Haunted Trumpet

We are a tiny creative collective looking for ways to tell the stories we want to tell! Our team is: all queer | mostly trans | all over 18 | uk based (if u catch me liking and ur fanart of other stuff, I'm not being slick and engagement farming, this account is just run by an unprofessional nerd and my likes are all sincere.)

[hauntedtrumpet]

The Left Eye is currently 25% off in the Steam Summer Sale!

Why sweat it out here in the summer of 2026, when you could be snatching wallets and breaking hearts on a queer crime caper in the spring of 1926?

So celebrate 100 years of being gay and doing crimes this pride month, by grabbing a copy now on Steam!

[hauntedtrumpet]

Episode 4: The Hook - First Draft Complete

This evening I polished off the first draft script of episode 4 of The Left Eye, and it’s looking like an absolute whopper!

135 pages in final draft, just under 30k words, and really significant branching based on both the choices made within this episode, and the events leading up to it. 

As we move into the second half of our overall story, the routes that players can take are getting more and more varied. There are some major branches this episode, with locations and scenes that not everyone will encounter on their first playthrough, as well as a cascade of consequences for how you’ve been playing the game up to this point.  

How smoothly did Emile handle being accused of murder in episode two? 

How cozy did he get with the mark on their way to see Lady Liberty? 

How many of his kleptomaniac tendencies has he been indulging? 

How badly did he piss off a certain diamond magnate at the funeral after-party?

How lucky is he at cards?

How much do his friends actually trust him?

These are just a few of the questions that will be dogging Emile's steps through episode 4, and that's not even mentioning all the bad decisions and new problems that he can cause across the course of the episode!

Back in episode 3 we already had a few moments where dialogue and interactions would branch based on how much certain characters trusted you, but as the con goes on, these moments are getting more frequent, and the significance of the branching is getting more major.  What’s more, these aren’t ‘locked’ routes. The relationships are still ongoing, and things are only going to get messier from here! 

It’s also shaping up to be an episode full of revelations about Alex and his past.  Some of the mysteries and inconsistencies that Emile has been turning a blind eye to are starting to catch up with our boy…

This episode feels like a real step up in terms of our ambition as storytellers, as well as a major raising of the stakes for Al and Emile, and I absolutely can't wait to get it in front of people <3

[hauntedtrumpet]

The Left Eye is in the NonBinary Coded Games Showcase!

As July 14th is International Nonbinary People's Day, I'm absolutely chuffed to announce that The Left Eye is part of the Non-Binary Coded Showcase over on Steam (as well as being a meaty 30% off right now!)

As lead writer, I've been out as trans and non-binary (in a country that doesn't legally aknowledge non-binary identities) for thirteen years this summer. A lot of the themes of The Left Eye were shaped and informed specifically by my experiences of trans-masculinity, the tension between going stealth and being seen for who you are, and the struggle to try and live truthfully when you don't legally exist.

...Explored via the metaphor of a bunch of scheming, murderous, Queer con-artist criminals who fall a bit to in love with their own tall tales. Obviously.

So if this sounds like your kind of story (or you'd like to support some cool non-binary art by a trans led, all queer creative team), then grab a copy of The Left Eye now! Or check out the rest of the showcase, for a load of really cool games by a heap of non-binary talent!

(This showcase is how I found out that loads of indie games I love were made by non-binary comrades xxx)

[just-a-carrot]

I don't really know what else to say besides... IT'S OUT! (in more ways than one LMAO)

After five years... (two of those just spent on the remaster)... the remastered, overhauled, redone, and most complete version of this game... is finally done.

This game is a piece of my soul. I have changed as a person while working on it, both as a direct result of it, and also simply through the long passage of time. I have discovered parts of myself through this game. I have found catharsis through this game. I have found friends through this game. I have found community and support through this game. It lays bare so many pieces of myself. So many of my struggles. Challenges. But also joys. Wonders.

Hope.

According to Leafo, this game is pornography. I am unsure why. But I hope now it can have new life in a place where it can be seen. This doesn't mean I'm not nervous and anxious as hell. But at least I have hope again. Also I'm tired. Really really really tired lol.

Please play the remaster! It includes a whole wealth of new and overhauled stuff!

And if I can ask a perhaps selfish favor: it would mean the world if you could leave a review on Steam. Visibility on Steam is directly tied to engagement and reviews: until it gets 10 reviews, it's basically invisible, then each time it hits a new threshold (50, 100(?), 500, etc.) it helps it even more, allowing the game to be pushed more across the site. So I ask with all the hope in my heart that you might leave a review -- even if it just means copying a comment or review you've already left for the game on itch (since I've gotten so many wonderful and kind comments throughout the years there). I'm worried because the game is so long that it will take people a while to finish it (either for a first or second time) and then the reviews will take a while to come in and by then the game will already be buried into obscurity because it didn't get reviews quickly enough... so it would truly mean the world to me if you could leave a review quickly about the OG game if you've enjoyed it before (and ofc you can then update it once you have a chance to complete the entire remaster, etc.).

tl;dr if the game doesn't get to at least 10 reviews quickly, it's gonna flop

Play it on Steam!!!

Here are the full FAST FACTS about the remaster:

The new After Stories add an additional 15k+ words, taking the complete game to over 300k words (around 23 to 25-ish hours).

The new CGs take the CG count up to 570+ (actually 580'ish with the After Stories CGs).

I've lost track of how many redone CGs there are, but there's easily at least 100 completely redrawn CGs + 100s of partially updated CGs.

The UI and menus are completely redone, including new character bios.

A new After Story (a short story taking place after the game) has been added for each LI that can be played once you've unlocked their epilogue.

The new Iggy side sprite has been implemented throughout the entire game, making a lot of the scenes feel more immersive and dynamic.

The entire game has had a thorough scripting polish with a multitude of small to large tweaks that probably only I would notice to make it feel more cinematic + various small narrative updates + sprite updates + music updates.

There are 13 Steam achievements you can earn (some tied to endings, some tied to CGs, etc.). To get all of them, you'll need to discover every possible thing you can discover in the game.

Complete controller support has been added, so you can now play with keyboard, mouse, or controller (which should also make it playable on Steam Deck, though admittedly, I have not been able to test it because I don't own a Steam Deck weep).

And... I think that's it. But I may be forgetting something. My head's a little empty right now LOL

Oh yes, the game is also releasing as part of the Alice in Wonderland Steam festival!! So you can also go check out some other cool games inspired by Alice in Wonderland.

Did I mention you can play it on Steam???

So yeah.

Play the remaster!!

Leave a review!!

Be well!!!!!

Here's the Steam link again!!!!!!!!!

[hauntedtrumpet]

I have absolutely banged on on BlueSky about how much I loved Our Wonderland, as an absolutely killer piece of Ace Horror Writing, and also one of the most incredibly rich and featured visual novels that you can pick up FOR FREE? Absolutley jam packed with vivid, distinctive art, animation, CG's, and a properly cracking plot that sucks you in immediately!

I'm planning on playing a few hours of the steam build before I leave my review there (because play time shows up alongside reviews on steam, and I want people to know that my opinions are THE REAL SHIT) but if you've not already played this game, go go go grab it on steam and leave a review! It honestly slappppppps lads.

[studiointerlude]

The Full Release of DEVIL'S LIMINAL is coming SEPTEMBER 1 on Steam and itch!!

If you like: 🖤YURI, WOMEN DATING 🦇Slow-burn Gothic horror in Arizona 👻Ghosts, demons, Faustian bargains 📚Niche Portuguese folklore 🥀Exploring American poverty

Wishlist or grab it now in Early Access!

Save 10% on DEVIL'S LIMINAL on Steam

DEVIL'S LIMINAL is a branching slow-burn horror and yuri romance visual novel. In a life of poverty and violence, Margo Silva has one last s

[studiointerlude]

June update!

We have a 1.0 release date!! My goal is to have the story completely implemented for September 1st. After that date I'll keep updating with new art and potential writing polish, but the story will be done!

The update is available on Steam and itch.

Early Access v0.94 Changelog

Added an option to reset font and display options

Added in a new visual for the sigil. This is updated in Clara's book and displays in August. It has not been updated on Clara's CG.

Added in visuals for all of the sculptures in August.

Behind the Scenes

Received voice acting for June 7th to July 31! Will be implemented for the next update.

Making a document of new voice acting requests from August 1st to August 27th.

Requesting 5 new music tracks for the endings.

Updated the key art - the new art is up on Steam, but I need to update it everywhere. Updated it because the old version would get pretty deepfried in thumbnails, and the sigil has been changed.

The Ending writing progress report: ✅ Clara route ✅ Bec route ✅ A secret, third option ✔️ Power of friendship ✔️ Forever alone

[alovelywaytospendanevening]

Can't Help Lovin' That Man is a 1993 compilation album of love songs from the 1920s and 1930s, sung by and addressed to men. Its original release included liner notes providing historical context to the recordings:

It's not just that it's a bunch of old 20s and 30s love songs directed irrevocably at men; it's that they also happen to be sung by men. The result is a sexually titillating aural fest that staggers the queer imagination. And why did these musical Don Juans choose to sing such homoerotic odes? Because they felt "that way" with such burning urgency that they just couldn't wait to put their emotions on shellac 78s? No, dear. Because back then, song publishers had such a stranglehold on the popular music industry that you didn't dare tamper with a song lyric—even if you were a guy singing a tune written for a gal. As a result, Can't Help Lovin' That Man brings us the deadpan, gotta-pay-the-rent renditions of numbers about longing for Mister Right, all done by jaw-dropping variations on Mister Wrong. They obligingly croon "He's My Secret Passion;" sizzle with professionalism singing "Can't Do Without His Love," catch yet more layers of unwitting irony in "Am I Blue?" ("Was I gay? Till today?…"); and even become hustlers as they deliver "Love for Sale" ("Who will buy? Who would like to sample our supply?") in a college band version that's so rinky-dink that it wasn't released until now. Even its having been recorded on April 1st can't begin to explain this one. But back then there was so little social consciousness of homosexuality that the idea of guys singing to each other was taken without any potentially racy connotations. Gayness was so out of the question (publicly, anyway) that men could render these passionate words without anyone thinking anything of it—they were just doing, by necessity, tunes written with pronouns that didn't happen to match. The songs were sung straight, as it were. Most of them, anyway. There are a few intentionally campy numbers represented here that have the singer flouncily assuming gayness in order to make quite intentional fun of it. "Help!," by Earl Gresh and His Gangplank Orchestra (not the Beatles), is sung from the point of view of a prissy queen—or maybe even a drag—named Oscar who's terrified of the opposite sex ("Help! The girls are after me… Look out dear, you'll break my necklace"). Guy Lombardo's "Pu-leeze! Mr. Hemingway" has an equally excitable male vocal trio who scream for help when those of the same sex get too romantic, not that they'd mind a little nookie with them, within limits. "I'm not a caveman/So remember not to play too rough," they admonish, as this overly indulgent fellow reveals he's brutishly interested in only one thing. More welcoming, "Come Up and See Me Sometime" is a camp novelty number that has Cliff Edwards (a/k/a Ukulele Ike) vocally batting his lashes and informing some guy, a la Mae West, that he has "a flat where you can hang your hat." The song was so off-the-wall that it wasn't released until '68. And one more ditty pokes fun at the blurring lines of sexual demarcation in a way that seems to come from a distinct feeling of threat. "Masculine Women, Feminine Men" by Merritt Brunies and His Friars Inn Orchestra, expresses alarm about how "It's hard to tell 'em apart today," what with all these zany androgynous types running around confusing everyone. The songs vary greatly in quality, partly because if you didn't have a first-rate band, they didn't exactly hand the top songs on a silver platter. But there are some classics represented ("The Man I Love," "I Got Rhythm"), and even when the material is dubious, the fun is in what the bands did with it, and how they accommodated the fact that they had male vocalists (crooning was considered very unladylike at the time, and the few exceptions, like Sophie Tucker, were butch enough to prove the rule more than break it). When the guys sang in creamy upper registers that verged on falsetto—like Bill Coty's on "He's My Kind of a Man"—it added even more layers of musical, and sexual, intrigue. (Full text)

The album is currently available for streaming:

[powerofpridebundle]

It's here! The Power of Pride Bundle 2026 is now live on Itchio! All in support of 284 queer creators and their 396 creations.

View the bundle on Itchio here (until July 6):

$60 Bundle: https://itch.io/b/3682/the-power-of-pride-bundle-2026-60-edition

$10 Pay-What-You-Can: https://itch.io/b/3684/the-power-of-pride-bundle-2026-10-pwyc-edition

[hauntedtrumpet]

We're super hyped for The Left Eye to be part of the Power of Pride Bundle! Grab a massive batch of queer art, games and stories for a fantastic price!

In the spirit of mutual aid we've opted out taking a cut from the bundle's sales, so our only agenda when banging the drum is to spread loads of exciting queer art for cheap, and to get cash into the pockets of queer creatives who need it!

So go on...

[hauntedtrumpet]

Weekend WIP!

While I'm work on the script for episode 4 of The Left Eye, our CG artist sanorganes is still reworking some of the episode 1 CG's, and initial sketches for this one are sending me to the HOSPITAL! I am DEAD, I am DECEASED, I have PERISHED, just look at that god damn face!!!!

(There's a special place in my heart for moments where Al gets to feel super smug about his bad reputation. Just look at that little smirk, he's SO PLEASED to be infamous <3)

[spacebrick3]

couples outfit idea

[hauntedtrumpet]

brb arguing with our sprite artist about whether they had t-shirts in the 1920's...

[hauntedtrumpet]

Progress Report: Episode 4 and CG Upgrades

We've had a productive few weeks here at Haunted Trumpet HQ, keeping up our work on The Left Eye!

Over the last couple of weeks we've been figuring out the rough plot beats for the second half of the season, and last night I finished the initial scene by scene breakdown of Episode 4, so I'm ready to jump onto writing the script! This episode turns up the heat on Emile's con as he and Al step up their plans to hook a wealthy buyer for a certain stolen diamond, while the past that Al has been running from finally starts to catch up with him...

(We've taken a little inspo from Watership Down this episode... but I promise I was not thinking this far ahead when I chose the name Alex Warren!)

You might think that not having an episode to work on would slow down our CG Artist SanOrganes, but somehow even with no urgent jobs on their plate, they've gone back to our rougher episode one CG's and started re-lining and recolouring them to bring them up to the same standards of our more recent artwork!

(If you're a bluesky person who likes following cracking artists, go give them a follow over here to see more of their life drawing and sketchbook pages, along with concept art in development - they're just talented as hell.)

[doksagames]

The literary and game inspirations behind Pages of Tomorrow – short a list

Every work of art (and I think of games as works of art) has its inspirations. Obviously, I do not mean outright imitation, as that can kill creative processes before they even begin. Instead, to me, inspiration is like a work you have in the back of your mind while creating, one you maybe use as a reference, and even one that made you think you could make something better than that.

I do not intend to tear fellow creators down, so I will not be using any sources of the last type of inspiration as my examples. Instead, enjoy a list of literary and game works that I deeply admire and – loosely speaking – use in my creative process, in various ways.

Milk Inside A Bag Of Milk Inside A Bag Of Milk as well as its sequel, Milk Outside a Bag of Milk Outside a Bag of Milk, are what I consider some of the best representations of mental illness this world has to offer, even outside of games and, more specifically, visual novels. As those of you familiar with it may notice, I take a wildly different approach for Pages of Tomorrow than these games, crafting a more down-to-earth story. Still, I often find myself studying what worked for Milk and modifying it to my needs.

The Mighty Angel by Jerzy Pilch is a Polish autobiographical novel about an alcoholic who keeps coming back to rehab. This is probably the most direct inspiration you will find in Pages of Tomorrow, as that is what I was reading during my stay in the hospital that inspired the game. In it, the author describes the main character's encounters with various patients and his confrontations with his illness. A very well-known book in Poland, it is sadly not as successful abroad (it should be!).

Needy Streamer Overload, AKA Needy Girl Overdose, is another game about mental illness, specifically relating to internet culture. You won't find much of it in Pages, really, but it had a major impact on me overall. Its cutesy aesthetic mixed with absolutely heartbreaking themes of descent into what we colloquially know as "madness" make it an absolute classic for anyone interested in how games portray things of similar nature.

Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is a story that many people all over the world have read, but nobody can be sure they truly understood. There are as many interpretations of this work as there are readers who engage with it, but I will stand my ground as a believer in theories placing the "becoming vermin" metaphor somewhere in the realm of illness or disability-related ones. It perfectly explores how useless to society a person inflicted by debilitating illness feels (whether it's physical or mental), and how said society treats them. A timeless classic by a timeless author.

Pathologic, a series of games lately blessed by a third entry, doesn't have that much to do with mental illness, as opposed to many (if not all) of the other items on this list. Still, it would feel unfair to skip it for this reason. It is a story about plague hitting a small town in an area inspired by the Russian steppe, and the doctors who have to deal with it. The writing in these games is spectacular in its quality, and the way it uses symbolism remains a great inspiration for all of my literary and game endeavors.

This list is in no way comprehensive. I believe we all carry huge banks of inspiration in our heads, and listing them all is impossible – even briefly mentioning the most important ones made me produce a post twice the size of the others. Still, I believe it is good to talk about works we love and that had an impact on us in a world that focuses so much on talking about things we hate.

Thank you so much for reading. As always, I invite you to wishlist Pages of Tomorrow as well as play the free demo, in which you can see for yourself the way I use all of these inspirations.

Pages of Tomorrow on Steam

Challenge fate in this psychological visual novel about a juvenile psych ward patient who discovers a book that can predict the future.

[doksagames]

Pages of Tomorrow demo available now!

It's official – you can now get to know Pages of Tomorrow's characters and setting for free! This little sneak peek into the story lets players get a feel of what the full visual novel will be like. Step into the unusual world of hospitalized teenagers and see for yourself what kind of mystery Alex will be forced to solve.

And remember – not everything is as it seems.

Pages of Tomorrow on Steam

Challenge fate in this psychological visual novel about a juvenile psych ward patient who discovers a book that can predict the future.

Pages of Tomorrow Demo by Doksa

Challenge fate.

[hauntedtrumpet]

Left Eye CHAPTER 3 OUT TODAY in the Steam Spring Sale!

We’ve been pretty quiet on the socials lately, because behind the scenes, our tiny team has been working like mad to release the third episode of The Left Eye in time for the Steam Spring Sale!

Episode 3 is a romp through glittering, garish excess, as our queer con artists and mobsters tag along on a sparkling night out with the bright young things of New York City!

Emile is forced to juggle diamond magnates, temper tantrums, high stakes poker games, and the consequences of his own actions, as he struggles to keep his eye on the con through it all!

FEATURING:

⭐️ ~19k new words ⭐️ CGs! Achievements! ⭐️ High-stakes poker (emotionally, not financially) ⭐️ A gun introduced in the first act that may go off in the second ⭐️ Sybaritic socialites slumming it in speakeasies ⭐️ 25% off!

This update also comes with a bunch of UI improvements that I’m super excited about. I feel like they’ve brought a new level of polish and flair to the whole game.

Oh, and did I mention the…

⭐️ Secret unlockable features???

But you’ll have to keep your baby blues peeled if you want to spot them!

This episode features more branching, more characters, and more content than any of our previous ones, and it's the most ambitious piece of storytelling we've done yet! I'm personally super proud of all the exciting new content in this chapter, and I really hope you all enjoy it!

So if you're up for a juicy con-story full of historical homosexuals being gay and doing crimes, you can now grab The Left Eye on Steam for just $3.74!

Or if you're on Mac, you can also grab The Left Eye on Itch.io, where the Chaper 3 update (and the 25% discount) will also be dropping later today!

[amaregames]

Introducing the #AmareGamesBulletin Hashtag

Hey Everyone

Algorithms have been burying a lot of updates lately, so we’re introducing #AmareGamesBulletin ✨

If you’re posting an Amare game or related genre's update/release or announcement, tag your post with this hashtag so we can easily find it and include it in the Bulletin

Where do I use it? It doesn’t have to be in the main post! You can simply add #AmareGamesBulletin in a comment, so you don’t have to sacrifice characters or formatting.

Why a hashtag? Devs already do a ton of work just to make announcements. Adding extra steps—like submission forms—only adds to that load. This hashtag is meant to reduce work, not create more.

Am I guaranteed to be included? Not automatically. We still reserve the right to decide what’s featured. In particular, we do not promote games that use any form of Generative AI, games with too little information to understand their content, or other disqualifiers

Do I have to use the hashtag to be included? Not at all! It’s just an optional way to help us spot announcements more easily without adding extra work for developers.

[amaregamesdb]

The algorithms have been an absolute wasteland lately. A lot of posts are being buried, so we hope this is an easy way to help devs let us know about their announcements with minimal effort on their part. We know you are already doing like 5 jobs yourselves, devs. We don't want to add more work to that pile.

[entrailer]

characters have to be a little bit awful in ways that you cant defend. its good for the ecosystem. your honor he did do that. He did in fact do that

[hauntedtrumpet]

New Years Content Update!

To celebrate seeing in The New Year, we've added a side story mode to our visual novel, The Left Eye!

This means that while we're working on chunky episode updates, which come with full sprite art, CG's and cut-ins, we'll hopefully be able to release more lightweight pieces of content. We're thinking short stories, supplemental lore, flashbacks, diary entries... there are so many cool ideas and moments that we end up needing to cut from episodes for the sake of keeping the storytelling tight, but hopefully as side-stories, we can give people extra content that enriches the larger narrative!

And to stick with the theme of the new year, the first side-story we've added is Harmless Types, an optional prologue to The Left Eye that we originally released as a Twine game in February last year.

Set a few months before the story of The Left Eye begins, it gives you a chance to experience New York City through the eyes of different members of the cast, as they celebrate New Years Eve, 1925.

Annnd just as a little parting gift, our CG artist (sanorganes over on bluesky) has been working on this ridiculously cute bonus art of Jackie, Emile, and Alex, regretting their decisions after a lively New Year's Eve:

AND IT'S ADORABLE AND I LOVE IT.

ANYWAY IF YOU LIKE CUTE GAY CRIMINALS WHO WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN INVITED TO GATSBY'S PARTIES, PLZ CONSIDER BUYING OUR VN ON STEAM OR ITCH :>

Made by, for, and about, naughty, naughty queers.