Two years ago, I finished Methods.
Thank you to everyone for continuing to create fan works and remain invested even two years after its release. Sometimes I forget how many people are into this game. A trip to Lofter helps remind me, and motivates me to continue doing this. I seriously doubt it would've gotten a fraction of this following if it wasn't for Sound of Mystery and Sanren, so I must thank them as well for shining a spotlight on it, and drawing their positive communities to the game. And thank you to the Master Translators who continue to help extend the game's reach even further by translating it into Chinese.
Out of all of my projects, I feel that Methods is the one that I really put myself into, for lack of a better term. I took everything I like the most and put it into one package, in perhaps the most shameless way I've ever done. It's a mystery story. It's a superhero story. It's a story about introverts and extroverts. It's a tournament arc. It has satirical moments. It has goofy moments. It has cringey moments. It has pretentious moments. It has earnest moments. It's very unpolished in a lot of ways. It is a true indie game.
So thank you for your support! I think it can only get better from here.
The sequel "Motives" is still a long way off. This is less to do with my other projects "getting in the way", and more to do with wanting to simmer on the plot. Since it will be the end of the story, I want to be confident in it before I start production. I'm pleased to say that as of right now, I think it's shaping up well.
However, more Methods content IS coming!
Mobile Version
I am excited to announce Methods for Mobile! Everything — including The Illusion Murders, all extra content and the Chinese translation — is being converted for iOS. In order to make it work, I'm having to remake the menus so they look better on smaller screens. We already have a working version running, which is very cool. I hope to release it on Android as well.
I think the story, with its bite-sized chapters, is well-suited for a more casual mobile experience. I don't know when it'll be finished — it's a bit of a chore to readjust so many images. But it will get done eventually.
New DLC
My original plan was to add four 5-chapter stories featuring different characters to the base game, starting with The Illusion Murders, which was released last year. However, my plans have changed. This is for several reasons.
1. The stories I came up with were not particularly compelling
2. The base game already has lots of content without adding fifteen more chapters
3. The stories didn't contribute to the overall story in meaningful ways
I realized that I could instead concentrate on telling one, bigger, more meaningful and exciting story, and packaging it as a standalone game... So that's what I plan on doing!
Introducing... Methods: The Canada Files!
Methods: The Canada Files is a standalone prequel story which shows the last few stages of the mysterious Canadian competition. Detective Larika Downs (Haney) is determined to discover the truth of the competition at all costs!!
This contest had quite a different ending from the American one, as you may be aware, which I think will be interesting to explore. It's also different in a few other ways, but I'll let that be a surprise!
I'm planning for 25 chapters. Not sure when I'll work on it, but I'm hoping to squeeze it in somewhere this year.
Vignettes
Vignettes are a new feature in the base game. They are brief scenes taking place around the detective competition. I'll let you discover what these scenes are yourself, because they are available right now!
Lastly, for the anniversary, Methods and the Methods OST are 25% off from April 25th to May 2nd. Enjoy!
Until next time!
— LockedOn.