Version 1.5 of Dead Detention is out now! It features improved Gamepad controls, a new unlockable extra, QOL updates, and lots more! It's also 70% off for the next two weeks!
This will be the final major update for the game (though I'll continue to fix any bugs or issues that pop up, of course), so I've gone through and updated the Steam page to show what the game looks like now, too.
Patch Notes
Redesigned Microgames for Gamepads
Almost all the microgames have had tweaks and redesigns to make them work as well with Gamepad buttons and joysticks as they do with a mouse.
Other Microgame Improvements
Improved Clarity
Some small adjustments were made to some microgames to make their objectives more readable at a glance:
Episode 1 and 2: Added a spinning baseball bat to the touch all icons microgame + changed the moving icons microgame to be similar.
Episode 5: Added the correct answer faintly to the background in the puzzle microgame.
Episode 5: The press 3 times microgame now shows HP numbers.
Episode 5: The phone dial microgame now is a pointing finger instead of a triangle.
Episode 5: Moved the Pac microgame spawn point slightly up so it doesn't instantly hit an icon.
Episode 5: The running icon microgame now shows the goal color spinning and at a smaller size. Also, two of the same color are now never shown at the same time.
The instructions for bosses now stay on screen until the player presses to continue.
Balancing
The Rhythm Minigame: Lives are less common in Normal mode.
Adjusted lots of time limits, taking the new versions into account.
Misc
Improved the zombie punching sprite in the boxing minigame.
Microgame Marathon
A new extra has been added that's unlocked by completing episode 5: Microgame Marathon.
In this mode, you play through all the microgames in order from start to finish, which the background and music changing to fit the episode.
Max's Exercise Book
Added Max's cut-up exercise book opening up to the intro of Episode 1.
Added the book closing to the outro of the Epilogue.
Improved Art
Scribbles
Episode 1: Improved the blackboard scribbles.
Episode 1: Fixed Naomi's bar scribble being slightly over the edge.
Episode 1: Improved the equipping items scribbles.
Episode 1: Improved the fire-starting scribbles.
Episode 2: Improved the teacher firing her bow scribble.
Episode 3: Improved Sora defeating ??? scribble.
Episode 4: Improved the hiding in locker scribble.
Character Poses & Arts and Crafts Theming
Max
Moved Max's sad equip pose onto grid paper, and made it drawn in ballpoint pen.
Changed some of Max's other equipping poses to grey pencil.
Made his shade pose slightly desaturated.
Dr. Miller
Moved her shade pose onto a cardboard texture.
Moved her frown pose onto blue colored paper.
Dr. Okaby
Moved his sigh pose onto newspaper.
Ryan
Moved his crying pose onto blue paper.
Naomi
Moved her laughing pose onto cardboard.
Changed her ":/" pose to a taped-on sticker.
Lowered her height slightly to keep it more consistent with the scribbles.
Moved her crying pose onto blue paper.
Ms. White
Moved her anger pose onto red colored paper.
Moved her chalk pose onto cardboard.
Sora
Made her eyes angry when holding the bat.
Made her face :3 when playing DS or using her phone.
Improved the outlines on her ":/" pose.
Substitute Teacher
Moved her anger pose onto red paper.
Improved Story
Script
Improved lots of dialogue.
Punched up and added a few jokes.
Cut some of the weaker jokes.
Smoothed out some slight plot holes.
Sequencing
Lots of small improvements were made across many scenes, such as additional sounds or screen shakes.
Other Updates
General Clarity and QOL
If you're playing on Easy or Normal difficulty, you can now toggle between them anytime from the pause menu. (This won't affect any achievements or unlocks.)
Added a Plot Tokens explanation to the Choices window.
Added a note at the start of the game saying keyboard controls aren't recommended.
Menus
The screen now fades out before entering the Boss Rush.
Improved the exclamation icon on the extras button.
Bug Fixes
Fixed the atmosphere volume only updating on load.
Thanks so much for playing my dumb little game! It's improved and grown so much since that initial launch version back in 2024 - I kinda wish I held back on release until now! 😅 But that's how I always feel, I guess...
This was so much fun to make and continue to release updates for. I'll definitely miss it...
Which is why I've started another small project in the same style that I'll be announcing soon! It's basically a hugely refined spiritual successor, with a brand new story and cast of characters.
I'm not ready to show it just yet, but I can say that it's about a girl and her dog being hunted down by a witch on New Years Eve! It's called "Like Papercuts." It's probably my favorite game script I've ever written, so I'm really excited about it - and thematically it's about some personal things I went through this year. I'll do another post when the Steam page and demo for it is up, which will hopefully be sometime this year!
Until then,
Jack