Crescence Studio

Development blog for Crescence Studio, an Indie visual novel developer. Currently, we are working on Alaris, a fantasy-romance visual novel with dragon and faerie lore! Feel free to look around or drop a question

[crescencestudio]

Alaris Enters Early Access

A global crisis that only continues to escalate. A dangerous run-in with a shadowy stranger. And a mysterious word that won't stop gnawing at you. How does everything tie together? And what role could you possibly play in all of this? 

Enter a world of magic—of Fae and Dragon.

✨ Play on Itch.io

✨ Play on Steam

The Enchanting Prodigy | He/They

"Hmmm... Now there's an interesting question. Maybe if you beg?"

An accomplished Drake with a colorful reputation. Many know his name, but few know his heart. Do you have what it takes to break past their flirty exterior?

The Selfless Martyr | He/Him

"Very funny.... But you shouldn't start something you can't finish."

Strong, protective, and reliable. If you asked the town to describe Druk, these are the three words you'd get.  But everyone, no matter how strong, has a weakness. What's his?

The Shunned Scholar | He/Him

"That's not—It's not for you, it's my job."

The classic librarian: grumpy. And you know what else is classic. Underneath all that grumpiness lies someone a little... less grumpy.

The Burdened Seraph | They/Them

"My arm is here for you should you need it."

The head Wyvern, and a fellow healer just like you. When you meet, there's an instant connection. And yet, for someone who's supposed to be your "partner," Etza seems awfully intent on doing everything themself...

The Shadowed Soldier | He/They

"I do dream of this... Don't you?"

This man seems intent on having you to himself. They lurk in the shadows, haunting the corners of your mind. What could be the reason behind their obsession?

The Haunted Protector | Any/All

"..."

Shrouded in mystery, they seem to want nothing to do with you. And yet, no matter how hard either of you might try to prevent it, you keep running into each other. Why?

The Early Access features FOUR ROUTES (FUCK YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) to play, specifically Kayn, Druk, Fenir, and Etza. In this build's release you can enjoy:

CONTENT, CONTENT, CONTENT: ~250k words of content (~20-30 hours of content) spanning over four routes and eight endings

38 CGs: Unlock 38 CGs in the current build, which the LIs will gift to you if you are Worthy

CHOICES: Some that matter, and some that DON'T. Over 650 choices in this game---some of which will lead you to a good or bad ending, and many of which you can just choose to live your best life!

A Customizable Protagonist: Choose your name, pronouns, and personality

Personality: Shape your personality with four different traits (Bravery, Kindness, Wisdom, Charisma) and watch how the world interacts with it.

Communicator System: Text the LIs and reap chaos in group chats, one-on-one messages, and more

Free Time: Choose from four locations and go on a date of your choosing with any of our love interests.

Energy Vision: Tap into one of the MC's special abilities to see the different auras of the cast.

Memories: Revisit free time dates and let our love interests woo you as many times as you'd like.

Controller Support: Play using a wireless controller or Steamdeck for the gamer who hate sitting up at their desk for too long!

Wanna thirst over the characters with other gamers? Join our Discord here!

WHO WANTS TO BE HIS DISCORD KITTEN

[crescencestudio]

Would you write a nsfw dlc for Alaris?🙏🙏🙏

i've actually considered this but i haven't landed anywhere concrete yet LOL such is my way. sorry to anyone who asks me questions and my answers r always just idk we'll see LLXLSS

on the plus side i think it'd be fun and would obviously be a nice way to continue the alaris universe in a noncommittal way. i've considered post game dlc of like just mini events w the characters. kinda like the free time dates but as an actual couple. i like character work a lot and think that's where i have more fun compared to plot work so i think it would suit my preferences as a creator too. i've also always wanted to explore NSFW work (is that shocking given what i usually make. idk i feel like i make it clear im a pervert tho so KXKSOS) so it'd def be exciting territory

on the negative side it's work that idk if i'm willing to commit to OXOSOOS. i love alaris it's my baby and it probably will always be my favorite child. but im also burnt out from it. the idea of making more content rn makes me genuinely feel sick. i know it's a temporary feeling but if i even think of Actually Considering dlc it'll activate my workaholic tendencies and i need Boundaries w this game at this point OXKSOSO. logistically, it also has a lot of negatives bc with all the NSFW payment stuff going around idk if i wanna deal w the headache of making an NSFW DLC and learning Even More admin stuff that will inevitably come w the territory.

so.... as is usual for crescence responses we'll see LKXOES. ik it's frustrating to not get a concrete response but i want to be honest and transparent w where i'm at. i genuinely am interested but it comes w cons that i want to be open about as a dev o7

[crescencestudio]

Is there a canon route in Alaris?

no! the fae routes do obviously cover more of the core plot and content but there's no established "poster LI". and i do think u need to play at least both the fae routes (maybe etza's as well) to understand the games overall plot

i do have a recommended play order but none of the routes are locked or considered canon!

[crescencestudio]

Hi hi! I hope you're staying hydrated and healthy this summer! I wanted to know if there have been any changes or additional contents added to the already released Alaris routes in the upcoming version? Or is the full release just the addition of the last two routes. Thank you for your time and take care! <3

i am currently neither hydrated nor healthy with the crunch of full release looming on the horizon LXKSOOD. but once alaris is out, i will take better care of myself o7

in terms of added content, there will be a good amount of voiced lines added (about 3x the amount of voiced lines!) but that's about all the content that will be added. when i entered early access, it had always been under the assumption that the central routes were already finished and ready to play; that was how i justified entering EA and having ppl pay for the game at that stage in the first place.

in an ideal world, i would've loved to add more content to the central routes as a thank u and treat to whoever purchased during early access and revisits those routes. but honestly, im so completely burnt out from alaris at this stage that pushing myself to do so would probably str8 up be the final straw that drives me clinically insane OXOOSOWODODOE. so when we enter full release, the main content added will be the fae routes sorry anon </3

[blerdyotome]

NEW VIDEO! My Wish to You (Kei's Route) Playthrough

We have six weeks to spruce up our shrine before the village Spring Festival! There's a lot to do, lucky for you there's a cute tsun kitsune you can rope into helping you out! I have a type and apparently it's a cute tsundere kitsune keeps a diary and makes tasty snacks~

[crescencestudio]

Dr. Crescence! I was wondering if it would be possible to have the soundtrack for Alaris be released on Spotify when the full game is finished? I find myself listening to the soundtrack often when doing assignments and other small tasks due to how good it is! :)

I WOULD PAY MONEY FOR IT GLADLY!! 💸💸

i don't know about spotify---some of the new tracks from faefield maybe! the base tracks i don't think so tho

i believe u can get the soundtrack on steam on the game page! i don't remember how much it is but part of the proceeds go to the peter and co. if u want to support them and have the tracks at ur disposal!

[crescencestudio]

SINCE WE ARE RAPIDLY APPROACHING RELEASE DAY… will we get the name of the dragon that aisa is named after/based on… (iirc when it was asked before it went too far into spoiler territory)

it's not talked about in the game itself (i don't rly talk about any of the lore characters everyone is based off of, but they do all have references to these figures if u know what to look for!)

but i will be willing to say it in asks once the game is released! ((i will tag as spoilers so that anyone who wants to avoid knows to mute that tag))

[crescencestudio]

Alaris full build is dropping 5 days after my bday this is the best bday gift ever tysm🥺🥺

WOW so many gamers w bdays in july---someone else told me the game was dropping after their bday KZKSKS

HAPPY CANCER SEASON TO MY FELLOW CANCERS!!!! LETS CELEBRATE FENIRS BDAY SEASON W

ALARIS FULL RELEASE YYYEEEEAAAAAA

[crescencestudio]

do u like kuna'a's underwear brand (image credit)

it's finally coming.... after five long years....... mark ur FAWKIN CALENDARS BABES

[thdalsk]

Alaris by @crescencestudio got me giggling n kicking my feet

[teabeexo]

do NOT fucking separate!!!!!

nioma and druk summer… r we feeling it !!

i’m aware druk is more of a mountain/woodsy guy but i cannot deny the intrinsic pull of the beach episode

[teabeexo]

made a druk for my nioma mii :)c

[crescencestudio]

no one asked but it's my current hyperfixation so ur getting it anyway KXKDKDKDK

✨ LIs as Songs from Olivia Rodrigo's New Album

Kayn: u + me = <3

Druk: maggots for brains

Fenir: stupid song

Etza: honeybee

Kuna'a: purple

Aisa: the cure

[crescencestudio]

What would the LIs reactions be to mpreg?

when i start answering questions more and this immediately enters the inbox like that's so crazy bro KXKSKSKDODO

[crescencestudio]

Hello, Hello!!! :D (sorry if my English isn’t good! It’s not my first language haha)

Congrats on the final Alpha build!!! I’ve played Aisa’s and Kuna’a’s routes when they came out but avoided the tragic ends like the plague out of fear (all of central’s tragic routes ruined me). When I saw that the final build came out, that’s when I decided that I was going to get the bad ends on purpose. NOW THAT I FINISHED PLAYING IT I HAVE ONE THING TO SAY!

YOU COULVE AT LEAST KISSED THE BRICK BEFORE THROWING IT AT ME HEAD ON 😭😭

Regardless of all the sobbing and stages of grief I went through playing the tragic ends, the writing is phenomenal. Alaris is and will remain as one of my favorite visual novels. Alaris was the only game where I felt like I could relate to all the characters in certain ways. Down to how the characters were written and to how they responded to certain situations. I also loved how you included different kinds of love interests in terms of personality and how they present themselves. As a non binary person myself, it was refreshing to see characters that were genderfluid, agender, and nonbinary since you don’t see many love interests like this in visual novels (at least from the games I’ve played). The way they were all written was so well done that I grew an attachment to all of them almost immediately.

I’m happy to be one of the people who followed this journey from the beginning. It’s a little sad to see it coming to an end but I’m also extremely happy with how the story came out! (And happy that you’ll finally be able to rest a lot more now). Thank you so much for all your hard work and remember to take breaks and prioritize your health. :)

Again, thank you again for sharing this amazing story with us. :D

YOU PLAYED EVERYTHING????

lord.... this message means sm...... i've put sm of myself into each of the characters and while they don't necessarily reflect me, i genuinely feel like they're a part of me after being with them for so many years. and it always means sm to me when ppl tell me the parts of them that feel relatable/human

the media that always sticks w me the most isn't the stuff that's like perfect or blows my mind, it's always the stuff that just feels like it has a lot of heart, no matter what it's other flaws may be. and i hope alaris reflects that kind of creation as well, which is another reason i think messages like this mean sm to me

it genuinely does make me feel sad that my alaris journey is coming to an end. no matter how many crashouts i've had over the game and how many times i've longed to be free from my prison, now that the end is actually near, it makes me so sad KXKSOSOS. while i may be ready to move on in terms of making a new game, im not ready to move on from my children i rly do feel so attached to them 😭

anyways, this turned into a weird ramble but thank u sm for playing the game, anon 💖 so happy this game was enjoyed to this kind of level and that it somehow felt enough for u to stick along for the journey for this long! when the game fully drops im gonna be excited to see what ppl's favorite tragic ends r LMFXKOSKXOEODOD

[crescencestudio]

these screenshots r fake don't look too closely at them LFALSDF

something something that curse about hot side characters you can't romance

[crescencestudio]

Hello I hope you're doing well!!

Idk if anyone's asked this before but, what are the LI's like when they're drunk?

Also can we know who has the most to least tolerances? 🥺👉👈

i actually already have answered what theyre like when they're drunk!

Post by @crescencestudio

💬 0  🔁 5  ❤️ 70 · ✨ LIs while Drunk · how does each Lis behave while drunk ? ps hope ur doing well today 🫶🏾 i'm doing well thank you anon!

haven't answered tolerances though so here u go mein liege

✨ LI Alcohol Tolerances (One Shot Wonder -> Total Tank)

Etza (a couple sips is all it takes) -> Fenir -> Kayn -> Kuna'a -> Druk (more belligerent than Kuna'a but holds the alcohol in better) -> Aisa (everyone's plastered and they're wondering why they aren't drunk yet)