#steamberrystudio

[small-birdie]

i love visual novels but very rarely do i get obsessed enough with a visual novel guy to draw him

which is to say go play gilded shadows right now, and also i would die for magnus

(shoutout also to the picrew where i got the pose reference)

[feychannel]

So you want to play an indie otome or dating sim but don't know where to start...

Like the title says, I wanted to make a rec list for those who are more interested in indie otomes but don’t necessarily know where to start! So for those who saw the latest Nintendo Direct or maybe those who’ve just always wanted to try something new, this list is for y’all. I’ve immensely enjoyed every single title (and hope y’all do too). Without further ado... here's the short list!

Changeling by @steamberrystudio (and their sci-fi spiritual successor, Gilded Shadows): Liked "Buffy," but thought it needed more Faes? Changeling is exactly the type of contemporary otome you want and needed in your life yesterday. With several wonderful young men to romance, and an intriguing plotline that references fae mythology, you'll be set!

The Rose of Segunda: Liked Bridgerton? Thought it needed an even longer gala than canon? Then RoS (and its amazing sequel, "Thorns of War") by @blackcross-taylor is the game to play! I've been impressed with how this studio weaves political intrigue into the very plot, and how it commits to the stories it creates.

Band Camp Boyfriend: Somehow, this game is both a 00's sitcom and a thriller all in one (with all the drama of a gripping telenovela in some routes). If you missed summer camp, marching band, and/or just want to know what that's like, check out this delightful title by @lovebirdgames

3 Seasons: We love a woman with melanin!! But in all seriousness, the concept of a young woman applying for a job, only to find out she's the next Spring Spirit is delightful. Note: this is a free title (but the developer @hamiltonhour accepts payment on their itch).

Magical Warrior Diamond Heart: Precure meets Sailor Moon meets the sweetest otome!! In this house we love Valerie and her zany crew. @magicalwarriordiamondheart has truly outdone themselves with each update; the common route is free, but the developer has a Patreon you can support!

Herotome: I would be amiss if I didn't mention my current favorite superhero-themed otome, where your lovely protagonist will face pivotal choices in their quest to become a hero! While only the demo is out so far (just so y'all aren't expecting the full product), developer @herotome is a delight to follow with all their updates!!

Honorable mentions: Twisted Carnival, Titan Arum (warning: both titles contain more horror than the average otome), and Arcardia Fallen

[crescencestudio]

๋࣭⭑ Devlog #40 | 5.1.24 ๋࣭⭑

Happy April (pretend I'm not late on this devlog)!!

April flew by in the blink of an eye. It's been a really busy month for me personally--I'm not sure about you all!

This devlog is going to be structured differently from the past devlogs for two reasons: 1) my concussion is lowkey kicking my ass and 2) I had a release going on almost every week this month because I am a Crazy Person HA!!!!

This month was filled with some kind of release every weekend, which is equal parts exciting and exhausting. Because releases always take a lot out of me, I basically spent every day this month cycling between phases of post-release euphoria, post-release depression, pre-release excitement, recovery burnout, burnout guilt, and just about every emotion in between.

THEN!! I got into an accident about a week ago and have been throwing hands with the resulting concussion since. So it's basically been a crazy month in the Crescence world.

That being said, let's run through the month in chronological order, and every weekend release :crazy eyes & hysterical laughter:

Kayn's Beta Route Out Now!

Kayn's Beta Route has been Finished!

In Extremely Exciting news, Kayn's beta route was finished during the first weekend of this month! I had put off publicly announcing it because I didn't want to clash with the demo release. But it was released quietly to patrons and beta-testers. Feedback so far has been very kind, and if you'd like to get access to Kayn's beta route, you can play it with the Hydra ($10) tier on my Patreon ^^

I will publicly announce the route sometime later. But for now, for those who bother reading my devlogs, here is a treat!

Enhanced Demo Release

Bro we fucking did it

Second weekend of April, we released the ENHANCED DEMO OFFICIALLY!!!! It was so exciting (and nerve-wracking) to be able to finally get this out to the public. Reception has been so nice, and it's been rewarding to see people finally be able to play the enhanced demo and see what I've been working so very hard on these past couple of months. I'm really glad you all liked it and appreciated all the details that I've painstakingly polished <3

I mentioned it before but I was really nervous for the release---I had no idea how it would go. But as always, I could not be more appreciative of the support you all give to little old me. Thank you, and I hope you all like the taste of what is to come in the Alaris world!

If you haven't gotten a chance to play the demo yet, please check it out here!

ALSO..... if five people want to rate the demo and haven't rated it yet...... it would make me very happy....... we are so close to 300 ratings.....

Velox Formida

Yes, I did help make a game in 36 hours.

Adding to the madness, I got sucked into this game jam by beloved and crazy @shewassaying. You have to make a game in 36 hours. It was a crazy whirlwind of an experience, but with people I always love being with. We finished a beautiful fantasy game if anyone would like to check it out!

Are you tired yet? I sure am.

A Faerie's Tale

We aren't done yet gamers

Finally, to round out the marathon, I created the GUI for this beautiful little game that was submitted to Amare Fest (which you should check out, since a lot of other cool games were submitted!). I had the opportunity to work with some extremely talented devs (@steamberrystudio, @jeneara, @windchimesgames, @tuffmallowinteractive, and feniks of OL fame), some of which are like titans in the VN community to me ;_;

The game is an enchanting, short little story (and FREE!) about a Fae. Something I know many of us are suckers for nyeheh. Please feel free to check it out here

That's it... Kinda.

And that's about it for this month! As you can see..... it was very much a back-to-back month. Because of that, I'm trying to use right now as a break (everyone thank my concussion for forcing me to take a break, yippee!).

Some other things that I want to highlight this month:

We released an official trailer for Alaris. She's stunning, and if you haven't seen it yet...... well, what are you waiting for....

intertwine is part of a Palestinian Relief Bundle. For only $8, you can get access to over 300 cracked games and support an important cause. If you haven't donated yet, please consider doing so. We are close to almost half a million dollars raised! Bundle ends in 4 days, so please consider buying if you haven't already

Alaris is part of a small little collaboration/cross-promotion of other magical and mystery otome. If you like sexy games by cracked devs, please check them out at the bottom of my itchio page. Some of the other games include Obscura, Lost in Limbo, The Good People, Save the Villainess, Snow White Ashes, and more! I would link them here, but I'm starting to get a headache teehee.

Anyways, that rounds out this month and a bunch of exciting news! I know it can be overwhelming to look at. Per usual, I never expect anyone to play every single game I am involved with. But if any of them catch your eye, I encourage you to check them out since many of the people I work with are very talented and you never know what new devs/games you'll get introduced to as a result!

See you all next month! <3

[interact-if]

Hi, i was wondering if there were any if-games with Fae/Fey characters? I couldn't find any sadly.

Hey Anon, here are some interactive fiction that includes fae/faey characters! If you’re looking for elf/elves centric, we’ve made a recommended list here. If anyone has suggestions for any IF that fits this genre, please feel free to let us know!

Complete:

A Fairy Tale (VN) by @barbwritesstuff

A Midsummer Night's Choice, or Frolic in the Forest by Kreg Segall

A Squire's Tale by Benjamin Appleby-Dean

Changeling (VN) by @steamberrystudio

Changeling Charade by Ruth Vincent

Faerie's Bargain: The Price of Business by Trip Galey

The Changeling Exchange by Jonas Skye

UnNatural by Sam Kabell

UnNatural 2 by Sam Kabell

Demos:

Between Here and There by @hereandthere-if

Faerie Market by @faerie-market-if 

The Echtra by @theechtra 

The Good People (VN) by @moiraimyths

The Nameless by @parkerlyn 

The Odessa Dating Games by @theodessadatinggames 

Zorlok by @zorlok-if

[grumpy-nyks]

i felt quite nostalgic some time ago and i've planned to do it (in august actually...), but life hit me with everything, and... yeah.. but hey! it's here, finallyy!!!! it's my version of '#sixfanarts', but with my favourite ROs from games that mean the world to me. Big THANK YOU, to the devs who created these games!

Atlas - The Immortal Kingdom @vouxie-studio xyx - Blooming Panic @robobarbie Alkar - When The Night Comes @LunarisGames (twitter) June - Andromeda Six @WanderlustGames (twitter) Castiel - My Candy Love Caleb - Gilded Shadows @steamberrystudio

[herotome]

Is the demo going to be on Steam?

Herotome's not going to steam anytime soon! I have a fair number of dev friends who ARE on steam though, and I highly recommend their games :)

@the-passenger-if

@brightoakgame

@qkayoostudio

@steamberrystudio

@windchimesgames

PS Emberfate features art from my very talented good friend @remnantation who also does art for Herotome <3

(Some of these games aren't up just yet in large part bc steam makes the process a huge pain in the ass; make sure to wishlist them! It helps the devs A LOT and you'll be notified as soon as the game is available!!)

[justanaspiringsomeone]

More Gilded Shadows Headcanons

disclaimer: this is for fun and the characters belong to @steamberrystudio with that in mind, lets go:

Jack Headcanons

Is a chaotic bisexual

Look at this man and then tell me to my face he does not have bisexual energy

Ironically, never been with a man himself, he has crushes though

It was Caleb and Caissa, he will take those secrets to his grave though

Caleb never knew but I feel like Caissa was aware to some degree

To which i say, good taste Jack

Is def more muscular than the other LIs, almost always on the move no matter what

Lashes are longer than you’d think

The dog energy is strong with this one, more wild rather than fully trained

Fluctuates with nihilistic thoughts and wanting to live still

Emotional intimacy is far and in between for Jack, so he’s… not well skilled

Or rather, he keeps emotional intimacy at bay? I dont think it’s on purpose

At least not always

He thought of getting a tattoo, but somehow managed to convince Caleb into getting one

Or at least thinking about getting one

Has stupid amounts of luck, like there are so many situations he’s been in where he definitely shouldn’t be alive

Lowkey, people have a nickname for him, Lucky Jack or Jack Rabbit

He kind of hates it tho

His sense of fashion is quite literally the badboy your dad warns daughters about HAH

No sense of fashion to speak of when you’re busy surviving though

Likes loose fitting and breathy clothes though, or something that won’t snag or be grabbed on

Gets both flustered and confused when referred as ‘pretty’ or ‘beautiful’ like h u h

Does he look anything like that to yall–

Lowkey doesn’t get genuinely complimented a lot so it sends him for a loop sometimes

Can code switch like none other and it freaks some people out

Rowan Headcanons

Mmmm eldest sibling trauma go brrr /j

Good with his hands and fiddles around with things whenever he’s anxious or bored

Gay

Not a fan of being touched i think? Def not by strangers at least.

Likes his hair being played with, Velli only tho

Bitter about his parents so he chooses not to think about it

Annoying people is his way of showing love

He worries about Celeste a lot, the two are like siblings

Genuinely likes flowers and gardening, don’t tell anyone

A theater kid in disguise

When he first realized he had romantic feelings for Velli, he admittedly freaked out

To the point he purposely avoided Velli until Velli sought him out

They quickly hashed their feelings out

has a customer service voice he accidentally used in the Court and no one let him have peace for WEEKS

Velli Headcanons

Only child

Kind of an attention whore to some extent

Will actually let the world burn for his loved ones (Rowan)

Pansexual

Kind of reminds you of a panther

Likes silver, while Velli likes gold

Job doesn’t let him wear jewelry for obvious reasons

But keeps a ring in his room from Rowan that he absolutely treasures

Velli is shorter of the two but has carried Rowan before

finds Rowan's attempts to spoil him sweet ngl

Celeste Headcanons

She likes lizards, she just hits me as a lover of reptiles

Ties her hair back whenever particularly gruesome injuries are seen

Her and Rory are companions, def close

She can sleep anywhere and it’s nigh impressive

Rory frets over her i think

Feeling aro/ace to some degree

Or maybe she’s just tired constantly

Practical to the point it whirls back around to being a problem

Big trans girl energy

Has a knife on her at all times

And has used her biokensis to kill before

She doesn’t like using it for that and it's a clear indication from inexperience

But she will if needed

[foxydangerfluff]

I too really enjoy this particular trope, and if you are a person like me who enjoys romance visual novels... hooboy have I got some fun times.

My beloved friend over at @steamberrystudio has two delightful amare games of the GxB variety. 

First up is Changeling, a fae-based fantasy VN in a high school setting, featuring MC Nora Lewis who finds herself pulled into a supernatural world. This one has 6 love interests, several of whom get that delightful glowy-eye yum.

And then the most recent game, Gilded Shadows, which is a science fiction VN, featuring MC Morgan Leone, who has a pretty wide variety of what tf happens to her. The base game of 6 love interests is complete, with one of the 3 extra Kickstarter stretch goal/backer chosen love interests already complete and the second in progress. And yes, several of these LIs also feature that delightful glowy-eye goodness. (So does the MC. It’s great.)

So if you like some solid visuals and some absolutely delightful storytelling... highly recommend.

Bonus: Diverse casts! Major side characters (and even a couple love interests) that are canonically queer! MCs with personalities! Storylines and LIs that tackle things like building a relationship with someone who has anxiety or depression! 

Also there are some bad endings you can hunt down if you like the angst. Changeling has a lot more, and some pretty gritty ones. Gilded Shadows toned them down a bit and they’re left more open-ended.

i am not immune to the "character's eyes glow when they use their powers" trope

[rhyske]

the only horror game I've ever played was Alien Isolation and I got so scared I cried hahah. but yeah, I can watch some playthroughs on youtube because it feels like it's a bit more of a distance to it. sometimes even that is too scary for me and I just look up explained or theory videos haha. zombies, however, are something that I have little interest in, partly because of a phobia I struggled with for some years. a phobia of decaying things and zombies are kinda close to that! even playing Halo (which I love) has some zombie-ish elements and I just remember feeling really nauseous while playing those levels. 😅

yeah, Ikemen Sengoku was a mobile game, while monetization was egregious, I liked the concept with the story and the romance.

people should be able to enjoy what they want without shame IMO. My brother often makes fun of me for my hyper fixations so I've learned not to care what others think.

what are your top 5 otome games? ^^ 💜

Oh man I remember when Alien Isolation came out. I can't even imagine playing it. The stress alone would kill me! 😆 A lot of horror games have really interesting lore. Have you heard of Outlast? That was a wild one.

Oh no! D: That sucks you have a phobia like that, but it's also kinda a healthy one? At least you won't be exposing yourself to bad stuff, y'know? I used to have a lot of zombie dreams as a kid, and in almost every one I'd kill myself before the zombies could get to me. If I ever did face zombies in real life, I feel that phobia. I wouldn't want them anywhere near me.

I will never forget the utter terror and confusion the Flood had to little middle school me playing Halo for the first time.

Yeah mobile games are notorious for their absolutely terrible monetization practices, which does suck cause some have really good ideas.

I always get self aware of my hyper fixations. At the very least I try to not drown other people in it, since that has to get annoying for others. I'm glad you decided to not care 💕 Learning how to just let people be mean and not take it personally is such a life changer.

Oh gosh. Okay, uh. Code:Realize and Hakuoki I will always sing praises for. Hakuoki was my first ever otome, and was also the first officially localized Japanese otome to ever be brought to the west, so it has a very near and dear place in my heart. Code:Realize has the best MC I've ever seen in the genre. Her character development, the fact that she isn't some helpless girl and in fact saves herself and others is such a breath of fresh air. Her horologium is actually one of my tattoos! Code:Realize also has a great steampunk medieval London setting going too, and it actually was the first time I was introduced to steampunk!

Let's see... Aloners by @sonnet009games is a game I come back to at least every year. There's such a charm to it, and Trash is such a deep, fascinating character. The personality options are amazing, and Trash actually responds to those personalities. This is one of the few games where no choice except one very obvious one changes what ending you get, so there's no stress on choosing a "correct" option.

A more recent one that gripped my mind for weeks is Gilded Shadows by @steamberrystudio. New routes are still being released as free DLC, but my gods is the world building alone just absolutely fascinating. Like, I was that one meme of the guy in front of a wall trying to connect everything together 😆 Each route would add something to the lore and I'd be that other meme of the guy pointing. Each route too has such a distinct love interest, and the banter. The banter.

I have one more to finish the list. Hmmm... I dunno if I'll ever actually play this game again, but Cafe Enchanté is one I will absolutely never forget. It had such a sharp genre change that still to this day has me shaken. It makes you think it's all happy and light and it'll be like, a cute cafe slice of life with supernaturals involved but everything about that game is fucked up. Each love interest comes from a world that has something so intrinsically wrong with it, and piecing the overall mystery and history together blew my mind. Every new route I started had me anxious to see just how dark and messed up it was going to go, and I was never left disappointed. The final, unlockable route had me sobbing so hard that I had to put my Switch down for a little bit because I couldn't see past my tears.

This ended up being kinda more of a review of my top 5, like a "you should play these and this is why." Oops 😅

(adding on that Animal Lover is also really good and recently got a port for all consoles and is also one I highly enjoy)

[archangelkoriel]

Doodle I did of my fav boi Merle from @steamberrystudio‘s game Changeling a bit ago and decided after looking at it again that I was just gonna leave it in an unrendered state instead of working more on the paint-y ver.

I’d romance the fuck out of him if it was an option...magic and crows and puns in cafe form!? Where do I sign?

[teaandinanity]

William and Nora, because you can’t just give me PSYCHIC SNUGGLES and not expect me to fall ass over teakettle in love. Also because this boy needs just, so many hugs.

[worksomewonder]

Fanart of Lance from Gilded Shadows for @steamberrystudio

After finally drawing him how I picture him, I want to draw him again. I swear, I would love to tangle my fingers in his hair. ♥️

[crescencestudio]

Last Line Tag Game

Thank you for the tag Vi (@nextinline-if) hehe 🫶🏼 Here is the last line I wrote. Yes, this is from Alaris—yes, I am still writing for it during otome jam lmao 🤠

“Oh? So the two lovers have made up from last night?”

Guess the context uwu

For anyone who wants to play (but you don’t have to!): @steamberrystudio , @herotome , @velvetfoxgames , @nanapop , @rottenraccoons TEEHEE 💛

[interact-if]

This ask might be a little too broad so feel free to ignore if it is, but I was wondering if there are any IFs where the MC doesn't start off as a blank slate but is already a well-rounded character before the start of the story. By that I mean, they have a preset personality, or a set background, or a set goal, and your choices are more about moving the story forward than creating your own character. (English isn't my first language so idk if I expressed myself well, I'm sorry if I didn't)

Hi Anon,

There are quite a few games where the MC is preset. Regarding the background or some MC characteristics being pre-set, you should check our Database too!

Onto the list:

Completed:

Autumn Spirit (VN) by @synstoria

Ballads at Midnight (VN) by @synstoria

Changeling (VN) by @steamberrystudio

I, The Forgotten One by Bacondoneright

Kabaret (VN) by Persona Games

Known Unknowns by @brendanpatrickhennessy

New Year’s Eve, 2019 by @cyberpunklesbian

Pageant by @cyberpunklesbian

The Archivist and The Revolution by @cyberpunklesbian

The Salt Keep by @smallgraygames

Turncoat Chronicles by @zincalloygames

Demo:

Attollo by @attollogame

Exiled from the Court by @beeanca-writing

Hollowed Minds by @shai-manahan

Imperial Grace (VN) by @synstoria

Prodigy by @prodigy-if

P-Rix: Space Trucker by @manonamora-if

Reanimation Scheme (VN) by @windchimesgames

Red Sugar Society by @redsugarsociety

Scarlet Hollow (VN) by @blacktabbygames

Trouble Comes Twice (VN) by @foxglovegames

Whiskey-Four by Bacondoneright

No Demo:

Nectar Lake: The Prequel by @nectarlake-if

[rhyske]

Sounds like a wonderful plan! I hope it all goes smoothly and, most importantly, you have fun making them!

Thanks for responding! And I'm sorry I asked a question already answered - I tried being proactive and searching on Steam and your website for the answer.

I just discovered Gilded Shadows the other day and haven't been able to stop thinking about it or playing it in my spare time. I was just wondering, when are the last 3 routes planned to release? I was so excited to do Yuu's only to find out it isn't released yet! Of course no rush, take as long as you need, I'm just curious! This is a wonderful, very fun game and you should be so proud of yourselves!

Glad you're enjoying it! =D

You can find the answer to this question here:

The short version is that I don't have a specific date of release for these routes. They'll essentially be released when they're ready. I'm working on Quill's first and the writing is about half done!

Thank you!

[justanaspiringsomeone]

He haunts my mind

So I’m into a new game, Gilded Shadows by @steamberrystudio go check them out!

It’s actually pre fun! This guy caught my eye immediatelyyyy ehehehe