The Use of Life News

We've received another status update from Daraneko.
Please give it a read.

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It's August.
Here's the status report for the past month.

◆ Report for July
For the past month...

• Preparation for Chapter 3's release
  
• Chapter 3's release
  
• Bug fixes for Chapter 3
  
• Made slight progress on Chapter 4's text
  

I think that about covers it.
Oh, and I gave a lecture on game design at CEDEC 2025.

◆ Unreproducible Bugs
Currently unsure how to handle several bugs that have been reported. We haven't been able to reproduce them on our end...
(For example, reports where the screen stays dark after being buried in an avalanche and escaping)
I'd really like to fix this issue but there's no code related to screen brightness in that area, and without knowing how to reproduce the issue, there's just no way to proceed with a fix.....
If anybody manages to figure out and reproduce this issue, please let me know and I'll get on the case.

◆Plans for August
Regarding our plans moving forward, we're thinking of making some adjustments to the "Counter" and "Teacher" mechanics in the near future.
Once that's finished I plan on starting work on Chapter 4.

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Also, starting this month, I've resumed game design work again.
After paying for the game's illustrations...well...my living expenses have gotten a bit tight...

For now, there's a chance that another project I'm working on may get picked up by another company at some point (if it gets completed properly)...
But with that said, my main focus is still on my personal game development work so I intend to make sure it doesn't affect the release of this game as much as possible.

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And that's all for this status update.
Development is still going strong, so please continue to support us!

Hello everyone,

Thank you playing The Use of Life!
We have updated the game to Ver.0.6.02, Here are the bug fixes and changes.

[h2]◆ Fixes[/h2]

• Fixed a bug where the skill name was not displayed correctly when skills were acquired during an event.
  

We hope you continue to enjoy The Use of Life!

Hello everyone,

Thank you playing The Use of Life!
We have updated the game to Ver.0.6.01, Here are the bug fixes and changes.

[h2]◆ Fixes[/h2]

• Fixed an issue where the burning ruins event in Morgana Desert would softlock the game.
  
• Fixed a text issue where the Sheepfolk villager in the Korom plaza was referred to as a Birdfolk.
  
• (Traditional/Simplified Chinese only) Fixed the description of the Dazzling Robes.
  
• (English and Traditional/Simplified Chinese only) Added translations for certain equipment.
  

We hope you continue to enjoy The Use of Life!

[p]Hello everyone,

Thank you for playing The Use of Life!

Chapter 3 of the Kohaku & Veronika Route is here![/p][p]
We've been hard at work on this unfinished route since July of last year, and today, we're excited to finally release the next chapter!

If you’ve cleared Chapter 2 of this route, your save file will let you jump right into the new content with this update.

Unlike the previous routes, this path takes you on a journey alongside Kohaku, the girl you saved in Chapter 2.

Where once there was an obsession with power and survival, that has now transformed into a desire to live. Through your time with Kohaku, the story explores a completely different take on its central theme: how we choose to use our lives. Step into a new chapter, make new choices, and discover a new fate.

We've added new, route-exclusive features to spice up the battles in Chapter 3! Look forward to brand-new status effects and a fresh enemy mechanic: "Counter", QTEs triggered not when dodging, but in response to your attacks!

From dungeons to events to the characters you meet along the way, everything in this route is completely different experience from the ones that come before it. Discover a new side of Goshe, one shaped by different choices and a different path through life.

We're still in Early Access, and your feedback means everything to us! Share your thoughts through the in-game survey or over on the Steam discussion threads. Your input will help shape the road ahead as we continue developing and preparing for the full release. Thank you as always for your support and we hope you continue to stick with us on this journey! [/p][p][/p][p]Visit the Playism Website Follow us on Steam Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Bluesky Follow us on Facebook Join our Discord server[/p]

We've received another status update from Daraneko.

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It's July.
Here's the status report for this month.

But before we get into the dev updates, there's something I'd like to share with you all.
[h3]This month...we're releasing the third chapter of Veronika and Kohaku! More information to come after the dev updates so please stick around![/h3]

Now let's get into the June dev updates.

◆Chapter 3's Completed Tasks

• Worked on balance adjustments
  
• Worked on implementing translations and bug fixes.
  

◆Chapter 4's Completed Tasks

• Designed new enemies
  
• Created new skill effects
  
• Created new functions
  

◆Slight QoL improvements

• Changed the UI for dodging enemy attacks (an arrow now appears to indicate when an attack can be guarded)
  
• Weight changes will now be displayed when changing equipment
  
• A stat comparison will now be displayed when selecting a reward.
  
• etc
  

That's about it.
Wow, when you lay it all out like this, it shows we've done quite a lot.

The illustration work is progressing quite smoothly, as the main illustrator (the one who drew Misha, etc) has finished their part.
That being said, there's still some art that's a work-in-progress that we've commissioned to other artists, such as background and enemies.
We're really looking forward to showing you what Chapter 4 has in store! To give you a little taste, you can expect to see a cool new boss.
Now a real concern I have is that after all these commissions, my wallet is starting to feel the pain...HAHAHA



Now then, let's talk about release information.
We’ve been steadily working on development without minimal updates since around October, but we’re finally nearing the release of Chapter 3.
Right now, we're in the final stages of preparing for release.
(handling things like translations, bug fixes, and internal playtesting for balance adjustments)

If everything goes smoothly...Chapter 3 is scheduled for release on Tuesday, July 15th (JST) !
If...we hit a few bumps, it might get pushed to Thursday, the 17th, but we're keeping fingers crossed!
By the way, we finalized this date in a discussion with our publisher so it's fresh off the press!

After Chapter 3 is released, the next major update will mark the official release of the full game, making it the final update for the Early Access version.
We'll be releasing Chapter 4 and the final chapter together, so it's still a little ways out but since the main story has been fully written all the way through the ending, the pace of updates should be quicker than before.
The finish line is finally coming into view and we appreciate your continued support and patience for just a little while longer.

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And that's all for this status update.
Development is still going strong, so please continue to support us!

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