SHINRAI [Murder Mystery] - Released (August 26, 2016)

[Gospel]

Alright, another week has passed, so here's the 'final' character description: http://gosatsuvns.tumblr.com/mika
Mika is the last one of the ten people who are going to attend Rie's party.
Despite that, there are still four more character slots open in the profile selection menu:





Who could they be, I wonder

Also, since it's October now and Halloween is closing in, a little update on the current progress:
There's still a lot to do, especially programming-wise. And it doesn't help that my semester break's gonna end tomorrow, so I'll be stuck doing a lot of translations for uni again.
So yeah, currently I still cannot give a definite release date, but for now, we're focusing on getting out a demo as soon as possible.

Anyway, thanks again for all the support so far. We'll keep working hard!

[Gospel]

So, first of all, here are some more sprite variations, this time for the guys:



I've still been working on the extra stuff for the past week, but I'm finally done with all the notebook entries for the first chapter.
Speaking of which, this is what the notebook main menu currently looks like:



As you can see, it's divided into four categories, the first being the most important one.
The trivia section will only contain some more background information on the plot, characters and various things mentioned througout the story.
No idea what a Kasa-Obake or the Hyakunin Isshu are? Don't fret! Even if they're only mentioned briefly and don't have any relevance to the actual story, you can read up on it in the trivia section.

I've shown a diary entry before and already said a few words about those, but they're basically just a summary of the story's progression. Kinda like a synopsis. They will, however, also offer some more background information and some insight into the character's thoughts.

The Map section will obviously contain detailed maps of the resort, since its layout will be pretty important.

[Gospel]

Alright, so it's been a while since I've updated this thread, but, of course, we've kept working on this project like crazy and can finally release an early demo version!

Originally, we wanted to release this demo for Halloween, but sadly didn’t make it in time due to some difficulties, but here it finally is.
As I've said, it's a very early demo, so everything you see here is subject to change. A bunch of features aren’t implemented yet, some need more fine-tuning and we even deliberately changed entire scenes just for this demonstration.

It would have taken us another couple of weeks to actually get all of it done 100%, but we really wanted to finally release something, and hopefully get some useful feedback on it. So yeah, please keep all that in mind.

We will release an updated version of this demo later down the road, once everything is actually done 100%. But for now, we still hope you will enjoy this.
You can download it here: Old link removed, since we have uploaded a new version of the demo. You can find it in the opening post! (April, 2015)

The demo contains the prologue, as well as the first chapter and mainly serves as an introduction to the characters and setting.
Unfortunately, that means there aren’t any actual gameplay elements added yet, so you won’t be able to investigate, gather clues or do any mystery-solving just yet. We are truly sorry, for that!

Other features currently unavailable include the Sub Menu, as well as the Character Profiles and Notebook section of the Main Menu.
There’s also a lot of other little details, but before I start taking the entire thing apart, I guess I’ll just sum it up as:
It’s not entirely done yet, I’m still dissatisfied with a few things and therefore super nervous about releasing it ^_^;

But yeah, it’s been quite some time since we announced the project, and I’d like to finally show off a little more than just screenshots and, as I said above, hopefully gather some feedback which will help us improve SHINRAI while we keep working on it.

So please let us know what you think about it so far, after completing the demo!
Here’s a couple of questions you can use as an orientation as to what we’d like to know:

1. What is your first impression so far?
2. Did you come across any technical issues? Did anything seem off or as though it wasn’t working properly?
3. Which character(s) did you like the most and why?
4. Any character(s) you can’t stand, at all? If so, for what reason(s)?
5. What was your favorite scene?
6. How did you like the character interactions, dialogue and the writing in general?
7. Did you enjoy the music?
8. Anything that definitely needs to be improved?
9. Any other comments, suggestions, etc.?

Anyway, that’s it! We really hope you’ll enjoy it!

[Ran08]

Dropping by to say that I really liked it, and congratulations for the release! I'm looking forward to playing the whole game!

Complete thoughts here~

[Gospel]

Dropping by to say that I really liked it, and congratulations for the release! I'm looking forward to playing the whole game!

Complete thoughts here~

Thank you very much!
Your feedback is very helpful. We'll definitely keep it in mind while we continue working on SHINRAI ^^

[Panesito]

It look great! Haven't played the demo but hope I do it soon! Quick question...is the VN going to be free or commercial?

[Ariette]

Hi, I just completed this and I wanted to answer your questionnaire.


1. What is your first impression so far?

I like it, a lot. The art is detailed and expressive and the characters are really entertaining.


2. Did you come across any technical issues? Did anything seem off or as though it wasn’t working properly?

It seems like a lot of the sprite transitions are really slow, like sometimes I can go through two or three lines before they finish changing poses. That's all I can really remember, though.


3. Which character(s) did you like the most and why?

I liked Raiko, Nobara, and Mika. Raiko because she reminds me a lot of my extremely introverted self, Nobara because she seems like a good friend, and Mika because she just seems like a lot of fun.


4. Any character(s) you can’t stand, at all? If so, for what reason(s)?

Nobara's dad. He's honestly really, really creepy. He acts like a pedophile and I don't think he's funny.


5. What was your favorite scene?

The very beginning, when Raiko was looking at her costume in the mirror. I thought it was really funny and clever and it hooked me instantly.


6. How did you like the character interactions, dialogue and the writing in general?

I really like the interactions and dialogue in general, but I think there's a bit too much of Raiko telling us how we're supposed to feel about the characters, and there were a lot of grammar problems that I saw when I was playing.


7. Did you enjoy the music?

Yup. All the music was pleasant to the ears and fit the scenes well.


8. Anything that definitely needs to be improved?

Grammar, for sure. There were a lot of mistakes and it was really distracting.


9. Any other comments, suggestions, etc.?

If you're interested in a proofreader, I'd be happy to look over the demo for you.

[Gospel]

It look great! Haven't played the demo but hope I do it soon! Quick question...is the VN going to be free or commercial?

Thanks! I hope you'll enjoy the demo!
This VN is intended to be a commercial release, although I can't really say anything definite about it at this point, since it'll depend on a variety of factors (even the release date still lies far off in the distance...).

Hi, I just completed this and I wanted to answer your questionnaire.


1. What is your first impression so far?

I like it, a lot. The art is detailed and expressive and the characters are really entertaining.


2. Did you come across any technical issues? Did anything seem off or as though it wasn’t working properly?

It seems like a lot of the sprite transitions are really slow, like sometimes I can go through two or three lines before they finish changing poses. That's all I can really remember, though.


3. Which character(s) did you like the most and why?

I liked Raiko, Nobara, and Mika. Raiko because she reminds me a lot of my extremely introverted self, Nobara because she seems like a good friend, and Mika because she just seems like a lot of fun.


4. Any character(s) you can’t stand, at all? If so, for what reason(s)?

Nobara's dad. He's honestly really, really creepy. He acts like a pedophile and I don't think he's funny.


5. What was your favorite scene?

The very beginning, when Raiko was looking at her costume in the mirror. I thought it was really funny and clever and it hooked me instantly.


6. How did you like the character interactions, dialogue and the writing in general?

I really like the interactions and dialogue in general, but I think there's a bit too much of Raiko telling us how we're supposed to feel about the characters, and there were a lot of grammar problems that I saw when I was playing.


7. Did you enjoy the music?

Yup. All the music was pleasant to the ears and fit the scenes well.


8. Anything that definitely needs to be improved?

Grammar, for sure. There were a lot of mistakes and it was really distracting.


9. Any other comments, suggestions, etc.?

If you're interested in a proofreader, I'd be happy to look over the demo for you.

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer our questions!
Your feedback is greatly appreciated and I'm really glad you liked the demo overall.
As for the negative aspects you've pointed out, we're already working on some of those. The problem with the sprite transitions will definitely be resolved and, while Nobara's dad was supposed to come across as creepy, I think I'll tone down his behavior a little.

Anyway, thanks again! This was really helpful!
Also, in regards to the grammatical problems, I was going to look for proof-readers later down the road anyway, so I guess I'll take you up on your offer!

[Gospel]

So, it’s been quite some time since I’ve last updated this thread.
However, we’re still working on SHINRAI, of course. And we made quite a bit of progress!

First of all, I’ve updated the opening post and restructured it a little, adding some new sections and information. Since it was pretty long, due to all the huge pictures, I also tried finding some ways to condense it a little.
Furthermore, I've taken the time to go through the entire thread again and edit some of my previous postings, in order to update the information I've been giving, as well as switch out older/not working links and pictures with newer ones (and to get rid of some typos *cough* perfectionism *cough*).

With that out of the way, let's get to the more important stuff:
We've released an updated demo! You can find the download link in the opening post.

There are still a few things that need to be worked on, but overall, this demo should reflect the final version of the prologue, and the first chapter much better now. At least content- and story-wise.
The two biggest additions to the new demo are the notebook menu, and the first investigation sequence.

We've already made a lot of progress on the second chapter (it's near its completion), as well as a bit on the third one. So I guess I'll be showing you some of that in the very near future.

Also, don't forget, even though I might not update this thread that often, I'll still continue doing weekly blog posts on Tumblr, as well as use Twitter for smaller progress updates.
So, if you're interested in our project, please check those out! We're also on Facebook now, if you're into that kinda thing:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gosatsu- ... 4957588105
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GosatsuVNs
Tumblr: http://gosatsuvns.tumblr.com/

Finally, if you decide to give the new demo a try, please consider giving us some feedback, so we can further improve SHINRAI!

[philip]

Just finished the demo - the art and story are quite nice. It's obvious that whole lot of effort has been poured into this story so far; I'll be anxious to read the completed version (although I admit to being a bit of a scaredy cat, so will probably watch the horror stuff during the day, or with the lights on at night).

philip

[Kikaharu]

I really like the demo can't wait for it to come out. I have had it bookmarked for awhile so

[Gospel]

Just finished the demo - the art and story are quite nice. It's obvious that whole lot of effort has been poured into this story so far; I'll be anxious to read the completed version (although I admit to being a bit of a scaredy cat, so will probably watch the horror stuff during the day, or with the lights on at night).

philip

I really like the demo can't wait for it to come out. I have had it bookmarked for awhile so

Sorry for being a little late with this, but thank you so much for trying out the demo!
I'm really glad to hear you liked it and are looking forward to the completed version!

Also, since it's been a little over a month now since my last posting here, I guess it's time for a quick update!

The second chapter is going through proofreading right now, and once that's done Natsu will start with the coding. Meanwhile, I'll keep working on chapter three and get it ready for proofreading, as well. Most of the assets for it should also be done, except for some notebook/diary entries and sound effects, so I'm hoping chapter two and three will be complete by the end of June.

The next set of BGMs is also in production. With them, the soundtrack will consist of 17 tracks, 21 if you want to count BGM-variations.
That still won't be the full soundtrack, but right now I can't tell how many tracks there'll be in the end.

There isn't too much I can show off from the later chapters currently, but here's a pic featuring one of the new backgrounds, as well as new sprite variations for Raiko and Nobara:

[Gospel]

So, at long last, we have finally adjusted the sprite transitions.
Took quite a while to accomplish this, but after a lot of research, some trial and error, as well as a bit of pure coincidence, we've managed to figure out the problem, which had prevented us from doing it like this from the get-go.

Of course, we have updated the demo accordingly, and I already switched out the old download link with the new one. Apart from the sprite transitions, nothing has changed, though. Content-wise, the demo is still identical to the previous one.

Other than that, we're still working on completing the second and third chapters.
Next time I'll update this thread, I'll definitely be able to post a glimpse of those, so please look forward to that!

[Gospel]

Okay, been a while again, but I have some big news to share today!

First of all, it's time for a little update again. We've made a lot of progress on SHINRAI over the past couple of months. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite enough to get it done in time for this year's Halloween, either. Nevertheless, we're getting closer and closer to finishing it!

Currently, everything up to the end of chapter 3 is basically finished, except for a few tiny things here and there, which still need to be fixed. Part of the reason why it took so much longer is the fact that the whole project has gotten a little bigger than what I originally estimated it to be. The writing is entirely done now and amounts to 150,000+ words. That's 50,000 more words than what I predicted one year ago, haha. We also now have 5 different endings instead of 3.

All that's missing now are a few more assets for the last two chapters and the epilogue, so that Natsu can start on the coding for those. And, of course, we still need to thoroughly test everything, which is gonna take some time as well. Therefore, I still cannot give an exact release date, and I'd rather be safe than sorry, in case it should take longer than expected yet again.

We still do have something to share today, though. You can now find SHINRAI on Steam Greenlight:



Link to our Greenlight Page: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/f ... =542962744

I've updated the opening post accordingly.
You can also find new screenshots, gameplay videos, and even a trailer on our Greenlight page. So, if you're interested in seeing a little more of our progress, and catch a glimpse of the later chapters, please check it out!

Also, don't forget that we have a demo available, which you can find here:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/5ctya ... I_demo.zip

Well, guess that's about it. Only one last thing I've got to mention:
We wish all of you a Happy Halloween! :3

[Gospel]

So, a new year has begun, and we hope that it will be a great one for you!
Since it's about time, I thought I might as well use the opportunity to update this thread again, which I haven't done in a while.

We've managed to accomplish quite a bit in 2015, including getting greenlit (huge thanks again to everyone who supported us!). There is still quite a bit to do before SHINRAI is ready for release, but we do get closer and closer to that goal. If you're interested in the details, I've written up a rather lengthy blog post about what we've managed to accomplish last year, and what's lying ahead: http://gosatsuvns.tumblr.com/post/13649 ... y-new-year

We're basically still working on the missing assets needed to complete the remaining two chapters and the epilogue. I've kinda underestimated how long it would take me to complete all those CGs. Once they're done, however, everything else that's missing should be a lot easier and quicker to handle.

Even though I'm not updating this thread on a regular basis, I'm still doing weekly blog updates, so if you're interested in our progress, don't forget to check out our Twitter account (https://twitter.com/GosatsuVNs) and our Tumblr blog (http://gosatsuvns.tumblr.com/).

I guess that's about it. Once again, Happy New Year!