Hey lads!

It's already been 2 months since the year started, huh? Seriously, it feels like time speeds up like crazy the older I get. Anyway, if anyone's wondering - I'm doing fine. No big changes here, nothing worth mentioning; it was a very typical and average month. Life & kids are kicking me about the usual amount, so no abnormalities there, and work is progressing as expected.

All the snow has recently melted, I haven’t seen negative temperatures in a while, and the nights are getting shorter, so I can feel my favorite season approaching - Spring. Not too hot, not too cold - everything balanced. Definitely enough to put a man in a slightly better mood.

Now, as usual, I'll start with some info:

First, I know I previously announced that v43 would be the last update with actual content, but I just can’t let go of it so easily. So, expect more sex scenes in future updates. However, for now, I’m putting more effort into UiTC:R rather than UiTC, so don’t expect v44 too soon, as I likely won’t be working on UiTC in March.

Also, I wanted to let you know that the game is unofficially compatible with the Steam Deck while I’m still waiting for official verification. From what I understand, it might take weeks, if not months, since my game isn’t popular enough to get verification priority (which is totally understandable). Huge thanks to everyone who contributed to testing and provided feedback!

Here's a more detailed Steam Community post about it. If you have any questions or issues related to Steam Deck, please check it out, as it'll be easier for me to keep everything in one place: https://steamcommunity.com/games/2532340/announcements/detail/498314610455085666?snr=2___

I’ve decided to sign up for Steam Next Fest in either June or October 2025 with UiTC:R. It’s a major Steam event where players can test demos of various upcoming projects, and each developer can participate only once, so I’ll need something polished & playable for it. I’m not sure if we’ll be ready by June with something I can be proud to showcase, so most likely October. I’ll keep you updated in the coming months.

I know you’re all eagerly waiting for the remastered version, and I’m putting my heart & soul into making sure it’s playable for everyone still in 2025 - whether on Patreon, SubscribeStar, Steam, itch, or the free public version. However, this project is significantly more challenging than its predecessor because we’re improving and expanding virtually every aspect of the game. Every single dialogue is being rewritten by an actual writer, all characters & animations are being redone by skilled artists, events are being expanded with more choices, the UI is being rebuilt from scratch, and we’re adding more RPG elements, features, mini-games, and other content.

And despite doing my absolute best, I’m not going to rush this time - I want to fine-tune the details properly. You know, to quote a classic: A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad.

That being said, there won’t be a February UiTC:R demo, as most of the work has been focused elsewhere. We also lost about a week due to a major issue with one of the upcoming character features that took time to identify and fix. Since the February demo wouldn’t differ much from the January one, we’ve decided to focus on releasing something more substantial in March. More details below.

Regarding UiTC:R plans:

March's Demo main focus is on diner. Of course, we will work on other stuff as well, like character creation, UI, overall improvements etc., but we would like to start adding minor content alongside game development. You know, there's no fun in showring progress and releasing demos if there's nothing "cool" in them, right? Because of the game's scope and early development being more prone to issues, I can't promise monthly updates, but I'll still try going for demo every month if possible, although if not, then at least bi-monthly, but still with actual content. It's too early to provide any roadmap, but after diner I would like to focus some on mini-games, if they gonna be part of the gameplay loop in UiTC:R.

I've been thinking a lot about core concept & replayability, and decided to go with an "unlockable" approach. If you throw hundreds of traits, perks etc. at new players before they even understand the game’s system and mechanics, it becomes overwhelming. At that point, players often stop reading entirely (because it’s too much), pick random stuff just to start playing, ruin their playthrough, and then complain that X, Y, or Z is too hard or unbalanced, because I failed as a game dev.

So, the gameplay concept I’m pursuing in UiTC:R is as follows:

Many options from character creation, like backstories and traits, will initially be locked and will require players to fulfill certain conditions while playing to unlock them. For example, getting addicted to alcohol will unlock the Alcoholic trait, allowing you to start the game with a permanent alcohol addiction. Similarly, some very miserable or extremely overpowered backstories will require completing a task or quest to unlock, especially if they offer significant gameplay advantages or unique experiences. So, can you turn the game into a real survival challenge or start with a huge body count & high sex skills? Yeah, but not on your first playthrough.

Jane earns Perk Points (the main currency for unlocking permanent bonuses) by doing virtually anything (just like Trait Experience in UiTC). A portion of these points, around 8-12% of their base value (depending on game difficulty, with higher difficulties rewarding more), will carry over to all future playthroughs and stack. This system remains unaffected by special effects, so you won’t feel pressured to grind them in a specific way and you can simply focus on enjoying the game.

For example, if you earn 1000 PP, then in your next playthrough, you’ll start with 100 PP (on Normal difficulty). If in that playthrough you earn 3000 PP, you’ll have 400 PP in the next one (100 from before + 300 new), and so on.

There will be a lot of perks, with the final ranks being quite expensive. The game isn’t designed for you to unlock them all (because you won’t need to), but this small starting bonus helps reduce grind, allows for better specialization, or softens certain gameplay mechanics. Of course, a system like this will require testing and balancing, so I’m counting on you, lads, once it’s out!

I’ll be honest - I’m not really an achievement guy. I never cared much about unlocking them on Steam, aside from the occasional self-imposed challenge with friends. But I know many people do care, and since I’m treating the Steam release as seriously as any other, I want UiTC:R to be a full-fledged Steam game with all the expected features, like Steam Cloud, Steam Deck support, Achievements, and maybe even Steam Trading Cards (if possible).

I’ve learned from my mistakes with UiTC’s release, and I don’t intend to repeat them.

In UiTC:R, I want stats to interact meaningfully, creating synergy between different builds and playstyles so that your choices feel unique. For example: Action Speed affects how quickly you complete mini-games or slows the timer down. Stealth reduces the rate at which the Crime/Suspicion gauge accumulates. Luck influences loot quality, critical success/failure chances, and other stuff. In addition to their default use cases, of course.

I also want choices to matter without completely locking out content whenever possible. Every character will have access to core abilities like stealing, lockpicking, or cooking, but different builds will handle them differently - One character may find certain tasks easier. Another may have more forgiving failures. While someone else may get more rewarding successes.

Most quests will offer multiple solutions, so if you lack a particular skill, you’ll usually have alternative ways to progress. For major quests, I plan to include even more varied approaches, ensuring that different builds feel meaningful. But even simple side quests should be influenced by your stats, skills, and items in some way. And since this is a porn game, most content can also be resolved through sex (if stats permit) - just as in combat-oriented RPGs, problems are often solved with violence.

Regarding mini-games, I've lost count of how many times I've said this, but I really dislike mini-games in most games. They often feel disconnected from the main gameplay and exist purely to artificially extend playtime. So, my approach to making mini-games more engaging is by integrating porn elements that blend naturally with both the gameplay loop and the mini-games themselves. Of course, these bonus situations are double-edged, so they can be rewarding but also have consequences. Examples provided with each mini-game below.

As for the work done in February:

Despite it being a really busy month, I don’t have anything particularly exciting to show this time. I’ve been working on UiTC v43, reworking the save system, setting up the Steam page for UiTC:R, fixing shaders, and handling other core (and somewhat boring) tasks. I’ve also been working on the logic for mini-games, mainly stealing and lockpicking, but also some diner cooking mechanics.

For UiTC v43, I rewrote the game’s saving and loading functions to be so fast that you shouldn’t even notice them happening. I also restored and fixed auto-saves. I tested it on Android, and even with auto-saving happening every time Jane interacts with an NPC, there was still no noticeable delay. And naturally, I’ll be using the same saving system for UiTC:R.

The Steam page is pretty much done, but they requested a demo with more content before approval. So, I’ll be resubmitting it once the March demo is released.

Previously, I mentioned an issue where the new character shader kept breaking whenever we updated character art. We’ve now found a workaround, so features like nipple and nail coloring, as well as dirt on the body/clothes, will be functional in the March demo. We’re also experimenting with additional features, such as multi-color hair, so we should have something to show soon, hopefully.

Regarding mini-games:

The mechanics for the stealing mini-game are mostly finished, but the artwork isn’t done yet. Right now, I’m working with colored squares made in MS Paint, so I’ll spare you the visuals for now :P The concept is inspired by Skyrim’s lockpicking mini-game, but with added pressure—there’s a time limit (since the NPC won’t stand there forever), and suspicion will increase based on the player’s choices. You’ll need to be careful rather than blindly grabbing wallets. If time runs out, Jane might be a bit disappointed and waste some time, but if she gets caught, the consequences will be much harsher. Once the game is further developed, I’ll add more variables, like richer targets awarding more money, stealing being easier in crowded areas, and stationary NPCs giving more time than those walking around. There will also be a few simple abilities (likely earned as rewards) with limited uses per encounter/day to lower suspicion or increase the time limit. As mentioned before, I’m also adding an NSFW element - Jane will have the option to distract the NPC by caressing his dick. But if she gets caught like that, things might escalate. This distraction could either be a cut-in view in the corner of the screen or a fully animated scene - it's still undecided yet.

For lockpicking, I’m kind of stuck. I’ve prototyped a few ideas - something similar to TES: Oblivion’s mini-game, or a timing-based system where you have to click at the right moment, and a memory-based puzzle with steps, colors, or shapes - but none of them feel quite right. I don’t want to add anything frustrating that people will just want to skip. If I’m putting effort into making it, I’d rather you actually enjoy it. For the NSFW part, I plan to add an animation where Jane crouches or bends over in an exposed way. If an NPC sees her, instead of calling the cops, he might have a better idea, making lockpicking even trickier.

The diner mini-game is nearly finished, and my background artist and I have already started working on the UI. Our goal is to complete it alongside the Character Creation UI, as well as the stealing and lockpicking mini-games, by March (if possible). The mechanics were already explained in the previous devlog, but for the NSFW element, Kevin will sometimes check on Jane, interrupting her by touching her butt etc. Letting him continue will increase their relationship and lust but will also make preparing orders more difficult. Like the stealing mechanic, this could be shown as a cut-in view or a full character animation. After the dish is prepared and Jane delivers it to the customer, a scene will play based on success/failure, stats, and choices. Here’s a preview of the concept and overall feel of the diner mini-game.

The side-view character models are almost finished, but we still need to integrate them into the game, add animations, and polish everything. March is going to be a busy month.

We've merged Science Street with Oldtown to streamline gameplay, making it easier to handle more in one place while reducing unnecessary locations and excessive clicking. From left to right, the locations are: Town Hall, Police Department, Prison, Hospital, and University. Town Hall & Hospital will be added early since they play a crucial role in gameplay. Police Department & Prison will come later, once the crime system is implemented. University is the lowest priority for now, as it’s a massive feature, so don’t expect it anytime soon. I’ll go into detail about each location’s role once we start adding them to the game.

I've been experimenting with and prototyping some upcoming features, but it's too early to announce or showcase anything, as they might not make it into the final game. For example, I’ve been working on a Lie System, which I really want to include, and I’ve already designed some mechanics around it. However, I’m still unsure how to implement it properly. The original idea was for it to be the only skill check that could fail, always resulting in either success or failure - both with different outcomes. In some cases, failing would even lead to bonus scenes. But this created a dilemma - if a player had a 100% success rate, they would miss out on content for being too good, which I dislike. So, what’s the alternative? An RNG roll with a chance to fail? That would just encourage save-scumming dozens of times to try seeing different outcomes - hate that idea. Right now, I’m considering a simple mini-game, but I’m not entirely sold on it either. Sigh... I’ll figure something out sooner or later.

As mentioned in previous devlogs, in UiTC, NPCs spawned when their requirements were met upon entering a location. This meant their schedules were artificial and could lead to inconsistencies, like the same NPC appearing in two different places at once for the sake of an event. In UiTC:R, all unique NPCs now have actual schedules, and I’ve already finished scripting the system. My goal is to make the world feel alive rather than just revolving around Jane. In the future, thanks to this system, I’ll even be able to add NPC tracking on the world map. The initial schedule system is done, but it still needs improvements, such as better UI & tools for designing schedules. I’m also considering minor details, like having NPCs physically walk out of locations when their schedule updates instead of just teleporting instantly. However, I’m hesitant to touch this right now, as I’m unsure if it might overcomplicate things in the future.

I've been working on translation support for quite some time now. I revisit it every few months, making slow but steady progress. It’s not an easy or quick process and has given me multiple headaches, but I dedicated a significant chunk of time to it in February, so I figured it was worth mentioning.

Since we’re on the topic, I’ll share the current state of things - Adding a new language currently duplicates all dialogues in the original language (English) while syncing existing variables and commands. It also automatically syncs any new dialogues or variables added later. However, some things still don’t sync properly. For example, if I create a new dialogue or variable from a translated file (instead of the default English one), it doesn’t sync correctly. Switching languages at runtime is another issue - right now, I can start the game in the desired language, but swapping languages mid-game doesn’t work. There are still various details to fix, like handling expanded dialogues, adding text in between lines, and translating UI elements, item descriptions, and other non-dialogue text.

Once those issues are addressed, I’ll need to - Finish exporting .json files to .txt for easier translation (doing it manually via Unity editor is a no-go!). Implement importing .txt back to .json. Sync everything with Google Sheets so I can upload & download all translation changes with a single click. Make the system foolproof, so translators can work easily without breaking anything.

Even though I’m getting closer, there’s still a lot of work left. I’ll probably take another serious crack at translation once UiTC’s major work is done and UiTC:R has more content, aiming to finish it by Autumn (but no promises!). And even then, I still need to find translators and wait for them to finish their work. Once the UiTC translation system is complete, I’ll port it to UiTC:R, since the dialogue tool hasn’t changed much.

Little by little, we’re getting closer, but there’s still a shitload of work to do. As always, thanks for reading, and see you next time!

Cheers!