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just-write-studios.itch.io
Just Write Studios
@just-write-studios.itch.io
2.5K followers 2.2K following 620 posts
Creating the dark fantasy and #horror visual novel Catalyst: Blind Faith. 🩸Free early development demo: https://just-write-studios.itch.io/catalyst-blind-faith 🫶 High velocity memes in our Community Discord: https://discord.gg/24cmNWp
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Just Write Studios @just-write-studios.itch.io · Oct 24
📷Show off your visual novel in 4 screenshots!📷

A strange phenomenon is turning mankind into demons, in the dark fantasy and #horror VN Catalyst: Blind Faith.

❤️‍🩹Play as a troubled young priest.
🙏Channel the Gods.
🩸Find a cure.

Early Development Demo: just-write-studios.itch.io/catalyst-bli...
Grayscale screenshot of a dog looking at the player, while standing in dense woodland. The dev's gf's birthday is today, so she has placed a party hat on the player's dog, a giant English mastiff. There is a disclaimer in the upper right that reads: "All images are rough sketches for camera and animation testing! Clean art will be done before the next update! Full color will be in the build after that." In the textbox, the player is given the narrative, "Ray comes to a halt after several moments of you standing there and staring at him. His tail wags furiously." Three choices are given to the player: "Scratch behind Ray's ears. It's his favorite spot." "Pet Ray beside his collar, and inspect his fur while you're at it." "Boop Ray on the nose, but make it fast. You have places to be." There is a disclaimer in the upper right that reads: "All images are rough sketches for camera and animation testing! Clean art will be done before the next update! Full color will be in the build after that." A young, scruffy, thin, and depressed looking man stares into a puddle to see his reflection. He carries a mace and shield, wearing a backpack and long necklace. Motifs of open hands are on all metal he wears. The POV is from the player also looking into the reflection, as this is a unique screen that allows them to see how their choices are dynamically reflected on the main character's appearance throughout the game. There is a disclaimer in the upper right that reads: "All images are rough sketches for camera and animation testing! Clean art will be done before the next update! Full color will be in the build after that." CG of a demon smiling at the player. It vaguely resembles a spider, though its legs are akin to a human's arms, and every inch of its body is covered in eyes. A gaping maw splits the center of its face in two, revealing too many rows of teeth. The textbox reads: "OooooOOOOooohh," the demon drawls. Its voice borders on obscenity as it lolls its head to the side. "That does sound tantalizing. It surely has been an age or two since I've heard of the world above." Custom UI in the style of a handmade journal. Bookmarks indicate sections for navigation, with "Contacts," "Demons," "Inventory," "Maps," and "Notes" on the top row. The leftmost row corresponds to deities in this original fantasy setting, "Agriculture," "Dream," "Flesh," "Mercy," "Spirit," "Storm," "Time," and "Vengeance." The player has opened to the tab for "Agriculture." A small, simplistic scythe is beside her name. The following information is also listed, "Growth, life, bounty, harvest, the earth, poison, death, and generosity. Boons: End famine. Detect poison. Stave off starvation. Shape the earth. Banes: Difficulty eating (crossed out), Intense pain when eating or drinking, Can't stop losing weight. Invocations: 1" On hover, a shadow of the main character's hand appears over the page, populating information reflecting his thoughts on this Goddess in a loose sheaf of paper to the right. It reads: "History: The unfathomable sacrifices you have made in Agriculture's name may not be enough to make up for years of forsaking Her gifts. Current Reflections: Eating and drinking has been like imbibing broken glass, yet the idea of calling upon Agriculture is somehow more painful." Numbers 1-9 are on the bottom of the screen for additional navigation to other pages that can populate.
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just-write-studios.itch.io
Just Write Studios @just-write-studios.itch.io · 3d
Got 100% completion on Long Live the Queen last night!!!💖👑

One of those games where it's going to live rent-free in my brain for months after playing. The worldbuilding, writing, art, & quality stat raising was such a joy!! MASSIVE inspiration for my own branching narrative design!🔥💖👑

#visualnovel
Steam achievements for Long Live the Queen. All 45 are unlocked. Some included in the screenshot are for finding all 11 deaths, a niche romance with a commoner, and facing a trial of your peers weeks before coronation. Screenshot from Long Live the Queen, a visual novel with stat raising as its core mechanic. Four clusters of skills are shown (Social, Physical, Intellectual, and Mystical) with many subcategories for each. The screenshot is taken in the last week of the game, week 40, with victory assured despite only one quadrant of skills fully maxed out. Screenshot from Long Live the Queen, in the player's room in the palace, as they pick classes for the upcoming week. The main character, Elodie, is shown in an alternate outfit for raising points in History skills. Her pink, spiral, twin-tail hair is tied back and decorated with a white flower and feathers. She's holding a quill, looking down from a pair of rectangular glasses. Her double-breasted, pencil-skirt outfit with puffy sleeves and sheer leggings also has a matching white floral belt. Screenshot from Long Live the Queen. The player is savescumming out of their mind in the pursuit of all achievements. The load screen shows comically named save slots, with notes like "price of blood - FALCONMAXXED" and "before invasion." Not shown is that the player got to page 43, with 302 save slots used before 100% completion. She feared neither injury nor death and could not be stopped until killed (in 11 unique ways).
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just-write-studios.itch.io
Just Write Studios @just-write-studios.itch.io · 4d
Also just want to note, though there is no removing slop from Google Doc's interface, 🚫no ai🚫 and 🚫no gen ai🚫 touches this game's development or its script.

Big looking forward to moving to Ellipsus once they have a few more features in place (like custom user dictionaries💖💖💖)
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just-write-studios.itch.io
Just Write Studios @just-write-studios.itch.io · 4d
🔥13.5k word doc
✂️fully edited
💯over 100 comments in total from all of us at JWS
👌hype af and doin more art today lfgggggg

#indiegamedev #vndev #writing #writingcommunity #writesky
Screenshot of a Google Doc, containing the script for a monstrously long chapter Chapter 26: A Shot in the Dark. Color formatting is used with lower contrast to help editors rapidly identify code and comments versus the text they are there to edit. The length of the doc is immediately made obvious: an entire page of formatting notes, images for context, code from the programmer, and directions for audio and visuals occupies the full page.
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just-write-studios.itch.io
Just Write Studios @just-write-studios.itch.io · 6d
If you see this, post a goth (or punk) girl
Grayscale concept art of an anarchist elf, Celegwen, from the dark fantasy and horror visual novel Catalyst: Blind Faith. Her extremely long, pointed ears have many piercings, as do her thinly trimmed eyebrows. Her asymmetrical, choppy hair is cloudy-white at its roots, as its ombre dye is fading. She has a very lean, muscular build, with just a few strips of fabric for clothing. Not shown in this sketch are many tattoos the developer is laboriously researching to do justice to for her design as a punk queen icon.
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just-write-studios.itch.io
Just Write Studios @just-write-studios.itch.io · 9d
no apologies for the drama with MCR embedded, I am VERY biased & passionate about my favorite #gamedev skill!!😂✍️

🔥Narrative #devlog on quality #writing + my methods
🖌️17 pics
✍️5.1k words
💖Out a week early for patrons at any tier, thank you for supporting #indiehorror!!

#vndev #art #writingcommunity
DEVLOG - Quality Writing Techniques (My Beloved) | Alaric
Get more from Alaric on Patreon
www.patreon.com
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just-write-studios.itch.io
Just Write Studios @just-write-studios.itch.io · 9d
cooking game👩‍🍳
13.5k words written and edited in the last 5 days👩‍🍳

leaving this update gently on Bluesky's welcome mat before returning to the #indiegamedev kitchen
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Just Write Studios @just-write-studios.itch.io · 10d
thank you so much!❤️
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Just Write Studios @just-write-studios.itch.io · 11d
2.5k followers!!!! 🎉🎉🎉

ty all for the support! 💖🎉 I'm posting here with #indiegamedev for a dark fantasy and #horror VN about compassion, Catalyst: Blind Faith!🩸

While creating this big branching project, I also post+repost a lot of #accessibility, #art, #writing, #programming, & other nice stuff!
A gold and red working logo for the dark fantasy and horror visual novel "Catalyst: Blind Faith." Grayscale art on the top row shows three main characters. From left to right: A female elf with a sly expression, asymmetric hair, many piercings, and long ears side-eyeing the player; a disheveled and heavily scarred young man, clutching at his head while he stares directly at the viewer; and a bubbly woman in profile view with an unnaturally broad grin and very poofy hair. The bottom row has five sketches of different male body types, all at the same height. These are illustrative of the protagonist, whose appearance can radically change based on the player's choices. From left to right: An emaciated figure in a fighting stance, fists before his face; a slender and broad-shouldered figure in a front-facing and stiff pose; a muscular figure, looking relaxed and confident as he glances over his shoulder; a husky male figure, partially drawn, as some of the right arm is incomplete; and a very heavyset male figure, standing in a similar distant and neutral pose as the slim figure. Screenshot from the dark fantasy and horror visual novel Catalyst: Blind Faith. A disclaimer on the upper right reads: "WIP game: art is not final. All designs subject to change." The subtitle for the narrator reads, "Its inhabitants can call upon the Gods Themselves for light and love." Eight, vertical, monochrome panels depict the Gods and Goddesses in an original fantasy pantheon. The panels are laid out like a neon rainbow, with a monochrome hand reaching towards each abstraction of their God or Goddess with evocative poses. Hulking fists, hands clasped in prayer, painters, people manipulating fire and the earth, and more abstract concepts are also shown. Mood board for the protagonist of a dark fantasy and horror game. The central text reads: "Father Richard Anscham — The Demon of Faith." Images are clustered in vertical stripes, like a reversed rainbow. From left to right are images and quotes evocative of losing oneself to bloodlust; space and time; interpretation, dreams, and nightmares; farming, famine, and poison; compassion, light, gold, and love; an all-consuming search for power; action and strength; and light between great inner turmoil. A flowchart for the demo of a heavily branching visual novel, Catalyst: Blind Faith. Scenes, choices menus, and deaths or early endings are distinguished with different sized boxes. It shows a massive amount of divergence within each of the demo's chapters. Additionally, at certain points in the chronology of the flowchart, chapter numbers have numerous titles associated with each. This indicates where the player's choices causes a divergence significant enough to get an alternate version of each chapter. Links are at the bottom for the early development demo's itch.io page ( https://just-write-studios.itch.io/catalyst-blind-faith ) and a community Discord for regular updates ( https://discord.gg/24cmNWp )
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Reposted by Just Write Studios
legalizegoblins.bsky.social
Count Avi Henriques 🩸 @legalizegoblins.bsky.social · 13d
Gorgeous girl 901. She might not advance in today's round of Fat Bear Week, but she doesn't mind, because she is a bear. She's busy living her best life. #katmai #FatBearWeek
A fat brown bear sits on a gravelly beach by a lake.
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basil-mage.bsky.social
Basil 🌿 @basil-mage.bsky.social · 15d
It's fat bear week!
Drawing of a fat bear next to a rainbow
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Just Write Studios @just-write-studios.itch.io · 13d
Thank you so much for the kind words and the shout out!! 💖
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vren55.bsky.social
vren55.bsky.social @vren55.bsky.social · 13d
@just-write-studios.itch.io is a good friend of mine and working on horrifyingly delightful visual novel that she's fought tooth and nail to get to this point. I strongly encourage peopel to check out the demo at just-write-studios.itch.io/catalyst-bli...
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Reposted by Just Write Studios
justacarrot.bsky.social
Carrot 🥕 @justacarrot.bsky.social · 13d
The demo for my new queer horror VN is out! Meet this chaotic group of friends before I put them through the horrors 😀

🍂~8k words (30-45 min)
📽️Cinematic scene direction
🎃Autumn vibes
👬Underlying gay tension???
🏳️‍⚧️A cute enby MC
💀No one dies (yet...)

justacarrot.itch.io/where-the-da...

#visualnovel
An in-game screenshot showing Ze posing with a smile at the front, saying "Always brush your teeth kids," as Gum looks on in abject disapproval and Marshall absolutely loses his mind behind them. An in-game screenshot showing all five of their sprites dressed in their sleep clothes up in the attic while Marshall shoots up in the middle, shouting "Awoooo, werewolves in London!" An in-game screenshot of a CG showing the five of them engaged in a raucous pillow fight in the attic, with Marshall in the middle looking like a rabies-infested werewolf. The text says "This continues for a good ten minutes." An in-game screenshot showing Berek and Gum at the forefront, with Berek angrily gripping Gum's head while Ze leans heavily on his shoulder, slyly letting out a drag from his cigarette and saying "I'm always here."
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Reposted by Just Write Studios
vnstudioelan.com
Studio Élan @vnstudioelan.com · 14d
Fall in love with over 200 romance-themed visual novels in our Steam festival—starting now! 💖

We've collaborated with 100+ other visual novel devs to bring you a week full of celebrating visual novels, from streams to games on sale to new demos and more~

store.steampowered.com/sale/fallinl...
Fall in Love VISUAL NOVEL FESTIVAL SEP 24 - OCT 1 presented by Studio Elan
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just-write-studios.itch.io
Just Write Studios @just-write-studios.itch.io · 15d
The server stream we had went so well!!!!

As a reward for myself, I've been writing up a storm with script for the full game of my dark fantasy and #horror VN.🩸

Even made some cute covers for my Trackbear to stay motivated with progress!!🤍❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤

#writesky #writingcommunity #indiegamedev #vndev
Screenshots of nine small icons, stylized like colorful book covers, for a writing progress site called Trackbear. Each cover has the logo for an indie, dark fantasy and horror game on it, "Catalyst: Blind Faith." One cover for the common route simply has a branching motif, evocative of a densely branching tree or veins. The other eight are very colorful, showing neon-colored hands in all the colors of the rainbow. Each hand is reaching towards the logo, with expressive gestures ranging from hands gently clasped together, to fists punching upwards, to disembodied hands erupting from broken glass. Writing progress from the last two days on a progress tracker site, trackbear. The indie game developer and writer is keeping motivation high while currently writing for Catalyst: Blind Faith. The branching visual novel has multiple continuities with extremely diverse themes and events, so they have separated distinct continuities as if they are separate projects. The one screenshotted, for the God of Vengeance, is given the internal name "Incorruptible." It corresponds to events if the player never selects options that are anything less than heroic, and the writer has burst out of the writing gates like a bat out of hell with over 11 thousand words written in the last two days. Wish her luck editing! wink wonk
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Just Write Studios @just-write-studios.itch.io · 16d
Adapting a visual novel's #artbook into a #CYOA story is truly the most incredible use of both mediums I have ever seen.

The coolest approach possible, wishing Black Tabby Games all the best with their projects🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

#art #visualnovel #vndev #slaytheprincess #indiegamedev
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Reposted by Just Write Studios
theangorabunnie.bsky.social
♡ Bun • On VGen! @theangorabunnie.bsky.social · 16d
🐇 Hiya, I'm Bun and I currently run five artist based starter packs!

I'd love it if you'd look at all these wonderful artists~! 💕

⚠️ 𝗕𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 MAY 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗙𝗪 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗦𝗙𝗪 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀

Body Positive 🌸 Sapphic 🌸 Original Characters I 🌸 Original Characters II 🌸 Original Characters III
An image to showcase all of TheAngorabunnie's five current starter packs!
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characterdesign.bsky.social
Character Design References @characterdesign.bsky.social · Aug 3
Animation by James Baxter* | The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

#penciltest #sakuga #genga #2danimation
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just-write-studios.itch.io
Just Write Studios @just-write-studios.itch.io · 18d
checking off everything from my to-do list tonight and I think

I'm probably obligated to inform my habitica party of the orbital nuke I'm about to drop on the boss we're fighting😂
Screenshot from Habitica, a gameified productivity app. two to-do items are closely zoomed into: "Stream prep," with 10/12 items completed; and "Anniversary Stream" with 1/28 items completed. More experience is rewarded and more damage is dealt to bosses in the app for completing more tasks. This means that the party's healer is about to do some dumb shit in the next 24 hours lol
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just-write-studios.itch.io
Just Write Studios @just-write-studios.itch.io · 19d
HYPE BEYOND HYPE FOR THE STREAM THIS SUNDAY aaa🎉🎉🔥🔥

🥳I'll be streaming my dark fantasy & #horror VN in our community server, sharing big progress!
🤪We're going to take turns with silly VA
🗳️Vote on what choices to take!
🖌️🔥Buried in the art cave until then!

🎉Hope to see you there!
discord.gg/24cmNWp
Join the Catalyst: Blind Faith Discord Server!
Official community server for the dark fantasy and horror visual novel Catalyst: Blind Faith. | 175 members
discord.gg
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just-write-studios.itch.io
Just Write Studios @just-write-studios.itch.io · 21d
don't get me wrong, I love the support of many resolutions, but

sharing some solidarity with fellow indie game devs on the steam capsule art requirements lol😂👌 we do it for the love of a good page

#indiegamedev #gamedev #meme #steam #graphicdesignismypassion
guidelines steam very very kindly provides to guide devs to success when publishing games. note this is in an easily edited file at the correct resolution with clean overlays, allowing devs to visualize how to position assets with as little friction as possible. parody of the guidelines steam very very kindly provides to guide devs to success when publishing games. the banner's ultra-wide accommodations are memed with the centermost panel (in green) reading: "who in their right mind designs an image this wide" the orange sections, which are optional but may be seen by some players, are labeled "is some sicko using a ruler for a monitor," "maybe a pencil for a monitor?" and "or two normal ones side by side?" the bottom section in red always has a transparent overlay, but must be designed nonetheless. the joke text in red reads: "Even steam recognizes we're getting dumb at this point but you'd better fill this space!!!!!"
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Just Write Studios @just-write-studios.itch.io · 22d
Oh hell yeah. Happy birthday!! 🎉
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Just Write Studios @just-write-studios.itch.io · 22d
Video games have an incredible way of bringing people together. I couldn't be happier to see so much love for Undertale still!🌼❤️

The upcoming celebration for Undertale's anniversary is this weekend. I'm so excited to not have any scheduling conflicts on Saturday & cannot WAIT to revisit it!! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
UNDERTALE 10th Anniversary Stream Event
UNDERTALE! The RPG game where you don't have to destroy anyone.
undertale.com
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just-write-studios.itch.io
Just Write Studios @just-write-studios.itch.io · 22d
I've 100%'d Undertale 3 times now just out of love for the game. It's insane thinking how long it's been since it's first release and how many of its moments and characters have left a lasting impression on me.

Its focus on strong character moments and rewarding player's choices is masterclass!!❤️
Screenshot from Undertale. The player decided to take up Napstablook, a ghost, on laying on the floor and feeling like garbage. The player has idled for so long that the background has changed to an abstract visual of deep space, which persists until they decide to get up. Screenshot from Undertale. Undyne, a fish-like monster with an eyepatch, red ponytail, and wearing plate armor, stands on the peak of a mountain. Strange industrial buildings are in the background against a red horizon and many more jagged mountains. As she looks down at the player, she says to them, "I'll show you how determined monsters can be!"
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just-write-studios.itch.io
Just Write Studios @just-write-studios.itch.io · 22d
I've been listening to this gorgeous orchestral performance of Undertale's OST all day. Seeing so many musicians come together to celebrate a game a full decade after its release, with so much skill & heart is seriously inspiring.❤️❤️

They put on an incredible performance!!

youtu.be/b_mf-mSWzL8?...
Happy 10th Anniversary, UNDERTALE! ~Littlejack Orchestra 第17回R 定期演奏会~
YouTube video by LittleJackOrchestra_Online
youtu.be
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