Category Archives: Heirs & Graces

Heirs & Graces now available on Steam

Yes, finally my yaoi dating sim Heirs & Graces is out on Steam! Get it now here:

http://store.steampowered.com/app/482990/

it comes with a 10% launch discount. I think it’s fair, since it was originally released on my own site at beginning of June, so 3 months have passed 🙂

As usual those who bought direct, will be able to redeem a free Steam key from tomorrow at this URL:

http://www.bestanimegames.com/steam/

In other news, I have been working like crazy on Queen Of Thieves recently, and I did a lot of updates on the beta, which is at really good point in my opinion. You can find more info about the game and play the beta demo visiting my forums here:

http://www.winterwolves.net/viewforum.php?f=32

Please note: the game is content complete, and I’m only doing tweaks to the RPG gameplay right now. If you’re only interested in the story, and you plan to play it in “VN Mode”, you can safely buy it now, since that part has been finished and working since July 🙂

Heirs & Graces officially out!

I’m pleased to announce that Heirs & Graces is now officially out! You can see the game trailer above. For more info, screenshots and a free demo visit this page: http://www.winterwolves.com/heirsandgraces.htm

This game is my 3rd released game this year so far. I am not being lazy this year, am I? 😉

Jokes apart, it’s not like the three games in question (PSCD, C14 Dating and Heirs & Graces) were all created this year! I started working on them long time ago. In more detail:

  • Planet Stronghold: Colonial Defense started in Fall 2014. Originally a tower defense game without romance, it turned into a card game/dating sim hybrid!
  • C14 Dating was a project started back in 2013 (the original plot and writing)! then for various reasons was delayed until this year
  • Heirs & Graces was another “side project” started back in 2014, and it’s out now

So as you can see all the three games took a lot of time to make. But there’s no shortcut: if you want something to be good AND long (all three games have a script over 120.000 words, PSCD passes even the 200.000 mark!) you need to wait!

And now, a short postmortem for this game.

Heirs & Graces short postmortem

It’s obviously too early to say how it will do, also considering I have planned to release it on Steam later (to avoid the Summer Sale that as you know happens every year).

However, so far the reaction from people and the feedback/sales I got from my own site gives me hope. I was really unsure since it is my first yaoi-only dating sim, so I had no clue how it could do. I can say that I feel more relaxed now 🙂

That said, as I explained also in my forums, I really don’t think I’m going to do anymore games with a single romance combo in future. No yaoi only, yuri only, otome only, etc. Simply because making a game it’s already a lot of effort, and people need to wait years, I want at least to try offering something for everyone 🙂

This doesn’t change anything for the games already in production of course. So Never Forget Me will be a straight otome, Summer In Trigue a yuri only, etc.

Back to Heirs & Graces, I think the fantasy setting combined with dating sim was a good move. I just realized now that beside Spirited Heart, all my other dating sims aren’t using a fantasy theme. So I believe I should do more dating sims like this.

And I’ve already talked about the “no more grinding” in dating sim, and the scheduler system I used in this game was perfect I think: requiring some strategy to pass the main plot checks, but never grindy even replaying the game several times. I must reuse this system even in future games whenever possible!

Another thing that went well with the game was the “bittersweet theme”. It might be personal tastes of course, but I personally I prefer when there are funny/light scenes mixed with more serious/sad/melancholic ones (those who already played the game know what I am referring to!).

So except for games that are meant to be pure comedy (see Roommates!) I believe adding some more serious/mature/sad scenes to the story could help overall. As long as there is some way to get a happy ending 😉

A roleplaying Summer!

qot
In the screenshot above, Arianna in her “Queen Of Thieves” outfit, and a young Lysander

I am now scripting the Queen Of Thieves last main plot scenes, which include some flashbacks: the man you see above is Lysander when he was young. He stilll does have his beard though 🙂

I’m also using the new map of Aravorn that I had recently redone by a new artist. I must say that even zoomed in, it still looks good:gamemap

So now when there are flashback/main plot scenes I can show the time/date but also the place using the map. The scenes aren’t many, but there are 4 CGs, all featuring Arianna… and some are VERY spicy. OK, I think I have said already enough!! 😉

As I said in previous post I will take my time and not rush things to avoid burnout, also considering that I still have to officially release Heirs & Graces and PSCD free update. They’re in a very advanced state though, so that shouldn’t take much longer.

Back to the title of this post, even taking things easier, it’s quite likely that the Queen Of Thieves testing will take place this Summer, with just a disclaimer: if it will be hot like past year (one month and half, whole July and up to mid-August, with temperatures constantly over 38°C!) I will probably be able to work just a few hours in the morning! Anyway, even if I surely won’t be working/updating the game as I did with SOTW (that game was quite a marathon!!) I should still be able to do a few updates based on testing feedback.

All things considered, the beta COULD begin at end of June. In the worst case, it should be July.

But that’s not enough: for me will be a real “Summer RPG” because I’ll also start doing the design for Undead Lily. No coding, just planning on paper/flowchart, thinking about the combat, skills, etc. That’s what will keep me busy this Summer. What can I say, some people go on holiday in tropical islands and have fun, while others code and design RPGs! 😀

Undead Lily Ace romances sneak peek

Speaking of Undead Lily game, a few weeks ago I posted the Lily’s romance sneak peek. Now it’s Ace’s turn! As you can see even Ace has some interesting “romantic moments” in the game as well!

aceromances

Heirs & Graces beta

drama2
In the screenshot above, one of the various jealousy scenes

Well, last week I’ve told you that this would be the next game to come out, though I admit I didn’t expect to finish it so soon! 🙂 Obviously I’m talking about the beta version, however I think the official release should happen before the end of month.

Anyway, you can head to this page to try the game beta demo and pre-purchase it:
http://winterwolves.com/heirsandgraces.htm

There’s a beta demo download in forums in this thread: http://winterwolves.net/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3851

Like always, since it’s a beta version it might still contain bugs. However any help testing it will be greatly appreciated!

I really hope that even non-yaoi fans will try the game, since I believe it has a very nice art, GUI, music and writing. I’m also interested to know what people think of the scheduler/stat raising system. It’s a bit similar to Roommates, but it has also some “skill checks” to do, so you need to plan and think more what to do next.

Playing in Easy mode, you won’t have any problems though 😉

What’s Next?

While doing a beta, I usually try to go on with other games. Unless the beta is for a RPG, in that case I’m usually busy fixing bugs/adding features, so I have no time for anything else!

Anyway, while Heirs & Graces beta goes on, alongside it will finally decide what to do with PSCD and the extra romances. I’ll start first by adding all of them to the base game, and then if there’s enough time (and I’m not burned out too much!) I’ll also see if I can add some sort of “free play mode” or something like that. This way I could even add the extra cards who were planned for the DLC.

Once the PSCD DLC is finished, I’ll finally resume working on Queen Of Thieves. First I’ll take a small break though 🙂

Titles coming out in the next months

IMG_0096
First, a picture of Nuvola half-asleep. That’s how I feel now too!

I have several games in the works, so I thought to make a summary/point of the situation of the titles that hopefully will be out in the next months (from May to end of year in practice).

Remember that I’ll need to take a break between each release, and I also still need to do the mobile versions of PSCD and C14 Dating. And of course, there could be some unexpected issues/real-life problems that will delay me.

Because of this, I really cannot say exactly when a game is out, unless I expliticly say it in the list below. The only thing I am 100% sure, it’s the order in which they’ll come out. Let’s see:

Heirs and Graces

dingirra

I have finished scripting the main plot events, Kamal events, and I’m at good point with the other 3 characters too (though not done yet).

If I can keep this pace, I think a beta demo by mid-May should definitely happen!

reimyrth2

One thing I love of this game are the various references to the Aravorn fantasy universe (as you can see in the screenshots above). Anyone who played Loren or SOTW will notice them, and I hope it will make people happy as I am 🙂

PSCD DLC/free update

After Heirs & Graces I’ll need to decide what to do with PSCD. As you know, doing another “story DLC” was too much work, so I gave up the idea. I wanted to just add the extra romances to the base game, since they’re all done. However it means I’d waste the 24-something new cards that are already designed… so I’m reconsidering the possibility to maybe add a “free play” mode or something like that, so they’re not wasted (but at same time, I don’t need to go crazy to balance the cards for the missions). For now I haven’t decided anything yet.

Anyway, I’ll probably make some experiments and then decide what to do.

Queen Of Thieves

It’s probably my most awaited title this year! I am missing only the last 4 CG images from the artist, and I need to code about 5-6 custom missions, plus the final fight. I think everything considered it’s about 1 month of work for me (artist said should have all done by end of May).

That means the beta should finally start this Summer! 🙂

Never Forget Me

In the next 2-3 months I should get the last CG images for this game, after that, I have all the text, music and images. However, I still need to figure out a small detail… the gameplay part!

The game is structured differently from all my other dating sims, since you don’t start as single, but you choose who you ended up with in the first game, and from there the story unfolds. But it’s not like you can pursue more than one character… at least, not one of the four main ones 😉

So I need to find a way to make a stat-raiser, or better some other gameplay. I could also just release it as a pure visual novel, but if I can find an idea, I’ll try that first.

Love Bites

The storyboarding stage is basically done, and while it’s in practice the latest game that started production, I wouldn’t be surprised if it comes out before end of year. The writer is very fast (and good) and she estimated that the story could be done before end of Summer.

Obviously, once the story is done there’s still to put everything together, and depends how much burned out I will be at that point. Considering all the other games that I should finish this year, I think you can’t blame me if I’ll take it a bit easier! 😉