Hi, this is Saori from Birdkin Studio!
Today I want to talk about where development currently stands, and what's coming next.
Current Status: Where Things Stand
Curry Princess GOLD is built around three modes: Classic Mode, Story Mode, and 2-Player Mode.
Classic Mode, the origin point of this world and something of a bonus in the overall package, is now over 90% complete — what's left is just making sure it's consistent with the other modes.
Story Mode, the main focus of this title, is taking shape from the early stages through the mid-game. The first three stages (Hardy the Sorcerer, Will the Dragon, and Mummy Joe) are essentially done, both implementation and debugging. The following stage, Lady Snow's, is nearly fully implemented too, with only enemy tuning left to go.
[Screenshots from various stages in action, along with a shot of the item-pickup effect.]
Beyond that, progress varies stage by stage.
For the mermaid Lavender's stage and Alice's stage, the visual side — backgrounds, character animation, attack graphics — is largely in place. The attack algorithms, though, collapsed after repeated attempts to get the movement just right, so those need to be rebuilt from scratch.
Honeybell's stage has its background and characters ready, with enemy behavior still to be built. Matthew's and Darche's stages haven't had their backgrounds implemented yet — those are still ahead.
As for 2-Player Mode, I originally designed it as a mix of versus and co-op, but around June I decided it made more sense to separate the two and redesigned each from there. Under the new approach, I'm currently building and testing using the ruins stage (the same environment as Muriel's stage in Story Mode).
How I'll Be Moving Forward
Going forward, I'll be working through this in three broad phases, centered on Story Mode.
Phase 1: Finishing the Remaining Stages
Lavender, Alice, Honeybell, Matthew, and Darche — these five stages are the priority (Lady Snow is set aside for now, since it's already in a playable state). Which one I work on at any given time will depend on how things are going.
Phase 2: Completing the Story
[The key visual, still in progress — but every character now has their rough sketch in place.]
The opening sequence, the ending, and the lore for the Curry Book's characters — these will move forward alongside the stages, rounding out Curry Princess GOLD as a complete story.
Phase 3: Polish and 2-Player Mode
Building out the 2-Player Mode stages, final adjustments for Switch, and finishing touches on Classic Mode. Once this phase is done, the whole package will be much closer to complete.
Separate from this development plan, there's one date that's already set, so let me share that first.
Osaka Game Dungeon 2
I'm happy to share that I'll be exhibiting at Osaka Game Dungeon 2, happening in Osaka on December 26, 2026! I'll be showing a build that's meant to serve as a demo of Curry Princess GOLD. I'll share more details in a dedicated post closer to the event, so please look forward to it.
[A shot from our booth at Tokyo Indie Games Summit 2026. We'll be exhibiting solo at Osaka Game Dungeon 2.]
Looking Ahead
In the past, I used to set a target date first and then work backward from there, pushing to hit it. But that meant putting my own life — including games I wanted to play — on hold. And even with all that, I still missed my original release target, which brings us to where things stand now.
Going forward, I want to work at a pace that's sustainable, without pushing myself too hard.
Because of that, I'd like to hold off on sharing my own thinking or a specific timeframe for release right now, and instead keep you updated as things progress. I hope you'll bear with me and keep watching from here.
Thanks, as always, for your support!