#aurans

[alekpixiart]

Originally uploaded: January 2, 2015

[alekpixi]

It's time to pop the champagne bottles! Tonight we reached our goal!

What's next?

Now it's onwards to the stretch goals! If we can get the project to reach 2500 euro / 2700 USD, we will be able to hire someone to make us an original soundtrack. Any money left over will be used for additional art, advertisement, etc. - we will be 100% transparent about what the money is used for and post updates to the budget as we go along!

When the campaign is over - still 42 more days to go! - you will be contacted in regards to your backer rewards, so keep an eye on your e-mails!

Aurans is funded - but we can make it even better, so please, help spread the word!

Don't forget to follow us on social media as well!

- Discord server: https://discord.gg/pixelsplosionstudios

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/PixelsplosionSt

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pixelsplosion.studios/

On a more personal note - thank you from the bottom of my heart. It's been a rough few weeks but this lifted my spirits and I am so excited to see what the future holds!

Lots of love from Rowan, Nadir, Sebastian, Kiriel, Lathan, and Alex

[alekpixi]

This meme works a little too well with these two. (Not pictured: Nadir paying their bail)

We have a kickstarter! Please support the creation of the Aurans visual novel by donating or reblogging <3

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aurans/visual-novel-aurans

[alekpixi]

My project just went live on kickstarter

...and I’m both excited and terrified, lol

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aurans/visual-novel-aurans

Aurans is a visual novel about growing up and saving the multiverse while wearing wet shoes.

When homely nobody Rowan Nightingale gets hit by a car, she doesn't die, but instead is chosen to become an Auran - a being who can make anything happen, on three conditions: she has to be able to imagine it, believe it, and then create it. Taken under her mentor's wing, she travels to other dimensions and learns to harness the power of her imagination, slowly growing more confident in herself. But dark forces are lurking in the shadows, and who better to manipulate than a young, naïve Auran such as her? Soon, Rowan must fight her inner demons - quite literally - in order to save the dimensions from being destroyed. But can you truly believe that you are stronger than the darkest, most evil force in the entire multiverse, when all your life you have believed you weren't worth anything at all?

The first seeds of the Aurans universe were thought of in 2006, when I was only 11. Since then, the story, characters, and environments have been fine-tuned over and over again. At first, Aurans was written as a book, but the lack of audiovisual content felt wrong. Many other mediums were brainstormed; A comic? An animated series? A movie? For many different reasons, none of those really seemed to fit. Then it became clear: It had to be a visual novel; the perfect blend of text, image, and sound.

After working with the companies Nix Hydra and Dorian, I felt that I had a grasp on the visual novel medium and the surrounding industry to the point where Aurans would be able to come to life. Teaming up with background artist Ivan Sapnu, the two of us got to work, and now, the first installment is almost complete. All we need is that last push - that's where you come in.

A super quick overview:

GAME GENRE: Visual Novel / Young Adult / Fantasy / Coming of Age

GRAPHICS:  2D illustrations and sprites on static backgrounds

ART DIRECTION: Stylized and cartoony in vein of W.I.T.C.H., the works of Noelle Stevenson, and  the works of Becky Cloonan

PLATFORM:  PC, possibly Android, iOS, and Nintendo Switch in the future

PLAYERS:  Singleplayer

ENGINE:  Ren’Py

MARKET:  Anybody age 12-35 with a love of young adult fantasy stories

Fully hand drawn graphics, deep world and lore

Representation of LGBTQ*, diverse body types and POC, with mentions of neurodiversity, while touching upon the themes of self-worth, identity,and bullying

Can stand alone, but is planned as the first installment of the Auran trilogy

~800 USD (~745 euro) will be used to pay our background artist for the remaining backgrounds.

100 USD (93 euro) will be spent on getting the game onto Steam.

Project funded: 900 USD / 850 euro

STRETCH GOALS:

2500 euro / 2700 USD = Original soundtrack; currently the game will use royalty free music primarily provided by Kevin MacLeod, but how sweet would it be to get a soundtrack specifically made for Aurans?

June 25th 2023: Kickstarter launch

August 24 2023: Kickstarter end

September 1st 2023 - November 30th 2023: Creation and implementation of the remaining backgrounds, music, and sprites. If stretch goal is reached, soundtrack will be commissioned.

December 1st 2023 - January 31st 2024: Proof-reading of prose, GUI updated, and game submitted to Steam.

February 1st 2024: Game launch

- $1 You Are Here

You're supporting the Pixelsplosion team, and we love you for it. Every penny counts!

- $15 Art Museum

You get to see sprites, backgrounds, and other assets once they are finished, as well as WIPs and behind-the-scenes concept art. All of this weeks before they are published on social media! (Caution: here be spoilers!)

- $25 You Won The Game

Get a copy of the game upon release (steam key), + all previous tiers

- $30 Musings

Receive blog posts with musings on how, why, when, and where in regards to the game, its characters, settings, and themes. + all previous tiers

- $40 Snail Mail

You will get a custom postcard with a greeting and doodle! + all previous tiers

- $50 Name in Credits

Your name will be in the credits of the game! + all previous tiers

- $75 A4 Signed Print

Choose your favorite image from the game (can be full-illustration, background, or sprite). We will print it on high-quality A4, sign it, and send it to you! + all previous tiers

- $100 Digital Art Book

Want to have the behind-the-scenes, sketches, finished art, character profiles, and more, all in one glorious PDF? Then this is the tier for you! + all previous tiers

- Discord server: https://discord.gg/pixelsplosionstudios

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/PixelsplosionSt

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pixelsplosion.studios/

Risks and challenges

The biggest risk is that it might take longer than estimated; if either of the two people working on the project were to fall ill or have anything happen to them. Everything is backed up online, so even if a computer decides to break down, it would only be a temporary setback. No matter what, the project will get made, funding or not - it will just be done a lot quicker if this succeeds.

[alekpixiart]

Sprites for Sebastian from my upcoming visual novel Aurans.

[alekpixiart]

Rowan walking through a hallway at school. For my visual novel "Aurans".

[alekpixiart]

Originally uploaded: January 14, 2020

“Thoughts on representation in media… 8 years of progress. Ever since I started actively creating, I’ve wanted to include a diverse cast in everything I make - but I didn’t always know how to draw it.

Rowan, pictured here, was always written as “heavy” and “chubby”, but I drew her as stick thin as all the oher characters. I still have a long way to go, but her double chin has become one of her defining features, and I absolutely love it. I can push her design even more, and I intend to do exactly that in the new year.

I now have characters of color. Jewish characters with epilepsy. Queer muslims. Gender non-conforming characters with ADHD. The list goes on. Representation is important. As a queer jew, it has meant so much to me to see people in media - both real and fictional - that I can identify with. The warmth of learning one of my favorite musicians and comedians is jewish, and a favorite childhood actress is LGBT, gave me a warmth and a sense of community I didn’t know I was missing. I hope to somehow also give that to future generations with my stories. I hope you will come along.“

[alekpixiart]

Originally uploaded: January 12, 2020

“Scene from my WIP visual novel, “Aurans”. Rowan in the crowd.”