Amadeus: A Riddle for Thee

Episode 1 Out November 21, 2025 | a game about werewolves, witches, and memories | Mac - PC - Linux | linktr.ee/amadeusgame

[amadeusgame]

Amadeus: A Riddle for Thee ~

Episode 1 ~ Waltz is OUT NOW! (Mac | PC | Linux)

"I offer a guarantee—an absolute guarantee—that the tomes will contain the truth on the curse that afflicts you."

🌑 Umineko-inspired VN/Point-and-Click 🌒 Young werewolf protagonist makes bad life decisions 🌓 Art hand-drawn on paper 🌔 BANGIN' 24-track OST featuring live music performances 🌕 Find the truth in the first tome before Aska rises full...!

Play today on STEAM or ITCH.IO!

[amadeusgame]

Fanime 2026 Indie Game Showcase Recap

I went over Episode 2's development progress in a recent devlog, and there will be a bugfix patch for Episode 1 soon. But the biggest event from this past month was participating in FanimeCon 2026's Indie Games Showcase.

This was my first time tabling after actually releasing Episode 1, and it was a really fun and valuable experience! Thus, it merits a bigger write-up than the short-and-sweet photo dump from last week.

More below the cut! (And more on Amadeus here.)

Highlights included:

Being able to say "Episode 1 is out!" when people ask about a release timeline.*

Learning that my table neighbor, Gii, was in the same Homestuck fanclub as me at university over a decade ago?!

Meeting my audience face-to-face & talking to fellow big brain mystery VN fans!

Meeting fellow developers and, for the first time, being put in the very unfamiliar position of being asked for advice about finishing a project.**

Running out of business cards??

Seeing new people engage with my story & art.

Checking out other really cool games!

REALLY lovely entries & fanart in the Amadeus Guest Book!!!

On a personal note? Cosplaying and attending a convention for the first time in... 6-ish years.

In terms of metrics, it wasn't a very big "success," but it was very rewarding and I'd happily go back again. I know that a lot of my audience is willing to wait as long as it takes for all 5 episodes to drop before binge-ing the whole mystery, so it's really on me to finish more of that mystery before expecting bigger numbers. Conventions like this are a great motivation boost on the way there.

I will acknowledge some factors that made those metrics not huge, in case other indie devs want to use this as a reference:

I didn't really have a call-to-action. I was just there to show off my game. I sat back, let interested parties play, and encouraged them to take a business card and/or buy Episode 1 if they liked it.

I think that led to some confusion, as some people thought the demo I was tabling was the entirety of Episode 1. I had to clarify verbally that Episode 1 is 1-2 hours long and this was just the first part of it. Might need to clearly state that in signage...

I didn't offer any special incentive for people who attended in-person to buy the full game. No timed Steam sale, no keys to sell at a discount (although we were barred from doing that anyway), etc. If I wanted to push for Number Go Up I probably should've had an incentive. People want to feel rewarded; otherwise, there's no reason to not just wishlist and wait for a later sale on Steam!

At the end of the day, some people—myself included if I were my own audience—want to wait and binge a complete mystery. So I didn't really push hard for sales, knowing that some people are interested, but also happy to wait for Episode 5 to drop first.

I'm currently in a pretty interesting position, as someone trying to both sell a finished game and also build interest for an ongoing in-development game. None of the traditional "indie game marketing" advice fits perfectly, so I'm learning as I go. Pushing for wishlists pre-launch works for people who are waiting on Episode 2 after playing Episode 1; but for the audience who has played neither, what "funnel" makes the most sense for them? I'm figuring that out.

Most importantly, though, is gauging whether these tabling experiences are fun and rewarding... because as a solo developer, motivation is the most important thing!! And this was fun, so I'd happily come back next year. Since my game's audience is very small and the numbers are humble to begin with, seeing those "numbers" in person connecting with my work was a massive confidence boost.

Anyway, if you weren't at the convention, here are some other games that were tabling there that I'd like to shout out!

Impossible Cave—whoops, this game wasn't actually tabling at Fanime, but rather is being developed by my own tabling assistant S1x. Some of my music is in the game, too! If you're into indie roguelikes and games made by evil developers who want to end your run, definitely check it out.

Sugarplum Cafe—this game is PEAK cozy. The character designs are gorgeous and themed after the cute café snacks you make in the game. It's an aesthetic joy, entirely crafted and designed by one person, Gii. Join her mailing list to know when there's more news coming!

So, This Vampire Walks Into A Bar—the humor reminds me of Ace Attorney but if Ace Attorney was about you being a really bad (or possibly really good) bartender to werewolves and vampires and such. I've been excited about this game since we were table neighbors at MAGWest 2024, and they're looking to release in August! It's an all-female dev team, definitely take a look at what they're serving up here.

Backtrace: Mechanisms for Forgetting—YURI PUZZLE GAME THIS IS NOT A DRILL. I got the chance to speak with the developer on the last day and I am so here for what she's cooking. It sounds like there should be a public demo coming to the Steam page soon, and I highly encourage giving it a play when it drops because the puzzles and presentation were delightful.

Frog Fall—this game doesn't have a store page up just yet, but I was absolutely entranced by the visual style (it's really stunning, the current proof-of-concept demo on this website has definitely been iterated on a LOT). I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more news on this one.

Price of Flight—this game's visual presentation is just delightful. They had a CRT at their booth, which is always an easy way to win me over. I really can't put it any better than they do: it's the "bird-based bloodsport of the future."

Heck, here's the whole list! There were so many fun games, please give them all a look through and support the ones that seem up your alley.

Again, huge and massive thank-you to everyone who stopped by the booth at Fanime. And of course, huge and massive thank-you to everyone who has expressed interest or support for Amadeus via any other avenues.

Back to development!

*I am more aware than anyone else in the universe that "Episodes 2-5 are not out, though" is an enormous asterisk here. Still, being able to prove that I have shipped a game is huge. I think with each subsequent episode I finish, more and more people will have faith that I will see the whole thing through.

**It turns out that I needed this conversation for myself, too. Remembering how I structured and scoped things to actually keep myself accountable and finish has helped me re-apply those tools to development of Episode 2. Thank you to everyone who asked me questions about my process!

[amadeusgame]

Episode 2 Demo Coming: Progress Report

In Amadeus: A Riddle for Thee ~ Episode 2 ~ Reharm, you'll be seeing inside the manor at Augur Pyne. The Witch seems to have... redecorated:

"Some elements subject to change before demo/game release" disclaimer goes here. At least one of these elements needs to be updated and I haven't gotten around to it yet. If you have any questions about what you see here, don't worry about it! <3

Now, I won't be giving away every background image from the game like this before it comes out. Gotta keep some things under wraps. That said, I'm now committed to releasing a demo for Episode 2, and thus I consider everything that will be contained in that demo fair game to tease publicly. This scene included!

More on plans for the demo under the cut. All Amadeus links here!

Episode 2 Demo?

I went back-and-forth on this. What does it even mean to release a demo for a game that, by definition, has an audience restricted to "people who played Episode 1"? In the end, I've decided to go through with it, for the following reasons:

Milestones. I need milestones. This is a big one, and it will keep me accountable & build confidence that progress is being made. Even if there were no other reason, I would do it for this alone, because I already know breaking it up this way will help me finish the whole thing.

To tease. I am really cooking with Episode 2! I want people who are following development to sample what's in store if they're curious.

Feedback. Even though most of the mechanics are set from Episode 1, there are a few requested tweaks I'd like to add, so in making a demo I can get feedback on those. I can also get feedback on how Solea "feels" (her walk cycle and SFX have a slightly different timing, and her UI indicators are also different). And of course, feedback on the writing is always valuable, especially for the beginning.

Next Fest. I want to participate in Steam Next Fest at some point before release, which requires a demo. I don't know how this will go over, since it's not the beginning of the complete story; but I'd like to try it out. My intention is to show off Episode 2 (...which is already in a much more polished state than Episode 1 was when I participated in Next Fest 2024), and interested parties can go back and play Episode 1 if they like what they see!

As for progress towards finishing that demo, here's what's been done so far:

2 new background images

2 new music tracks

1 new UI icon

Solea idle pose + tentative walk animation

1st draft of all scenes written

2 scene templates updated in Unity with Solea prefab, text, and background art

2 Solea portrait sprites updated with new hair

And here's what I still need to do:

2 more new background images

1 more new music track

Master all new music tracks

1-2 more new UI icons

Finalize Solea walk animation

Secret tweak I need to make for 2 scenes

Update remaining Solea portrait sprites with new hair

Update "SpriteHandler" prefab with all the new sprites so I can then just re-use that and my life will be easier from here on

Fully implement drafted text in all scenes

Some amount of new art for new VN scene (TBD, this is lowest priority as the point-and-click scenes are much more work to implement)

I have a planned release date for the demo in mind, but I'll announce it when it's closer to being ready for the public. In the meantime, expect another update in about 6 weeks.

If you'd like more regular updates, I have a Discord server in addition to this Tumblr blog focused on Amadeus, linked here: linktr.ee/amadeusgame

Thank you for your continued interest and support!

[amadeusgame]

Thank you to everyone who stopped by my table at Fanime! Whether you played through the demo, signed the guestbook, flipped through the art notebooks, or just took a business card, it was so much fun seeing people face-to-face and sharing my game with people.

If you liked what you played, Episode 1 ~ Waltz is out now!

All relevant links for Amadeus: A Riddle for Thee can be found at linktr.ee/amadeusgame—thank you so much for checking it out. Let's keep in touch!

[amadeusgame]

Indie game dev marketing advice: wear something themed to your booth!

Me tabling my sepia-toned melancholy werewolf visual novel:

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Time is running out to catch the Amadeus booth as manned by Sorey Zestiria (Gaming Hall, indie games section)

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Catch me in the gaming hall today (Friday) for a table with not one but two Squall FFVIIIs. And a hand-drawn werewolf visual novel

[amadeusgame]

Report: Minor Audio Bug

To officially document something mentioned in a previous post, the following minor audio bug has been diagnosed:

When point-and-click scenes encounter lag, the "footstep" sound effect is repeated multiple times in rapid succession.

This should not happen for most users, as the game has very lenient minimum system requirements.

A proper fix is in development. I have tested the patch locally and it appears resolved, but I need time to fully test it and then publish on all storefronts. In the meantime, the following workaround resolves the issue:

Setting the "resolution" in the Window Settings of the menu to something lower than "Native" will reduce lag.

Toggling the "splash screen" off will also reduce lag.

When lag is sufficiently reduced, the issue does not occur.

An update will be announced when a bugfix patch is live. In the meantime, please report any additional bugs you encounter. You can do so on Steam, itch.io, this blog, or the Amadeus discord server. All linked at linktr.ee/amadeusgame. Thank you!

[amadeusgame]

Another bonus late-o-clock update...

Making sure I have everything prepped for Fanime. It's a little cramped in this test because my own card table is much smaller than the actual booth, but everything's here and working!

In testing this setup on an 11-year-old MacBook, I discovered a minor audio bug induced by lag. It is fixed by lowering the gameplay resolution, thus removing the lag. It should not have impacted most players, as this game doesn't lag on anything remotely recent; but it's been noted and may be addressed in a future patch.

My hand-painted Handsome Squall will be holding materials to sign the guest book. Please say hi to him if you stop by!

[amadeusgame]

Amadeus: A Riddle for Thee ~ Episode 1 ~ Waltz will be tabling in the Indie Games section at the FanimeCon 2026 gaming hall!

If you're attending, please stop by and say hi. I'll have:

A short version of the demo to play through in person (with headphones, naturally)

All of the notebooks with the physical art I hand-drew for the game

Bandcamp album download codes

If you happen to be attending next weekend, I'll see you there!

[amadeusgame]

Amadeus: A Riddle for Thee ~ Episode 1 ~ Waltz will be tabling in the Indie Games section at the FanimeCon 2026 gaming hall!

If you're attending, please stop by and say hi. I'll have:

A short version of the demo to play through in person (with headphones, naturally)

All of the notebooks with the physical art I hand-drew for the game

Bandcamp album download codes

If you happen to be attending next weekend, I'll see you there!

[amadeusgame]

Amadeus: A Riddle for Thee & Big Brain Bullshit Mystery Visual Novels

[11PM bonus devlog? 11PM bonus devlog.]

Amadeus sits in a... strange place. I have cited its primary inspirations as including Umineko, Final Fantasy VIII, and somehow, Sonic Adventure 1. Two of these three games are not necessarily known as being the most tightly-written narratives of all time.

Amadeus is difficult to categorize as a mystery game, because it's undeniably more about telling a story than presenting a mystery. Yet there is a mystery, and I've endeavored to set things up in such a way that come Certain Reveals, you can go re-play the earlier episodes and go "YOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

I actually was afraid that I had made certain setups too obvious in Episode 1, but was reassured by Spoiler Friends that my direction is definitely too insane for anyone to reasonably guess where I'm going with all this. Now that I've said that, though, perhaps expectations will be too high. Well, who knows?

We'll have to see how it lands once reveals come. Until then, I'd still like to talk about my biggest influences in mystery writing specifically, and what I've taken from those in terms of direction for Amadeus.

Or, what I'm HOPING to take from them!

Remember11: The Age of Infinity

OK, listen. This game is nuts. It has one of the most insane plot twists of all time, and it's kind of dumb but it's barely almost-justified by the game's logic, and it's just so completely out there, that you forgive it. Please play this game specifically for that reveal. There is nothing else like it. Probably for good reason, but still.

That twist isn't what really makes Remember11 stick in my brain as a mystery, though! It's the structure. The game has an INCREDIBLY unique structure, and it's almost entirely the fault of the game's (known and documented) tumultuous development.

It, uh, basically shipped without an ending.

Now, given that it did that, I think it did it brilliantly by using the concept of "not really having an ending" as itself a form of structure; something that ties into the game's overall plot. It's a brilliant concept and it... almost works.

The thing that makes it not actually work is that you can tell the delivery is half-assed. It needed more time in the oven.

Some incredibly important things live purely in the land of "utter speculation argued on internet forums until the game got a port that shipped with a timeline that straight up added new information," and other things are explained 10 different times by the time you get through it, which makes the mystery solving experience—to use a gameplay term—very unbalanced. During the epilogue, one character literally tells you when he answers a rather important question, that the explanation might not feel satisfying.

It's like you can hear the writers themselves saying "we didn't have the time to fully workshop this, so have... something."

And yet. This game is, in a way, Amadeus's grandfather.

It was my very first Big Brain Bullshit Mystery VN, so I had no genre expectations. I thought that spending 6 hours after finishing a game discussing Theories with someone else was peak fucking gameplay. I loved that some things were left open-ended and you had to discover the truth for yourself.

I still feel that way. The difference is just that now I have played other VNs, and have more experience as a writer, and can really tell when something's just not properly finished.

The problem with Remember11 is not the fact it doesn't have an ending! It's not that some items are left open to interpretation! It's just the fact that it didn't get enough time to properly pace & weave all the threads together, and that one of the things left "open to interpretation" is... one of the most fundamental driving forces of the game's plot. Lol.

So what have I taken from Remember11?

I prefer games that make you draw some connections for yourself. I love it when some things are unambiguously true, and you will understand them if you're paying attention; but they will never be stated outright. I want that experience of having to put some of my own thoughts into a story to fully understand it, and for that story to refuse to tell me itself that I'm right.

If a game is going to have a big plot twist you might as well make it nuts. This is personal preference, but like I said earlier, the plot twist in Remember11 is so fucking out there that I'll never be mad at it for being, um, very hard to swallow if you think about it too hard. If a mystery isn't going to be very well-balanced, I'd rather one that makes me go "what the fuck" than one that underwhelms.

...I have just sacrificed a lot of credibility as a writer by admitting that second point, haven't I? But it's true. If a game has "big plot twist" as its central identity, I want it to just go all out. I've been underwhelmed by plot twists that were properly earned and set-up just because I thought they were boring.

Well, please let me know in a few years how Amadeus lands for you. I don't think it's on the scale of Remember11's twist, but I still hope that no matter what, you don't find it boring.

Umineko no Naku Koro Ni

Yeah, you all saw this one coming. But Remember11 is important context for why it landed so, so well for me.

This is a game that takes what I loved from Remember11—that some things are never confirmed in the text, even though they are true; that it has almost no gameplay and yet I spent hours upon hours theorizing in a dedicated notebook while reading it—and presented it in the form of a VN that is. You know. Actually finished.

Reading through Umineko in 2022 is the reason Amadeus exists. I was in grad school studying media composition surrounded by Big Budget AAA Game Aesthetics, trying desperately to maintain my own values, and here was this beacon of masterful writing with MS Paint sprites and music that is in-your-face with fun melodies and audible looping points.

And it's the best goddamn game ever made.

It spoke to all of my personal values and preferences in mystery that were kindled alllllll those years ago playing Remember11, and showed me that the experience could be delivered properly. It reminded me that something can be a little jank in presentation if it's got a clear enough vision.

Without love, it cannot be seen.

What did I take from Umineko?

It is better to sacrifice polish in service of vision than the opposite. A game with janky presentation that is fueled by strong intentionality can still shine through and move people. It might even hit harder if it nails the delivery, because you might have lower expectations and get totally blown away.

I was right about Remember11!!! It is, in fact, the ideal mystery experience to have to put together some things yourself.

That first priority of mine is... probably quite clear. I don't think anyone is ever going to accuse me of making a game that sacrifices vision for polish.

The second point is where I, again, have to wait and see where my own delivery lands for people once we get there. How ambiguously can something be communicated while preserving its truth? I don't know. But there are some truths that I don't intend to spell out, but if you're following along, I think you will realize they are true nevertheless.

Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni

...and this is where I'd put a banger VN opening... iF I HAD ONE. The anime OP will have to suffice, but for the purposes of this post, I am specifically talking about the VN:

Higurashi was the other half of the recipe that kicked me into action and got me to actually make Amadeus.

Because while Umineko felt "approachable" in presentation, its writing is VERY tight. It didn't feel reasonable to assume that I would write a mystery-genre-defining masterpiece on my first attempt, so using it as an inspiration still felt a little daunting.

Higurashi, on the other hand, is nowhere near as tightly-written. It's good! It's VERY good. But there are a lot of terribly-paced reveals, last-minute asspulls, and moments of "if this one single character said literally anything this whole time the entire mystery would have been trivial."

It is carried completely by its phenomenal character writing, horror delivery, and by the fact that even if the reveals did not really land, it presented a complex puzzle that was really fun to try and solve.

I have a two-page spread in my notebook where I literally cut-and-pasted names & concepts out of paper, and then drew colored lines between them trying to figure things out. I have an honest-to-Oyashiro-sama Higurashi conspiracy board. It's almost entirely wrong, but I will treasure making it forever.

And I wasn't that disappointed by the mediocre mystery reveals, because I still got some satisfaction by solving certain things, emotional catharsis from the PEAK villain story arc, and enjoyment from getting to play around with an interesting mystery to begin with.

What did I take from Higurashi?

If a mystery isn't very well-presented, it can still be enjoyed as a story. Higurashi isn't a great mystery, but it's a deeply moving story and an awesome horror experience. The characters' motivations all make sense and the VN's contents captivate regardless. On the other hand, a mystery with a bad reveal that also treats its characters like plot points—not complex people with complex motivations—will just... be bad all around.

Perhaps most importantly... You can't write an Umineko without first writing a Higurashi.

There's no harm in shooting for the stars. I can certainly TRY to write a genre-defining masterpiece on my first attempt. But realistically, I am far more likely to succeed at writing something closer to Higurashi. Something where certain reveals don't fully land and are a little bullshit-y in how they are paced or justified, but where the heart of the story makes it a powerful experience nevertheless.

I have, at every step of the development process, prioritized making Amadeus impactful and consistent as a story. It's EXTREMELY important to me that even if someone plays it and thinks it's the single worst mystery they've ever played, that the story can still move them.

[SPOILERS REDACTED]

OK there's another VN that was a huge influence, but in this case I truly can't talk about why without everyone immediately guessing something. I am already suspecting that a handful of you are putting two and two together from just this. If that's you, sorry. It's not a super late reveal so I promise I haven't ruined everything. In fact congratulations, you are winning the Amadeus ARG I invented just now. I said earlier I prefer games that make you put stuff together yourself, right? You're winning at Amadeus.

(...There is actually, genuinely, ONE [1] thing i have put into the world that kind of legitimately qualifies as an Amadeus-related ARG. Just by the way. My lips are sealed on it forever, and if nobody ever finds it, that's fine.)

I'm talking way too much about this. Don't ask follow-up questions. I will answer with the shitpost image of Amadeus crying like Battler Umineko.

Honorable Mentions

I have played a lot of VNs, not like an insane amount, but a good chunk. And in some ways all of them have informed my writing. I want to shout out a few more:

Euphoria—similar to Higurashi, its emotional impact made up for some questionable mystery pacing.

New Danganronpa V3—this is a derogatory honorable mention. Next to Remember11, this is one of the most blatantly unfinished games I've ever played, but unlike Remember11, for some reason nobody talks about it like that. NDRV3 is an influence specifically because it was so clearly unfinished that it exposed the seams of how a mystery is constructed, and made the process feel much more approachable to me.

Final Fantasy VIII—not a visual novel, but its glossary menu makes it almost feel like one? And my takeaway from this is that sexy evil witches make up for a lot, and that putting key information exclusively in glossary menus is awesome. Reward me for snooping!!

Amadeus: A Riddle for Thee

So, from this, you have probably gleaned what my big priorities are as a writer setting out to create something way too stupidly ambitious.

That's right.

Obviously, the most important thing your big brain bullshit mystery VN can have is a banger anime opening.

And I've already delivered on that, so I guess it's safe to say that Amadeus: A Riddle for Thee is in fact one of the greatest mysteries ever written??

Thank you for supporting the game, and also, you're welcome:

Episode 1 ~ Waltz Out Now

[amadeusgame]

Thank you for supporting the page launch of Amadeus: A Riddle for Thee's second episode, Reharm!

There is one more announcement coming this month. Look out for that next week. Besides that, I will simply be working on the game...

[amadeusgame]

Amadeus: A Riddle for Thee ~ Episode 1 ~ Waltz is ON SALE!

🌑 Hybrid VN/Point-and-Click 🌒 16-year-old werewolf makes bad life decisions simulator 🌓 All art hand-drawn on paper 🌔 BANGIN electroacoustic soundtrack also by me 🌕 20% OFF THIS WEEKEND!

get it at: linktr.ee/amadeusgame

[amadeusgame]

One last reminder, sale ends in about 2 hours!

[amadeusgame]

Amadeus: A Riddle for Thee ~ Episode 1 ~ Waltz is ON SALE!

🌑 Hybrid VN/Point-and-Click 🌒 16-year-old werewolf makes bad life decisions simulator 🌓 All art hand-drawn on paper 🌔 BANGIN electroacoustic soundtrack also by me 🌕 20% OFF THIS WEEKEND!

get it at: linktr.ee/amadeusgame

[amadeusgame]

Sale ends tomorrow at 1PM Pacific!

[amadeusgame]

Attention Steam gamers in the chat! There's now a proper Franchise page for Amadeus: A Riddle for Thee.

🐺 One place for all future episodes 🌺 Demos & soundtracks too 🌕 Highlights deals/discounts

(...like EPISODE 1 BEING 20% OFF TODAY)

Steam Curator: Amadeus: A Riddle for Thee

Amadeus: A Riddle for Thee is a linear narrative Visual Novel + Adventure Game series with 5 episodes planned in total. Follow to be notifie

[amadeusgame]

Amadeus: A Riddle for Thee ~ Episode 1 ~ Waltz is ON SALE!

🌑 Hybrid VN/Point-and-Click 🌒 16-year-old werewolf makes bad life decisions simulator 🌓 All art hand-drawn on paper 🌔 BANGIN electroacoustic soundtrack also by me 🌕 20% OFF THIS WEEKEND!

get it at: linktr.ee/amadeusgame