Hi everyone!
It's been a little while since we've posted an update on Steam, so we wanted to take the time to bring you up to speed on how things are going and what to expect in the new year. A lot of this has been shared on our Discord or our social media channels, so if you'd like to stay as up-to-date as possible, I'd suggest following or joining one of the following:
With that out of the way, we're entering the late stages of development for a content update/overhaul to the first four episodes of Scarlet Hollow that we're calling "The Roads Untraveled." The first episode of Scarlet Hollow in particular is the first game either of us worked on, and there are areas that we've wanted to improve for a while that we've avoided touching out of fear that we'd be damaging load-bearing pillars of the game's design.
But we've since figured out how to make these improvements work, and we think that they'll dovetail nicely into Episode 5. (And we have the budget from Slay the Princess' success to prioritize quality over rushing to the next milestone.)
You can expect this update on the earlier end of 2025, and Episode 5 later in the year. Some of what will be in it:
- Improved player agency in the first two episodes of the game. What happens if you don't venture into the woods with Stella? How do things progress if you go out of your way to be a Good Cousin?
- Restoration of cut content. This focuses more heavily on Episode 4, where we're potentially restoring a cut route where a romanced Kaneeka can join the player at the clinic. (Still assessing whether this makes the clinic less interesting, so no guarantees.) There's also a major late-episode choice that we cut for time that we're eying to bring back.
- A user interface and visual overhaul. We've also been working hard to update Scarlet Hollow's use interface and visual presentation to be closer to our current quality standards. More on that below.
Our goal with this interface update is to make the game feel warmer (and less sterile), as well as to improve the general experience. So, starting with the most important part of the user interface in a visual novel, the text box.
On top of the added embellishments, you'll notice that this new box is taller, meaning that we can fit more options before you need to scroll. You might also notice that the scrollbar is located further to the right, meaning options can be longer before flowing onto the next line. (Again, meaning there will be less scrolling.) On top of making it easier to process menus with a large number of options this should also smooth out the controller experience.
You'll also notice that we've moved the quick menu into the textbox, which should avoid a few scenarios where it directly clashes with character sprites and backgrounds. (In particular, I can point to a scene where a specific Tabitha sprite had the "gear" icon positioned directly over her eye, making her look like a cyborg.)
Next up, we've got the main menu, where we've added some extra character. The logo is smaller and has some color so it feels less stark. The font choice is tighter, and we added a border where the text options start to improve the feel of things.
We've made similar changes to the in-game menu. Again, we're using thematic shapes to provide better flow and separation. We've also added a wooden "frame" around each save game thumbnail give them a more natural feeling. You'll also notice here that we've moved this menu always showing the outside of the estate as the far background to displaying the current game screen instead.
On the subject of the in-game menu, we've also changed the confirmation screen so it feels closer to the in-game textbox. The transparency on this one still needs further adjustment. I think it's a little *too* transparent right now.
We've replaced all of the illustrated assets in the journal, too, and instead of a generic cross-hatched background, we add a semi-transparent black layer so you can still see the game world behind it.
The last UI change I want to share is the character creation process, where, on top of fleshing out the design of the various header boxes, we've also replaced the generic background with background images from the game.
We didn't just change the one background either — each stage of the process has a new image. Here's the trait selection screen.
Thank you again, so much, for following along with our work and for giving us the space to make Scarlet Hollow the best game it can possibly be. This new update is going to kick ass >:)
Best wishes and happy new year!
Tony and Abby!