One Year Anniversary


Hey there, Itch followers! I realized this morning that it's been exactly one year since I launched the intro to Freshmen: Physical Education, and I thought I'd do a mini update post to celebrate!

The game has grown a lot since those early days when it was just Connor, Matt, Leo, Marco, and Riley. And it's certainly been a lot of work as a solo developer to keep the content rolling out. But seeing so many people download and enjoy the game has kept me going all these many months. Thank you for playing and keeping tabs on the game's development - I appreciate you so much!

As for the game's progress, I'm currently in the later stages of creating the Club Update, which will be v0.2.0. This next update will round out the second evening of Connor's first week at college by adding a third option for where to spend the night. The evening with all its many options really gets the story branching as your earlier choices start to take effect... and as your new choices set in motion events to come.

The Club Update will highlight Alex, Asher, Isaiah, and a new main character who's only had a small cameo so far: Griffin, a bartender at Atelier 54. Things can go in many different directions as the night progresses. One path reveals some very interesting things about our bestie Matt - including some very hot CGs to illustrate what he's been up to...

I'm going to be releasing some early dev builds on Patreon soon with an aim to do the full early access release in the latter half of February. I'll keep you all posted with specific release dates for both early access and the free public release once v0.2.0 is complete.

As you've noticed if you've followed along for awhile, it can take several months between these big updates. I hate making you guys wait so long, but it's just the reality of doing all this solo. I'm making a few changes after the Club Update to alleviate the wait time. One change is lowering the scope of each big update a bit. The other is a new feature I'm introducing after the Club Update - Grind'm hookups.

If you've played the current version of the game, you probably noticed the Grind'm option as "coming soon" on the main menu screen. For those of you who've played Coming Out on Top, this upcoming feature is going to work similarly to the Brofinder dates in that game. (If you haven't played Coming Out on Top, you should definitely run and do so!) Essentially, as you meet characters while playing, you may unlock a Grind'm hookup with them that'll be available from the main menu.

The guys featured in these scenarios will be one of the many hot side characters that most likely won't get a hookup scene in the game itself. Candidates include the dudes you can meet at the frat party - and there are many more sexy guys coming in the Club Update that may also become options. The scenarios will be story light and CG heavy, and you'll be able to choose which positions you want to take to customize the fantasy.

The plan is to release one such Grind'm hookup between each big update to help tide us over between story drops. The guys that will be featured are being voted for on Patreon. The polls to pick the first guy to get a Grind'm hookup are running now and will end after the Club Update is released.

I think this will be a really fun new addition to the game! I'll post an update here once I know which guy is going to be featured and when you can except it to be released publicly.

I hope this anniversary update assures you that the game is alive and well. I'm looking forward to another productive year taking all these storylines in fun, dramatic, and sexy directions! I do much more thorough updates for Patreon patrons twice monthly, including things like showing the roadmap of the updates coming over the next year. If that's of interest of you, you can find Patreon over here: patreon.com/FreshmenVN

Thank you again for following along with my little game! I have so much more planned beyond the Club Update - beginning with showing the fallout of the choices you made at Matt's place and during the frat party. I also have some sexy situations planned with guys like Will. We've come so far in just a year - and I plan to keep going farther still 🙂

- Danny

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Comments

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I just wanted to say thank you for taking your time and making this. I love this story so much already and I just found it. I have a couple questions and comments. So if you answered that would be amazing. 

I love Matt from the get go and like I so want his full story and I hope that Connor and him end up together. I can so see Matt have slept around with all these guys, imagining that it’s Connor the whole time in a so ways (Like Ian and Mark, Coming out on Top). Though I personally would have loved for him to wait, I also think it makes sense for him to not have. The school is focused around sex and sexuality and how that changes and affects your craft. I’m hoping that the route with Matt it might lead to some bitter feelings from Connor about Matt having left him behind in so many ways. Though the work through them and Matt ends up showing Connor the fun of Sex and being together. Possibility or rather a big hope is that that while Matt is a big slut/man whore. He’s never dated and been in a relationship that way with a guy so that they would have a level footing at least in that aspect. As you can probably tell I’ve kind of focused on Matt just the way that he seems so relaxed(for the most part) with Conner and also concerned/jealous of him wanting sex with other men. 

I was also wondering if you have a date you’re hoping to have the game finished? Cause even though I know your the only one working on this I really want to play through the whole thing and take different routes  and see what will be allowed. Like maybe a poly relationship with Connor, Matt and Leo or Owen. I can really see Connor, Matt and Leo having something together, though right now I just want Matt to get off his hang ups already and be with Connor. 

 Also I think if you do have Poly Relationships I think and good one for a safe third to most relationships would be Owen his honestly so sweet and caring. My last comment about Matt, I was wondering that if they do become a couple. Would you have to where Connor moved into the apartment with Matt or an option too. Like he Matt wants him to but would understand if Connor wanted to stay in the Dorms.  I think that would be amazing. 

My last thing for now I promise I was wondering what you were hoping for or going for in the total length of this? Personally I’m hoping for his whole freshman year. 

I think I’ve took enough of your time thanks again for making this and I was wondering if you planned to get help to build/finish. Call me selfish cause I honestly am when comes to the story that here and there’s only two days so far. 

I'm really glad you're so taken with Matt! I'll get back to him, but wanted to answer the other questions first.

The game is set to take place over eight weeks, ending at Halloween. Each "chunk" of the game covers one week except for the first two days, and each chunk has its own theme around which all the storylines during that week revolve. So for instance, Week One is The Morning After/Getting to Know You. Currently I'm wrapping up Day 2 - part 2 of 10 - so we're still very much at the start of the game.

Right now I have to work entirely solo, so if that remains the case, the full game won't be for a couple years. But I hope as time goes on I'll have enough funds to hire people to help with things like coding, testing, sound, etc., which would help cut that timeframe down.

Okay, to Matt! You have the right idea of it as far as feelings that might be happening. I have a key moment planned for the first time he & Connor get together that will clarify things quite a bit. I don't want to give away too much so early, but I think players who are into Matt will be happy with certain revelations during that scene. Overall Matt's story gets a little complicated, though, possibly in ways that won't be expected. Not everyone's happy ending looks the same.

I won't be doing poly relationships simply because doing couples is complicated as it is with how much the storylines can change. Threesomes, sure, but full romantic relationships isn't in the cards currently. Though I think you'd be right about Owen being a good candidate.

The next release - The Club Update - doesn't feature Matt but does have Matt content, including 8 new CGs. A new main character is introduced named Griffin who has ties to Matt, and spending time with him can reveal some interesting things. Connor does indeed mull over how it feels that his best friend is kind of a different person now.

So when that comes out, the path to play through if you want Matt content is hang out with Matt in the afternoon, proposition him without backing down, then head to the club and spend as much time as you can with Griffin.

Lastly, since the game will only cover two months and relationships won't be fully defined until the end, Connor won't be moving in with anyone. I image if he does get serious with Matt he'd probably move in with him at some point, though!

One of the best  3D visual novel out there, you deserve all the praisw in the world!! I can not wait for the club update, but the thing I  am most  looking for is fucking Will(and Thomas too) lol. 

Thank you, I'm glad you like it! I have some hot stuff planned for Will in the release after the Club Update...

Currently what routes go the furthest sexually in the new update? I know Marco but who else? who else from the first update? just Leo? final question sorry lmao, Will we get more from Leo, a path with matt, and most importantly sexy stuff with my beloved Riley <3 soon?

In the current public version you can hook up with Marco, Leo, Julian, and sort of with Owen. The upcoming Club Update will add hookups with several more guys.

There will definitely be more Leo, and Matt most definitely has a romance path. And Riley will absolutely get more sexy stuff. These first round of hookups are with characters who are open to hooking up with someone they just met. Riley would rather get to know you first... be he falls hard and fast. If you completed his route up to making out during the frat party, you'll be able to hook up sooner rather than later...

Thank you for making such a wonderful game, can't wait for more content.  Good luck and take all the time you need we will be patient. Happy One year Anniversary!

Thank you!

Deleted 326 days ago
(+4)

Completely fair on Matt! The relationship with him has the potential to get pretty complicated, in part because what Connor/the player might want from him isn't something he can give. In this case, sharing your firsts. It's possible Matt also wishes they could have had mutual discovery instead of how things actually went down...

As for the story, I'm not planning to lock anyone into a romance early on. If you want to focus in on just one guy, you can, or if you want to play the field, you can do that, too. About 2/3 of the way through the full game is when the first "defining the relationship" convos will start, but that doesn't mean every guy will want to keep things monogamous, if they even want to date... or that Connor has to stay faithful if he does enter a monogamous relationship. There will be some paths permanently closed off by that point of the game, but it won't be impossible to switch from pursuing one guy to someone else.

Welp. I guess I can start over and pursue Riley now, lol. It was between him and Matt, but I share a similar sentiment to the poster you replied to. That said, it's also realistic, and it makes for a more interesting story where, like in real life, not everything is perfect. In fact, maybe some of the ones we typically assume are the unfaithful types might surprise us, much like the opposite with Matt.

Though, I hope we can at least have the option for an "almost perfect" romance later down the line, even if it's closer to the end. Sex is hot and all, and I'll try every single route available for completionism's sake, but at the end of the day, romance is more my thing, which I'm so glad this story offers. I look forward to how the rest of the story unfolds.

Anyway, keep up the fantastic work! Now that you're seemingly far from ever giving up on this project and willing to complete it, I just may subscribe to your Patreon. (I've been burned before, hence my initial reluctance.)

(+1)

Thanks, I'm glad you've been enjoying it! And I completely understand being wary of and in-development game from someone with no previous track record - I've been burned a bunch, too. I kind of get why some people ultimately give up, it's a lot of exhausting work to create a game solo, but the way some people just disappear is wildly unprofessional.

Anyway, about romances - every romanceable guy definitely has the possibility for a happy ending, but it'll really come down to if your Connor is on the same page as the other guy. That's why I'm not locking you into a romance path early, so you can shift your focus if it seems you're growing at odds with a character. 

Riley is a great choice for a full romance if you already feel in sync with his character. He's been very upfront and open about who he is.

It's interesting how revelations about Matt are being taken, but I 100% get it - in fact, one of the romanceable guys has the exact same turnoff. There's definitely reasons for how Matt's been living - his feelings about Connor contributed to how he developed when away from home for the first time. Their story is really about re-discovering each other as friends, whether that leads to sex/romance or not. 

Basically I'm trying to cover a gamut of how gay relationships can develop and how to navigate them, and Matt's choices are part of that. If anyone reading this is interested in what his and some other stories are exploring, there's a book called The Velvet Rage that goes into how the experiences of gay men can lead to a need for a certain kind of validation. It's an older book and it assumes the reader is a middle-aged, well-to-do white man, but if you can get past that, there's some interesting stuff.

So to sum it up - my hope is to take existing tropes like "the best friend" and put a little bit of a uniquely gay spin on them. It's been pretty cool to see how many people look beyond the sex and engage with the characters as people  🙂

Thanks for the reply and for your understanding.  I'm glad you're committed to this project. :)

Regarding the characters, yeah, that sounds about right, and it's great to know how they're developed. A porn VN is so boring to me, so I appreciate the fact that yours isn't one, and that we get to really connect with these characters that are 3D both physically and emotionally, all while having the bonus of hot sex scenes. And that book recommendation sounds interesting. I'll have to check it out sometime. Thanks again!