The holiday season is upon us as we make our way towards the end of the year ~ I honestly don't have much to report on the productive side of things, as I'm still (slowly) making my way working on Chapter 2 of Monster Boyfriend. Instead I'll be sharing what my plans for 2026 are shaping to be. However, I do have some new art and a fun little short story I'd like to share. So be sure to keep scrolling! :3

Future Plans for Monster Boyfriend

I already shared this on Patreon, but I might as well mention it here, too. I'm just gonna copy/paste though, because I am lazy. xD

First of all, thank you to everyone who filled out the survey for Chapter One. I read each and every opinion and it gives me quite a lot to think about! I'm pleased that in general it seems to be an overall positive reception, even if a small one, which is understandable given it's new and still in the process of development. I honestly don't really care about the numbers, so long as those who do take the time to play and respond seem to be enjoying it. And if you haven't played the demo / left a survey yet, don't worry it's not going anywhere, so feel free to take it whenever you have the time to do so. No rush ~ :3

Everyone who has left a survey has requested a longer hair option for our reaper protagonist and that is certainly doable I think, so I'll figure out a way to incorporate that in the future. Most likely sometime next year, as I still want to focus on getting Chapter Two done this year. Or at least as much as I can get done.

I am still interested in adding a point-and-click aspect to the game, but I'm uncertain if I'm going to be able to figure out how to incorporate it the way I want to. So my plan for now is to make a mini spin off project—featuring pre-zombie Jason—as a sort of test subject just to see how it feels, if I'm able to do what I want to do with it, and if it wouldn't be too much trouble to add it in.

Still too early for me to say for sure one way or the other, just know that this is something I'm looking into and messing around with behind the scenes. Obviously I think it would a fun addition, but the idea of something and actually making it a reality are two completely different things, so I won't make any promises until I'm certain of what I can deliver.

There's also been—unsurprisingly—some interest in adding more boyfriends into the story. After taking it into consideration, at this stage in development I don't have plans on adding more love interests to Monster Boyfriend. Given the way the story's outlined and knowing where it's headed, unfortunately I don't see much opportunity for me to add in another love interest without it feeling forced or rushed.

However, knowing how this story is going to end, I do see some potential for a sequel. In which some of the minor characters coming up in the next couple chapters could become potential love interests. As well as adding a couple new ones as well. Once again, no promises, it's just something I've been thinking about and is nothing more than a whimsical thought at the moment. I'm INFP, so I enjoy imagining possibilities of the future, even when the realist in me knows I need to focus on the present and take things one step at a time. ;P

Hypothetically speaking, if I do make a sequel, I would start with a recap in which the player gets to choose which boyfriend our reaper ended up with and how each of the original Monster Boyfriends' personal stories ended, so the two would feel more connected. I'm not sure if I would keep our reaper as the MC or come up with a new one. But once again, this is 'far into the distant future' stuff we're talking about, considering it's going to take me at least three more years to finish the first game. We have plenty of time to debate about whether we want a sequel or not.

Plans for 2026

So far, here's my quarterly plans for 2026, subject to change of course.

• First Quarter - Break
  After mulling it over some, I decided to give myself a much needed break during the beginning of the year leading up to early spring. Outside of finishing up whatever I may or may not have left of Monster Boyfriend Chapter Two of course. It'll give me time to refresh and focus on things that aren't visual novel related. If I feel motivated, I might still work on some things behind the scenes—for example the point and click short mentioned above—but I won't post about them publicly unless I have something to show for it. I don't know if I'm going to keep posting devlogs during this break. Once again, it depends if I have anything I want to talk about. Don't worry about me if I suddenly become quiet for a few months, I will return as summer approaches, once I'm ready to get back to work. And/or have something I want to share. :3
• Second Quarter - Dragon Roommates
  I debated back and forth and as much as I really want to keep working on Pure in Heart, even more than that I want to finish Dragon Roommates next year. So once I'm done with my break, I at least want to start on Nixie and Wisteria's final chapter. I already have it outlined. I know what I want to do with it, I just need to focus and get it done. Which is partly why I want to take a break beforehand, so I have a chance to start in fresh and (hopefully) that will help with my motivation levels, so I can strap myself in and see it through. I've been working on this project off and on for four years, so it's time to wrap things up so we can move on. I love it to death and I've learned a lot working on it, but I'm really hoping 2026 will be the final year.
• Third Quarter - Monster Boyfriend
  Obviously I need to set aside time to work on Monster Boyfriend, as my plan was (and still is) to do one chapter per year around Halloween time, because tis the season. I'm hoping next year I'll be better prepared and motivated, so Chapter Three doesn't take me as long as Chapter Two has taken me this year. But it is what it is. And if Chapter Three ends up taking me Aug-Dec again ... so be it. I am determined to stick to my original plan of one chapter per year though. Regardless of how long it takes.
• Fourth Quarter - Pure in Heart
  Best case scenario, if I manage to complete both Dragon Roommates and Chapter Three of Monster Boyfriend and still have some time to spare, then I would like to keep working on Pure in Heart more. Worst case scenario, we postpone Chapter Two of Pure in Heart for another year. I'm not too worried about it either way honestly. I know the opportunity will come eventually. Just a matter of time. ;P
  
  On a positive note, I will be roleplaying as the main character—Brianne Whestley—in an upcoming D&D campaign (Ghosts of Saltmarsh) . She's going to be a wizard bladesinger, which is perfect for her, being a spell sword. :3 Wayward will be serving as her shapeshifting familiar, and below you can see him in gyrfalcon form. I love drawing my D&D characters, so I may have some bonus AU art & stories to share of her adventures throughout the campaign.

Broomstick

I started revisiting an older piece a couple weeks ago just for fun. Since then I've worked on a proper outline and started on the next chapter, too! The story is about a young woman from a small farming community who discovers she's a witch. It will eventually turn into a cozy, lighthearted rom com (in novel format, not vn format at this time anyway) with both light fantasy and slice of life elements.

With the struggle of finding motivation to keep working on visual novels lately, I think taking breaks and spending time getting back to my roots of writing fun little short stories like this is helping. I'm not sure what will become of this series, but if you're curious to know more, feel free to check out more info on my post about it on Patreon (it's free for everyone to enjoy ~).

You can also read the prologue by clicking here ~

And here's a glimpse at the design I came up with for the main character, Violet Riddle (you'll find out why her hair turns blue in the next chapter). Her design was largely inspired by my Story of Seasons character (PC is customizable) from the Grand Bazaar remake, a game which I love to death and was what encouraged me to revisit this project, too. The setting of Garen's Well is a collaborative original setting created by me and a fellow writer/artist Samarkana, a friend I originally met on Deviant Art. Garen's Well is inspired by cozy farming sim games such as the Harvest Moon / Story of Seasons series which we both enjoy. :3

That's all I have to share for now! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season, full of love and laughter ~
Let's all keep working hard to make the end of the year a good one! ♥