I’m building a harsh, choice-driven adult VN in ancient China. Real stakes, real consequences, multiple endings. First public demo in 4–6 weeks; weekly thread updates; short news drops in Discord every few days (no link yet). I’m aiming to reach ~$2,000/month in the next 1–2 months through community support and I’m ready to put in the hours.
About me
Solo dev, keeping a low profile. My focus is execution: clear milestones, weekly devlogs, rapid iteration based on feedback. I’m prepared to work 6–8 hours/day to hit the early income target (~$2k/month) via Patreon/SubscribeStar while the project is in active development. I want frank feedback on the concept, priorities, scope, and on what would make you comfortable supporting an in-progress VN.
What I’m building
A grounded, adult visual novel where a young woman is thrown into the machinery of an imperial capital and has to find a way to survive, rise, or disappear. It’s about branching choices and consequences—you can take different routes, and the story remembers.
Tone: A — hard realism. Power plays, corruption, and social pressure. Poor decisions can and will produce bitter outcomes.
Tools: Ren’Py. Early art will be mockups/placeholders and prototype CGs; visual style will evolve as the project moves.
Examples of outcomes I’m exploring
Not “three fixed paths” but many branches that resolve into very different lives:
(These are examples; I’ll prune or expand based on what plays best.)
First public demo (target: 4–6 weeks)
Scope: ~20–30 minutes.
Content: the starting district; 2–3 short branches; at least one “bad” end; a tease of palace intrigue.
Systems in the demo: light mechanics only—money, reputation, suspicion/heat checks that subtly open/close lines, with UI feedback so choices feel readable.
Roadmap & cadence
No Steam. I’ll publish through Patreon/SubscribeStar while in active development. The goal is to make support feel fair and transparent: steady builds, visible progress, and community input on priorities.
What I need from you (straight questions)
I’m here to work, ship a playable demo fast, and iterate in public. If you want this kind of grounded, branching imperial drama to exist—tell me what will make you stick around, and I’ll build toward it.
About me
Solo dev, keeping a low profile. My focus is execution: clear milestones, weekly devlogs, rapid iteration based on feedback. I’m prepared to work 6–8 hours/day to hit the early income target (~$2k/month) via Patreon/SubscribeStar while the project is in active development. I want frank feedback on the concept, priorities, scope, and on what would make you comfortable supporting an in-progress VN.
What I’m building
A grounded, adult visual novel where a young woman is thrown into the machinery of an imperial capital and has to find a way to survive, rise, or disappear. It’s about branching choices and consequences—you can take different routes, and the story remembers.
Tone: A — hard realism. Power plays, corruption, and social pressure. Poor decisions can and will produce bitter outcomes.
Tools: Ren’Py. Early art will be mockups/placeholders and prototype CGs; visual style will evolve as the project moves.
Examples of outcomes I’m exploring
Not “three fixed paths” but many branches that resolve into very different lives:
- Quiet countryside: leave the capital, marry into a simple life, roll credits far from intrigue.
- Palace poison: navigate a plot and come out on top… or misstep and be taken out by your own scheme.
- House of delights: become a famous entertainer/house-runner—wealth and leverage without stepping inside the court.
- Merchant web: build tea/silk trade, buy influence rather than beg for it.
- Shadow at court: operate as a discreet fixer whose letters move officials more than any title.
- Exile → restart: lose a political gambit, get sent away, return later under stricter conditions or a new identity.
- Rebellion spin: tie yourself to a rising faction—live with their victory or fall with their failure.
- Temple retreat: walk away from the game when stress/morality crosses a threshold.
- Execution: the “you flew too close to the sun” bad end.
(These are examples; I’ll prune or expand based on what plays best.)
First public demo (target: 4–6 weeks)
Scope: ~20–30 minutes.
Content: the starting district; 2–3 short branches; at least one “bad” end; a tease of palace intrigue.
Systems in the demo: light mechanics only—money, reputation, suspicion/heat checks that subtly open/close lines, with UI feedback so choices feel readable.
Roadmap & cadence
- This thread: weekly updates (progress, screenshots/mocks, change notes).
- Discord: bite-sized notes every couple of days (link later).
- Milestone: first demo in 4–6 weeks; then fast iteration (bugfixes, more scenes, deeper checks).
No Steam. I’ll publish through Patreon/SubscribeStar while in active development. The goal is to make support feel fair and transparent: steady builds, visible progress, and community input on priorities.
What I need from you (straight questions)
- Does this setting + hard-realism tone appeal to you for an adult VN?
- For an early demo, is the 20–30 min vertical slice with light systems enough to earn your trust? What would you absolutely want included?
- If you consider supporting during development, what update cadence and benefits would make that reasonable (e.g., weekly builds/devlogs, WIP art, influence on branch priorities)?
- Which branches/endings from the examples sound most worth developing first—and what obvious outcome did I miss?
- Any red flags in scope you’d advise me to avoid this early?
I’m here to work, ship a playable demo fast, and iterate in public. If you want this kind of grounded, branching imperial drama to exist—tell me what will make you stick around, and I’ll build toward it.
