VN Ren'Py Cyber Shadows [Development Thread]

[Beanz_3D]

Cyber Shadows is an adult visual novel being built using Ren'Py, where your choices shape the narrative and influence your fate.

Plot: Step into the role of a skilled hacker viewed as a villain in a corrupt city. After discovering that your girlfriend has been murdered, you connect a disturbing trend: since the rise of Omnicorp, crime and death have surged, particularly among the city's most vulnerable. Determined to expose the truth, you gather a team through an online forum, setting your sights on taking down the powerful corporation that hides its sinister dealings behind a facade of urban improvement.

As you delve into the depths of conspiracy, you must navigate dangerous alliances and face formidable enemies, including a corrupt police force.

Features:

• Choice-Driven Narrative: Your decisions not only shape the story but also influence relationships and outcomes.

• Hacking Challenges: Engage in puzzles and mini-games to gather crucial intel.

• Complex Characters: Interact with a diverse cast, each with secrets that intertwine with your quest for justice.

• Romantic Interests: Develop deep connections with your hacker companions, where friendships can blossom into romantic relationships that impact the story's climax.

• High Stakes: As you dig deeper, the risks grow. Your actions may lead to devastating consequences for your team, culminating in emotional dilemmas that test your emotions

Current Characters: 0.1
Lucy:

Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

Lacie:

Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

Mayzie:

Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

Nova:

Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

Ivy:

Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

Tags:

Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

Note:

Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

You must be registered to see the links

On this thread you can follow my journey

 

[Beanz_3D]

Below is a very small teaser of the opening cinematic of the story (;
View attachment Rain.mp4

 

[Beanz_3D]

Special render of Lucy

Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

 

[Beanz_3D]

Ivy

Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

 

[Beanz_3D]

DEVLOG #06

Hey everyone, and welcome to this week's devlog!
First off, I just want to extend a huge thank you to the 3 awesome members who have joined my Patreon so far. It honestly means a lot to me that you're already interested in the project, even before 0.1 has been released!
Progress Update:
The past few days have been all about getting renders done. I've been grinding through them as fast as possible, and the only time my computer isn’t rendering is when I was working on a special one-off render. I’ve made great progress and I'm in a solid rhythm that allows me to stay productive without burning myself out. That said, there are still hundreds of renders left to do, so at this point, I can’t give an exact estimate for the release date of 0.1. What I can promise, though, is that I’m dedicating every spare moment to Cyber Shadows, so rest assured that I’m working as quickly as I can!
Coding & UI Improvements:
While waiting for renders to complete, I took the opportunity to improve the game’s UI. After a fair amount of troubleshooting (and Windows repeatedly warning me about low disk space ), I was able to add some nice new touches to the main menu. The most notable additions are new, interactive buttons for Patreon and Discord—complete with their own fancy sound effects! I also added hover sounds to all the buttons on the main menu to make it feel more polished and responsive.
One feature I’m planning for the future is a gallery, but that probably won’t come until version 0.2.
That’s about it for now! Thanks so much for reading and for your continued support. I’ll keep pushing forward, and I’ll see you all soon!
Have an awesome day!
Beanz
p.s above is a teaser of 0.1 (;

 

[Beanz_3D]

Special of Lacie

Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

 

[Beanz_3D]

Big Update


Hey everyone,
First off, I want to sincerely apologize for the long wait and for disappearing for a while. I can assure you that it’s been totally worth it on my end!
So, what have I been up to all this time?
Well, I’ve been focusing on improving my animation skills, particularly in creating more realistic animations. I’m excited to share that I’ve learned a tremendous amount and now feel confident that I can tackle all the animations needed for our game.
From now on, progress updates will be weekly again, and I promise I won’t leave you in the dark any longer!
I’ll be posting a follow-up soon to show you all the work I’ve been doing during this time.
Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season, and I can’t wait to catch up with you next week!
All the best,
Beanz

 

[Beanz_3D]

DEVLOG #08


Hey everyone!
I want to start by saying a huge thank you for all the incredible support I’ve received so far. The positivity and kind messages mean so much to me, and I truly can’t thank you enough!
Now, let's dive into the updates:
UI Progress:
As mentioned before, I’ve been putting a lot of effort into refining the UI, and it’s coming along really well! While some things may still change, I’m excited to share a sneak peek of the current build with you all, I hope you enjoy the preview (;
Story Progress:
This week, progress has slowed down a little, as I’ve been focusing on perfecting the animations for the game. But rest assured, things are moving forward. Right now, we have around 30 minutes of gameplay, depending on your reading pace (haha). I’ve also reworked some of the early scenes, tweaking a few character models to better represent their personalities and roles. I’m really happy with how it’s shaping up, and I’ll have a preview to share soon!
Sound (SFX):
I want to make sure players feel completely immersed in Cyber Shadows. That’s why I’ve been carefully adding high-quality sound effects throughout the game. My goal is to keep the experience engaging without overloading you with sound. I'll talk more about the music in a separate post.
Overall Progress:
This week has definitely been challenging with some real-life commitments, but I’m happy with the progress I’ve made given the limited time I had to work on the game. I’m excited about what’s ahead and can’t wait to share more!

That’s all for now. Thanks again for your incredible support!

Have an amazing day!

Beanz

Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

 

[Beanz_3D]

DEVLOG #09


Hey everyone, and welcome to this week’s devlog!
Let’s dive right in:
Patreon Banner Update
The Patreon banner has finally been updated! Previously, it was just a placeholder image, but now it features a title card! This small change adds a professional look to our page—an improvement I’m really happy with.
Nova’s Complete Remaster
Where do I even start with Nova? She’s undergone a full remaster, and a lot has changed with her character model. Thankfully, her scenes so far have been pretty limited, so re-rendering everything wasn’t too big of a hassle.
Why the change?
Originally, I envisioned Nova as a redhead, but I faced technical challenges with her original hairstyle, which led me to pivot from that idea. Additionally, her earlier design felt somewhat unrealistic compared to the other characters in Cyber Shadows. This inconsistency risked breaking the game’s immersion due to the realism between her and other characters , so I decided to rebuild her model from the ground up. (defo didn't come up with about 10 different sketches )
Here’s what’s new:

• Skin: More realistic tones with micro details for added depth.
• Eyes: Enhanced textures for appearance.
• Body Shape: Refined proportions to better fit her personality.
• Piercings & Tattoos: This was a big one for me as i originally intended for her to have Piercings and tattoos but i didn't find any i liked, until now !
• Hair: A brand-new redhead look—exactly what I’d envisioned from the start.

This overhaul took time, but I believe it was worth it. Nova now looks much closer to my original vision.
Before:

Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

After:

Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

UI Overhaul
Ah, UI—how many times have I talked about this?
The good news: I’ve brought in a talented artist who’s worked on some major AVNs like Summer’s Gone, Where It All Began, Eternum, and more. Thanks to their expertise, the main menu now feels much more aligned with the game’s theme. It’s a huge improvement over the original UI and gives the game a immersive vibe.
I’ve attached a teaser —hope you like it!
Story Progression
This week, I focused on tackling tasks I’d been procrastinating on, including:

• Nova’s updated model (complete)
• New UI (complete)
• Patreon banner (complete)

With these big tasks out of the way, I can now shift my full focus to the game itself. I’m thrilled to say the main menu is 100% ready (minus an animation that’s already in the pipeline).
On the story side, I had the chance to work on some scenes I’d been eagerly anticipating. They turned out great, and it’s exciting to see Cyber Shadows really coming to life. Following this post, I’ll upload a set of previews for version 0.1. Instead of just one image, you’ll get a whole bunch this time!
Looking Ahead
This week was super productive, and it feels amazing to have these major updates behind me. No more UI talk—I promise!
In the next few devlogs, I’m hoping to share a targeted release date for Cyber Shadows. Stay tuned for that!
Final Notes
There won’t be a special render this weekend since I’ll be away, but I’ll be back on Monday to keep things moving.
Thank you all for reading, and as always, your support means the world to me.
Have a fantastic day!
— Beanz

 

[Beanz_3D]

DEVLOG#10

Hey everyone and welcome to this weeks devlog update
I want to start by again apologizing about missing last weeks devlog, i was very busy irl and really had no time to work on the game .
However, this week has been quite the differ, i have been pumping out a solid amount of renders daily, while also working on a refining a model i have been working on for quite a while ( don't worry it is a new LI xd) .
The render count is increasing as i write this post and what i can say is I'm hoping to start beta testing within the next few weeks ( no promises as of yet) for 0.1 release! if all goes to plan and no issues occur.
Now, regarding this new model i was talking about (;
Below is Stella, she has been worked on for quite some time, going through lots of changes.
Now you may notice her left eye (on the right from our pov) no don't worry this is not just a bug xd Stella is blind in her left eye from a event which will be told in the story
It was especially hard to try get the eye how i wanted it to look as there were a lot of issues getting reflections on the eye but all has been resolved , and I'm quite happy with how it turned it out considering the amount of edits applied !
As i know some people will rightfully ask, yes Stella will be a main character in Cyber Shadows

Overall, everything is going to plan and progress is coming along just fine! . i really cant wait for you all to try Cyber Shadows and i really hope you enjoy it (;
That's all for now !
Have a great day
Beanz

 

[Beanz_3D]

DEVLOG#13

Hey everyone! Welcome to this week's devlog.
I want to start by saying I'm moving the weekly devlogs to every Monday, as it allows me to give you all the most up-to-date information about the game, since I work a lot on Cyber Shadows over the weekend.
Anyway, let’s move on!
This week, I faced a lot of technical challenges when rendering scenes that required a lot of custom images—specifically a custom website, which I quickly mocked up (thank god I have experience in making websites!). Once complete, I added images of the website where needed in the game, so now whenever I need a custom website screen, I have a base to work off.
I’ve also started post-production work on some early scenes in the game, as they are ready to be put into the code! I know this project is taking quite some time, but I truly believe in quality over quantity. I want to get my story across in a smooth, non-rushed way, instead of trying to cram it all in and ending up with a poor chapter 1, which I definitely do not want.
Issues: Last week, I encountered issues where my PC would shut off randomly (sometimes even when I didn’t have DAZ open), which was very annoying, as I was always worrying about when it would shut off next. However, it turns out my workstation just needed a good old clean-out, and that did the trick! So, no more weird shutting down issues.
Finally, I’m working on a gallery tab for the main menu, which MAY or MAY NOT come with 0.1. I can’t make any promises yet, as it’s not my main focus right now.
You will all get to see a very small snippet of the opening of Cyber Shadows next week, which I’ve put a lot of time into, and I really hope you like it!
Anyway, that’s all for now!
Have a great day!
Beanz (;

 

[Beanz_3D]

You must be registered to see the links

DEVLOG #14


Hey everyone ! and welcome to this weeks devlog.
I want to start by saying that i have been learning and playing with zbrush a lot recently as it will be really useful to make clothes look more realistic in how they fit on the characters instead of just being placed over the characters. I have already started to incorporate this into my workflow, and most the time its very little details which really do not take long
Renders: This week was a little less productive as i was only able to get just under a 100 renders complete due to real life work . But considering the time i had to work on Cyber Shadows this week its a okay number ( only for this week) . I'm now finally onto the last couple scenes of the chp.1 ! so not long to go now! but of course i will take my time and not try not to rush xd. Also, i have now completed a few different walk animations for all our characters which will be used quite frequently (and yes they have "physics" xd)
Teaser: As promised attached to this post is a teaser of the opening of Cyber Shadows. However, this is not final and a lot could still be changed
I'm starting to get to the business end of this first dev cycle and i have really learnt so much and i cant wait to share the game with you (;
That's all for now
Have a great day!
Beanz (;

 

[Beanz_3D]

( sorry everyone i always forget to post my logs here)

DEVLOG#17

Hey everyone and welcome to this week’s devlog!
I want to start by saying that I plan to have the first release (0.1) out by the end of April! I know it’s still a while away, but if everything goes to plan, you’ll be able to play Cyber Shadows very soon. (;
Anyway, let’s move on to the work done this week.
Music: As I mentioned last week, I’m still searching for appropriate music for Cyber Shadows. If you know any good artists, feel free to DM me, as I’m always looking for better high-quality music.
Rendering: This week, I worked on a big cinematic that will feature during the ending of Chapter 1. I’ve spent a lot of time on it, and I feel it’s coming out nicely. I’m also looking for some fitting music to accompany it because, as you know, visuals are just as important as sound in my opinion. I’m currently fixing some old renders that had minor mistakes, and they’re being re-rendered as we speak! Overall, I’ve made big progress in fixing old renders while also working on new ones. Starting next week, I’ll be adding the exact number of renders completed each week. To be honest, I’m not sure why I didn’t do this before. XD
Choices: Cyber Shadows will have a lot of choices (all relevant to the story), which is why I’m taking my time and not rushing. I’d rather you all enjoy Cyber Shadows than feel like it’s a rushed first release, and that’s something I don’t want. I know it’s said countless times in AVN’s, but each choice you make will impact the story in one way or another—some small, some big. I really don’t like pointless choices in games, which is why I’m working hard to ensure that the choices you make truly matter!
Finally, since I’ve been getting a lot of questions about it, Cyber Shadows will not feature sex scenes in Chapter 1. I know some of you may find this annoying, but I don’t want to rush the relationships. I want them to feel natural and authentic rather than forcing in sex scenes every five minutes. But don’t worry! They will come—you’ll just have to be patient. (;
That’s all for now.
Have a great day!
Beanz (;
p.s. Be ready for another teaser next week! (;

 

[MagicMan753]

Looks very interesting. Being a hacker is interesting. The girls look pretty good. Also please don't make the girlfriend that dies the hottest girl

2 questions:
- I assume from the sounds of it this will be solo romances only or will there be options for throuples or maybe more in the future.
-And do you have any other tags/kinks you may delve into with the girls? Or will it be pretty much Vanilla.( I am fine either way)

But looks good and am excited.

 

[Beanz_3D]

Looks very interesting. Being a hacker is interesting. The girls look pretty good. Also please don't make the girlfriend that dies the hottest girl

2 questions:
- I assume from the sounds of it this will be solo romances only or will there be options for throuples or maybe more in the future.
-And do you have any other tags/kinks you may delve into with the girls? Or will it be pretty much Vanilla.( I am fine either way)

But looks good and am excited.

Hi buddy im glad you are excited
1. Yes my aim with Cyber Shadows is for it to be non harem, however you may attempt to romance multiple girls but there will be consequences (;
2. Yes i plan to delve into a lot of (OPTIONAL KINKS) throughout the game, for now i dont have the exact tags yet, but i will be adding a planned tags section soon

Im glad you are excited, i aim for a late April release

 

[smoothie3D]

Looks interesting. Good luck!

 

[Beanz_3D]

Looks interesting. Good luck!

Thank you friend

 

[Beanz_3D]

You must be registered to see the links ​

​ ​

Hey everybody and welcome to this weeks dev log ! Let’s start with some numbers , +103 still images ( technically more if you count the scenes I re did ) +2 animations ( both SFW) +1 New song to add to the playlist (; Rendering : I wanted to get through the final chunk of renders this week and what I can say is it’s almost there , the pc was left on all day, all night slugging out renders ( not without its fair few issues ) but, I’m down to just a few hundred more and that should wrap up all stills for Chapter 1 ! There is still a few animations I’m working on , specifically a cinematic featuring one of the characters, as I’m sure you know by now I really don’t like the 1-2 second animations and I prefer longer , polished animations which really add to the story instead of something the user will just skip straight though . While my pc was rendering away I managed to start to post processing some animations in davinchi , it’s long and tedious but I spent up to a hour on colour grading each animation and making sure they are exactly how I want them Also, during this week I plan to release the promo image for chapter 1 , it was originally planned to be attached to this post but I’ve decided to work a little longer on it as there is still a few things I don’t like . Steam release : I have been getting a few dm’s asking about a possible steam release for 0.1 , and to answer all those questions as of now I do not plan to release on steam until 0.3 purely due to the fact that I want at least a few hours of gameplay before releasing to such a huge market , however I do plan to make the game available for wish list during the release of 0.2 then releasing it during 0.3 Final thoughts: Overall this week was a good week and I focused my time on rendering and starting post work on the animations That’s all for now Have a great day ! Beanz (;​