Currently, we are working on the visual aspect and working out the final kinks in the script writing before we finish off the programming. Our Demo will be about 1/2 to 2/3 of Episode 1's Content and by far the longest episode. Thank you to everyone who is waiting patiently for the release, as we prefer the quality of the game over the time it takes to release. We may be semi-large compared to most indie game developers, but our schedules are always full, making it hard to get much progress done. Our hope is that episode 1 will be fully released by mid-2025 and our Demo Release by the end of this year; however, it may be pushed back. We are working with a lot of passion and hope for this dream to thrive, as this is the first game under Game Vine Studios.

Thank you for waiting so long, and I will see you in the next update!

Only Fools Scream has gone under a lot as of late and has made a lot of progress! We are about ~90% finished with the script writing and halfway done with proofreading of the main script! We have also made more sound effects to be used throughout the game, made a large chunk of our background art, and have almost finished with all of Chapter 1's sprites, other than rendering, and the other 2 sprites still need to be drawn! We will be programming once the script is finished and ready to send off to our voice actors. In the meantime, we are getting turnarounds made, storyboards finished for animation, and scripts finalized for any voice lines in the animation so we can make the audios to send off to our animation department. We have had a few setbacks, but it's been moving! Thank you all for waiting so long despite the many pushbacks to the date. Chapter 1 may also come in 2 parts, depending on how long it takes for playtime. 

MAJOR UPDATE!

Many things have changed in recent months with our progress. much of going back and having to fix things or realizing some stuff just hasn't been created or isn't ready yet to be made, and is locked behind other parts of the project, or simply getting rid of parts of the project to release quicker.  Below is a list of current changes and what to expect in the following months!

NEW LOGO!

We finally have an updated Logo for Only Fools Scream! Given the previous one felt outdated and older, this one finally makes it feel more like the current art style that everything is in. 

SCRIPTS

Scripts are about 80 percent finished, with one portion left to write before we can finally edit, review, and finalize scripts. Scripts should be sent out by the end of this month, in July 2026, so we can get started on the programming and voice work! It's gone through a couple of changes, but the base idea is the same, dont worry! The latest due date for this should be early August, if there is any pushback needed, but otherwise, we have gotten the main kinks of the script figured out and are back on the road to work!

SPRITE WORK

While we are working on finishing up the script, we are getting all of our art assets created. That includes our sprite assets. Below you can see Michael Calmore and Anna Rose, 2 of our main 6 cast members! We still have many left to go for coloring and rendering, but getting the sprite sheets done for two major characters is big progress for a team of 1 to 5 artists.

ANIMATION WORK

Currently, we are also working on specific animations. Not all the ones we wanted to create will be made upon the debut release for a quicker time; however, a couple of them will be made specifically because of plot relevance. Right now, we are at about 24 frames per second with fluctuations between 8 and 24 frames depending on the scene. Lip syncing and blinks are taking the longest time to animate, and the storyboard and background are coming along, as you can see below, their line art and Base color/Light renders! I plan to use a slow-in-slow-out animation style where fewer frames need to be used for a similar smooth motion to most other animations. All animations right now are only being done by me, including sketches, line work, coloring, and renders (if added). We have 4 major Animations planned for release, which you will continue to see progress on later on throughout my time working on the project!

Since this is frame by frame, it is taking a long while for this to be created, and editing also takes a while, given the GIF you see below is at 107 frames created in total. With scenes 1 and 2 finished for this animation, we are already at 49 frames, which doesn't sound like a lot until you realize each one was hand-drawn with separate moving parts before getting copied and pasted and merged into single layers to create a single frame. Of course, there is probably an easier and faster way to do this. However, this is working for now, so I'm going to keep this up!

FAQ

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Is there a possible Release date yet?

Currently, there is no official release date, but I'm assuming if my current schedule of deadlines dont fall behind, I will be able to release it around the Late Spring to mid-summer of next year. This includes episode 1, which has been split into 2 parts due to size. However, I am planning on releasing Part 1 first before releasing part two of the episode at a later date. The release pace between the two is still unknown.

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What platforms will this be playable on upon release?

Itch.io, of course, will have the game, as this is where most releases of Game Vine Studios will be. However, I also plan to release it to the Google Play Store and possibly Steam if we get enough traction.

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Will the game feature any custom Ren'Py mechanics, like a 'panic meter,' quick-time events, or timed dialogue choices that can lead to a sudden Game Over?

It will feature some quick timed events and dialogue options later on when the horror starts to ramp up; however, currently, Episodes 1 and 2 are more of a suspense, Episodes 3 through 5 are horror and survival, while Episodes 6 through 8 are plans and means to escape. Some choices will lead you to a sudden death if not chosen quickly enough, or you simply choose the wrong answer, while other choices haunt you throughout the game. As for panic meters or romance meters, there isn't any known, but you can gain or lose points with people, which will change the outcomes of what is shown!

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"How are you managing the continuity script to ensure that choices made early in a character's route naturally impact the horror elements later on?"

through trial and error? All jokes aside, I've worked on this for about 6 years, so I have a pretty good idea of the endings and how the characters shift throughout the episodes within the current outlines I have written. Of course, as I grow older, my writing and plans for the project change, but they never stray too far away from the path I set for myself back in 2021. Well, that might be a lie, given 2021 self had Michael's name as Jason originally, but that will be left for another day. Regardless, my script editor, Charlie, and I have plenty of meetings where we think logistically about the plots and choices the game has and if they are even able to be backed by logic or explained later within the story. We have probably written, deleted, and rewritten the script about 5 to 10 times, just trying to get it the way we want it so it can be published upon release. We are constantly thinking about future episodes and the current episode we are working on to keep continuity of the routes and choices.

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Ren'Py isn't traditionally known for heavy animation. How are you and the animation team pushing the engine's limits to handle the game's movement and jump scares?

Currently, we are hoping that the animations we've set will be able to be used with the engine. If not, of course, we will try to figure out ways to make it smooth and high-quality for both those with low-end and top-tier devices that run our game. Most jumpscares will be more of a suspense or psychological horror rather than blatant jumpscares, other than certain parts in the game. As for pushing Ren'Py to its limits, we hope to make it so animations, cutscenes, voice lines, and customizability can all be shown throughout the gameplay. Whether that per personalized pronouns, male vs female main character voice lines to match the script, personalized names, or even (fe)male androgynous looking cutscenes. We want our viewers and players to have a fun time and have memorable experiences within every playthrough that might change depending on whose route you try to play through, or if you believe someone or not, or a simple compliment. As far as jumpscares and animation go, that is going to be a bridge we cross once we get there!