Progress Report #16

I was quiet these past two months, I’m getting back to a “normal” cadence for progress reports starting now.

• Vacation (finally!) Nearly three weeks off, my first real break in 3 years of dev. Côte d’Azur, beach 200 m away, sun, wind, and a short stay at a holiday village to really switch off. It did me a world of good... and helped me reconnect with my family (10–12 hours a day, 7/7, takes a toll).

• Back to work: I’m easing back into renders for GS. Meanwhile, the adult-game landscape shifted, and not always in our favor.

Recently, some platforms and payment processors tightened policies around adult games. Quick rundown:

• Itch delisted paid adult games (GS wasn’t there anymore anyway).

• Steam removed titles with certain taboo content (GS is not affected).

• Most impactful: Steam now refuses Early Access for adult games and only reviews content at release.
  For GS, that’s a real blow: EA was how I gathered your feedback and funded development along the way.

I’ve been full-time on GS for almost a year. My last appointment with unemployment services went poorly: I may lose the allowance that’s been covering my living expenses during development. So yes, the next few months really matter.

1. Steam Daily Deal in ~1 month
   GS will be featured for 24 hours. These promos can be huge… if we show up with recent, positive reviews.
   -> If you enjoy the game, please leave a positive Steam review and spread the word: last-30-days reviews carry extra weight.

2. Final release of GS (~9 months, to be confirmed)
   The stronger the launch, the more I can build a cushion to fund what’s next.

3. CrowdFunding
   I’m using another platform for that, but I'll have to shift its role: it will host Early Access for the next game and, if needed, serve as a financial lifeline during the transition.

I’m realistic: there are Plan B’s (traditional job, a loan). But the goal is clear: make a living from GS and deliver the best game I can.

• Writing: done. I’m doing a polish pass to tighten pacing.

• Posing / renders: first two scenes finished, half of the first spicy scene completed, and I’m moving on to a longer scene. Yes, there’s a small delay (policy shifts + vacation), but I really like this chapter, and it’ll flow even better after pacing tweaks.

• Numbers: not this month (Ren’Py is grumpy until the text is fully coded). I’ll share stats next month.

Thanks for your help. The coming weeks are pivotal: a recent positive review and a quick nudge to friends can make a concrete difference.
See you very soon for the next update.

And now, I let Celeste sticking with you, hoping for the best!