#indie devlog

[library-of-legion]

[aclypse]

Recently I stumbled upon an Indie Arena Pitch Party hosted by Indie Arena Booth, so I've submitted my Inkwell Institute deck there. Hope the game gets noticed! I'm showing only a few screenshots of the pitch deck as it is confidential, but I know I will iterate upon this deck in the future (as it usually happens) and who knows, maybe the pitch deck will make Inkwell Institute's release date closer 👽

[clarismakesgames]

Devlog: Aug. 8th, 2023

Hello, gamers! I have several updates since the last devlog, so let's get to it!

1. I attempted applying for Code Coven's Introduction To Game Making With Unity program - and didn't make it in.

This was kind-of crushing to find out, given that it would have been an amazing opportunity to do so. However, I will keep an eye out for future opportunities with Code Coven or similar organizations in the meantime.

2. I ended up dropping the other game course that I started auditing back in June.

This is because the course required me to have beforehand knowledge of a coding system that I had no knowledge of. And sadly, I didn't know that the course required me to have knowledge of such a system until after I signed up.

Things haven't been the smoothest for me on the game development side of things this summer. Meanwhile, developments on other aspects of my life (such as being an author and poet, freelance writing, etc.) have been picking up a bit more, so I've been devoting more focus on those in the meantime.

I hope to participate in a Game Jam sometime in the fall, just so I get some more practice with game writing in at least. In the meantime, I'll be focusing on other aspects of my work life and those developments! If you'd like to check out my author/poet work, check out this Carrd for more info!

Thanks in advance for your support!

You can check out my portfolio here to see samples I created from the Pixelles Game Writing Program (Jan. 2023- March 2023). Samples include cinematics, barks, character design, stage/quest design, and item description. You can also check out my Itch.Io page here to see games that I’ve written and published myself!

[truthscrapper]

Devlog #1 📚 The Very First Devlog

We announced Truth Scrapper with a beautiful trailer this month!!! The response has been absolutely incredible, thank you so much for following me on another funky memory adventure. Throughout the development of ISAT, I have written monthly devlogs on Steam, talking about the making of the game. People liked them a bunch, so…

That’s right. It’s time. For the Very First Truth Scrapper devlog!

In case you just stumbled upon this, I am Adrienne, also known as insertdisc5! I am the creator of timeloop RPG In Stars and Time, and now am working on my next game, memory visual novel Truth Scrapper. It’s gonna be a good one.

Alright! Development talk time. Where’s the game at?!?!

So, right now, I have just finished writing the script for Day 4, so I "only" have the art, code, and implementation to do for that day. Truth Scrapper is divided in 7 days, with three different routes you can go through from Day 6 onwards. So really, I need to write and code 11 days. Which puts me at almost ⅓ through development! WOAHRGH!?? At this point, I know where the story is going, I know what each route will consist of, etc. I just don’t know the Details. The portraits are all done, backgrounds are done sequentially for every day, gameplay is all figured out… TLDR: It’s In Good Shape!!!

“That was a good short paragraph, but can I have the detailed timeline of the game. Please.” ok fine you asked for it.

The Big Timeline (and some images!) under the cut

📚 this image was made so early in development, it didn't even have Betz's shibari-like pink harness

TRUTH SCRAPPER TIMELINE

DEC 2022: I finish ISAT around NOV 2022. I get an idea. I write it down. It was going to be an RPG but nobody got time for that. Main themes and ending are here. I work on pre-production very slowly over the next couple months (because I am recovering from finishing ISAT and still gotta keep working on post-production stuff for ISAT)

JULY 2023: Ok fine let's make a renpy file and figure out if the most important gameplay thing can be done. AKA: can I make a book menu where the game remembers the choices you make, and how complicated is that gonna be for me to add to it down the line. It works and I am happy

📚 this image was made so early in development, it just looks very bad

AUGUST 2023: Character design. They look Not Great and character design takes me like nine months. Plot is getting somewhere though!

NOV 2023: In Stars and Time comes out. People like it I think.

MARCH 2024: I decide I need to work on something, and decide to work on that and apply for the Ontario Creates grant. This game is actually starting for realsies!!!!!!!

MAY 2024: I actually lock down character designs.

JUNE 2024: I hire Dora, who was the producer of In Stars and Time and who rules.

📚 dora and i signing our lives to one another on discord. the bond between a creator and their producer can never be broken

SEPT 2024: I work on da gaem

MAY 2025: Day 3 is implemented. We announce the game. Now we’re here!!!!

Alright, that’s it for today! This first devlog is more about telling you where the game is at, and every month you will have a whole new devlog where I can tell you about all the great things I did that month for the game. You can even comment with questions and I might answer them one day. Ok. Thank you. And as always, DON'T FORGET TO WISHLIST THE GAME ALSO IT REALLY HELPS BECAUSE STEAM’S ALGORITHM IS MORE LIKELY TO SHOW OFF GAMES WITH A HIGH AMOUNT OF WISHLISTS THATS THE REASON WHY GAME DEVS ALWAYS ASK TO WISHLIST!!! OKAY BYE!!!!

Links! 📚 Official Website 📚 Join the Discord 📚 Sign up for my mailing list 📚 Follow Truth Scrapper on Bluesky 📚 Follow ME on Bluesky

[auranym]

I've been working on a godot plugin for controlling how pixel art behaves with lighting, and I'm almost done with a really basic version! (more info under the cut)

this plugin is based on some techniques I have been developing over the years, featured most prominently in silt spawn.

it's a huge step forward though, since it requires no setup whatsoever, and it works with any normal light sources in the engine. the way it works is by generating an encoded sprite and a bespoke shader that can really quickly pick the exact color to show for each pixel based on how well-lit it is. as this gif shows, the plugin works with existing light sources and sprites, so you can really use these pixel-picky sprites as much or as little as you need!

now that the main feature is done, all I need to do is finish the UI in the editor, and then I'll feel comfortable releasing a bare-bones version of this plugin. I'm really proud of how it's coming along, and this quick little gif is just the beginning! :D

[2-eeillustration]

Just launched a devlog for new robot repair & dating VN project I'm running with some amazingly talented moots on our days off called #If-Else on Bluesky today! A prequel to Return_0 - in 2048, machines all over the city are thrust into self-awareness, you play as a mobile repair technician finding and repairing errant robots for the same company complicit in starting the singularity. https://bsky.app/profile/if-else-dev.bsky.social

[endys]

Lost soul, wandering through mist and snow...

Do you feel the touch of iron cold?

The Last Winter Knight is an atmospheric Gothic visual novel I'm currently developing, where you play as a ghostly knight haunting a suit of armour!

You wake up as a ghost, with no memory of who you were or how you died. The only clue to your past is the empty suit of armour you now possess.

As you explore an abandoned castle and piece together your memories, you’ll uncover your tale: A tale of broken promises, regret, and bonds that last beyond death.

But your story doesn’t have to die with you.

How will you write its ending?

Wishlist on Steam

Join my newsletter for updates

[toadtaverngame]

If you like games like Coffee Talk and Va11halla...

you should check out, Toad Tavern 🐸

Toad Tavern is a 1920s bartending sim where you mix drinks, master recipes, and learn about your froggy clientele.

Toad Tavern is currently being developed by a team of 14 people located in Puerto Rico. If you want to see more of the game, follow our development here and on all our other channels.

[this-too-shall-bleed]

still Losing my mind over Harlan playing my game on his birthday spooky stream yesterday not once but TWICE….so here’s a compilation of some behind the scenes and concept art I had for my Malevolent inspired game, D.S al Fine for those that were interested:

yapping alert because this project is my child

First, for the audio enjoyers, I found some old unedited versions of my improv sessions on the piano! with these I cut into and created the ambience for the game as well as the ending track.

some Faroe sadness that didn't make it in fully (also the beginning sounds incredibly like Kayne's motif from wager is that just me???):

this was my first concept art I think! I was insanely hyper when I got the idea to conceptualize a malevolent game, it was like 3am, and I knew at its basis I wanted it to explore what happens right before the show originally starts because I was still a relatively new fan at the time and the ambiguity was incredibly interesting to me

originally I had the plan to make an animation of that, the fingers going into the eye sockets, but unfortunately to execute it im not skilled of an animator yet for the time I had…

early (June 2024) version of the office

yes the office took basically my entire 2024 summer break from college (may-august) because I simply could not stop adding details

along with the king in yellow I actually modeled the piano myself too :) hell of a learning curve

the way I felt my spirit ascend to another plane when I realized Lester pianos exist by the way

a glimpse into my insane note taking/concept method

of course I've been an artist first my whole life so I'm very visuals/atmosphere first, mechanics and motives later kind of game designer

ominous wip of arthur's piano room

kiy concept art. when in doubt take a screenshot of your game and draw over it if you need to 3D model for the first time!

this was concept art too

last but not least:

and other drabbles (I reaaally didnt want to model a lamp alright)

[brokenmemorycard]

Did some more work on the lighting and fixed the sliding on the walk/run transition! Here's a little turnaround of the main character! Their name is Maris

Working title is The Tower

[yuckieducky]

doodlin the main cast together from the game i'm working on...

[library-of-legion]

Project 1837 – A Dark Fantasy CRPG

Hi, I’m working on Project 1837, a personal game project inspired by CRPGs like Baldur’s Gate 3, Divinity: Original Sin, and the minimalist yet captivating aesthetic of Hyper Light Drifter. The game is a historically reimagined dark fantasy set in an alternate version of 1837, where survival, morality, and the choices you make shape the story.

The World

The game takes place in a multiverse inspired by the real-world events and struggles of the 1830s, with a fantasy twist. The Blight, an otherworldly plague, isn’t just a sickness—it challenges the afflicted to face moral dilemmas, forcing them to decide how far they’re willing to go to survive.

Throughout the journey, players will encounter factions reimagined with magical influences. From the manipulative yet healing Church to the protective Arawak people, each group brings unique perspectives to the story.

Dynamic Class System

Classes in Project 1837 are flexible and reflect the decisions you make. A Paladin who compromises their ideals may lose their connection to magic, having to become a Fighter instead.

There’s also gear freedom—you’re not locked into certain items based on class. However, choices come with tradeoffs. For instance, equipping heavy armor as a Mage might result in penalties like slower movement or casting times.

Magic and the Veil

Magic in this world connects to the Veil, a mystical force between the ordinary and extraordinary. Pushing your abilities too far can trigger the ���Child of the Wyld” status, making spells unpredictable.

This adds a layer of risk and reward—sometimes luck will be on your side, but other times, your spell might backfire in unexpected ways.

Bonfire Camping System

There’s no central hub in this game. Instead, you set up camp wherever it’s safe, and it becomes your base for resting, repairing, and planning.

These moments aren’t just about mechanics—they’re opportunities for your party to interact. Conversations during downtime might reveal their hopes, fears, or just offer some humor to lighten the mood.

Survival, Not Power Fantasy

In Project 1837, you’re not a chosen hero. You’re a survivor trying to make it through a fractured world.

Failure Isn’t the End: Mistakes or bad luck don’t stop your journey; they create new paths and challenges.

Dynamic Endings: The world evolves independently of your actions. Missions you ignore or fail are resolved without you, often with surprising outcomes.

Let’s Talk

This project is still in development, and I’d love to hear your thoughts:

Does the system works for you?

Are you interested on a CRPG game that focuses in aesthetics and fashions of an era as much as the story?

Feel free to share your feedback or ask questions—I’d really appreciate it!

[brainhanging]

I made a short visual novel in 7 days for Scream Jam 2024 on itch.io! It's my first jam and first game!

I'm so honored the game got 8th in best stories and was selected as one of the gHosts' choices!

Night Drive is around 10-15 mins long with multiple hand-drawn CGs and has 4 possible endings, currently. (There will be another chapter updated to the game in the future. I had the draft written but couldn't make it to the jam.)

Play the game on Itch.io!

Happy Halloween everyone! ヾ(*ΦωΦ)ツ

[skywritestudios]

Hey guys it's Joy! I'm alive, I've been pretty silent on my socials and skipped last month's devlog because I did nothing in April outside of managing teams and communicating in servers. Thanks to my good ol' friend burnout. 

General Recap Luckily, May was night and day comparatively. I had an exceptionally productive month.

I shipped out more merch, and generally just kept up with development. I was able to get over my burnout in the first week of May and find a pretty decent work life balance again. My job is thankfully very stress free and easy, as well as part time, so I have plenty of time off to work on dev stuff. Just as long as I schedule it out properly.

Nothing especially noteworthy happened outside of specific dev cycles, so let's just get into that. 

Criminally Yours

Let's start with Criminally Yours this time! Specifically the development of "Criminally Yours Part 2" aka "Criminally Mine" set to release August 1st 2025.

Criminally Yours Part 2 is nearly complete totalling at 53k words at the time of writing this, I have 3 ½ scenes left, I'm halfway through scene 15/18 and I estimate the final word count to be anywhere from 60-65k. Totalling for 6/6.5 hours of gameplay. 

It's quite large. I originally only anticipated for it to be 40k at most, to be double the length of Part 1 which is 23k for reference. 

It'll probably be 3 times the original length almost, but hey, what can you do? Friends of mine have joked that it's basically Part 2 and 3 at that length, and I can't disagree with that. With an extra love interest alone I knew it was going to be sizeable, but not like this.

However, I am extremely proud of it so far. I honestly expected it to be better than Part 1 just from the outline, but it has only gotten better and better as time has gone on and I think it's going to make a lot of fans happy. 

Our VA's have started recording their lines, our artists have plenty of sketched CG's and finalizing of sprites left, programming is in the works, and everything is moving very smoothly! (Not to jinx anything) 

I have our wonderful community of "Criminals" (Criminally Yours fanbase) for that! It's been so motivating for me to share my progress, and hear theories, and receiving messages telling me how much they loved the first part and how much more excited they are for the 2nd!

I just want to say, y'all are not even a little ready for what's in store, it truly is the emotional rollercoaster I planned for it to be and more. Buckle up, we've got 2 more months. (I'm sure they will fly by). When I've finished drafting I'll be posting an announcement on the "Criminally Yours" Tumblr which you can follow here.

Speaking of Tumblr! I'd like to plug the Skywrite Studios tumblr page, there is not a tumblr for Meant to Bee Studios. To be honest, Skywrite is my replacement for Meant to Bee, but since M2B has a large following, it'll be awhile before I can stick to only Skywrite.

Anyway follow Skywrite Studios Tumblr here. 

Fanart for Criminally Yours opening scene by iveu    

The Prince's Keeper

Okay, I know it's been like 3 months of TPK is coming, it's coming guys I swear. But it really is. It's literally a finished game, the only thing missing is 2 finished CG's. We've had some setbacks in regards to our CG artist this time around. Luckily, we have remedied this and will have a release as soon as those CG's are finalized. I hope you still look forward to playing once it's out. Its something truly special and deserves attention. Unfortunately it fell into a bit of a dev hell. 

CG concept for The Prince's Keeper- art by anonymous

My Sweet Fairy!

So unlike TPK. We've had a lot of luck with our artists and have made substantial progress, however, remember that burn out I'd mentioned earlier, well I was responsible for the last half of the script and completely dropped the ball. I had legit no motivation to work on the project or really anything at all. Even still, May I could have worked on it in time to get it done for Blossom Jam, however I have been hyper focused and stressed about Rectifier: In Bloom and Criminally Yours releases as they are commercial projects. Not free jam ones. 

So I made a tough decision, we decided to roll development over to next year and to release for Blossom Jam 2026. It hurts me a little to have to, but it was just not the right time, and I don't want to spread myself too thin as it can harm the quality of all projects involved and harm myself which is something I've learned not to do if I can help it. 

Next year will be here before we know it, and this way no team member who volunteered will be forced to crunch.

As my cofounder and best friend, Grey said. I'm not getting rid of the balls being juggled, just setting them to the side for when I can juggle them. (We love our silly analogies) but they're right. I'll happily pick up where we left off with fresh eyes and renewed spirit and produce the best project we can.

I hope you'll look forward to MSF! When it does eventually release, it's a super sweet romantic comedy with so much style and love put into it.

CG concept for My Sweet Fairy! Art by Zac/Jamkats

Starfallen: Strength

Strength's development like My Sweet Fairy! Is going very well, we have all sprites finished and finalized, and our OST. However, for the same reasons as before I had to roll this project over to next year as well, for next years Otome Jam.

I was very excited to release at least chapter 1/7 for the jam, but I think it's for the best to hold off so I can properly commission my artist for the project. I also would love to do an additional chapter for next year's release so 2/7. 

Image: Verona from Starfallen: Strength- art by Pinachos 

Rectifier: In Bloom Update

And last, but certainly not least, especially in my heart. We have the Rectifier: In Bloom update, as some of you may recall. Rectifier: In Bloom was my project for Otome Jam 2024, and what a time it was. Despite everything, I am still very proud of what I accomplished with a team of 4. 

However, it's clear from the current build (which you can find in the March devlog btw- only for Windows users though), what's clear from that build is that it's fundamentally flawed. Not only was the game made in RPG Maker MV meaning it lacks all the standard quality of life features and functionalities of a standard Renpy VN. It also was programmed by me, and lol it's not great. The routes are pretty good, however we had very little time for playtesting, and by little time I mean practically none. Art is stunning, though I wished I could've had more, soundtrack is very hodgepodge, some being original tracks with others being royalty free.

And don't get me started on the GUI or lack thereof and the abhorrent game page for Itch.

The whole thing felt like it was being held together by tape and child's glue. 

This time around, I wanted to polish the entire experience and add what was missing before.

So this time, we have a brand new game, completely reprogrammed into Renpy with all the QOL features that come with it, as well as a few more. A stunning GUI, more CG art, a fully edited script, as well as brand new extra scenes for each of the 7 routes! Extra tracks, and so much more! 

We are set to release the update here on itch June 30th 2025 in time for Otome Jam 2025. 

I want to say that despite all the flaws the original build came with, so many players were so supportive and saw something to love in the project despite its hang ups. This time around, I hope there is less focus on what holds the game back, and instead focus on all the little things that came together to make it so wonderful.

I've said it before, but Rectifier is my favorite project I've ever done. It has my whole heart and has so much content more to come, In Bloom was a way to sell people on the greater universe while still getting a complete experience. I think we accomplished that last year, but I want to cement it for those who liked it, and bring on new fans. 

Next year, I want to work on the main game, and In Bloom's success will help fund it.

The game will be commercial with 1 free route for the demo- Greer's, and 6 that will have to be paid for. The price will be $5.99 USD. However, you can donate $5 now to my Kofi now as a way to "preorder" the game. You'll get a key as soon as the game releases if you donate.

Thanks to all those that have donated so generously and bought one of our stunning keychains! (Mainly the Percy ones, but HEY lol) I am eternally grateful, I advise that even if you played the game last year you consider doing so again when it releases, I promise it'll be worth your time.

CG concept for Rectifier: In Bloom Greer's Route art by Gisselle

Thank you so much for reading and, even more so, for following and supporting my work! If you want to keep up with what we do, following Skywrite Studios on Itch.io) , Bluesky, and even me on Twitch are the best ways to do so!

We've got a lot more exciting things happening coming in the next 3 months, so please stay tuned! This time next month, Rectifier: In Bloom we available to purchase and play!

[arsene-inc]

The Park Manager

The Park Manager, or PM, is the gm equivalent of this game. Fairly classic. And then I got into the layout and thought " Hey this spread is nice, I will use it for the start of the park manager section". Except it only had the top half. And I thought it was kinda empty. But I had nothing to put there. I did not want to start with the gm rules already. And I remember my little in-game introduction. And wrote, automatic, no thoughts, head full of words. This is the result. And it changed the Park Manager forever.

[qkayoostudio]

OUT NOW! A Tavern at Night: Firelight

Past, present, or future. What fate will the cards uncover?

After striking up conversation with a wandering terrifying mercenary in a remote tavern, he's agreed to travel together for a while before you go your separate ways. 

That separation is approaching soon.  To commemorate your final night together you suggest reading him his fortune; might be useful for the road ahead, right?

Except neither of you are particularly looking forward to saying goodbye..

PLAY IT HERE!

features:

♡ a cosy campfire

♡ chooseable pronouns

♡ a variety of fantasy-tarot readings

♡ multiple endings