Hello everyone! Happy new year!
First of all, I'm so sorry for not doing this earlier I caught a really bad cold and I'm currently just getting better. Now that I'm fine enough, I wanted to do a review of the past year and what is coming.
2025 was quite a year for me, it's started quite as usual as I worked on Mask while writing Demon's Apple. I released if february the last current update of Mask and then I worked full time on Demon's Apple.
Demon's Apple is an old story I had worked on YEARS ago, I can't even tell when it was but Styx and Pomme were a little different at the time. I did nothing with them, but with freelance work getting sparse, I decided that I could try my chance at making a short commercial game with their story. I thought it would be my last chance to continue to live as a freelance artist if I could live off my games.
Development took quite a long time, writing, then UI, then art... It was a full year for me, but a happy year. I really love making game and I could spend my life doing it. Demon's Apple isn't a hard game to create. It's simple, coding it wasn't really a struggle. I learned how to better code UI. I learnt to do effect on hover, without having to use a secondary image to do the job. I also learnt how to use ATL on ren'py.
The end of the years was centered around doing the art, I struggled quite a bit with environment, and I could probably have done better but I'm satisfied with what I did. At least, I do them by hand. And maybe I never talked about it but I hate AI with a passion. None of my game use it in any way, not for creation, not for assistance. I even refused multiple freelance jobs because I didn't want to have anything to do with it.
At the end of the year I worked on CGs for the game and finished everything that will be in the release. I only have two visuals left but as they are optional they will be done once the game is fully playable which is not the case at the moment. Well it's playable, but not everything is integrated yet so it's less fun.
I had a big Issue with my tablet so I was a little late on my planning, but I coded a lot of CGs and they all have light animations. I hope you will enjoy them ! Now my issues are sorted and I caught up with work.
Now reviewing this past year, It went so quickly... And we're nearing the release of the game. I did so much more than I had anticipated especially for the CGs where I should have had 1 CGs per chapter instead of three like now.
As for 2026, the release date is coming in march, whether Steam will accept it in time is still a mystery, but I will release on Itch before if it happens.
It's the year I will release demon's Apple, I look forward ending it, I love worked on it this whole year. I'm a little sad to get closer to the end, but also very happy.
As for what's coming after ? I'll be working on the Lady's Embrace, I have a lot to work on. But the question is will I do it as a hobby or not.
Depending on the succes of Demon's Apple and/or my ability to find freelance work I'm considering doing it has a hobby more than as something I do part time to find a job that pays the bills because I'm struggling financially.
Thank you for this year, and thank you for supporting me and I like forward seeing with this year has prepared for me !
