December College Craze Dev Update

Hi, everyone!

This past month I worked on CGs for the game and got 3 new ones completed!

2023 is coming to a close and I would like to take some time to communicate with you all. I know I’ve been very absent, and the game has been stuck in a limbo as a result. Compared to previous years, the game’s progress is a lot slower. I apologize for not being transparent about all of this sooner, you all deserve to be in the loop more about these things and how they impact the progress of the game. Please understand that it was not for any light reason.

I’m a very different person than I was at the start of this year, and my life is currently in a very different place than when I started this game. This year in particular has put me through so many life changes and challenges, and I mean it when I say it will not ever go back to how it was before. Life really blindsided me in more ways than one. I was very fortunate to have the time and safety and stability I did to work at a consistent pace before, but because of the things that have happened, I cannot realistically aim to produce like I had before.

And that sucks.

Because I see the support and love and excitement you all have for this, and I want to achieve and exceed those expectations like I used to, but I can’t.

Throughout the year, I have worked on the game, though it’s been less of a priority. I can’t make promises about dates or timelines because outside of the game, life is incredibly unstable. There was an entire month this year where I felt like I’d gotten bad news every single day and I had no idea where I physically would be, let alone have time or mental energy to work on things.

And I don’t mean to make this a big pity party, apologies if it sounds that way. My aim is to illustrate the fact that I’m overwhelmed and unsure of a lot of things right now. While I have no idea when the next chapter will be out, I do know a few things.

1. I will finish creating this game, and have decided that Chapter 8 will be the final chapter for it. It won’t be as robust as I always envisioned it being, but for now it's the best course of action. I can always go back at a later point and add to it when I’m stable.
2. Chapter 7 is already fully written/coded. I am currently making final edits/posing and working on artwork. I’ve been working on this for a while now and would really like to have this out soon. I know you all are eager to see it soon too.
3. I will continue making progress when I can, but I can no longer promise a release cadence or schedule. If I do decide to pause working on the game entirely I will let you all know. I personally don’t consider this a hiatus, just a slow down, though this could be interpreted differently.
4. The support from this community has been incredible, and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to see what I’m doing and accept it so enthusiastically. I never thought this game would get as much love as it did when I first released the demo, but I’m so happy it had. Thank you all for sharing it with your friends, talking about it in Discord, participating in events, interacting on socials, being patrons and making fan art. In this dark space, it’s truly a light that I hold dearly. Thank you.
5. This community and the operations of my Patreon and the Discord would be nothing without the hard work and support from my mods, admin, and merch artists. Thank you Angel, Ageha, Satan, Cinaruco, NicolasCrab, Giovanna and SketchyInk. You all have held up the fort while my world was flipped upside down.

It’s been a heavy year, and I am hopeful 2024 brings some peace and calm. I look forward to wrapping things up in the coming months and hopefully finishing this game next year.

This month’s postcard brings you the Anderson-Ibrahim siblings having a… time. Check out the low-res preview below:

Remember that the postcard perk is included in the Junior+ tiers at no additional cost, so if you want to get it in your mailbox this month, add an address to your pledge info. International addresses are accepted and postcards are sent in a discreet envelope!

January 3x3 die-cut sticker preview below! This month’s sticker set features a Bitterby city emblem, Andreas in full chef mode (hope you’re hungry! 😉), and another Ruby-inspired sticker for her stans out there!

Reminder: the sticker perk is included in the Senior+ tiers at no additional cost. Seniors get 1 random sticker, and Dropouts+ get the full set. No requests. Remember to add your info address if you want them!

TLDR; I am still working on the game, though at a much much slower pace than before due to life circumstances. I’m planning on ending the game after the next update (Chapter 8).

Xoxo,

Pretty