VN Ren'Py Where is Love? [Wishlist on Steam] [Updates]

[Totally Pure Games]

Subscribestar Public Post:

You must be registered to see the links

Weekly Report - May 11: Almost halfway to the first release!

"Is It Love?" v0.1 is 40% done. I finished (most) writing, and now working on the visual and audio bits.

The process is a bit too involved right now, so I will just leave a full update for later. It's hard to show writing as an update, and the production of visual elements is now the primary focus.

Rest of the post:

Spoiler

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

Thanks for reading, and consider following on

You must be registered to see the links

or

You must be registered to see the links

!

 

[Totally Pure Games]

Funny side note: I was so high (totally legal where I live!) when I posted the last update - I accidentally signed a message on Itch with my real name. Whoops.

I'm currently working to get the Steam page setup for wishlists - what do you all think about the title "Is It Love?"

I kinda like it because it communicates the weird vibe of the game, but maybe there is a better name out there.

 

[Nulldev]

Funny side note: I was so high (totally legal where I live!) when I posted the last update - I accidentally signed a message on Itch with my real name. Whoops.

I'm currently working to get the Steam page setup for wishlists - what do you all think about the title "Is It Love?"

I kinda like it because it communicates the weird vibe of the game, but maybe there is a better name out there.

Is This Love?

 

[Totally Pure Games]

Is This Love?

Dude - the original title used to be "Is This Love?" - but when I saw this song, I changed it to "Is It Love?" because I feared a random copyright strike : D

I am a bit traumatized by copyright troll lawyers because I once missed out on some $$$ with a studio I worked on because we referenced a popular book by accident in our documents... Not going through THAT again.

Only to then realize that there are million songs that use the word love - so it doesn't matter.

AND THEN I realized there is already an Otome game with the same name...

 

[Totally Pure Games]

But yeah - I'm still searching for a different name...

Feel free to suggest thoughts. It must have the word LOVE in it.

I'm in the brainstorming process right now, since I have almost finished my Steam page and it must get done asap.

 

[Totally Pure Games]

I've been so focused on setting up the Steam page in my free time and trying not to get fired from my job because the economy is shit that the time to work on the game has been a bit limited. Didn't get fired - but completely exhausted from insane hours. Still doing family-friendly game dev - which is hilarious given what I do under this persona.

If only all of them knew my real side...

My adjusted goal is to release v0.1 on the 31st of May. I know it's slow, but I want to make sure that my entry as an adult dev isn't a failure, so I'd rather develop more content first. I feel pretty comfortable about that date, which allows me to finish all the scenes I wanted at a moderate pace.

In the meantime, check out some steam stuff. Fingers crossed it gets approved first try (the top tags are kinda weird). As a reminder - Steam will have a clean version, with a patch available - otherwise the game won't sell:



"Where is Love?" is a dark, choice-driven comedy that questions love and family, with cocaine's sting in your nostrils and the acrid aftertaste of vodka.

I am pretty happy with that description... There is still some language to polish, but it communicates the vibe well.



While I am not bad at writing dialogue and story - this sort of more promotional language is a bit more difficult. But that's why I post this stuff - feedback or suggestions are always appreciated.

I will probably go silent until the game is done just so I can concentrate on content production - may post some pics and link to Steam.

Also need to update the first post, but I'm too tired xD

Thanks for reading my rant.

 

[Totally Pure Games]

Weekly Report - May 22: Steam page is Live, New Feature, Render Overhaul
Alright, a couple of updates before I turn off to fully focus on game dev, just so you know I am alive and working.

1. This will be the last public post on Subscribestar - everything else will only be available for Free followers. I want to start encouraging people to follow so I can build an active community here (along with other forums like F95). I will still be posting stuff here tho, just shorter.
2. I know there hasn't been a lot of adult content (yet), but I wanted to prioritize writing and overall story first. It's in the works.
3. I will update all media on my various pages to better reflect my final style. Surprisingly, it takes a lot of time.
4. And lastly, the next update will be when I release the first version.

'Where is Love?' is on Steam!​

First Update: the Steam page has been approved!
The best way to support me is to wishlist the game on Steam!!! Please keep in mind that the non-adult version of the game will be published on Steam, with an adult patch available (it is much better for visibility, albeit a bit annoying):

• You can wishlist the game on Steam via this link:
  You must be registered to see the links

It would be appreciated. When it comes to Steam - wishlists are (almost) the main things that matter when it comes to the game getting a good reach. I will try to get it into Steam fest too, and aim to release the full version on the 28th of October 2024.

Having this sort of deadline pushes me more.

More below:

Spoiler

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

 

[Totally Pure Games]

Damn, so many reactions to the last post, thanks everyone, that makes my introverted self happy.

I realized that I kinda fucked up my Steam assets - they looked good in high resolutions, but don't look good when they are at the reduced size - so I redid them all.

If you see something that doesn't make sense - like bad writing, images, etc. - let me know! It's hard to see obvious things when you are in it. My design process looked something like this:

Complete trash	Better, but the positioning is too far away - it looks fine on larger images but blurry when the size is reduced	My current final version

 

[Totally Pure Games]

I swear I'm done updating those

You must be registered to see the links

assets. Looking at the old one, I didn't like it again.

The first message of this thread is also updated.



Oh, and I've also hit like 8000 words of text, 200 renders with 300 more in production, 5 animations with 13 more animations in pipeline.

I have no idea how the fuck this is supposed to get done in a week, but who knows, maybe it's possible, producing content non-stop.

 

[Totally Pure Games]

Quick Update - May 29.

I'm dying, but it's getting there.

About 150 renders left to finish all routes. And 4 animations - hopefully stuff can get rendered on time.

Some routes will be a bit shorter, I will fix those up in the next release, cause at this point it's brewing a bit too long in the barrel.

I like the quality tho - I think I will finish it even if it doesn't land with people here.

Though, I'm hoping it will x_x

At least I like the story, choicing, and routing - let's see how everything else lands.

Here is how the choice system looks, a bit unusual since I made it more "Telltale-esque".



Here are some extra visuals (with a lot more being done right now, each scene is pretty long)!

Depending on how quickly I can finish, it will likely be accessible Friday / Saturday. Stay tuned!

I'm also writing a book about tech in my irl persona, so figuring out a way to balance time has been rough.

Nevertheless, hoping to make this cool and fun.

 

[Totally Pure Games]

I've been rewatching my favorite British show called 'Peep Show', and let's just say, it inspired me to add an optional "comedic reverse rape scene"

You must be registered to see the links

I wonder if anyone will get the reference. No idea about the age of peeps on this forum.

[the image was deleted due to adult content deletion]

" At least she didn't wee on me, that's a positive ."

 

[Totally Pure Games]

Gonna be publishing the first build on Sunday.

I took on too many projects at the same time, so it was hard to find time.

The narrative quality is good. Everything else? Let's see.

If the reception is positive, I will pursue this game more actively.

If it is mixed, I might make some adjustments to the length of the game, since I want to tell this story.

Anyways, here are some visuals while I am finishing things up.

 

[Totally Pure Games]

Good news:
1. First version features 5 endings. Full Chapter 1 will feature 8 distinct endings (available in the next release).
2. There are 350+ renders in v0.1, with 300+ more planned to complete the Chapter 1.
3. The story for Chapter 1 is (almost) fully written.
4. 10 animations.
5. Everything is ready to go, except for...

Bad news:
1. 40 more renders to finish the version are STILL rendering. I need to wait for them to finish... The engine says about 12 more hours, so the release is probably in the next few days. The game itself is done, just making visual and text tweaks.
2. At least 8 more scenes for full Chapter 1 are not completed, and the choices leading to those will be marked as [in development].
3. One adult scene is fully completed (and pretty exciting). 2 other adult scenes feature the animations, but are not completely done. Those will be shown and skipped to the next stage of the story (for this release). In other words, don't expect too much adult content in this version. At least 4 more in the next release.

More pics in the meantime:

 

[Totally Pure Games]

Where is Love? [v0.1] is now out on Itch!

Or rather, it was out, before I turned the game into non-adult.

You can see my reasonings and details on new Patreon page:

You must be registered to see the links

I am adding spoiler tags on all old postings to clean up the thread.

Spoiler

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

Wishlist Link:

You must be registered to see the links

Thanks, see you soon!

 

[Totally Pure Games]

Seems like people didn't hate what I released.

Or maybe not enough time has passed.

I am happy to get validation that what I made isn't complete trash.

I'll keep working on it, hopefully, I can elevate the quality - there are a lot of things I am not satisfied with.


Did any of you who played the game and reached an alternative start like my gentleman joke sequence? I swear, when I wrote it, I thought it was the funniest shit I've done, but I've realized that starting the game with that might have been incorrect... Also, the reference might be WAY too obscure.


MC "Get on with it already... what's the story behind that gas station 'gentleman'?"
Lily "This dude in a cheap suit and a comically short tie walks in, and starts gathering a newspaper, gum, and a bottle of water."
Lily "He approaches the gas station clerk, who starts scanning the items with all the enthusiasm of a sloth on Valium."
Lily "The total came to about 8 bucks, and the customer suddenly goes all posh, like 'Forgive me sir, I seem to have a perishing thirst'."
Lily "He then places all of the items back where he found them, and grabs 3 cans of beer. That shitty high-octane swill that tastes like fermented piss."
MC "Maximizing alcohol per volume is a smart move for a fellow addict."
Lily "The dude then thanked the clerk in that sickeningly polite way and 5 minutes later, he drank all the beer and passed out at the entrance."
Lily "Then the clerk was like 'Yeah, that guy does this song and dance everyday'. Like, why can't he just be a man and get wasted without all the theatrics?"
MC "Real addicts either buy in bulk or steal... He probably just looks forward to playacting as a proper human for a few minutes each day."

It's inspired by that British sketch:

You must be registered to see the links

Basically how alcoholics refuse to admit they are alcoholics and have to do this sort of dance each time - it's something you need to experience in person to understand xD

Idk why I am explaining that, just kinda in a good mood.

 

[Totally Pure Games]

Hey everyone! First of all, I really appreciate all of the positive (along with negative) reception of the game I received. Please note the following:

'Where is Love?' is no longer an adult game, but will continue to be a choice-driven interactive story.


If you are still interested in supporting me, you can do so on Patreon:

You must be registered to see the links

I want to keep this DevThread going, but I don't know if forum mods allow it. I made a ticket and will obey their decision.

Man, I'm such a good citizen.

Full context:

'Where is Love?' is no longer an adult game, but it's not abandoned or on hold. The game is being actively developed, just without the adult content. My reasons for stopping adult development are:

1. The game's content is too dark to fit adult themes.
2. Adding pornography to a dark game feels gratuitous. It also makes the MC's actions less forgivable if you choose the evil routes (even though you make the choices).
3. I agree that real life has too many depressing components already - the game intends to have a hopeful message, and I will be significantly adapting the story and character backgrounds - while maintaining the overall dark feeling. (you can learn more about it by reading my
   You must be registered to see the links
   )
4. One user commented, "I can't jerk off to something so dark." I agree – I didn't write the story for that purpose.
5. Erotic writing is neither my forte nor an area of interest.
6. In summary, I tried fitting adult content into a game that didn't benefit from it, creating an overly dark experience that wasn't my intention.

Also - a shocking number of people have been texting me to add NTR.... That's probably the closest I ever came to selling my soul ahaha.

Addressing some extra feedback:

1. Some users highlighted the edginess of the language as a negative. While I admit there are instances I could've written better, I'm satisfied with my overall writing style and won't significantly alter it (except for improving the quality, of course). I'm more of a metaphysical writer, and I can't help it if it comes across as pretentious.
2. I was happy to see that people liked the visuals. I practiced a lot to get them to this level.
3. Regarding the dialogue-related comments, there's not much to clarify yet because I'm only now building out the game's social system. A lot of content was cut, and therefore that feedback is not applicable (for now).
4. Replays is the point of this game as a choice-driven game without a common route. If you don't like it - it's not for you.

Speaking of the social system, you can learn more about my next steps for the game in the

You must be registered to see the links

!

You must be registered to see the links

 

[FFTW]

Hey everyone! First of all, I really appreciate all of the positive (along with negative) reception of the game I received. Please note the following:

'Where is Love?' is no longer an adult game, but will continue to be a choice-driven interactive story.


If you are still interested in supporting me, you can do so on Patreon:

You must be registered to see the links

I want to keep this DevThread going, but I don't know if forum mods allow it. I made a ticket and will obey their decision.

Man, I'm such a good citizen.

Full context:

'Where is Love?' is no longer an adult game, but it's not abandoned or on hold. The game is being actively developed, just without the adult content. My reasons for stopping adult development are:

1. The game's content is too dark to fit adult themes.
2. Adding pornography to a dark game feels gratuitous. It also makes the MC's actions less forgivable if you choose the evil routes (even though you make the choices).
3. I agree that real life has too many depressing components already - the game intends to have a hopeful message, and I will be significantly adapting the story and character backgrounds - while maintaining the overall dark feeling. (you can learn more about it by reading my
   You must be registered to see the links
   )
4. One user commented, "I can't jerk off to something so dark." I agree – I didn't write the story for that purpose.
5. Erotic writing is neither my forte nor an area of interest.
6. In summary, I tried fitting adult content into a game that didn't benefit from it, creating an overly dark experience that wasn't my intention.

Also - a shocking number of people have been texting me to add NTR.... That's probably the closest I ever came to selling my soul ahaha.

Addressing some extra feedback:

1. Some users highlighted the edginess of the language as a negative. While I admit there are instances I could've written better, I'm satisfied with my overall writing style and won't significantly alter it (except for improving the quality, of course). I'm more of a metaphysical writer, and I can't help it if it comes across as pretentious.
2. I was happy to see that people liked the visuals. I practiced a lot to get them to this level.
3. Regarding the dialogue-related comments, there's not much to clarify yet because I'm only now building out the game's social system. A lot of content was cut, and therefore that feedback is not applicable (for now).
4. Replays is the point of this game as a choice-driven game without a common route. If you don't like it - it's not for you.

Speaking of the social system, you can learn more about my next steps for the game in the

You must be registered to see the links

!

You must be registered to see the links

Hi. Just randomly came upon your game, and I want to mention/clarify a few things.

-This site, while mainly for adult games, isn't only for them. In fact, there is a dedicated tag called "No Sexual Content", and all of the games in this list (Over 670 games) have it and are featured on the site
https://f95zone.to/sam/latest_alpha/#/cat=games/page=1/tags=324
so there is no need to worry on that front, you can continue this thread and post the game here if you want

-Your Patreon links aren't working for me. Not sure what the reason is.

-About "too dark", There are plenty of stories here that are way darker than yours could ever be. Raptus and the Blackheart Hotel series come to mind. They aren't for me, but there is definitely a fanbase for them. Some people just like to play as the villain.

-I have played some incredibly sad and depressing games that were true masterpieces, made me cry buckets, and I still remember them fondly to this day. So I do not think being really sad/depressing is a negative if the writing warrants it. Especially if the ending allows for a degree of hope.

-I really like the visuals. Great work on them.

-I also really like how the game has a telltale-esque style with various dialog choices and consequences. Great work on that.

Overall, This does look interesting, and hopefully you do great with it .