oren had imagined.

Given a glimpse of a different future, will Oren abandon his dream of becoming a knight and embrace his new life as an adventurer?

Download Links

Steam

Windows, OSX,

Linux (x86)

Itch.io

Windows, OSX, Android,

Linux (x86, ARM)

Google Play

Android

Snap Store

Linux Snap (x86, ARM)

Flathub

Linux Flatpak (x86, ARM)

Sable's Grimoire is a visual novel series set in a fantasy world filled with magic and monsters. It follows the adventures of Sable, a young human who wants to become a magic researcher, during his time at Amadronia Academy.

Sable spends his everyday life at Amadronia surrounded by demi-humans, including elves, pixies, and succubi, as he learns more about this magical world and the creatures within it.

With Sable's first year at Amadronia coming to an end, he wants nothing more than to spend the upcoming break at the academy, studying in peace while his friends and classmates head home for the holidays.

However, his half-dragon best friend and roommate, Drakan, has other plans in store for him. She has been trying to get him to visit her home for months now, and with a sizeable break right before around the corner, that time has finally come.

Before the duo can set off, a surprise visit from Drakan's mother, Nidhogg, gives them reason to pause. Holding an ominous necklace in her hand, she forces the seemingly cursed artifact onto Sable, then sets him up with one trial after another.

Dragged to either extreme by these two frightfully powerful beings, will Sable manage to survive the holidays in one piece?

Download Links

Steam

Windows, OSX,

Linux (x86)

Itch.io

Windows, OSX, Android,

Linux (x86, ARM)

Jast USA

Windows, OSX,

Linux (x86)

Fakku

Windows, OSX,

Linux (x86)

Console Download Links

*This game was rejected by the Xbox store, so it is only available on Switch and PSN

PSN EU

Playstation

PSN NA

Playstation

Nintendo EU

Nintendo Switch

Nintendo NA

Nintendo Switch

18+ Patch (PC only)

Google Drive

Windows, OSX,

Linux

Mega

Windows, OSX,

Linux

Proton Drive

Windows, OSX,

Linux

Sable's Grimoire is a visual novel series set in a fantasy world filled with magic and monsters. It follows the adventures of Sable, a young human who wants to become a magic researcher, during his time at Amadronia Academy.

Sable spends his everyday life at Amadronia surrounded by demi-humans, including elves, pixies, and succubi, as he learns more about this magical world and the creatures within it.

As their first year together at Amadronia Academy comes to an end, Lisha and Sable arrange to spend their upcoming break in her home. An elven village far away from their noisy classmates, where they can enjoy the break in peace.

What awaits them at their destination, however, is not the holiday they had planned. Their time away is soon spoiled by news of recent kidnappings and graves being robbed. To make matters worse, these crimes are alleged to have been committed by a dark elf.

Keen to investigate these incidents, Sable and Lisha move from town to town as they encounter one shocking revelation after another: mind control, forbidden magic, a human town where magic is the norm, and another side to her father's past which Lisha knew nothing about.

With all of the chaos going on around them, will Sable and Lisha ever be able to go back to their peaceful academy days?

Download Links

Steam

Windows, OSX,

Linux (x86)

Itch.io

Windows, OSX, Android,

Linux (x86, ARM)

Jast USA

Windows, OSX,

Linux (x86)

Fakku

Windows, OSX,

Linux (x86)

Console Download Links

*This game was rejected by the Xbox store, so it is only available on Switch and PSN

PSN EU

Playstation

PSN NA

Playstation

Nintendo EU

Nintendo Switch

Nintendo NA

Nintendo Switch

18+ Patch (PC only)

Google Drive

Windows, OSX,

Linux

Mega

Windows, OSX,

Linux

Proton Drive

Windows, OSX,

Linux

Cassius, a jilted and bitter man, is reunited with his ex after a three year separation. As the two begin to cohabitate, he realizes that he may not be over her after all.

When his girlfriend suddenly vanished without a word, Cassius feared the worst. All communication was shut off, he had no clue where she went, and nobody seemed to be able to get ahold of her. The person closest to him disappeared, seemingly for good, and he had no way of knowing what had happened to her.

Now, without warning or fanfare, Maia has returned. What's more, the years of separation have done nothing to change how she feels about Cas. The two of them never formally broke up, and in her mind, they are still a couple.

But as the person left behind, Cas' feelings aren't so simple. After years of anguish, he has finally started to move on, and Maia's return isn't as welcome now as it would have been all that time ago.

Will Cas manage to mend his relationship with his ex-girlfriend and return to what they once had? Or will he leave the past behind and find happiness with someone else?

Download Links

Steam

Windows, OSX,

Linux (x86)

Itch.io

Windows, OSX, Android,

Linux (x86, ARM)

Jast USA

Windows, OSX,

Linux (x86)

Fakku

Windows, OSX,

Linux (x86)

Console Download Links

*This game was rejected by the Xbox store and PSN, so it is only available on Switch

Nintendo EU

Nintendo Switch

Nintendo NA

Nintendo Switch

18+ Patch (PC Only)

Google Drive

Windows, OSX,

Linux

Mega

Windows, OSX,

Linux

Proton Drive

Windows, OSX,

Linux

Bloom is an erotic yuri Visual Novel developed by RazzArt Studios.

The day before Lily starts her new job, she comes home to find that she  also has a new neighbor moving in next door. Inspired by the good things  finally happening in her life, Lily offers to help the girl, Eve, carry  her belongings to her apartment and unpack.

To Lily's surprise, she is completely swept away by Eve’s forward advances, and the two strangers wind up spending the night together in a passionate sexual encounter.

The next morning, Lily believes that on top of finding a new job, she has also found herself a girlfriend. Unfortunately, Eve sees things very differently. At the prospect of a suggested relationship with Lily, Eve coldly remarks “Romance is for suckers.”

Will Lily, a girl who clings to romantic ideals of love, be able to sort out her feelings towards Eve?

Download Links

Sable's Grimoire is a visual novel which takes place in a magic academy filled with demi-humans, such as elves and pixies.

When Sable is accepted into Amadronia Magic Academy, he believes that his dream of becoming a world-renowned magic researcher is finally within his grasp. As one of the few pure-blooded humans capable of using magic, Sable is hopeful that he’ll find common ground with the demi-human population at the school, and that the next few years of his life will be as productive as they are enlightening.

Unfortunately for Sable, his first day at Amadronia quickly proves to him that this will not be the case. The students in his class are unruly, there’s a pyromanic dragon girl running around, his "teacher" has no interest in teaching, the principal willfully breaks academy rules, and it seems like everywhere he turns, Sable finds one more reason to doubt Amadronia's proud legacy.

Will Sable manage to survive at this clearly dysfunctional academy? Or will he, like so many others, leave Amadronia feeling utterly disillusioned?

PC/Mobile Download Links

Steam

Windows, OSX,

Linux (x86)

Itch.io

Windows, OSX, Android,

Linux (x86, ARM)

Jast USA

Windows, OSX,

Linux (x86)

Fakku

Windows, OSX,

Linux (x86)

Google Play

Android (Demo)

Snap Store

Linux Snap (Demo) (x86, ARM)

Flathub

Linux Flatpak (Demo) (x86, ARM)

Console Download Links

PSN EU

Playstation

PSN NA

Playstation

Nintendo EU

Nintendo Switch

Nintendo NA

Nintendo Switch

Microsoft Store

Xbox

Wolf Tails is an adult visual novel developed by RazzArt Studios.

Moving far away from civilization, you hoped to live a life of solitude  in a snowy cabin. Just as you begin to adapt to your peaceful new life,  you discover an intruder; a wolf-girl, alone and shivering in your  storeroom. Fearful for her life, you take the girl in for the night,  offering her a place to stay until she recovers.

Once she has recovered, however, the wolf-girl shows no sign of leaving. In fact, she seems quite content to move in.

Soon after, yet another wolf-girl shows up, loudly accusing the  “Princess” of running away from her duties to the pack. She wants  nothing more than to bring the Princess back home with her and restore  order - and despite your best wishes, you're now stuck in the middle of  it.

Download Links

Happy Campers is an adult visual novel developed by RazzArt Studios.

For the next seven days, the campers at Camp Merriment will enjoy the wonders of nature like never before. They will partake in filling meals cooked over an open flame, kayak in beautiful rivers, and see wild, yet friendly, creatures native to the forest. Their week will be spent in  utter bliss, with campers taking home naught but fond memories…

It's a shame you won't be joining them.

Welcome to Camp Bearfoot; the abandoned camp ground where your instructor has accidentally led your group. With no provisions, and no sign of help arriving anytime soon, will the four of you manage to survive a week?

Play as a male or female and join together with Lizzy, a gullible young woman who doesn't understand the point of clothing. Eliza, an entitled rich girl who refuses to get along with others. And Mai, a  straight-laced instructor plagued by a lack of leadership skills.

In this visual novel about camping, sexy antics and tensions are sure to rise as the days without help go on.

Download Links

Tomboys Need Love Too! is an adult visual novel about the romance between two childhood friends.

When Kai hears that his next door neighbor, Chris, will be staying with him while her parents are overseas, he thinks nothing of it. They're best friends, after all, and have been since childhood. Sleepovers are hardly anything new for them.

But Chris doesn't see it that way. She's ready to take their relationship to the next level, and she plans to use their temporary cohabitation as a chance make that happen. She'll see to it that Kai treats her not as a friend, or "one of the guys", but as a member of the opposite  sex.

Just as Chris's advances begin to take effect, however, an obstacle appears: Sophie, Kai's most recent crush. With timing that couldn't possibly be a coincidence, Sophie suddenly begins to show a very strong interest in Kai.

Will the advances of Sophie, the girl whom Kai has been pining over for months, manage to sway his heart? Or will Chris finally make Kai recognize her as a member of the opposite sex, and convince him that the perfect woman was by his side all along?

Download Links

Steam

Windows, OSX,

Linux (x86)

Itch.io

Windows, OSX, Android,

Linux (x86, ARM)

Jast USA

Windows, OSX,

Linux (x86)

MangaGamer

Windows

Fakku

Windows, OSX,

Linux (x86)

18+ Patch

Google Drive

Windows, OSX,

Linux

Mega

Windows, OSX,

Linux

Proton Drive

Windows, OSX,

Linux

提取码 k9kv

Windows, OSX,

Linux

Humanity Must Perish is a short, free Visual Novel set in the future.  The main genre is comedy, but there's also an emphasis on  technology/sci-fi.

Kyuu is an android whose sole reason for existing is to save planet Earth from destruction at the hands of mankind. To that end, she has come to the conclusion that the only way to save the planet is by extinguishing or enslaving the human race.

Before she can do so, her creator makes a proposition: Kyuu will spend one day outside of the laboratory, walking among regular, everyday human beings, and judge for  herself whether they are capable of meaningful change or not.

Kyuu accepts this proposition, and thus sets out into the world for the first time, coming face to face with a variety of odd individuals as she decides the fate of mankind.

Download Links

Steam

Windows, OSX,

Linux (x86)

Itch.io

Windows, OSX, Android,

Linux (x86, ARM)

Fakku

Windows, OSX,

Linux (x86)

Google Play

Android

Snap Store

Linux Snap (x86, ARM)

Flathub

Linux Flatpak (x86, ARM)