As 2025 comes to an end, let's answer some frequently asked questions (and a few others)
FAQ:
Release and Development:
Q: When will the game be released/finished?
A: I dunno, I've made promises before that I couldn't keep, so I won't make any new ones until I'm 100% sure it's done.
Q: Why is it taking so long to make a simple game like this?
A: Simply because I have very little time to work on the game and sometimes when I do, I'm just a bit burnt out on it. I initially set out to make a very short horror game, but my ambitions grew and I wanted to make it into something really special.
Q: Why has the development slowed down?
A: I had been working on the game for a few months off and on until March of 2020. Covid hit and I had to stay home, leaving me with nearly 3 full months of free time to just work and improve upon what I had. However, as we all slowly got back into the swing of things, so did my day job. As you can imagine, that took a lot of dev time away. Nowadays, I've gotten a new job, one that allows me to work on the game every other week. The momentum is kinda not there, so I really have to make those days count, and sometimes I'm just tired and not in the mood.
Q: Don't you think you've posted the demo prematurely?
A: Probably lol, I was just so proud of the demo I made, and I had nothing better to do at the time, so I figured I might as well post it. It probably would've been better had I not posted the game at all, so there wouldn't be any pressure to release it. I did however get to meet a lot of really awesome people because of the demo, and for that reason alone, it was worth it.
Gameplay:
Q: What's the deal with choosing left or right in the line in the demo?
A: It's a deceptively simple choice, just like you'd make in real life. Choosing a line will alter the story in a significant way, but will not impact the ending, just kind of changes one key element of the story.
Q: Will Wintertwined be fully playable with a controller?
A: Yes, you can remap the buttons as well. I experimented with controller accurate icons (like XYAB, Square, Triangle, etc.) But unfortunately that would require so much work and headache, I've decided to keep it as a simple "button 1, button 2" for now.
Q: Why can I only save at clocks, instead of anytime?
A: A few reasons, one reason is to invoke that feeling of those classic survival horror games, the other is because during play testing, I ran into a few bugs when reloading certain scenes, mostly visual bugs.
Compatibility / Accessibility related Q's:
Q: What about Steam Deck Compatibility?
A: Working on it, though I do not own one myself, I will try to make it run on it.
Q: Will the game be translated into other languages?
A: Depends how easy it is. I do intend to translate the game to my native language (Dutch) as a test to see how doable it is. Won't make any promises, but if translating the game is doable, I'll probably reach out to some folks to help translate it into other languages as well.
Q: Mac port?
A: I don't own a Mac, so I'll have to borrow one to test it. It's not high on the priority list, but it is on there, depending on demands I suppose.
Q: Any other accessibility options planned?
A: I considered adjustable font sizes, but due to the limits of RPG Maker and the way the text boxes will cut off dialogue, that's off of the table for now. Colorblind mode is something I'd like to check out sometime in the future, no promises though.
Miscellaneous:
Q: What gender is Winter?
A: Yes. (It'll be revealed in the full game)
Q: How do you pronounce Giles?
A: Like Miles, but a G. (Or like Dj)
Q: How old are the characters?
A: I don't have a set age for them (yet), Winter is somewhere in the 16-17 range, where Giles is somewhere in the 36-40 range.
Q: Is the creature in the woods a Wendigo?
A: No, it's something else.
Q: Will the game be "woke"?
A: A truly baffling question I've gotten a couple of times. Short answer: Yes. Longer answer: It really depends on your own opinion and interpretation, I can't decide on what is and isn't considered "woke" anymore. I think I put it best in the Steam description: "If you are offended by existences not parallel to yours, I would advise against playing Wintertwined." Make of that what you will.
Q: How can I support Wintertwined?
A: Currently I'm not taking donations or anything, the best thing you can do is share the game with others and give me feedback, I also get a kick out of hearing theories :)
I think that'll cover most of the questions I've heard, but feel free to ask away.
Hope to see yall in the next year, thanks for sticking with me.
-Terry