Goodbye Angel Under?
Hello everyone!
Today it's time for a post I've been putting off for a long time. It's time to talk about my previous project, Angel Under. Long story short: as many of you have probably guessed, Angel Under is on indefinite hiatus. It's a somewhat sad post to write, both for me and for Angel Under fans, so today I'd like to take the opportunity to tell you a little about its history and explain why, for the time being, we won't be continuing development.
We released the first version of Angel Under in 2022 (almost five years ago!), but the truth is we'd already spent years thinking about the idea and making all sorts of prototypes. Back then, we'd only released visual novels and a few parody games like The Legend of Spirit Orbs. We felt like we wanted to make a "real" game, one with actual gameplay, original characters, and something we could pour 100% of ourselves into. A game that could become the best NSFW game ever made.
We set the bar incredibly high: a 2D shooter with a deep story, a satisfying moveset, and traditionally animated NSFW scenes, as if they came straight out of an anime. We spared no effort. The problem? We were rookie developers, so we had almost no experience with any of it. But our ambition was so huge that we refused to back down, and decided we'd learn whatever we needed to bring the project to fruition. "Worst-case scenario," we kept telling ourselves, "we'll come out of this project having learned a ton."
It took a lot of frustration, hard work, blood, sweat and tears, but little by little we managed to shape the project into something pretty close to what we'd originally envisioned. Those of you who played the very first version of Angel Under will know just how enormously the game evolved over that time. Even today, Angel Under remains the most impressive project we've ever made in terms of production. But despite everything, there was still one huge problem we hadn't properly accounted for: production time.
The truth is, Angel Under is simply too big of a game. It has so many moving parts: real-time combat, environments you can freely explore, dialogue, comic and animation systems, a quest system, tons of characters, and the list goes on and on. It's not the kind of game that just two people can make sustainably, no matter how skilled they are. As a result, every update took an absurd amount of time to produce, and it's not like they contained a huge amount of content, either. On one occasion, it took us around six months to release an update that added only about ten minutes of new content.
Of course, this also affected our personal finances. No matter how polished the game was, the pace of production was so glacial that it was difficult to maintain a consistent Patreon base. And we were getting older, too. We couldn't spend the rest of our lives barely making ends meet.
So we made a deal: we'd play one last card, and if it didn't work out, we'd call it quits with Babusgames. That last card was to make a small game that could support the development of Angel Under. It would have to concentrate everything we'd learned over all those years into one project, but it also had to be quick to produce. Where Angel Under was complex and deep, with long development cycles and slow-burn NSFW content, this new project had to be simple, easy to pick up, fun, and straight to the point. With a bit of luck, it would give us the boost we needed to keep Babusgames viable.
You already know the rest!
That little game turned out to be a massive success, far bigger than we'd ever imagined. Almost overnight, our Patreon community grew tenfold. The demand for Problematic Subjects was so overwhelming that we had no choice but to keep making updates.
"Once things calm down a little," we told ourselves, "we'll go back to Angel Under."
But the months went by, and things didn't calm down. Against all expectations, every new update was even more successful than the last. And so Angel Under never came back, quietly slipping into an indefinite hiatus.
Does this mean a final goodbye to Angel Under? Not necessarily.
Maybe someday, once Problematic Subjects is complete and released on Steam, we'll give it another shot. Or maybe we'll decide we'd rather start a brand-new project using everything we've learned since then. The truth is, we simply don't know.
But none of that changes the fact that we'll always have an incredible amount of love for Angel Under. It's the game we dedicated some of the best years of our lives to, and the game that turned us into the developers we are today. Nothing we've accomplished would have been possible without Erin and Milo.
In every new devlog, there's always one or two guys asking about Angel Under, and while reading those comments always gives me a bittersweet feeling, I also feel an enormous amount of respect for them. After all, these are the guys who's been there since the very beginning, no matter what. Thank you so, so much from the bottom of my heart.
And... who knows what the future holds!
A teary-eyed Babus
Comments (83)
I first played Problematic subjects and loved the art style and the game so I started getting interested in you devs, found your patreon etc etc. When browsing your posts I came across Angel Under and tried it and I loved it ! I loved the story the characters the potential lore and since then (it's been maybe a year or more) I've been rethinking about the game and how good it is and how I wanted to see it evolving, even earlier today at work. So i checked your posts this late to see the least bit of update and I came across this post. I am sad to learn the game won't get updated any time soon (but I still maintain hope, being a HK fan I know waiting 😅) but learning the story behind it makes it less sad and I'm happy things turned out well for you and I'll happily play every update of Problematic Subjects and any other game you may do in the futur ! Love from France ❤
Once you have finished working on the "Gym" segment, please consider creating a "Version B" in which female students — and perhaps different teachers appear instead of the male students. (Lesbian version of Gym would be insane)
Problematic subjects nursery update will come free one day?
Does all the game have an mobile version? Or just the Problematic Subject?
💔💔💔
Hi I am just wondering will the Infirmary stage ever be free for people to play or will it just stay as Patreon
hi, how can i get the second part of problematic subjects? where the girl with yellow hair appears
hi everyone, i have a question, i played problematic subjects recently and i saw there are like a second part, in the web said i have to be in the patreon for get the part two, is that right?, i’m talking about a girl with yellow hair
On the one hand, I am 100% subscribed for Angel Under as I've found Problematic Subjects just kind of meh. But that doesn't keep me from being really happy for you that you've found success. I dropped to "free" tier several months back because all the content was going to PS but was hoping more AU would get some love at some point. So I'm bummed (but not surprised) at this decision but it makes total sense. Games require work, work requires humans (still!), and humans require things like rent and groceries and naps. I'm thrilled you've made it even if I don't love the product you made it with.
Mano, when whe are gonna get a free update?
Thank you for your work on these games! I hope Angel Under will continue one day but also The Legend of Spirit Orbs!^^ All your games are in my favorite list!
Angel under has so much potential even without nsfw part, game is really a master piece tbh so I really hope you guys keep going about angel under
A bit of a shame, but I get it. Scope creep is an insidious killer. Would still like to see some more story-focused stuff in the future, but totally understandable if you wanna cut back on the overall size of each individual game.
I really love the free time tracks in Angel Under! Are they on Youtube perhaps?
Well, if u couldn't do it with Angel Under, just try making Problematic Subjects one of the bests NSFW games. It's really entertaining and it sure has the potential to achieve it, don't give up, you are amazing. Gotta say ur work with the scenes is top tier in both games.
hope it goes well
Please at least use Erin in your other works. I was looking forward to more stuff with her. She was also the face that made me join up here. I hope she doesn't get scrapped.
I'd like to see the characters used in your work, so we'll still get to enjoy them. Thank you.
Thanks! I'll sure do that :)
ah, that explain it, at least there is an update on the closure, that's a *LOT*
Took me long enough, but it's something that had to be done!
Man that's disappointing. Understandable but disappointing. Angel Under is the only reason i'm here. Problematic subjects is alright but I felt done after playing it once. Hopefully you will get back to Angel Under one day.
Yeah, it's painful for us too. But who knows, maybe someday...
Came for angel under, stayed for problematic solutions!!!!
Thank you! :)
Hey, I just joined to say that this is probably one of the most understandable decisions ever made on Earth. The first time I found out about you was Into the Forest, that's some years ago. And then there was Angel Under which popped out from time to time. I thought, "neat, they're still around", but of course, I noticed that you weren't doing all too well. But at least you were around, grinding. Then came Problematic Subjects, which felt like industrial revolution, or the introduction of the first iPhone, in the field of NSFW. I couldn't believe my eyes when I looked at graphs showing your Patreon's growth. Like you said, it's tenfold. I am not really a fan or a supporter, but that brought somewhat of a tear to my eye. Imagine grinding for years, and one small ditch effort gives you so much more than you've ever gotten. Like I said, I am not really a supporter, but I am genuinely happy for you that you have found the jackpot. You stayed in the game, God noticed that (I am not even religious). So hey, totally understandable that your focus is all on PS, as you should. Thanks for reading my mumbo jumbo. Godspeed!
That was really emotional to read! I never thought anyone would remember us from so long ago. Thank you so much for sharing!
Its a very simple equation lol - way less effort, way more money
Oh, but the heart aches... :(
Darn, I still remember Angel Under. But you guys rock, so hopefully not a forgotten project or relic of the past.
Thank you a lot! AU won't be forgotten in any case!
Ngl I really hope you guys will eventually get back to Angel under because it's current world building is so interesting and incredibly vast for a nsfw game
We did put a lot of effort on the worldbuilding. Hopefully we'll come back someday to complete its story!
Problematic Subjects is a far better game tbh
Emily thanks you!
I think every game outside the orb game you've made has had satisfying contents amounts and of great quality. Keep doing your best guys if whatever project you put out next catches my eye I might even joln the patreon ^^
Thank you a lot! :)
I've played countless games in my whole life and i swear that i felt your blood, sweat, tears on this game, that's why i'm very hooked to the game, it was very different than the other games i've known. Although did wonder why the development stopped, and now i understand. I will be here supporting you guys. Angels Under is an amazing project you've guys ever made, keep up the great work!
That means a lot! Thank you a lot for the kind words :)
It happens to the best of us, buttttttt maybe one day in the far future, maybe when you have a larger team with more knowledge, you could fulfill the original dream because with what content there is.....its absolutely top tier quality. Otherwise, sad to see it go but problematic subjects is amazing and I intend to remain for all future content!! 😁
Ýeah, if we ever get a bigger team... That might happen. Thanks a lot! :)
Yeah. I'll always resent Prob Subjects for stealing away development time. I really don't understand how that game appeals at all - there are no character traits or drama or story it's just boring. But. Knowing that Angel Under was already a huge project that was taking way too much work to progress? That actually makes me feel a bit better, knowing that you two have easier, more lucrative work now and don't have to suffer making a massive project like Angel under work. That's more important than finishing the game's story, so, best of luck in the future!
Thank you a lot for understanding! It's been a very tough decision...
Adios al personaje que de seguro se inspiraron para hacer a la amiga de emily 😔
We miss the story, but maybe a little one crossover with Problematic Subject, I don't know a little idea like a goodbye, an extra. Thanks for that project. We love you
Yes, maybe we'll be including some crossovers sometime :)
i need to cry into erin titties one last time
I never got to play angel under although I came across it in an nsfw game website back in late 2023, thanks to that game it introduced to this amazing community in patreon, even though I’ve lost many accounts in the past I stayed on with my many subscriptions one of them being Babus, even though I never really got to play the game due to me being on iPhone and it would always restrict me with or without the patreon sub i understand what babus means by many months of work for a few minutes of new content, when instead they could spend a few months or even the same but rather than a few minutes, an entire chapter for “PS”. I’m not gonna sit here and lie saying I played angel under because I wasn’t able due to the device I had back then but I did see it come into the light with each and every chapter the community stayed the same until the drop of PS and honestly i understand babus from based off what they put out for us and their explanation, all I can say to yall is as a member of the community who’s been with yall for a solid 3 years I love the hard work you guys have put into ur games and you deserve the entire world for your hard work and dedication aswell as heavy determination behind the scenes because at the end of the day this is how yall make a living so it makes me happy that yall went from a small nsfw game creator in small nsfw websites to now one of the biggest nsfw game creators on patreon and on the way of making official merch (Plushies!!) we love you babus🥲‼️‼️ (raw signing out until the next update, absolutely love this team and community)
That was beautiful to read! Thank you raw!
I'll be honest I do like Problematic Subjects a lot more because of its simplicity and relaxing gameplay. Its the kind of game you can just sit back and play rather then worrying about dodging shots. The main reason I was attracted to both games was the art style and animations, that is easily the best thing about both games imo. Problematic Subjects keeps adding more and more of these things which is why I think each update makes me so hyped on top of the extras you guys throw in.
Thank you! I love making animations, but Angel Under anims were very time consuming to make. I designed PS with the idea of being able to produce a lot of animations instead :)
I can't hide my disappointment in hearing about Angel Under (Bolonia, my love...) but I full understand biting off more than you can chew. I do hope one day you'll come back to Angel Under once Problematic Subjects is finished and up to your high standards that you've always managed to meet. Angel Under could be the all time great h game. Though it's vastly different in scope and mechanically, Problematic Subjects could be as well (though admittedly it's a bit less of my type of thing). It mostly comes down to one thing: the two of you are great at what you do. Fan for life.
Wow, thanks a lot for such kind words! 🥹
I found you guys through Spirit Orbs, but Angel Under is what really made me back you guys up. It's a shame to see such an awesome game sit on the back burner for so long, but I understand the struggle. Gotta pay the bills first after all! That said Angel Under was set up to be the perfect game for my strike zone. I do hope you find the time and resources to go back to it eventually, cause I really fell in love with the characters and was excited to see where the story was going. In any case, Godspeed and I wish you all the best! In the mean time, we have Problematic Subjects to enjoy. 😃
You're a veteran amongs the veterans! Thank you for the kind words Zex :)
Angel Under was the game that made me become a member, I fell in love with it's characters (especially cute Erin). I'm gonna miss this game :( But man, you were just working on it with a TWO PERSON TEAM?!! O_O
Hehe, yes! Now that I look back, it seemed a crazy scope to just tackle with two people. Maybe I'd designed Angel Under differently if I was to make it nowadays. But hey, living is learning!
Angel Under is such an amazing game that led me to discover the rest of your work, it’ll always have a special place in my heart but I love Problematic Subjects just as much! Thank you for all of your hard work Babus, regardless of what the future holds we’ll always support you no matter what ❤️
Words like these make my heart happy. Thank you a lot 🥹
What I liked the most about Angel Under were the characters and the peak animation of the sex scenes. I love good animation. I cannot say that I'm not disappointed. That would be a lie. I'm very disappointed. But supporting a project on Patreon is always a gamble. Sometimes a project gets finished. That's a win. And sometimes it doesn't.
Angel Under did teach me everything I know nowadays about traditional animation. Hope I can do such complex scenes again in the future!
Angel Under has to be, by far, my favourite NSFW game, and it's probably even in my top 10 of favourite games at all. The gameplay was genuinely flabbergasting, considering the genre of the game and the size of the team making it. As a dev, I really told myself "this is what I want my future games to look like". I have a lot of love for Angel Under as well ! Honestly I just couldn't appreciate Problematic Subjects as much as Angel Under. Regardless, know that if you need help at least on the programming part, I'd really love to help (for free, I'm not a rat and I have no issue with money) ! I'm mostly a tool dev, so I'm making tools to make development easier. I know Unity like my pocket ! The fact that you've already went that far is fantastic ! On my end, the only reason why I never finished a game is because I'm not an artist, and I ended up losing motivation, even if I had absolutely no issue with programming, it's just hard to keep progressing sometimes when you do not have any asset to work on... Hope to see them again, Erin and Milo ! Take care mates, stay motivated, find a good balance for babusgames funding and I truly hope we'll see the color of a new update for Angel Under ! (I would definitely love to see more of the human/demons war thing, the story is very entertaining and promising, the lore is really great as well !
Thank you a lot from the bottom of our hearts! 🥹 If Angel Under ever comes back, we DO need to have a bigger, well-paid team. As much as we appreciate people offering to help for free, we're a bit uncomfortable with unpaid work. :)
I kinda feel like putting a post saying "we're not gonna be working on our old project, possibly forever" shouldn't be locked behind the paywall, but that's just me.
Whops. You're absolutely right!
genuinely has potential to be the greatest h game ever made, hope to see you return to it one day ^^ love the work anyway
No doors are closed forever :) Thanks!
I didn't know about angel under but I played it today and it shows in affection and the effort you put into the game I hope you don't leave it in oblivion, keep going I didn't know about angel under but I played it today and it shows in affection and the effort you put into the game I hope you don't leave it in oblivion, keep going team babus ✍️
We did put everything we had in that game. Thank you 🥹
Funny, I started supporting you because of Angel Under and I haven't even touched problematic subjects. Huh. Maybe I should.
Haha, you're the one odd out! You should definitely give it a try!;D
Lovely to read & thank you for taking the time to share! I came here after stumbling on Problematic Subjects and this post has reminded me to travel back and explore your other work! Glad you've grown to look back and recognize how far you've come! Whatever you decide for AU, maybe if time permits, pop an easter egg into PS as a callback to Angel Under as a symbol of how far you've come?
Thank you a lot for your kind words! Absolutely we'll do some easter egg :)
Oh man, I understand the situation. It's a shame because I finished this game last week and I was wondering what would become of it. On the other hand, it's great that you were able to make that decision. Letting go of a project you care about but that isn't profitable hurts. Good luck Babus, you are doing a great job. <3
Thank you a lot! I do play Angel Under from time to time and think, "damn, this is a beautiful game indeed!"
Facts, problematic subjects is fun and straight to the point. I don't have to make 20 correct choices or have a massive talk with a character to have an nsfw scene. It doesn't feels boring or repetitive. Love the ur work
Hehe, thank you!
Welp allow me to congratulate you guys for making it this far. It really shows how much you care about your games but also your community and know that we'll support ya no matter what you come up with next ! You are by far the best NSFW game creator imo ❤️
This community makes it all of it worth! Thank you 🥹
I remember when I first came across angel under and in turn your group of people making games. Angel under just scratched the right spots for a game even without the nsfw side. I’m glad to be around now to see problematic subjects growing. Yall are awesome and even if angel under never resumes you’ve got a following that will never forget that start of Babus Games
Makes me so happy to read that! Thanks a ton! 🥹
Maybe we'll meet again 🫡
What the future holds, no one knows. So maybe! 🫡