Spirit Parade
A downloadable game for Windows, macOS, and Linux
Spirit Parade is a commercial otome game with Asian mythological themes currently in development by Lettuce Waltz, aka artists Rins and Akane, and writer/programmer Lore. Please follow our production diary or devlog here on itch.io for the latest updates!
We will be releasing the routes individually as they are completed. This will take two forms:
- If you purchase the full game ($20 full-price), you will be able to download patches that add content to the base game as it is released.
- You can also purchase and play each route separately ($5 each) as a standalone game. Currently, Hayato's route and Mikio's route are available for purchase.
If you pre-ordered the game prior to October 5, 2017, you have the full version and will automatically receive all the future routes and updates. Upon completion, the full version of the game will have 5 routes/capturable characters and more than 30 different endings.
Unfortunately, voice acting for the game will be suspended for the time being. There have been some complications with scheduling and implementation and until those are worked out, none of the released routes will have voice acting. We hope to be able to patch the voicing into the game at a later date!
The demo covers the entirety of the common route and should take about an hour to play, depending on your reading speed and choices. Please note that Mikio and Diaochan do not appear in the demo. The demo is fully voiced.
Spirit Parade has been greenlit and so everyone who pre-orders the game will also be receiving a Steam key once the game is released there. Thank you so much for your support!!
STORY
The story centers on Nara (her name can be set by the player), a cynical 17-year-old girl who mostly shut herself off from the world after contracting spinal polio at a young age and becoming unable to walk. One night, a festival is going on in town. Instead of going with her family, Nara wanders off alone, not wanting to slow them down. As she goes through the various stalls, things become hazier and gradually Nara finds herself surrounded by people with ears, tails, and horns…then suddenly her clothes and wheelchair disappear! After a run-in with a rambunctious kitsune named Hayato and a scary-looking dragon officer of death named Shuye, Nara finds out that her soul has left her body and has been transported to the Spirit World, where all the demons and spirits are celebrating a month-long festival. Until the end of this festival, she won't be able to return home… Will Nara survive long enough in the Spirit World to go back in one piece? Will she be able to get over her bitterness borne from the past, or will she be engulfed in hatred and lose sight of what's truly important?
CHARACTERS
You can see a labelled character line-up here, showing all of the main cast of the game.
NARA. (voiced by Jill Harris) A resourceful, bright girl who unfortunately has suffered from spinal polio from a young age. As a child, Nara was positive and amiable, so she made friends easily and had few problems. As her spinal polio developed, however, she became overly self-conscious and paranoid. She especially hates to be pitied. While she's still kind at heart and wants to help and be useful to others, she does not expect the same in return from the world at large. Nara greatly distrusts other people and is suspicious of those who are kind to her. She operates on a one-strike policy, so once someone has wronged her she will antagonize them pretty much forever.
HAYATO. (voiced by Mark Allen Jr.) He knew the heroine when they were kids, before her polio symptoms showed. Despite being a fox demon, Hayato frequently came to the human world out of curiosity. Being young by demon standards, Hayato is rather immature. He's also used to fighting for attention from his large family. Hayato has trouble understanding that other people are different from him and is confused whenever others don't want to do things his way. In this regard, he comes off as being very self-absorbed. It's not that Hayato only cares about himself. He does want others to enjoy themselves and be comfortable in his presence, it's just that he has trouble considering things from a different point of view. Hayato prefers spending time outdoors.
SHUYE. (voiced by SungWon Cho) One of the Heibai Wuchang, Shuye assists the king of the underworld with spirits, making sure everyone is in their right place. In particular, he deals with reaping good souls. Being used to dealing with the dead—who are often unhappy with their current state—he has become very patient and stone-faced no matter what the circumstances. He is a man of routine and prefers to operate in a stable, ordered environment. As a result, he is not very good at dealing with changes or at improvising. He shies away from conflict and is often called gullible or too trusting. After living and working in the court of the dead for so long, Shuye is very knowledgeable about the court, but not very much about what lies outside it.
HAIYUE. (voiced by Howard Wang) One of the Heibai Wuchang, Haiyue is Shuye's partner and childhood friend. He is the one tasked with reaping evil souls. Unlike Shuye, Haiyue is flighty and hedonistic. He takes every excuse to skip out on work and spend time in the tea houses above ground, leaving Shuye to deal with the pile-up of work. Despite his sweet, princely smile, Haiyue spouts insulting phrases and has no qualms about manipulating people to dance in the palm of his hand. Though he's constantly taking advantage of Shuye's gentle nature, Haiyue is protective and somewhat possessive of his friend. He views the world as black and white, but considers himself as someone who deserves to enjoy it and lord over others. He's particularly vain about his feathers.
MIKIO. (voiced by River Kanoff) The older brother of Hayato, Asuka, and Sakuya. He was born from an earlier litter, so they should be showing him deference as the eldest still in the household… However, rather than being a dependable older brother, Mikio is a NEET and a drunkard, always loafing around the house and relying on Asuka and Sakuya to take care of him since he refuses to get a job. He says wise things from time to time, but spoils them by following up with a plea for money or more wine. It seems that he was not always like this, but his siblings can hardly remember a time when he was not a drain on resources. Mikio is good-humored and intelligent, but only when sober (which is hardly ever).
DIAOCHAN. (voiced by Natalie Van Sistine) Renowned as a great beauty in the Spirit World, Diaochan is one of the magistrates in the underworld. However, she has seniority over the other magistrates because of her vast information network and smooth social skills. It is nearly impossible to go against Diaochan personally or politically because of the amount of blackmail material he has accrued over the years. He is a childhood friend of Shuye and Haiyue's and they all still get along, but the other two are careful never to get on his bad side. To Diaochan, beauty is very important. She can often be found fawning over female workers of the underworld and tends to spoil them while acting harshly towards men.
SAKUYA (left, voiced by Amanda Gonzalez) and ASUKA (right, voiced by Sarah Williams) are Hayato's twin sisters who were born from the same litter as him. Despite their child-like looks, they are much wiser and more mature than he is. They insist on Hayato showing them deference as his older (by a few seconds) sisters and he has no choice but to listen, given how scary they are. He refers to both of them as "aneki". Sakuya and Asuka are in charge of the family's finances. Their family being quite large, this is something of an organizational nightmare, so the two of them have developed into rather stingy people. It's often said that they resemble yakuza loan sharks more than delicate young ladies… Be prepared to pay a lot of interest if you dare borrow from them!
While they both have similar tastes and sensibilities, Sakuya is more outgoing while Asuka is more reserved. (Sakuya insists that her twin is not shy, only doesn't like talking to people whom she considers beneath her) Asuka usually whispers insults to Sakuya, who then transmits them to the intended recipient.
END NOTES
Spirit Parade is a Lettuce Waltz visual novel. It is being developed using Ren'Py and will be released for Windows, Mac, and Linux with mobile systems hopefully in the future.
- Character design & art - Rins
- Writing & programming - Lore
- Background art & chibis - Akane
- UI design - Auro-Cyanide
- Voice co-casting & direction - Sound Cadence Studios
- Music - Pierrot Lunaire, Ruined Paradise
- SFX - freeSFX
Purchase
In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $20 USD. You will get access to the following files:
Download demo
Development log
- Mikio's route has been released!Feb 09, 2018
- Mikio Route: PROGRESSJan 15, 2018
- Spirit Parade: Create a Character ContestOct 24, 2017
- Updates for version 1.0Oct 06, 2017
- Hayato's route has been released!Oct 05, 2017
- Release Update!Oct 03, 2017
Comments
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Still sad to see this game abandoned still 5 years later and losing $20 cause I wanted to support the creators while they were making this game.. seems they left the internet or something cause all I can find are abandoned accounts or blank sites :/
If you're wondering about how the two finished routes are, they're alright. Art is nice but its not as romance oriented as you'd expect for being called a otome and idk if its really worth the $10 for both
⚠️THIS GAME IS INCOMPLETE AND THE PROJECT HAS BEEN ABANDONED⚠️
Only two routes were completed, Mikio and Hayato's, without voice acting. They can be bought individually for USD$5 each, for a total of USD$10 -- half the price of this version, and with the exact same amount of content. I haven't played them, so I can't say if they're worth the price. I can say, however, DO NOT BUY THIS VERSION. It just doesn't make sense.
ATTENTION: This is the base game. You MUST buy the routes separately.
What a money grubbing thing to do for a VN that by all right should include all it's routes. Plus at this point the game is abandoned completely.
So do not pay for this. I'm sure someone has the files for free somewhere if you want to play it that badly.
You know what? I'm still salty that we didn't get to see Shuye's and Haiyue's routes - they were the ones I was the most interested in.
EDIT: It's been two years and I visit this page from time to time BECAUSE I'M STILL SALTY AS HELL.
I remember seeing this on Lemmasoft forums and some otome tumblr blogs back in high school and I was so excited and tempted to buy the $10 deal forever ago... This saddens me because I was so excited for this game! It had so much potential... but it’s dead 😞
⚠️for anyone new: this game is dead! ⚠️
unless you're interested in hayato and mikio's routes, please pass by this entirely. maybe even then, don't bother - i can't attest to their quality since they weren't the characters i wanted to romance.
the main writer, lore, has completely moved on from this game and no longer even puts it in her portfolio. currently she's writing and programming for other games. the main artist, rins, is the same. the bg artist, akane, has been inactive on twitter since mid 2019 - if they've changed their handle at this point, no one's sure what it is.
none of them have upheld their promise of updating everyone and i assume they just want to sweep this whole experience under the rug. multiple attempts to contact them have ended with no response. i know some people have gotten refunds. personally, i bought this too long ago to get one myself.
there are other great visual novels on itch.io that are based in mythology, it's just a matter of finding them. good luck!
Any idea how to get a refund?
I wish I'd seen your post beforehand, but unfortunately I didn't and shelled out the $20 for an incomplete dead game -.-'
if you email itch about it they can look into it and get you a refund! i know several people have been able to do this. i tried but i no longer have the card i used 5 years ago for it so i can't but i know other people have had no problem.
I asked for a refund but unfortunately I am unable to since i bought this way too long for me to get one. Not sure If i can even dispute it. And Even if I do, I also have the same issue of not having the same card I used to but the game...
Thanks for letting us know, I'm so peeved that they had the gall to take our money and leave us hanging with no update. Learned my lesson to never support indie games until the actually release the game.
This happened to me on Purrfectly Ever After too. They were taking too long to develop the game (but luckily didn't abandon the project and are still updating) and I didn't want to support them anymore. But they won't refund me.
I got this too long ago to get a refund too - I contacted itch.io about this and they told me it's impossible.
BUT! I'd say the two routes that are out are worth the individual price for each. These were the routes I wanted to play, so while I paid too much, I'm still perfectly satisfied with what I got, if that helps some people.
Thank you for the update. I remember seeing this game years ago and I was so excited for it. It's a shame that after so long the game never got finished :(
I just tweeted Lore to have some sort of info on the game.I will update if I receive an answer. At this point all I want is some clarity of whether this game will ever be finished or not. Almost 2 years of no one reaching out to us, and I'm tired of hoping for anything.
As much as I love this project, I am extremely sad to see it's current state. Especially when the group used to be active and informative. I've been following this project for five years, and I no longer see the finish line. The overflowing excitement that used to burn brightly within me for this VN has smothered out.
Please.... Even if you have to say this project is no longer active, that the group had a fall out, that progress has been slow... give us answers. Every one of us that was excited to see this become a source of joy deserve it.
I think it's safe to say, this is a dead project. I'll give them the benfit of the doubt that they aren't being wholly manlicious. They were gonna finish this game wholeheartedly but real life stuff happened and then it went all to shit. And instead of explaining anything they think they can just wash their hands and move on ignoring the people that paid for this... Which is BS but hey?
I used to be optimistic but...2 years of nothing? I think this game is a dead game.
Well, I surely want my money back now... I purchased the game 2 years ago when it came out thinking they will continue the last few routes but now I strongly doubt. We can't even contact them because their website is not working anymore.
It's totally a scam. But hey, at least it was only $20.
They're still sketchy though. I do think that the artists for the game are still active on deviantart however, so maybe someone could ask them?
Ahaha, here we are two years after I discovered this game... And what do we have to show for all that waiting? Jack Squat.
If there was some reason, ANY reason given to why they completed two routes and then gave up, It'd be fine, but it honestly just looks like they took the money, sent out a sympathy gift, and ran off. Jeezus.
Damn, that's sketchy as hell. I'm glad I read the comment section before wasting my money on a game that's basically been abandoned by its developers. The fact that they didn't feel the need to give any sort of response as to why they haven't finished or responded to questions about updates for the game, is reason enough not to give them anymore money.
looks to me like the team fell apart and it was messy so no one wants to give any answers
It's messier than my hair on Monday morning.
Well this is a blast from the past. I remember thinking that I would buy this game when I got a job. Well, I'm out of school, have a job, and I have my own place.... But, the game hasn't changed.
Don't pay 20$ for a game that isn't even finished. I'm glad I didn't get it yet.
Hey guys, I think they have completely stopped this project. About 3 years ago (2017) I asked for a refund before the routes were released (lack of activity from what I saw) and one of them told me they were considering releasing on a route to route basis for people who already paid.
They did follow through with that, but like everyone else I haven't had an update since 2 of the routes were released. I only paid $10 at the time (I think it was a preorder or a special?) and consider it fulfilled due to the 2 route releases and that they did correspond with me when I contacted them at the time.
For prospective buyers, I wouldn't recommend dropping money on this if you're expecting a full game since it's been 2 years (Feb 2018) since the second route was released. It's not really worth the $20 as currently advertised.
Lol it's been 4 yrs and it's time to say the game has been abandoned. GL to everyone who asked for refunds. I'm surprised the page is still up for sales...
Dont recommend purchasing this game. It looks nice enough but the devs probably bit off more than they could chew since they haven't updated or been responding to messages in over a year. The last game update was over a year and a half ago. I purchased this three years ago and am still waiting. They've abandoned it and took everyone's money too :(
You can ask itch.io for a refund. They approved mine.
I paid for this game ages ago and they stopped updating completely, seemingly abandoning the project 1 year ago. I don't mind pre-ordering games as it's a way to help out indie game devs, but I've never been cheated like this. Isn't this basically stealing?
You can ask itch.io for a refund. They approved mine.
I really liked the demo, and I was really excited for Shuye's route, but apparently the creators went MIA... So I won't be purchasing this game any time in the near future.
So I'm sort of confused; Is this game finished yet? Like, this part of the game. Because I would play the game as long as this part was finished, seeing as I already know I want to do Hayato's route. So, if I bought this and played it would I get the full story and then go onto Hayato's route?
the game is not finished. i'm not sure exactly what you mean by "this part" but you can purchase the whole game for $20 which gives you two routes as the devs are MIA and refusing to explain what the situation is in regards to where the rest of the routes are OR you can individually purchase the two routes that are released (hayato and mikio) for $5 a pop.
so no, if you purchase this game you will not get the full story. we have not received an update about the game in well over a year so its up to you if you'd like to spend the money but its looking like this game is abandoned and all we're getting are the two routes.
Alright, thank you. I didn't want to waste my money on a game that isn't finished.
i purchased this game four years ago.
the fact that it is still incomplete and the developers have seemingly abandoned ship is incredibly disappointing. if they are no longer working on this game, they should at least do the right thing and let us know.
i deeply regret supporting these devs since it seems they cannot even be bothered to communicate with us about potential delays or other issues that come up and impact the release of the rest of the routes.
under no circumstances do i recommend you purchase this game as is. it is likely not going to be finished any time soon (if at all) and your money is better spent elsewhere supporting other indie devs who actually take the time to interact with and keep their supporters/customers updated.
You can ask itch.io for a refund. They approved mine.
Just messaged Lore on twitter to see if we can possibly get any answers. I tweeted her 84 days ago as of today. No response. Will update if anything happens but I doubt anything will.
UPDATE (3-24-19): Lore has since closed her DM's (or at least to me) after I messaged her. Contact Itchio to get your money back. The devs aren't professional, don't answer questions, and haven't updated in more than a year. This game will probably never be finished.
Knew this game was sketchy the moment it became clear they had barely had made any progress on any routes during the long span of time people have been waiting. Do not get this game until all routes are released! It's just too fishy to buy otherwise.
Just came back here to see if we had some news, and sadly nothing - I guess I'll keep waiting, I don't actually have issues with that nor will I be asking for a refund since I adored the two routes we got.
But that leads me to my second point. I'm so surprised by the comments. Honestly, I didn't expect people to complain about the "lack of romance". I definitely don't agree with that. But the romance here is more subtle than in some other games, and leaves lots to the players' imagination - and I like that. Now, I totally understand some people may play otome games only for kisses and steamy scenes, but I'm not necessarily in for that. After playing litteraly dozens of otome and BL games, I know for sure a good romance game doesn't need to have any explicit kissing or sexual scenes to be perfectly fine and great.
So yeah, it may not be your jam if you NEED kissing, but I think it's a very nice, sweet and touching game if you're fine without it.
What it definitely IS, it's an otome game. It's just not your standard otome, that's it. After playing as many games as I did, you just start to see more and more atypical games that break the codes, and you also start to think of it as refreshing.
If you want great but more conventional indie otome games, I suggest Nusantara: The Legend of the Winged Ones and Cinderella Phenomenon (both are free and a new Nusantara game is in the making too).
Developers, at least give some tiny sign that you are well and alive.
All three devs can be found on Twitter, and as of January 2019 they're all alive (no info about the artists' health given). Just skimming through their accounts I can't see any of the three mentioning Spirite Parade anywhere except in their bios.
Akane (@akanekari) has been the least active, but her last activity was on January 21st where she replied to Rins.
Rins (@lettucetown) has been more active than Akane on Twitter, but even then there was a gap between June 2018 and December 2018. Her last Twitter activity was on January 16th 2019.
Lore (@yandere) has been most active on Twitter. A quick scrolling through her timeline shows that she's been frequently tweeting and retweeting about all kind of stuff, ranging from other people's projects to real life stuff.
I can understand that real life can take someone's attention away from the internet and social media, but seeing how the writer has not only been online but also has the time to promote other projects and whatnot, I find it very disappointing and upsetting that she apparently can't be bothered to update people here who have spent real money on their game. They promised monthly updates, but even that promise only lasted three months aka three meager posts before they disappeared again.
Thank you for your response. Huh.
Okay It been 3 whole years since I pre-ordered and the full game still isn't released?? This was my first time ever paying for a game and I thought the point of paying for a game was to support the development move a bit faster and smoother? At this point I just want a refund does anyone know who do I contact?
send an email to itch.io, they can process refunds too
I read they can only do a refund if its been less then a year. But I'll try it anyway.
I don't mind the slow update, as I have a life. The 'lack of romance' as some people point out, I don't see an issue. There is romance in certain area's, there are many different endings and outcomes which I appreciate. Also people having an issue with the character... Well I find it refreshing. I may not like the MC but it doesn't make it a bad story. It is a story. I will say to others, just because it doesn't have a kiss scene doesn't mean it is NOT an otome. There are plenty of relations where people will prefer emotional affection over physical. Just because it may not be something you favor does not mean it is abnormal.
The slow update I may 'not' mind, I still don't like. I luckily pre-ordered it early so I only paid $10. But If I have to wait another year for it all I may have to ask for a refund. I understand things can come up in life, but the developers should be transparent, try to inform their fans/followers about what is happening and why things may be slow or even on hiatus. I will say it is not a great game, but it is not terrible either. If they do finish this and create another game perhaps they can take the criticism, and create a better game next.
I asked for a refund from itch.io (I got no answer by emailing the devs). They gave it to me without any problem, so if anyone is looking into getting a refund try them
Ah sweet! Just sent them an email. Thank you for letting us know!
Any news?
So far, no. I just tweeted one of the developers. Let's hope I get an answer.
Edit: I did not get an answer. Probably safe to say it's dead.
Thanks for the info, at least.
So nothing, no update on itch or their blog since September. Either call it quits or let us know if you're still working on it. This is ridiculous.
I'm looking forward to all the routes~
Hello, to any who feel jipped, mislead, or lied to...
This game does have romance elements. Otome is a girlxboy game, and not all otomes have kissing scenes. Now they did originally plan for a full game to be otome based, however, if you aren't careful you won't find yourself on any of their routes. Seriously, you have several endings per each character and you can easily miss the romance for these characters.
There's a big difference between real otome and "game which does have romance elements".
Many people wouldn't buy this game if the developers were honest from the beginning.
It is a real otome, there is no real difference other then the fact others only want the kisses and good times, instead of wanting the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Then I guess, you never played a real and good otome :)
I've played plenty of otomes to know, that you can have romance, and have romance that doesn't end in a kiss.
"Romance that doesn't end in a kiss"
In all the routes and in all the endings?
Well, I personally wouldn't call it otome.
Otome game without even one kiss in all the routes is equivalent to a relationship where partners never kiss and never touch each other. Maybe this kind of relationship exist but it's abnormal.
I think the description of the game should be corrected. Judging from the comments, it's not an otome game. Lettuce Walts shouldn't mislead people.
I also would like a refund. I preordered this game 2 or 3 years ago and regret doing so. This game is advertised as an otome game and it's just not. There is a romance element but it's not about romance (which is what I bought it for). I really wanted this game to be great and support the developers but I feel cheated. Please give us those who preordered the option for a refund.
My thoughts exactly! I'm not asking for a refund but I feel somehow cheated because it's not an otome game as was promised...
Hi! ( ^ w ^ )
This game has had a particularly rough day, so I wanted to throw some positivity at it. I understand the desire for more frequent updates, but I don't mind the super slow-burn romance. I think it's sweet, and I find our cranky MC adorable.
I like this game. The art is beautiful, the story is compelling, the characters grow and change, and they end up as better, more fulfilled people. I can't speak for the entirety of the game, seeing as it's not finished yet, but it looks to be on track to be well worth the price to me.
Keep it up! Patience is a virtue, but perseverance is an art!
I completly agree, I really like this game too and I really don't regret the wait at all. I love the MC and I really loved the relationship developpement between her and Hayato. :) I don't think it's an obligation to have kiss scenes in an otome as long as the story is good and cute, which I find this game just adorable. :D
Will happily wait for the rest!! ^_^
I bought this game two years ago and the development has been incredibly slow, I only bought this game for Shuye but later on I found out you could buy the parts separately -.- I have also read the comments and dislike the lack of romance, this is an otome game there needs to be romance and a kiss scene would be nice. I would like a refund as well. I might buy Shuye's route alone if I learn that Shuye has some actual romantic moments, but please give me a refund.
Hi how do I get a refund? This game is not what I payed for and I have a feeling that this game will not be finished. Also this story is not worth $20 with no romance at all. I get that character development is important but with no romance I do not get the point of this story. Plus the mc is so self centered not nice at all. I don't get why making a character so unlikable is good for development. Honestly this is not worth $20! I'm pissed that I payed that for a terrible story and a unlikable mc! She learns nothing but to be selfish. In Hayato's story the ending left much to be desired I mean not even a kiss! What the heck I don't get how this is a story without a proper ending? I mean he comes all the way to her world and she's just so ungrateful!
I'm sorry I tried to like this but I feel cheated! I get that their will be patches but for the $$ this is unacceptable! I feel that making a profit is important but 20$ for this I do not think is fair plus, I have no desire to read more. On top of that the only good character doesn't even has his route finished! Anyway I do not want to be mean. I'm just so disappointed in this because in the description it sounds like a really good story but not an Otome at all. Because their is no romance. So please refund me. I also think if I had known this game was like this I would not have purchased this either. It's seriously unfair. Thank you for listening to my opinion.
This game does have romance, but it's difficult to get on either of their paths if you do not do the correct choices and actions.
It's pretty easy to get on the romance path.
The main problem of the game is different.
If you mean by using a walkthrough then sure, It's pretty easy. I guess the difference between me and other otome players, is that I look for the story instead of the romance.
It's pretty easy without using the walkthrough.
I think the story is very important but if developers claim that it's an otome game then the romance is as important as the story. Unfortunately, it seems that developers didn't work enough on the romance in this game. That's why many people complain.
I never expected that this game would have many steamy scenes but some kissing scenes wouldn't hurt.
In the description it's written that Spirit Parade is an otome game. I personally think that an otome game without kissing scenes is weird. I don't mean that they should happen in all the routes but till now I haven't seen even one kiss. I like the story and the character development but I think romantic part of the game is very important as well. I've played Mikio's and Hayato's route but the romantic part and relationship development between them and MC were quite poor.
I'm sorry but if I knew that all the routes were going to be like this, I wouldn't buy Spirit Parade. This is a game where there is a bit of romance but I wouldn't call it an otome.
I've just played Mikio's route and there wasn't even one kiss :( Will all the routes be like this - without kissing scenes?
Largely, Spirit Parade is more about character development than explicit romance. There's not really going to be very steamy scenes in it.
It has been almost 3 months since the production diary has been updated, 5 months for the itch.io development log, and a month since a dev has responded to a comment. I have commented this before, in my review in for Hayato's route, but an 'official' monthly update would be nice, even if it is just "still continuing this project!" The long stretches of silence, dropping a new route, and then more silence after maybe a month or two of release is incredible unnerving. I understand delays and having to focus on work and such, but I don't understand leaving everyone in the dark about what is happening. I enjoy this game and hope to see it finished one day, but until then, I would like to know the status of the game's progress.
(I apologize if this is a bit demanding or brash, but leaving fans in the dark about progress, paying fans at that, never seems to end well. I have waited almost three years for this game, and I'm willing to wait longer, but regular updates will make it more bearable for everyone.)
Thank you for your feedback. You're completely right of course, and we're sorry to have caused any worries or inconvenience. I'm usually the one who updates our social media and I've been stretched very thin recently due to a death in the family, among other things. I'll set a reminder for myself on my calendar and try my best to keep up monthly updates like before. I understand that it's important to keep everyone updated and I'll improve on that. Again, our apologies for not being more transparent.