Hello everyone, and welcome to the official first Dev Log for Chapter 2!

Chapter 1's release has been a success! The Darkness Within is now indexed on itch, and I was met with being featured in the Popular section, even alongside titles I deeply respect. That feels like a huge win already.

If you enjoyed the game, please consider leaving a review on itch. Every single one helps push The Darkness Within into the Popular section, which means more players discovering the story. Your voice matters:

Leave a Review for the Game!

The feedback I've received so far has been incredibly helpful. I've already begun implementing changes based on your input—everything from dialogue pacing to UI improvements. Your time and thoughts mean the world to me.

Development

After the rollercoaster of emotions post-release, I took a break to recharge. It was necessary, yet I couldn't stop myself from doing at least something for Chapter 2. So I began writing dialogue.

I genuinely love writing. While I'm still new to writing dialogue-only stories, the feeling of writing characters interact with each other, while the world around them continues to spin, feels phenomenal. I continue to learn more about the same characters I began writing at first, as if they were truly there. It's a strange feeling, but one I welcome.

I haven't begun rendering yet. I just returned from visiting home, and I'll be traveling again for a close friend's wedding. Rendering resumes in two weeks.

What I did do: upgrade my mods. Huge shoutout to Dark Seraph, who has cooked a plugin that will give The Darkness Within a much more unique experience from now on. I also commissioned an outfit for Mike, huge shoutout to Maple for doing an incredible job!

So when I return to work on the first scenes, I basically have the basics ready.

There's also been incredible help from some of you, and I can't thank you enough. Translators, proofreaders, music composers, and more, you've been incredibly kind. Thank you from my heart.

As you see, I've started adding a progress bar for each important component of the update (Writing, Renders & Animations, Coding & Audio, Testing & Proofreading). This clarifies where the update stands at a glance.

Important Note: All tiers "Legacy Awakened," "First Dream Walker," "Founder Academist," and "Echo Guide" have been closed forever. If you have the tier, you can keep it until you unsubscribe. Thank you for believing in this story before you had the chance to play it.

Also, I'll start sharing Sneak Peeks for Patreon Tiers starting in October. I'm not 100% sure yet how I'll share these, I'll probably change methods as I move forward. Just a few organisational things I felt needed clearing up today.

That's all for today. Thank you for the incredible support during this amazing time. Releasing Chapter 1 is just the beginning, there's so much more I want to tell with The Darkness Within. So stay tuned for the next Dev Log (which will be on the 8th of October, 7PM CEST, and every 2 weeks from then onwards).

Until then,

— MisheruMaxis