Hello everyone and happy fall! 

It's been a decently long time, hasn't it? Other than my horror yuri game, I've been pretty quiet on the game front. I'd like to do some explaining on why and where things are going.

1. Why haven't I been participating in game jams?

I have participated in many game jams. Most of the time, I've been leading my own groups. And it's definitely taken it's toll. I have felt walked over, abandoned, mistreated, and ignored. I found myself distancing from the visual novel community because I couldn't handle it. People I trusted have hurt me. People have broken their promises, left their work, and disappeared. After an especially bad experience, I just knew that I couldn't do it anymore. 

I can't keep letting myself get disrespected. I couldn't keep getting my hopes up, bending over backwards to fit people's needs, only to have them take advantage of me and my kindness. I love visual novels. I love games. I love writing, I love voice directing, and I love creating. But I could feel that getting poisoned. And so I made the decision to not lead volunteer teams for the foreseeable future. I'll either be working solo or in a non-leadership role. 

I had so many great games planned for you guys. Most of which would be perfect for a lot of game jams. I'm sorry that I can't bring them to you. 

2. When is my next game?

I don't have a solid answer for that. This game has gone through a lot of setbacks. The current team is working really hard to try and get it out at least by next year. Just know that this game has a lot of love poured into it. From the voice acting, to the music, to the writing, it'll be a really good one. 

3. Will I still be making games?

Yes! Since I won't be participating as a lead in game jams anymore, I may join some teams when I have the time. I'm also working on some long term games. They will be in the pre-development process for a long time, but I will be working on them regardless! I'm still passionate about making games, but I need a step back after all the negativity, hurt, and bad experiences. I need to recharge.

4. Other (very) important projects.

Right now, I'm participating in the Action Fantasy Tourney held by Tapas. My story,Atrophy of the Eternal Forest, has officially made it's debut! It currently has six chapters that update bi-weekly. From hot older men (duh), to lovable bards, to lots of magic and lore, this story is definitely worth reading! It would mean the world to me if you could support it.

My other project is Fine Wine, an ossan OC centered zine, is currently in the production phase. Contributors are working on their pieces! Not much to update there. 

Finally, there is For The Stars, a multimedia choose-your-own-adventure project. The members are working hard, but we could use more staff like artists, animators, writers, and musicians! If you're interested, apply here. There's a lot of wonderful and talented people working on this project.

5. Where you can find me.

Sometimes I'm skulking around in some servers (especially mine), but you can find me streaming on Twitch and see my videos on Youtube. Of course, there's my carrd for a list of all my social media.

And finally, to plug myself, I am accepting commissions on VGen. This is a great way to support me and get a cool story, script, or whatever you want out of it! I also added new YCH writing commissions which are really cool! Please check them out!

Thank you all so much for all of your support. I hope to keep making great content for all of you to enjoy. And I hope I still have your support.

-Syd