Development Update #2 – What’s Been Happening

🎌 Post-Kickstarter Update – What’s Been Happening in Hayakawa?

Hello everyone!

It’s been a while since our last blog post—and since Veiled Shadows successfully funded on Kickstarter back in January, I wanted to share a proper update on how things have been progressing. A lot has happened behind the scenes, and I’ve been steadily pushing development forward while balancing life and a full-time job in healthcare.

💼 Post-Kickstarter: What Changed?

First off, thank you again to everyone who supported the Kickstarter. Reaching 150% of the funding goal was beyond what I hoped for, and it’s given Veiled Shadows the foundation it needed to grow into something truly special.

After the campaign, I dove headfirst into refining the core systems—story progression, the day/calendar structure, and building the various gameplay systems like character bonding and combat flow. These months have been all about laying solid groundwork.

🎮 What I’ve Been Working On

Here’s a quick breakdown of what’s been happening lately:

• The Calendar System is now fully functional! Time progresses as the player chooses how to spend their days in Hayakawa—talking to friends, uncovering secrets, or getting stronger in the metaverse.

• Character Bonds have been a major focus. Each of the three main relationships—Yumi, Liam, and Ruby—now have meaningful arcs that evolve with the story and your choices. (And yes, you can now max them all out… if you manage your time well!)

• UI/HUD Rework: I completely overhauled the HUD design to better reflect the game's identity. I even wrote an entire Patreon post about it—if you're interested in dev insights, definitely check it out!

• Environmental Design: I’ve been doing a lot of reference gathering and mood boarding to enhance the rural Japanese vibe of Hayakawa. I want the world to feel both grounded and nostalgic.

• New Patreon Series: I launched a cute character spotlight series on Instagram and Patreon that reveals little things each character likes—from Ruby’s love for rock music to Liam’s obsession with retro games.

💬 Staying in Touch

I’ll admit—I’ve been a little quiet online lately. After the campaign, I shifted focus away from social media to really give development and some personal matters my full attention. But I’ve recently been easing back into posting again, especially on Instagram, Discord, and my Patreon, where I share exclusive content, behind-the-scenes posts, and more.

If you’ve enjoyed following this journey so far, consider supporting the project on Patreon—it means the world, and every bit helps me continue working toward launch.

✨ What’s Next?

The next couple of months will be all about polishing the current content, adding new levels and characters, and—fingers crossed—finding potential partners or publishers to help bring Veiled Shadows to the finish line. (I’ve even started putting together pitch materials!)

Thanks again for sticking around. The world of Veiled Shadows is growing more and more every day, and I can’t wait to share what’s coming next.

Until then—
Dominik 👋