VN Ren'Py Palm Cove '97 [Development Thread]

[Jellybox]

Palm Cove ‘97 is a coming of age, slice of life sandbox game set in a sun-drenched coastal town at the peak of the late 90s. You’re 18, fresh out of high school, and searching for direction in a brand new place. With a whole town to explore and countless stories waiting to unfold, every choice can lead to friendship, love, meaningless hookups, or something far more complicated and closer to home than you’d ever have expected.
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Gameplay

Palm Cove ‘97 is a sandbox visual novel built in Ren’Py, inspired by classic point-and-click adventures and modern adult VNs like Summertime Saga. The game gives you complete freedom to explore the town of Palm Cove at your own pace. You can meet people, uncover secrets, take on quests, and shape your relationships however you choose.

You can earn money through odd jobs or pursue something more stable, build connections with the townsfolk, or ignore them entirely, since nearly every relationship in the game is optional. Beneath the slice of life freedom runs a deeper mystery: people are going missing, and the town is hiding more than it lets on.

Every day in Palm Cove is a new chance to head out, explore, and see what unfolds. The game features both a money system and an inventory system that tie directly into quests, character interactions, and hidden discoveries. Quest design is meant to feel intuitive and rewarding. NEVER a frustrating puzzle that requires a walkthrough, but instead something you can figure out naturally by paying attention, experimenting, and following your curiosity.

Palm Cove ‘97 is a very story-heavy experience, built around deep (and not so deep) relationships that feel human and real. You decide who you want to interact with and how. The game’s dialogue trees are designed to give you control over your voice, letting you shape your character while diving into conversations that explore genuine emotions, conflicts, and intimacy.

Characters

Over the coming weeks I'm going to start releasing more information about upcoming characters, but here's the NOT RELATED to you at all family you're living with (cough cough, ipatch from someone I have no affiliation with is surely coming within 30 minutes of initial release) and small introductions:

You play as an 18-year-old who's fresh out of high school, stepping into Palm Cove with no clear direction and a lot to figure out. You’ve never had much luck with the ladies before, always stuck on the sidelines while everyone else seemed to have it figured out. But a new town means a clean slate, and for the first time, everything feels wide open. Who you become, and who you get close with, is entirely up to you.

Heather is the 20-year-old daughter of the family you’re staying with, back home for the summer after her second year of college. Smart, confident, and a little restless, she’s adjusting to life under her parents’ roof again after tasting independence. She has a sharp wit and doesn’t hesitate to speak her mind, but is ultimately a sweet girl who craves real connection.

Brenda is the 46-year-old mother of the family. A devoted homemaker, she’s spent the past two decades being the best mom she can and running the household. Warm, nurturing, and attentive, she’s the kind of mom who makes everyone feel cared for. But behind her gentle smile lies a quiet loneliness. Her marriage has grown cold over the years, and she finds herself longing for real love and intimacy again.

Steve is the 49-year-old father of the family. A dedicated breadwinner and workaholic, he spends most of his time focused on his career, often leaving little room for family or connection at home.

The Art
Palm Cove ‘97 is aiming for a gorgeous hand-drawn look. Characters and locations are brought to life with a vibrant, consistent style that makes the town feel both real and inviting. Most conversations use detailed sprites, while important scenes and big emotional moments switch to full CG illustrations. On top of that, there are plenty of animations sprinkled throughout. And not just in H-scenes, but in day-to-day moments too.

The art itself is created with the help of AI tools, but fear not, using the latest and greatest technologies, the art is 100% consistent and versatile.

Here are a couple of examples of art within the game: Heather living her best life at the beach, and the very first place you’ll explore: the MC’s bedroom.




Release when??
I’m aiming to launch the first version of the game within two months of this post, but sometime in November at the latest. Right now, I’m pouring nearly all of my free time into development, and I really hope it’ll all be worthwhile in the end. My goal is to make sure the first release not only has enough content to feel worth your time, but also sets down a strong foundation so I can roll out updates on (hopefully) a monthly basis.

For now, I’ll keep grinding away and sharing my progress here. I’ll also be revealing more characters and artwork as we go along. If you’ve read this far, thank you for your interest and stay tuned!

-Jellybox

 

[eevkyi]

Good luck with your project. I’ll keep an eye on it.

 

[MagicMan753]

It looks beautiful. I really like Heather, the beach photo looks good.

I will say, that not really sold on MC's look. I Wished he would of adopted more of the "father figure" looks and hair color, usually not a fan of blond mc's but also seems strange to see him with the romance blondes, would of liked more difference between them if ai make sense.

Just my thoughts, wish MC had different look and may be the reason I don't play. But good luck regardless, looks like great, keep up the great work.

 

[Jellybox]

I will say, that not really sold on MC's look. I Wished he would of adopted more of the "father figure" looks and hair color, usually not a fan of blond mc's but also seems strange to see him with the romance blondes, would of liked more difference between them if ai make sense.

I get it! But I would argue that for the people who like that sort of thing, him looking alike them is exactly what they want and I don't plan changing that aspect. Thanks for your interest!

i wanted is our mc is average in height and cock accoring world average? iwll deleted this after u answer it im just finding games with average/small dick male mc

Really straight into it, huh . But really depends on what you mean by "average". I'd say he's like... Pornstar average, so real life big for sure. But definitely not like a giant monstercock that the mere sight of makes everyone drop their panties and want to fuck him immediately.

Also, fact of the matter is, a bigger cock simply makes H-scenes much easier to make aesthetically pleasing/better looking. Especially in POV.


Anyway, here's a couple of more things I'd like to share with you today!

OUTFITS
Palm Cove '97 has an extensive clothing system, with each character having the perfect outfit for every situation. Characters change clothing authentically depending on where they’re going, what they're doing, or even just if they feel like it. As an example, here’s a showcase of a couple of Brenda’s different clothing styles!




More characters
Palm Cove is filled with all kinds of residents for you to get to know (or much, much more). I'm planning to launch with 20 characters, including around 14 possible future LIs. And after the first release, the players will get to vote on which character relationships get priority in the next update. But it's about more than just romance. Every character has something to say or even tasks for you to do, all to make Palm Cove feel like a real, living place.
Here's a preview of 4 of the residents you'll meet in the initial release:


Margaret “Maggie” Halloway, 48: The self-appointed queen of the cul-de-sac, Maggie judges everything from your lawn to your lifestyle. You can usually find her homemaking or preparing for community events at the local church, but her true power lies in her icy stare from across the street. She's a religious housewife with a perfect life, or so she tells herself.

Riley Shaw, 23: Fueled by cheap beer and punk rock, Riley is a whirlwind of rebellious attitude and flirty sarcasm. Find her carving up the concrete at the beachside skate park when she's not reluctantly stacking tapes behind the counter of the local video rental store. She’s looking for a good time, not a long time... unless you can prove you’re worth the trouble.


Vanessa Delgado, 26: Sleek, ambitious, and always in control. Isabella is a city girl with a killer career and a gaze that undresses you from across the room. At nights, you can often spot her holding court at The Onyx Bar downtown, a cosmopolitan in hand. She doesn’t suffer fools and only has time for men who can match her fire.

Hannah Kim, 18: Fresh out of high school, Maya is a sweet, shy nerd who's spent more time on dial-up forums than around real people. You'll often find her hiding in the back issues section of the local comic shop, or scouring for her next read at the Palm Cove Public Library. With her first real taste of freedom this summer, she's secretly desperate to experience all the things she's only read about in her books.

 

[h4x.x]

The game looks interesting, and the art style is consistent and impressive! I’ll definitely keep an eye on its progress. Wishing you the best of luck!