#tbota update

[thebarontheabyss]

Hows the update going? Eagerly waiting to romance all my faves again

It’s going relatively well, thank you for asking ❤️

I've had a few things affecting the process during the past month, mainly the fact that I realized I'm at a point where I need to strategize all the plot points for the rest of the game.

At the start of this project last year, I had a strong beginning and ending in mind, along with a few other plot points planned, while the rest was mostly based on vibes lol.

However, as I progressed past the beginning, things became increasingly… muddled. I had to take a hard stop and write down the whole plot. Beginning to ending. And it was… very enlightening 👀

So went back to the actual update only this week, but now I know exactly what I want to do.

And the point is that a Feb release is becoming more likely every day 🥳

[thebarontheabyss]

OMG, she is so PRETTY! What can I say? Death truly becomes her! 💁‍♀️

This is also a great opportunity to mention that, thanks to this WONDERFUL artist's feedback, I've added the option to choose the visibility for your new death scars in the upcoming update. :D

Sense I'm not getting anywhere with my other drawings lately here's a fast drawing of my MC Molly from @thebarontheabyss's game, becasue I have been wanting to give her better art and maybe this means I can finally get some work on my bigger drawings again.

[thebarontheabyss]

A taste of what's to come; An echo in eternity's hum, For your bar, at the edge of space and time. Will you weave a haven, a spectral sum, Or in the Abyss's embrace, become undone?

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I spent the last week documenting all my plans for the game: character arcs, choices, plot points, and all lore and history. It had to be done at this point lol.

During this process, I realized that the number of chapters I initially planned needed to be expanded.

So, I'm happy to announce that the final game will now include a total of 12 chapters, including both a Prologue and an Epilogue. :D

And just for fun, I also updated the planned chapters' art.

That's it for now. See you soon at the Abyss!

[thebarontheabyss]

Patrons of TBOTA, the update is OUT NOW!

READ HERE

Journey to the realm of Hell, the eternal damnation!

Choose how Hell manifests before you: Neon-drenched metropolis, Victorian industrial, the classic brimstone and fire, or even the suburbs.

Learn more about Yaga—her regrets and her rage.

Do some shopping in the Bazaar of Dis—buy a Roomba for He Without Name or an upgrade for the bar!

Go to dinner with Lilith\ Damian in their home. But be careful; the dessert might ruin the meal.

Please remember: Your feedback on the update will help me so much! So feel free to send your thoughts via ask or leave a comment on the COG forums. Everything is valid, from your love to your critique. I can handle both! :)

And with a personal final note: OMG, Chapter 4 is done. This was truly a hellish update to write, but I'm so happy with how it turned out in the end (it took only two rewrites!)

I hope you enjoy it, and I'll keep you posted for the next update, which will be a BIG ONE.

[thebarontheabyss]

The Abyss Beckons Once More.

The Bar on the Abyss 2.0 Update is Here!

Start your afterlife anew with new mechanics, expanded content, and deeper choices that will shape your MC's journey in the Abyss and beyond.

READ HERE

What’s New in 2.0?

50K+ Words of New Content!

Choose Your Grief Path: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, or Acceptance—select the emotional journey that fits your MC and explore how it shapes their afterlife.

36 Career Backgrounds: Deepen your backstory with various career paths that unlock additional choices and provide unique perspectives on events unfolding around you.

A New And Improved Skill System!

Your Spirit Gift: Choose from six mythical artifacts that enhance your abilities and open new ways to approach challenges.

Detailed Death Choices: Define the circumstances of your character’s death—was it a tragic accident, a deliberate act, or something darker?

Bug Fixes and Improvements: Enjoy a smoother reading experience with numerous bug fixes, text-flow improvements, and better formatting.

How You Can Help

Thank you for reading The Bar on the Abyss, I’d love your thoughts on the new update!

Your feedback is more important than ever— suggestions for more choices, ideas for how your character should react, and thoughts on the latest content; I’m all ears and eyes, like some biblically accurate angel!

Based on your feedback, this update will continue to evolve, with a few “patches” while I work on the next chapter.

So don’t be shy—I want to hear both the good and the bad!

I’m so proud to have brought this update to life. This year has been so hard, but writing this game and connecting with all of you has been truly the best experience.

Thank you for reading The Bar on the Abyss and sharing this eternal journey with me. I wouldn’t change a thing.

See you in the Abyss!

[thebarontheabyss]

Hiii! I wanted to give you a heads up about Dashingdon servers shutting down within the end of the month 😢

https://www.tumblr.com/hpowellsmith/772827898642071552/please-share-im-going-through-a-ton-of-wip?source=share

Hello patrons, and HUGE THANKS to all who reached out to me to update me on this situation. ♥

Dashingdon will shut down at the end of January, and I have already moved the game to cogdemos.ink.

You can now play the game here.

If you start a playthrough, please let me know if the game has been moved correctly and if there's any issues! Thank you 🙏

I'm updating all links but will keep the old Dashingdon available for anyone who's mid-playthrough at the moment.

If you're a game creator, make sure to do the same! You can download your current live version of your game directly from Dashingdon (each file manually though lol)

The next update will, of course, be uploaded on the new server.

Sad to see the end of good old Dash, but as you all know by now, death is only the beginning ♥

[thebarontheabyss]

Hello, patrons! So, following the death of 'Ol DashingDon (may it rest in peace), I've officially uploaded the current version of The Bar on the Abyss to itch.io! 

Play TBOTA on Itch.io

The game is also available on CoGDemos and I'll update them both when the new update is done.

You're welcome to follow the game there or on the CoG forum. :D 

[thebarontheabyss]

Hey patrons! 💗

So, what did you all think of the short stories collection?

Did any of them stand out to you? What worked or didn’t? Is there else anything you’d love to see more of in the future :D

Also, exciting news: I've begun working on Chapter 5—we’re moving forward!

After the new chapter's update, I'll dedicate the following to overhauling some of the game's romance aspects, sort of a 3.0 update.

Thanks for reading. As always, your feedback means the world to me—please let me know what you think!

Catch you all soon in the Abyss!

[thebarontheabyss]

The Prologue is about to get tripled in size 👀

In addition to the 11 options for your cause of death, I'm adding 5 unique variants for each - corresponding to all new paths of grief, so you can *REALLY* customize your death, lol.

(For example, this is the Disease + Anger path)

I can't wait for you to read everything, but I want to fully implement the paths before I release it.

So prepare for a big-ass update, hopefully by the end of July.

BTW, if you want me to add any causes of death to the game, feel free to send your thoughts—I'm already editing everything, so now's the time!

Well, going back to the kitchen.

[thebarontheabyss]

Tomorrow, your afterlife starts anew.

Hello Patrons!

After two all-nighters, I can finally and officially announce that The Bar on the Abyss 2.0 update will be released tomorrow, Friday 16th :D

I will post the full list of features and changes with the update, but here's a small preview: I added 3 more solutions to the confrontation with Pyriphlegethon!

Your new Spirit Gift will now enable you to avoid a fight altogether: charm them, use your insight to uncover the true reason for their attack, or apply logical thinking to break their resolve.

See you tomorrow :D

[thebarontheabyss]

Ahhhhhhh just made it out of the trenches 😮‍💨

I’m finally done completely revamping an entire segment from the ground up (the initial conversation with Death and The Raven)

I also had to move things from other parts of the game. Now you choose your name when signing the new contract, along with a new option for surnames.

OH and don’t get me starting on writing an actual contract for your MC to sign!!!

Anyway now I can finally write the new romance scenes, it’s like a small reward 😭

[thebarontheabyss]

Patrons of TBOTA, the update is now officially live!!!

A new night shift has begun at your bar—one that will change everything.

Meet Cassy - A young demigod has taken refuge in your bar, bringing big revelations. Drink milkshakes with her and uncover secrets!

Peisinoe is in a bind, and the stage calls for an unexpected hero—will it be you? Perform live on stage (or simply ask the Raven to read poetry) and save the day!

Helped a certain celestial couple solve their marital quarrel? Meet them at the bar and discover more about them!

Navigate through a night of challenges: impress a nightlife journalist, diffuse a potential brawl, and maybe play Cupid for Shelly.

Start your romance paths with Hastur and Peisinoe.

And FINALLY: Face the Raven, get your answers - but beware, you might not like what he has to say.

UGH, I'm beyond thrilled to release this update and can't wait to hear what you think!

Remember: Your feedback on the update is invaluable to me. Send it via ask or leave a comment on the COG forums. Everything is valid, from your love to your critique. I can handle both! :)

(LINK TO WIP)

HAVE FUN IN THE ABYSS!

[thebarontheabyss]

heyy! so whats like. the biggest thing coming in this update? like, an you give us a crashcourse on what were getting??

Of course I can! :D

So, while the 2.0 update introduced new mechanics, this update focuses on narrative expansions and complete rewrites of some aspects.

This also means it is harder to summarise as neat bullet points, but I'll try my best hehe.

Oh, and beware of spoilers if you haven't read all the available chapters of TBOTA! >

The Bar on the Abyss 2.5 UPDATE:

Overhauling the Loneliness, the Curse, and Your MC’s Motives

I’m completely rewriting all aspects of how the curse, the entity, and your MC’s motives tie into the narrative.

Here are the big changes: your MC is no longer “trapped” in the bar by the entity but by an employment contract. Why would you sign up for that? For the pension plan—a wish granted by the gods. It’s a much better hook IMO, gives your MC more agency, and meshes amazingly with the grief paths for roleplaying.

Of course, the Curse and the Loneliness are still a big part of the story, but they’ll be introduced differently. For example, I’m removing scenes where the entity forces your MC to agree to things (like during staff interviews). Instead, your MC will have actual motives and agency behind their decisions.

Romance Overhaul

I’m reworking the romances to feel more natural and engaging.

You’ll have earlier opportunities to flirt with Peisinoe and Hastur.

The romance paths for Death, Lilith/Damian, and Morgan/a will be better paced across the demo.

Now, a lot of this is WIP, and I'm still wondering how much I want to change, so Please let me know if you have requests or ideas for changes you’d like to see!

Other Additions

In Chapter 4, you could glimpse into some of the cast’s dreams. I'm adding the option to ask them about it, but don’t expect everyone to open up about it.

I’m adding “death scars” cosmetic options to the character creation by popular demand. For example, if your MC drowned, their skin might have a bluish hue.

The new options will integrate with existing mechanics. For example, a lawyer-background MC can now grill Death and the Raven about the contract’s clauses (aka Karen simulator)

As you can see, it’s a lot of work, which is why this update is taking longer than I anticipated.

Progress is going well, but I can’t give a finish date just yet. I thought it’d be ready this week, but, well, I tend to underestimate how much I want to tweak and add—especially when I go back to earlier chapters lmao.

So, for now… it’s TBD. :D

[thebarontheabyss]

What would your MC wish for if they could?

In the upcoming 2.5 update, I'm introducing a contract that you will be able to read and sign before accepting ownership of the bar in Chapter 1 (this is a job offer after all, right?).

This contract includes… fascinating new details and, most notably, your pension plan—a wish granted by the Council of Nine.

Would you wish for resurrection? Meaning? Revenge?

And, most importantly, would you even exist long enough to make that wish? 👀

[thebarontheabyss]

Aghhhh I've just completed the Prologue!

I expanded the initial 11 causes of death options into 5 branches each (using the new paths of grief system) resulting in approximately 50 variants for the beginning of the game alone. 😵‍💫

In addition, almost every cause can be chosen as a murder, a suicide or by the hands of fate.

Now I'm starting to review the rest of the game, adding options for causes of death, paths of grief, and new backgrounds for your MC. There’s work to be done, but i’m very optimistic about a release by the beginning of August!

See you soon ❤️

[thebarontheabyss]

Just in time for the spooky season, the new update is here!

By popular demand, you can now browse the Library of Pseudonium and discover 10 new entries—tales from across the realms of TBOTA, each with its genre, format, and mood.

READ HERE

But be warned… the cosmos is dark and filled with terrors, and so are some of these tales... 👀

You can try uncovering these hidden tomes in Memoriam (Chapter 4), but if you're not up for a fresh playthrough, don't worry :D

I've added a new section in the stats menu called "The Archive" that will contain all songs, books, and notes from the game.

For now, all 10 entries are unlocked and available, even from a new save.

I can't wait to hear what you think about this new collection—writing these short stories has been an absolute joy, and I’m excited to read your reactions.

Happy autumn, and see you soon in the Abyss!