Stuff is happening! Small stuff... but stuff, without a doubt!
Some fixing
First of all, while translating the game, I also somewhat polished the English dialogue. No major changes in content, but especially for the typical “first encounters” with Equitania and Shaliva, I phrased things more clearly and added a line here and there to guide new players.
Just to make this very clear: If you have played the game already, you would likely not even notice these differences. I only hope to make the game more accessible ... and also, it's very hard to just let things be!
Some platforming
Also, I have released Monster Girl Therapy on the platform itch.io! Of course, that’s not massively exciting for players on Steam, but still, here are a few thoughts.
In most cases, itch is SIGNIFICANTLY weaker in terms of sales numbers.
However, experimental and especially narrative-driven games tend to be quite popular there.
For me as a developer, the process was absurdly simple compared to Steam (apart from the “tax interview,” which probably won’t surprise anyone)… I kept asking myself several times where to do X or Y, only to realize that X and Y just aren't a thing over there.
I would guess that on average, the audience skews somewhat more progressive, due to the experimental and open nature of the platform.
Itch also takes a lower cut: 10% (compared to Steam's 30%) are suggested, and you can set the actual number yourself.
So between all of these points, Monster Girl Therapy fits in quite well? And for the same reasons, I decided not to release the game on GOG.com, another possible platform; over there, it’s mainly retro games and specific genres that tend to perform well. I would be curious though if other game developers have had different experiences!
Some selling
And with all of that, I'm offering the game's first 20% discount after launch, for one week! Of course, this is primarily an economic thing, but it's also said that Steam can be a bit cautious when it comes to lower prices on other platforms... So I'll keep the discounts parallel, just to be sure.
More about the actual numbers, as usual, at a later point in time!