Hey lads!
Sorry for the late devlog. These past two weeks have been pretty rough, and I’ve fallen behind schedule again. Our older kid had an allergic reaction - rashes all over, scratching like crazy, crying and screaming. My wife and I have been running ourselves ragged, going from doctor to doctor, removing every toy and chemical detergent in the house, trying to figure out what the hell changed. After purging literally everything from home, it finally started to get better I believe... But good luck pinpointing the actual culprit now. Sigh.
To make matters worse, my parents and brothers are sick, so we’ve had no help with the kids or errands during that time. That’s why I’ve had way less time to work lately, so I just wanted to apologize. Though I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t really care much about himself, I’ll always prioritize family. Can’t wait till they start going to kindergarten and bring home a new illness every week... Eh...
Now, onto the actual devlog:
As usual, sneakpeak videos are uploaded to Pixeldrain.
I’m renaming the upcoming project to Unaware in The City 2: Revisited (UiTC2 for short). Yeah, I know - it’s on me for originally calling it a "remaster" instead of a "remake". At first, the plan didn’t include so many core changes, but as development progressed, more and more of the old features started to feel outdated or just straight-up annoying. So I decided to go all in (within what I could afford) and rebuild things properly.
Usually, people associate "remasters" with just a visual update, so I added a "2" to the title to signal that it’s something more. But that ended up creating more confusion, since it’s not really a sequel, because the premise is still the same: an innocent girl named Jane moves to The City to start a new life. So... The "Revisited" part stays. I know it’s still not super clear, but if it helps reduce the confusion even a little, I’m happy. And hey - if you’ve got a better idea, I’m all ears. Just don’t expect me to rename the base title or slap a lazy "Remake" on it.
Naturally, from time to time, people ask "why isn’t the upcoming remastered version a free upgrade on Steam? Why re-release the same game?"
Here’s the reason: the original UiTC codebase is a total mess and working on it became a nightmare. If this was just an art update or a couple new features, sure - it would’ve been part of a regular update. But this is a separate project, built with a new team, and even though it’s been in development for less than a year, it’s already cost me more than the entire development of UiTC. I even had to take out a loan to fund it, which was a risky move that could’ve gone very badly. Thankfully, I’ll finally be done paying off that loan next month. But I still need to release UiTC2 and make enough to keep its development going, especially since income from the original UiTC is steadily dropping across all platforms.
When it was just a solo project, I could live off the bare minimum, living in my parents’ basement and eating instant noodles (been there, done that as a youth). But that’s not an option anymore. I’m married, have two kids, and now work with a small team. These people are essential to the project, so it’s not something I can finish alone anymore.
I’m not asking for money. Just a bit of understanding. Getting review-bombed or insulted because you want to release something better can be pretty damn demotivating. Game dev is fun, sure, but when it becomes your only source of income, and other people’s livelihoods are involved, the pressure really starts to build.
So, for the nth time - Unaware in The City 2: Revisited will be a separate game, not a free update to the existing Unaware in The City. That said, I’ll be giving a small discount to everyone who purchased the original game. Patreon & SubscribeStar supporters will get it as part of their subscription, as always.
I believe actions speak louder than words, so I’d prefer you wait patiently for the public demo during Steam Next Fest in October and judge it for yourself. But here’s a "quick" breakdown of the main differences between UiTC and UiTC2, to give you an idea of why it can’t be a simple update, and why working on UiTC was such a nightmare:
UiTC2 is built using the latest Unity 6 engine, which means it’ll run fine on newer hardware and operating systems, especially Android (which stopped working for a lot of people in UiTC). This way, it’s also (hopefully) future-proofed, so it’ll continue to work even years after development is finished. And no, UiTC couldn’t just be updated without breaking the entire game, and that’s exactly what we’re doing now - rebuilding what’s necessary, the right way.
The original UiTC is a continuation of an older project (Unaware of the World) that I was part of. After the team disbanded, I decided to continue it solo and turn it into something more. But that old game was never meant to become a feature-rich open-world title, so I had to create tons of messy workarounds. That led to bloated, unstable code, and I wasted an absurd amount of time doing even simple tasks. While UiTC2 still reuses some assets and is built on top of the UiTC concept, a lot of the core code had to be rewritten from scratch. I learned a lot from UiTC’s mistakes. Basically, if something was awful, constantly buggy, or just frustrating to work with - it’s gone in UiTC2 and done right this time.
In UiTC2, much of the core code is being rewritten, and gameplay mechanics are fully redesigned. Instead of waiting for random events when entering a location, you’ll actively interact with the world. In UiTC, everything relied on Lewdness (LW), which affected too many things at once, often leading to unwanted behavior. In contrast, UiTC2 features around 15 different skills, and each with a specific function. For example, you can walk without underwear using the Exhibitionism skill, even if your Corruption is still low. Similarly, prostitution might be possible with low Corruption under the right conditions.
The original UiTC was made with the mindset of "let’s just make it work", resulting in spaghetti code. UiTC2, on the other hand, follows a "build a solid foundation for future features" approach. You can already see this in sneakpeaks and tech demos - things like male character customization (even if males won’t be playable), extensive body customization (even if "mutants" won't be in the game), and editable NPC settings (even if full mod support isn't planned).
UiTC2 is highly scalable. Features, scenes, dialogue, perks, and effects can be expanded and adjusted much easier. In UiTC, adding something like Slut backstory options required me to dig through and manually edit multiple scenes. In UiTC2, it’s a few lines of code in one place.
UiTC had over a dozen writers over the years, including myself. As a result, writing is inconsistent despite my best efforts. In UiTC2, all writing, from dialogue to backstories, is handled by a single writer, Inkwell, who's been with me for almost half a year now and has done an excellent job. Good writer isn't just about writing style, but it’s also about professionalism, understanding the project, and accepting feedback. And I’d rather work with someone who makes my life easier, not harder.
Character art in UiTC was low-res, and loading caused delays. In UiTC2, art is higher resolution and loads instantly with no interruptions when undressing or rotating characters.
In UiTC, I had to manually assemble and animate characters based on assets sent to me. In UiTC2, all animations and character art are created from scratch using Spine - the most advanced 2D animation tool (used in games like Cult of the Lamb). And it's handled by LustFire, who’s been doing an absolutely stellar job.
In UiTC, each location was its own scene, requiring constant loading/unloading of assets and causing black screens and slow transitions. In UiTC2, everything needed is already preloaded and simply swapped or reused on demand, making transitions much faster and smoother. In other words - it just works.
Thanks to these improvements, UiTC2 can support many new features: X-Ray view directly on the body, sex count & virginity tracking, difficulty settings, a trade system, more kinks like exhibitionism & lesbian content, and eventually tattoos & piercings that animate properly with body movement.
While mini-games or a more interactive world might have been technically possible in UiTC, I never implemented them because the gameplay loop was different and they wouldn't make much sense.
And on a side note, being totally honest with you, working on UiTC became such a chore after all these years of workarounds, that there were moments when I really had to force myself to get anything done. So, it was only a matter of time before updates slowed down or development stopped entirely.
And much more is in the works that hasn’t even been announced yet. I’ll let you decide for yourself whether remaking the game was worth the time, effort, and money, and whether it's fair to charge for it. Just remember: you’ll be able to try the free demo in October before making that call.
Ok, let’s move on:
As of v43b, I’d say the game is in a pretty good spot—stable, not many bugs, and plenty of content. So yes, there will still be v44 and v45 for UiTC, and… That’s it. I know I’m repeating myself, but please consider UiTC basically finished, as the majority of my focus is now on the upcoming UiTC2. Both v44 & v45 will include new content, bug fixes, and some tweaks, but after v45, only bug fixes and small adjustments will follow. No new content beyond that.
Here’s the rough roadmap for 2025:
One devlog per month (around the end/start of each month).
One UiTC2 test version mid-month (if possible) for patrons.
UiTC2 Steam page set up in April/May.
UiTC v44 in late May.
UiTC v45 in July or August.
UiTC2 public demo in October during Steam Next Fest.
(Maybe) Early Access release of UiTC2 in December 2025 on Steam and itch, depending on demo feedback.’m more active on Discord and Twitter, where I post sneak peeks and updates. Feel free to join if you're interested (but please, don’t DM me directly unless necessary!).
I'm also more active on Discord & Twitter, posting sneakpeaks & explaining the development process, so if you're interested, feel free to join. I'm online there every day if you have questions or need help (but please, for the love of god, not through private messages!).
Lastly, I've put together a small list of upcoming features I want to start adding to UiTC2 soon. Once I'm done with Kevin's Diner, I'll probably let you decide what you'd like to see next through a Patreon & SubscribeStar poll (massage parlor, train chikan, brothel prostitution, etc.).
Oh, and all patrons on Patreon & SubscribeStar will get to test the next tech demo of UiTC2 in about a week (around mid-April). This update will primarily focus on the diner mini-game and groping content.
Regarding work done since the last devlog:
The diner mini-game UI took me way longer than I’d like to admit, but I finally shaped it into something presentable. It still needs a bit of polish, and some features are missing—especially on the client and Kevin interaction side. Here’s a detailed breakdown of how it works:
Jane talks to Kevin and says she wants to work (there will be a locker scene in the future, just like in UiTC). Kevin then mentions today’s "situation" - basically a mutator (positive or negative) that affects today’s shift (e.g., bigger tips, more cooking time, less picky clients, etc.). After that, the mini-game UI opens, where Jane prepares dishes based on the orders displayed on the right. The part where she personally takes orders from clients is skipped, since it felt more like a chore and didn’t add much to the gameplay flow.
You earn an evaluation score by making dishes quickly, not wasting ingredients, and getting the orders right. Based on your score, there are 4 possible client outcomes (2 positive, 2 negative). Some of the score also contributes toward Jane getting promoted by Kevin, which increases difficulty & rewards over time. You can intentionally fail the mini-game to see alternative outcomes, but that leads to bad events & eventually getting fired, so it’s not recommended often. The mini-game is designed to encourage progress on average.
There are 4 shifts, each lasting 2 in-game hours (you don’t have to work full-time, but it speeds up progression). Each shift includes: A cooking mini-game (2-4 dishes depending on order type). A client interaction at the table. A chance for a general event at the counter afterward. At the start of each cooking phase, there's also a chance for Kevin interaction to trigger.
Once you press "Deliver" button, Jane takes the order to the table, starting the 2nd part of the mini-game - a dialogue with the client. Here, you can deliver the correct or wrong dish, as it depends on the points earned. Jane’s stats & skills play a role in how she handles the situation - whether she boosts tips, gains fame, or avoids getting fired by lying, relying on luck, or offering other solutions. Sometimes clients will simply make a bonus offer themselves.
Between each shift there's a chance for a general event with client approaching Jane at the counter. There are 3 event types: Positive, resulting in always a good outcome. Neutral, with outcome being between good & bad. Negative, resulting in always a bad outcome. All events are choice based with Jane's skills taken into account, so based on them you are able to further increase their outcomes.
Kevin’s & Jane’s stats influence whether Kevin appears behind Jane at the start of each shift to tease her during cooking mini-game, making it harder. It's still WIP, but Kevin will get bolder as his Lust builds up over time, while Jane will have it harder to resist as her Lust builds up, so it becomes "try not to cum" mini-game within a cooking mini-game, giving her various options to resist & stop him, before she finishes & delivers the order. His interactions and Jane’s options will expand as the game progresses. And as usual, you will have ways to make Kevin interaction either more or less frequent.
The flow of whole mini-game depends on the client type, and so their stats & dialogues. Since NPCs have their own stats (which you can check at any time), you’ll have an idea of which choices might succeed or backfire, like prostitution would work better against thug, rather than a cop. Basically, if client leaves happy, then Kevin is also happy, so do whatever you can to make them both happy :)
After finishing her work, Jane changes back into her regular clothes and then heads to Kevin’s office - where their storyline continues to progress.
My ultimate goal is to make character builds and choices truly matter, while making daily routine more enjoyable and less repetitive. Both cooking mini-game & client interaction can be skipped individually with one button. If you just want to cook or only want to interact with clients, it’s up to you. Keep in mind that bonus Kevin interaction requires you to play cooking mini-game, and no sex scenes will play if you skip client table interaction. If you choose skip, then the mini-game’s outcome will be "averaged" based on Jane’s stats, so she’ll still make some progress. The sneakpeak with an early footage can be viewed in the provided Pixeldrain folder.
The dirt stains now move along with the character’s facial expressions. And yes, cum stains on the entire body are also affected by animations, unlike in the old UiTC, where they were completely static. The sneakpeak video can be viewed in the provided Pixeldrain folder.
Here’s a physics test with a female character walking in side view. In UiTC2, breasts, hair, and skirts are all physics-based, and they also react to character animations.
This next feature was highly requested, but sadly impossible to implement in the old UiTC. Now, it’s a core part of UiTC2 due to the Exhibitionism & Seduction skills (though it’s still a work-in-progress). Whenever Jane undresses or flashes, whether through the wardrobe or during an event, she’ll play a proper animation. Many clothing items (shirts, pants, skirts) will have rolled-up or pulled-down variants, allowing for sex scenes with partially removed clothes or even walking around with a rolled-up shirt. Most of this will likely be limited to the front view, though, as the feature is already quite time-consuming and we have our hands full.
We’re remaking the entire UI from scratch in UiTC2, so here’s a glimpse of a very early version of the character creation screen. Once again, the male is not a playable character, but in the future, you’ll be able to use the character creator to design custom NPCs and set limits for random NPC generation (e.g., allowed skin colors, face parts, limb length, etc.) to see how they come together.
Currently, we’re not focusing on polishing the game but rather on refining the overall concept & feel. We're experimenting with various elements and adjusting our workflow to avoid wasting time on content development later. Please bear with us as we strive to deliver something of much higher quality than the current UiTC you all know. Groping scenes with clients depend on multiple factors, including NPC class (commoner, hobo, etc.), their Disposition stat (which is influenced by various factors), the player's dialogue choices, and other hidden or unique conditions based on the scene. Additionally, front groping scenes will play if the NPC is positioned at the front, and so on. A quick example: To trigger a groping scene, either the client needs to be annoyed/horny, or Jane needs to be highly attractive. For prostitution, it's either the 2nd stage after groping, or Jane can initiate it with a successful skill check (considering the cumulative stats and skills of both Jane and the NPC). To receive a tip, the client needs to be satisfied, while thugs tend to be more gropy, gang members are more inclined to pay for prostitution, and elites are more generous with tips, etc. P.S. Making these animations work & seamlessly transition from a client sitting to a 2P groping scene was much harder than you’d think... But we managed, and that’s what counts. The sneakpeak video can be viewed in the provided Pixeldrain folder.
Two main differences between UiTC and UiTC2 when it comes to roaming the city streets are the lack of passive time flow and the reduced number of random world events. I'm still considering whether time should slowly advance while Jane is walking (undecided for now), but any interaction with the world will progress time as usual, and there will be plenty of spots to interact with. Since random events no longer trigger automatically when Jane enters a location, and with no passive time flow, players won’t be forced to advance time, making time management overall much easier & less annoying. However, these changes can make the world feel less dynamic and more static. To counter that, I'm adding roaming NPCs who have a chance to grope Jane if she gets too close, based on both her stats and theirs. Don’t worry though, as busy city streets are relatively safe, especially if she’s dressed appropriately. But if you want to provoke gropers, or avoid them entirely - you can.
Here’s a brief breakdown of the street groping system: NPCs are assigned a groping chance when they spawn, calculated based on their stats (location, lust, libido, activity level, criminality, etc.) and further modified by Jane’s stats (charm, provocative clothing, perfume, etc.). By default, groping only occurs if Jane gets too close, and each NPC only gets one chance (to prevent abuse). There are exceptions, like for example, some thugs may get multiple chances or even follow Jane, especially in the darker corners of The City. After the interaction, the NPCs will flee toward the nearest exit. UiTC2 is all about choices and freedom, and I want the little details to matter too, such as which direction Jane is facing. The type of scene (dialogue, animation, etc.) depends on the NPC type (commoner, thug, etc.) and the direction from which they approach. For example, if an NPC approaches from behind, a corresponding animation will play while they comment on Jane's body, like her breasts if that's what he’s groping. These scenes are kept short, since they can occur frequently. Being an RPG, the groping trigger chance can range from 0-100%, so there will naturally be many ways to fully prevent or guarantee these events, along with special abilities and effects that influence the outcomes. As for the groping itself, we currently have 13 animations and almost 200 unique NPC quotes reacting to Jane during the act (and that’s still far from the final goal). Quotes vary depending on NPC type, the body part targeted, breast size, whether she’s wearing underwear, has pubic hair, is wet, and more.
P.S. The sneakpeak shows a test scene with the groping chance set to 100% for demonstration purposes. Also, please ignore the visual glitches, as it’s all still a work in progress ^^ The sneakpeak video can be viewed in the provided Pixeldrain folder.
Okay, the last one is a bit weird, so treat it more as experimental idea. I just wanted to show it to you and get some feedback, since I find the overall concept really interesting. We’re still thinking about it, so nothing is set in stone yet. It would've made a great April Fool’s joke, I know. The idea of changing the perspective from side view to isometric has come up many, many times across the development, mainly because it simply works better for open-world games and gives us much more flexibility, especially with our plans for UiTC2. But at the same time, it feels like the game might lose a bit of its soul, as it strays from its original idea, and it also brings some complications. That said, switching perspectives could offer a lot of benefits. Entire locations could be visible on screen, you'd be able to explore full rooms, interact more deeply with the environment (like furniture), and mini-games such as exhibitionism (or locations like the beach) would make much more sense. Fortunately, the way UiTC2 is being built would actually allow us to implement new perspective relatively easily, especially now, when not many locations have been finalized yet. However, most of the background art would need to be completely redone, which means a ton of extra work for the background artist. The biggest issue, though, is that switching to a full isometric view would make the characters not fit perfectly. On the other hand, using unconventional camera angles might just end up feeling... weird, and not always work as great as we’d like. Just to clarify - we’re not touching the character art here, only backgrounds. And we’re not switching to 3D. These are just quick AI generated locations & 3D renders used for testing different perspectives and prototyping more quickly. All final background art will remain fully 2D, and no AI-generated art is used in the game.
Okay, that was a pretty damn long (and chaotic) devlog, but if you made it all the way to the end - thanks a lot for reading!
As a reminder - sneakpeak videos are uploaded to Pixeldrain.
Cheers!