#savethevillainess

[bestlaidplansproductions]

What would you do if you woke up as a romance novel villainess... and realized that someone wants you dead?

Find out in Save the Villainess, our upcoming otome isekai roleplaying game - now available to wishlist on Steam!

🦋Join Save the Villainess' Kickstarter Pre-Launch.

🦋Wishlist Save the Villainess on Steam.

🦋Follow Save the Villainess on Itch.

🦋Sign up to the Mailing List for exclusive character cards every month.

Remember to be careful about who you trust, who you love, and who can help you… Save the Villainess.

Credits: Trailer edited by Sokei; Butterfly Dreams Theme Song Composition and Lyrics by JunbugP; Theme Song Vocals by Saki Rose; Characters by Somate Studio; Item Art by @arodude; Backgrounds by @arodude, Somate Studio, Fuura_Xen, Karel Kok, Son Huynh, Maciej Ptasinski

[chococococya]

Fanart of upcoming game Save the Villainess @bestlaidplansproductions

Based on the JC Leyendecker art

[will-o-wips]

Save the Villainess Thoughts by Willow Masterpost Part 1: Jane

So I've decided to be insane. Make a small (lies, it is long, that is why it is divided up into parts) post about the Halloween videos and the lore that they have given us. As well as maybe compile theories/thoughts about these characters. Idk if there is a community for this even, or if anybody's actually obsessed like I am, but I'm having fun thinking about it either way, so... I guess this is for like the 0.0000000000001% of the people (me and only me). Enjoy lmao.

You have been warned: the actual insanity starts under the cut lmao.

So I will start with... Jane. Mostly because her Halloween special video is not as lore-bomb-dropping as the rest. The video itself is mostly about certain aspects of the gameplay so far. It's a neat little thing! Honestly, these are more thoughts/rambles than actual, well, coherent notes, but from what I've noticed (from being insane and watching every single social media post on Tumblr Best Laid Plans Productions ever made about all of them, more or less, even though my memory is spotty and I didn't have time to rewatch them before making this), is that Jane is just unknowingly integrated in this world. I don't notice her having any thoughts about before she was transported into the romance novel she read; it's not like she's thinking about her family home, or that she has any plans of going back. She just knows she doesn't belong in this world as the villainess, which is super interesting to me. She's just... accepted her fate and that she must survive. She's BECOME the villainess, rather than just feeling like an imposter in another person's body. She only knows she's innocent, which is why she's fighting so hard to be freed from such a fate. Another thing that supports this is the fact Jane always says such weird phrases that I'm like 99% sure aren't actual English idioms, but rather phrases that this alternate romance novel universe uses. Such as "By the blood" in the Halloween special specifically, because, what does this mean Jane???? What are you referring to here!!! (Side note: Edmund also uses these odd phrases a lot, so I suppose it's something the nobility of Carcosa are familiar with; some kind of "noble language" to distinguish those of nobility from commoners or whatever. Some kind of pretentious thing that just happens because society is cruel lmao. Either that OR this is just the way Carcosians speak in general and Jane just kinda always knew this ever.)

Another thing, besides just the obvious announcements of how this guideline/tutorial thing works in the gameplay, is the fact that Jane explicitly states that daytime and nighttime are important. Most people would sign this off to, well, gameplay experience. That during the night you can talk to people more intimately and have like rendezvous or whatever with your favourite characters, while at daytime you're solving mysteries mostly. See the thing with that is, is that Servant also somewhat says very similar things in previous instances of videos. And we all know that Servant is like... that one person that gives everyone the creeps, the intrigue and also the insanity. They are, as of now, the most explicit in the fact they are somewhat of a mastermind behind this all. They know what is happening with the lore. They know, but they don't like explicitly telling us what is happening, so... yeah thanks ig Servant? In each case, Jane here is not joking when she says that nighttime and daytime are important; they're probably very much so magically (maybe?) linked to how this story is supposed to progress. Aka gameplay actually impacts lore, and lore impacts gameplay. As to what it is referring to... well, I have my theories about it. But what I'm most confident in is that it is related to some kind of magic about the story. It is relevant to the narrative; relevant to things both Ben and Servant know about this world. And I say Ben because he's also so sus in such a world-altering way but I'll talk about him later... yeah, later lmao.

Now, my notes that I took while watching the videos here are very vague (thank you for that Willow, you are so insane about this you cannot even write in proper English), but there's something about the jewelry and accessories of these characters. Most noticeably, the way they glow. Like Rhythmically Glowing and Shaking. In Jane's case, it's her earrings [her brooch is less important but it still has symbolism on it probably, with how it has a bee etched onto it. Maybe this is her family's like symbol? Like how Renaissance Pope families had different kinds of symbols etched into buildings they funded into existence and all. Who knows]. Maybe this is some kind of glint effect or whatever; but then why is it animated like THAT??? Idk if I'm onto something or not here, I have high suspicions that I am, but maybe I'm also just looking into it too deeply... but there's something wrong with this jewelry. There's something wrong with the way that Servant's Brooch also glows, whenever Edmunds (tie clips? cufflinks for your neck??? what are they I'm not good with fashion, though the game has such good fashion design guys okay) accessories start glowing and shaking, when Izel has his little gem earring (I love that design omg, also + the brooch he has on his tie but like it doesn't shake) shakes and glows as well and how Ben's POCKET WATCH CHAIN (+ the little uhh buttons on his coat but they don't shake the way the other things do) IS GLOWING OKAY (and yes I'm insane enough to pause these videos just to see whether it is true). Something is going on. It's happening (slightly) even during daytime, and I checked this, so there's something fishy with this. There has to be. I'm so convinced there is jfkldsjfks. A possible explanation for this is that because these characters are all main actors in the story, some kind of magic is there to maybe,,, force them to play their part? Maybe they cannot be exempted from the main storyline because of this? Maybe everybody is just here because they have no other choice? Honestly idk. More thoughts on this in the other parts because dude I'm gonna lose my mind if I try to put everything in here. AND MAYBE IT'S JUST AN ARTISTIC CHOICE AND I'M JUST INSANE ABOUT IT??? Who knows.

Anyway, to close off this post, because I know it is long and idk whether there's actually any substance here, I'll try to compile the thoughts about Jane into a few small sentences, without fangirling in between lmao.

She's lovely, and while she is very funny, I find her harder to pin down than the rest of the cast (that we know of as of writing this). She's dead set on surviving, and that's probably because she might have experienced death once already. Either as the Villainess Jane Neville herself, or as the person she (possibly) used to be, that we know absolutely nothing of. She does not show any other hints to her past: just constantly assuring us she desperately needs help. I love her, of course, not only for her character design or the fact that she's funny, but for the fact that she somehow manages to avoid telling us anything concrete about herself. I don't think that this is done because Jane is not a character and is supposed to be a player-insert (that may play a part in it but y'know, that's just the nature of these kinds of games to a degree); she very much so is a character. She knows these phrases and these small courtesy things that no normal person who WASN'T integrated into this fantasy world would know. Maybe she retained only some of the past memories that her villainess self had, but truly... how could she remember those, but not her fiancé? Not the novel she is in? How can she know she is the villainess with certainty, at all, given she does not remember the book, the plot of said book, nor any of the other characters that well? She only knows someone is out to kill her, and that we must save her. Her weird integration with the world as well as the dissonance she presents with it at the same time is suspicious; she's very mysterious in that regard.

Perhaps I'm biased. Maybe I'm not looking hard enough. It might be that I'm missing something entirely. Somehow my suspicion/theory, even to me, feels like it's somewhat misplaced. That something is up is clear, but whether there's evidence to support anything is a whole other thing.

But somehow I'm inclined to believe that... Jane is not as forgetful as she might think she is. And that whatever happens to her by the choice of the player (who you romance, what kind of ending you get, what kind of choices you make, how you survive based on your deductions in the mystery, etc.), it always will tie into something she wanted to be. That us controlling her to a certain kind of destiny, is something she wanted to be, but never got the chance to be.

That we might guide her towards a destiny she actually deserved, rather than the one she has gotten.

[ Lmao I have so many more thoughts about what exactly makes a villainess but like... if the LIs/ROs/MLs or whatever you call them are all deconstructions and reconstructions of their specific tropes... Then isn't Jane also one? Shouldn't she be, at least? If she never was a villainess, then what makes her be one? If she was a villainess, what changes should she undergo in order to become a hero? And if she is neither... Or cannot remember whether she is clearly... What truly discerns her as a villainess?

I have so many more thoughts and theories about these people that I have to cover later because otherwise I'd have been sitting here for 2 hours trying to write all of this down somewhat understandably. If I actually had a plan for like any type of structure I might've not lost so much time on it. Will try to do that when it comes to the rest and all. Might also opt for smaller paragraphs lmao I genuinely hope I'm not overstepping something by doing this??? If the developers see this and go like "okay maybe don't", I'll take it down fjkdsjfklds. It's not like I'm dead set on sharing this if it's for whatever reason not good for business or something. ANYWAY THIS IS GETTING ABSURDLY LONG. Hope you enjoyed my rambles; until next time for the rest of them! ]

[bestlaidplansproductions]

Save the Villainess - our upcoming villainess otome isekai roleplaying game - now has an official page on Itch.io! This page features:

-Brand new character graphics, profiles, and information

-Brand new gifs and screencaps from the game

-A complete list of the game's quality-of-life features and options (including the chance to SKIP the common route after the first play-through!)

Please consider following us and leaving us a comment on our Itch.io page - it will really help our tiny two-woman team out. Thanks so much!

We look forward to testing our beta demo with you very soon...

[bestlaidplansproductions]

Please sign up to support Save the Villainess, our otome isekai roleplaying game, during our Kickstarter campaign pre-launch!

Our Kickstarter campaign will soon open along with new goodies. Beyond a revamped demo, we’ll offer several new ways to visit and learn more about Carcosa, the country where Save the Villainess takes place.

With your help, we will create the best possible version of Save the Villainess!

Interested in a fully animated black comedy murder mystery game with unique love interests that may or may not want to destroy you?

🦋Join Save the Villainess' Kickstarter Pre-Launch.

🦋Wishlist Save the Villainess on Steam.

🦋Follow Save the Villainess on Itch.

🦋Sign up to the Mailing List for exclusive character cards every month.

Credits: Edited Video by Sokei, Music by JunbugP, Vocals by Saki Rose, Characters by Somate Studio; Animal & item art by @arodude; Backgrounds by @arodude, Karel Kok, Son Huynh; Logo by Yan Moe.

[bestlaidplansproductions]

If you woke up as the villainess in a romance novel you can’t remember reading, what would you do?

How would you survive when you remember nothing… not even the person who is trying to murder you?

Discover secrets, find or reject romance, and guide your amnesiac villainess to a future based on your choices and deductions in our upcoming mystery/horror/otome roleplaying game, Save the Villainess.

To get more information on and test the upcoming beta demo for Save the Villainess, our upcoming vilainess isekai otome/mystery roleplaying game, sign up to our mailing list! 

Please look for the confirmation email; it will be sent within 24 hours of you joining our mailing list. It may end up in your spam/promotions/social folder. If you have any problems, please email us at contact @ bestlaidplans . net!

Character and Title Art: Somate Studio

Theme Song: JunbugP

Backgrounds: Saleha Chowdhury / @arodude, Karel Kok, Somate Studio, Son Hyunh

Trailer: Best Laid Plans Productions; Animations Done in Ren'py Engine and Present in Game; Trailer Assembled in Adobe Premiere Pro; Glitches Created in Adobe After Effects

Marketing Materials: @studioghostlegs

Logo: Yan Moe/Khoai-sama

Special Thanks to JunbugP, @studioghostlegs, @lovebirdgames, Dina, @foxglovegames, @tuffmallowinteractive, Cirro, Foxxy, Mari, Marj, Millie, and Miss Choco for trailer design support and feedback!

For more, check out our complete list of social media accounts.

[bestlaidplansproductions]

There's only 4 more days left to join the beta test for Save the Villainess, our upcoming otome isekai roleplaying game...

🦋Wishlist on Steam.

🦋Follow on Itch.

🦋Test the Beta Demo this January.

Once we close the beta-testing sign-ups later this Friday, there will be no further opportunity to play the game until the demo goes public...

Credits: Characters by Somate Studio; Item Art by @arodude; Backgrounds by @arodude, Karel Kok, Son Huynh.

[bestlaidplansproductions]

Save the Villainess' beta demo has been released!

If you have signed up to receive it, please check your email.

We look forward to getting your feedback and making Save the Villainess the best game it can be!

🦋Wishlist on Steam.

🦋Follow on Itch.

Remember to be careful about who you trust, who you love, and who can help you… Save the Villainess.

Credits: Characters by Somate Studio; Chibis by Antares; Profile by @studioghostlegs.

[bestlaidplansproductions]

What would you do if you became a villianess... in a romance story you cannot remember?

Find out in our upcoming otome isekai roleplaying game, Save the Villainess.

Wishlist on Steam.

Follow on Itch.

Test the Beta Demo this January.

Credits: Character art by Somate Studio; Trailer clip edited by Sokei; Trailer music by JunbugP; Vocals by Saki Rose.

[bestlaidplansproductions]

After considering the feedback of our amazing beta-testers, we decided to replace our existing love interests with the REAL stars of Save the Villainess.

After all, who needs a Crown Prince, Duke of the North, Childhood Friend, and Servant...

When you can romance Cushion-chan, Horse-kun, House-sama, and Squirrel-sensei instead?

Interested in a fully animated black comedy murder mystery game with unique love interests and secrets?

🦋Wishlist Save the Villainess on Steam.

🦋Follow Save the Villainess on Itch.

🦋Sign up to the Mailing List for exclusive character cards every month.

Credits: Characters by Somate Studio; Animal & item art by @arodude; Profiles by Renerie; Special thanks to our beta testers!

[bestlaidplansproductions]

Save the Villainess earned HOW MANY wishlists on Steam?!

If you want to know, see this video - and watch for future videos where Jane starts to interrogate the suspects -- and love interests. What will THEY think about this incredible number?!

We adore every future detective who helped us reach this AMAZING number on Steam. Thank you for helping us achieve our dream of creating a villainess otome isekai roleplaying game that lets you determine a villainess' fate. We hope you enjoy playing it as much as we enjoy making it!

🦋Wishlist on Steam.

🦋Follow on Itch.

🦋Test the Beta Demo this January.

Once we close the beta-testing sign-ups later this month, there will be no further opportunity to play the game until the demo goes public.

[bestlaidplansproductions]

When you're playing a villainess who has no idea which gorgeous love interest is out to murder her...

You learn to appreciate the ONE CREATURE who is honest about wanting your death.

Want to play a darkly hilarious romcom murder mystery where any of your love interests might end up as your assassin?

🦋Wishlist Save the Villainess on Steam.

🦋Follow Save the Villainess on Itch.

🦋Sign up to the Mailing List for exclusive character cards every month.

Credits: Characters & Guillotine-chan by Somate Studio. Original comic by Paul Noth for the New Yorker. Created with much love for the amazing crew over at the Save the Villainess discord!

[bestlaidplansproductions]

We are so excited to see that as of today, we have hit over 5,000 wishlists for Save the Villainess on Steam!

More celebrations to come... and more thanks to the amazing players and developer friends who helped us hit this goal. We are so grateful for your support!

Interested in a fully animated black comedy murder mystery that contains five romanceable suspects and dozens of secrets, mysteries, twists, and endings?

🦋Wishlist Save the Villainess on Steam.

🦋Follow Save the Villainess on Itch.

🦋Sign up to the Mailing List for exclusive character cards every month.

Credits: Characters by Somate Studio; Item art by @arodude; Backgrounds by @arodude, Karel Kok, and Son Huynh.

[bestlaidplansproductions]

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to step into the shoes of a villainess with great hair, amnesia, and terrible taste in men? 

Unfortunately, I am currently trapped in the body of Lady Jane Neville, a villainess destined for death. Now I need your help to survive a romance novel that I cannot remember as a villainess that someone is desperate to destroy.

I know I have a murderable face… but does this novel’s chivalrous crown prince, dangerous duke of the north, charming childhood friend, or secretive servant really want to kill me?

If so, can you help me survive long enough to find my own happy ending?

Do you want more information on Save the Villainess, our upcoming otome/mystery/horror roleplaying game for the PC? Want exclusive videos, art reveals, and the chance to test our upcoming beta demo? If so, sign up to our mailing list! 

Once you sign up to our mailing list, you should get an email asking you to confirm your subscription with 24 hours. PLEASE check your spam folders or (if you are on gmail) promotions or social folder for that confirmation email. We need you to confirm your subscription before we can send you more emails!

Character Art: Somate Studio

Marketing Materials: Renerie (Profile) and @studioghostlegs (Banners)

Fun Villainess Fact: The more evil the villainess is, the more ornaments you’ll see on her dress. They are useful accessories for murder!

[bestlaidplansproductions]

If you opened your eyes and became an amnesiac villainess in a romance novel, how would you avoid certain doom?

Between a Crown Prince, a Duke of the North, a Childhood Friend, and a Servant, who could you trust… and who would destroy you?

Do you want more information on Save the Villainess, our upcoming romance/mystery/horror roleplaying game for the PC? Want the chance to test our upcoming beta demo, as well as exclusive videos and art reveals? If so, sign up to our mailing list! 

Character Art: Somate Studio

Marketing Materials: Renerie (Summary Graphic) and @studioghostlegs (Banners)

[bestlaidplansproductions]

Pls tell the servant that I think it's an actual CRIME that we can't date them!!! Wdym they're the most interesting+ prettiest of the cast and I can't hold their hand!!!

Servant has something quite important to say in reaction to this question. After all, why should someone so exquisite be out of your reach...?

Interested in a fully animated black comedy murder mystery game with unique love interests like Servant?

🦋Wishlist Save the Villainess on Steam.

🦋Follow Save the Villainess on Itch.

🦋Sign up to the Mailing List for exclusive character cards every month.

Credits: Characters by Somate Studio; Item art by @arodude; Background by Karel Kok.