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Thank you for coming back! I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed Reflections. I knew that the characters needed more explanation and closure. I plan to write an extra story from Rasumi's perspective. This year has been incredible busy, so I couldn't meet my initial plans. I'll post an update around the end of this month about my progress.

This year has been super busy for me. A lot of things happened irl that prevented me to do creative work. I'll post an update around the end of this month of my progress & future plans.

I can't believe that time flies so fast. I remember when I started this project during my teens. Now, I continue working on it. I plan to update the previous game with new sprites and write more stories with the new sprites. I hope that fulfills your request!

I'm glad that you enjoyed the routes! Maaaybe your wish with Kaichi becomes true ;D

Thank you for playing my game!

Hi, I appreciate your in-depth thoughts. It's very interesting reading your views and interpretations. To be honest with you, my takeaway from Junoru's route was intentional and partially not. That is because I have no answer for all the morally grey actions and questions. It's true that the story turns the characters into 'good' at some point, which is part of forgiving. Though, this process was too fast before Miyoko really understood other characters. 

Junoru's biggest flaw is not making any decision and always stay neutral. He's not actively helping Roya in killing, but neither reporting him to the locals. In Roya's eyes, he seems not to care about the past. To Miyoko, Junoru is an compliance because he knows the truth. Though after Miyoko learns about Roya, she's put in the same shoes. Being morally correct doesn't mean it will make people happy. Not making a decision is indeed very selfish. They are taking a step back from responsibility and wait for things to unfold. This only led to more conflicts and deaths. 

I regret not putting more choices in this route, especially for crucial matters like these. At the time, I had specific endings on my mind and didn't branch out much. The achievement 'lonely girl meets lonely guy' is indeed that they are very similar and only understand themselves. 

I learned a lot after making my first game, so I tried better my best in Dark Nights Reflections. Both Roya & Chain have clashing morals with Miyoko. I had to dive deep into how their chemistry work. I gave Miyoko more moments to reflect on her actions and other characters. This is what lacked in the first game. 

It's interesting that you mentioned Kaichi & Blace. Both with backgrounds that Miyoko hasn't explored, so she doesn't empathise with much (though, I will explain in-depth in Reflections). Make take-away is that people often jump into conclusions without context. They see a puzzle piece and think that's the whole picture.

I created the game with this thought I mind. Every route is from a wildly different perspective—even how the side characters get involved. For example, Chain could be your friend or enemy depending on who you're with. 

I'm glad that you enjoyed the character driven plot! I heard that many liked the characters, so I gave them more screentime in the DLC. Being an artist, I cared a lot about the art quality. I took a while to develop and polish my style, so there is a jump in skill between sprites & CGs. Even then, I redrew many scenes. It's even more prominent if you compare the first game and DLC.

To give more context on why the story takes place in a small town: I grew up in a city that is considered a town. Historically, it doesn't have 'city' rights, but it grew massively in the past decades. I wasn't familiar with most neighborhoods, but my usual routes are filled with familiar faces. When I visit big cities, there is a stark contrast with my hometown. Basically, I described my own experience living here, but it didn't translate well through the story. Instead, I should've called it a big town or small city. 

Your second critique about the consequences in choices is valid. At the time, I didn't like bad endings due to choices, but that defeats the whole point. I kept this in mind while writing the DLC. To sum up: most of the plot decisions were intentional, but partially flawed as a novice writer.  This was my first ever game written over a span of nearly 6 years. I changed the script many times, so maybe I lost track of my initial intents or some things didn't connect well.

Despite many negative points, you're very forgiving and they didn't take away your overall enjoyment. Thank you for playing all the way til the end. If you give the DLC a try, please share your thoughts again!

The characters are young adults. I have updated their age to 20-25. I hope that this gives you a rough idea. 

I wish you a nice day too!

Thank you for getting back to me! I've been anticipating your thoughts. I added all tools you need to get the endings easily. I'm glad that you enjoyed Chain's route too, but I can tell your bias haha.

In response to your previous comment, many people asked what would happen in Roya's future if he survives, but there is no cure. Being isolated from his beloved ones for so long changed his mindset.

I saw one comment about Chain acting like a monk compared to Roya. I had to laugh. I'll dive deeper into how he acts in a romantic relationship.

While Odaz & Zuri's stories ended, I want to draw them more! Their designs were done much later because I had no idea what they would look like.

I noticed that the minor crowd with the loudest voices doesn't reflect the entire community. I should be careful what to keep/change in writing. Although it's difficult to judge this.

Regarding your question, yes. I do plan on updating the main game with new sprite art. It may take a while because it's lower priority. I'll get through it eventually!

Thank you for giving my game a try!  Your favorite characters got their own storyline now. I hope that you enjoy them.

Kaichi will appear multiple times in the extra stories. I'm still working on them. 

Right now, a few fans are working on the English & Spanish translations. I haven't had anyone contacting me about Russian yet. The main game has a fan translation in Russian.

After working on this DLC for years, I've been really looking forward to people's thoughts. Thank you for giving this game a try!

I learned a lot from my first game. I retained the useful features and added more, such as highlighting the choices you had previously picked. The routes have a lot more menus, so it's useful for replays/going back. I had a lot of fun and challenging moments while writing Roya's route. I'm delighted that you like how the events unfolded. I wanted to write satisfying endings where everything is wrapped up. In the main game, Roya got the short end of the stick. There was one scene where MC was reading a book "Bright Days". Roya commented "Characters that barely had a few lines in the first book actually got to speak their minds." I really got to explore this concept in Roya's own route. I tried to share more background info about Blace & Jace, and involve them more in the plot at the same time. In the main game, Miyoko didn't seem close to them.

I kept the same number of CGs per route. I thought about more interesting concepts, but I'll leave them for the extra stories. Throughout the years, my taste has changed and I picked up things I like about storytelling. You're right that my style of writing is direct to the solution. In the original game, MC took a while to figure out or made wrong decisions, and players complained about that. Personally, I'm not fan of plots around misunderstandings or drama, so I like to resolve these as soon as possible. Maybe I referenced real-life situations too much for dialogues haha;;
I agree with the details you mentioned. I'll do my best while I'm working on the secret route and extra stories.

I hope that you enjoy Chain's route as well! His personality and route composition are the opposite of Roya's. It's packed with many events and explores parts of Dark Nights you've never seen before.

Hi Kastriona, thank you for reporting this issue. I've asked other players who use Windows 11. All of them were able to launch the game by opening the folder and launch the exe file. I update both Itch & Steam, so they are the same version. If you still have troubles, feel free to join Dark Nights' discord. There are always people online to help: https://discord.gg/b7wwHhx

As for which platform is better, Steam takes a large cut from sales, while on Itch it's just a fee for payment processors. Dark Nights is free, so it doesn't matter on which you download. If you consider buying the DLC, getting on Itch would help me a bit more. Leaving a review on either platform would be useful for me and fellow players. Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness about creators!

Thank you for the support! I hope you're enjoying the game.

If you find more spelling errors, please submit them using the form link. I'll fix them in the next update. I appreciate your help!

Thank you for following my works! I enjoy doodling and writing little things about my OCs. 

You're right that Lioji is the first OC I created. I already had a set lore with him and rp with friends. It's difficult to wipe their background or change it for a romance plot in Dark Nights. I would rather start with new characters. If you've noticed, the current choices are all created during the development of Dark Nights.

I'm delighted that you enjoy the DLC so far! I placed a lot of easter eggs for returning players. About your question; I've heard about Joiplay. Supposedly, it works for Renpy built games. I haven't tested this myself, but someone mentioned that the main game did work on it. The DLC was built in the same engine.

It's thanks to the community that I got to create this. It's my love letter to the fans. More screentime for your favorite characters, nostalgic scenes and new lore. I did my best to improve everything I learned from the main game. I hope you enjoy the stories to the very end!

Thank you for sharing! It's fun watching your gameplay and reactions. I hope that you continue uploading because I want to watch until the end!

Thank you for playing my game! I hope that you enjoy the DLC. I'm not good at promoting, but I like the community that grew around Dark Nights. Maybe people that who enjoyed the game spread the word to their peers. Please leave a review! 

I just enjoy talking about my OCs and drawing them. Even after the story ends, I continue posting doodles.

Thank you for playing this game! I'm glad that you enjoyed the twin brothers. All I can say is "maybe". They'll get some fun moments in the side stories :3c

Thank you for checking out my new project! I got some issues with the Steam review, hence it takes longer. I'll post updates on DN's twitter when the official date is confirmed. The store page will show up first, then the release is 2 weeks later.

Thank you for playing my first game! I really enjoy creating narrative art. For years, I only drew illustrations, but I wanted to create something interactive & longer stories. Furthermore, through visual novels, characters feel 'alive'. I'm humbled by your support!

Thank you for checking my new game! I created this with returning players in mind, but you don't have to play the original to enjoy this one. The new storylines are about the new characters with pieces of extra lore.

I've tested it with the Steam Deck, and it's compatible!

Thank you so much for your kind message! Dark Nights is very dear to me. I’ve learned countless skills through this project and formed lasting connections with wonderful people. I took to heart the feedback I received from the first game and did my best to improve every aspect in this second one.

One of the most notable changes is the art. Over the years, my preferences changed.  After many studies, I developed a clearer vision of how the characters should look. In the first game, I designed them before writing the story. This time, their poses and expressions feel much more true to who they are.

I’m delighted to hear the story got you hooked. I hope you enjoy it all the way to the end!

Thank you for your interest in the new game! The Steam release is experiencing delays because of strict guides. I apologize for the wait. I'll keep you updated via DN's Twitter.

Thank you for the support! Knowing that so many are looking forward to this new game, I was super fueled to finish it. I hope that you enjoy what I've been cooking in the past 2 years!

I remember your comment! Thank you for dropping by again. 2 years gave me enough time to develop 2 more routes and revamp everything. Your favorite characters have more screentime in the new game. I hope you enjoy it!

Thank you for dropping a comment! I'm delighted to receive comments from the players. It's funny to see that many played DN during pandemic. I never thought it was a good moment to release the game. I learned a lot from my first project and I implemented all improvements into this new game. I hope you enjoy it!

Hello! I'm delighted that you enjoyed this game. It's nice to see you coming back after the main game. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

Chain was a difficult character to write. He had little screen time, so I kept wondering how he is like in other settings. I'm glad you grew fond of him! Roya became more expressive, but you also saw more sides of him. The side characters will shine once more in the extra stories. 

Hint for achievement 16: Roya chapter 1. After accepting to be his girlfriend, get the timed choice. You have missed one of the menu options after.

Thank you for playing Dark Nights again! I'm delighted that you enjoyed the experience. About achievement nr6, it's in Chain's route. You have to get all choices with a ping including the bonus point in the prologue. You'll stumble upon unread text in Ch3. After this, enjoy the sketchbook :D

Hi, thank you for playing this game! Chain's route is less straight forward. Players will likely post a guide later, so for now I'll give a hint:

Chain's  1st bad ending is by getting all choices without the ping sound (you'll stumble upon the secret ending too). The second bad ending is reach his romantic end ("Chapter 4 Hunter's End") without a full score. The easiest way is get 3-4 choices wrong when you're close in that chapter.

All achievements are correct. While there are 2 options in Chain's romantic ending, I named them the same. Perhaps, I'll add an update with "Version A and B". 

No.

Yes! The original game is still relevant if you want to know the backstory of some characters. Regardless, you can enjoy this game without any prior knowledge.

It's like a birthday present :D Thank you for the praises. I wanted to improve and keep the same feel so returning players get a sense of familiarity. After all, it's been years since the main game released. Anyway, please drop your thoughts when you play!

The new stories will take you through a rollercoaster again. The main guys are back, but this time with supporting roles. Let me know your thoughts when you play it!

Thank you for checking out this game again! I hope that you enjoy all my efforts. Please leave your thoughts when you try it!

Thank you for checking out this new project!! It makes me delighted that my work is memorable. I hope that you enjoy the new routes too. I added a lot of details and kept some elements for nostalgia. 

Yes! It's a lower priority, I will finish this DLC first.

There is no walkthrough yet, but fans will likely post it at some point. Please enjoy the game at your own pace. I added a lot of tools to help like romance hints, notes where to find CGs and which options you picked before.

Thank you for checking out my second Dark Nights project! I'm going to release the Steam edition on 10 November. I didn't consider extra stories, but was convinced by the community, so it's thanks to them that this 'DLC' exists. I only hope for people to enjoy it.

Preparing for the release made me like a zombie, haha. Anyway, please contact me through my e-mail, because I have a few questions: darknights.time@gmail.com

The game is created on the same engine. I've never tested the previous game on Joiplay, but you can try with this one too.