Half Chapter 12.5 Is Going Public

Hey everyone,

I promised I'd get back to you about the half chapter, so here's the announcement: 12.5 is going public.

The plan was always that I'd open the half chapter up to everyone once I was back to working full steam and could see that the complete chapter needed more time than planned. That's exactly where I am now.

Where things stand

Progress is good. While writing, it also became clear that there's more I want to tell in this chapter than I originally planned. Purely by size, I could put chapter 13 out tomorrow. I've made a deliberate decision instead to give the full chapter the room it needs.

Opening 12.5 up to everyone is the solution that makes both work: you get new content, and Chapter 13 gets the time it deserves.

Why 12.5 and not just Chapter 13?

Fair question, given that 12.5 runs as long as a regular chapter.
But length isn't a yardstick for me.
I don't measure chapters by length. "This chapter has this many images and this much text" doesn't tell me anything. Long isn't automatically good. Blaise Pascal put it well: if he'd had more time, the letter would have been shorter. Length isn't a yardstick for quality, quite the opposite more of often than not, at least for me personally. (You'd be surprised how much I cut from my first draft when I revise it, sometimes more than half.)

To me, a chapter is a section of the story with its own theme, with build-up, a climax and a cliffhanger, you know how I work. A narrative structure. 12.5 has the length, but it doesn't have that structure. So it stays a half chapter.

And to be clear about this: RELEASING HALF CHAPTERS PUBLICLY IS NOT GOING TO BE THE NORM. This is a one-time exception. Going forward, my aim is to keep chapters tighter again.

Where the time goes

I have a clear vision for this game. And with every chapter, more experience piles up, both in writing and with the engine. Things that weren't technically possible for me before are possible now. When I know I can build a scene exactly the way it looks in my head, I build it that way.

One example: there's an animation in 12.5 that runs for two seconds. If you've played 12.5 the scene with the scythe. Those two seconds took me a good two days. Details like that are what separate "done" from "really good" for me, and the stuff i have the most fun with.

Then there are the new systems. The Emma part in 12.5 was completely new ground for me programming-wise, and it was absolutely worth it. Part two brings another new system. Not the same one, it plays noticeably different. That's all I'll say for now, I don't want to give anything away.

That's why Chapter 13 needs more time. And that's why i think it will be worth it.

The dates

• July 28: 12.5 goes live for the Companion tier on Patreon.

• August 7: 12.5 releases for everyone.

And for everyone who hasn't played 12.5 yet: you're in for a good one. There are a few moments in there I'm genuinely proud of, and I think it's turned out to be one of the strongest updates I've made so far.

A huge thank you to everyone supporting me on Patreon. You're the reason this game is still alive. I appreciate it more than I can say, and it means a lot to me.

Take care of yourselves, surround yourselves with good people, and see you next time.
Stay safe.
With love,
Berki.