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Hardenville News

Hardenville: News and Q&A #1

[h3]News[/h3]
It's been just over two weeks since we launched Hardenville The Prologue version here on Steam. We're thrilled to be on this journey with you and are dedicated to delivering the best experiences with our upcoming releases. Thank you all for your positive and constructive feedback.

Our goal is to maintain transparency and cultivate a vibrant community, even though it may take some time to grow. We're proud to share that our Discord community has reached 286 members. Additionally, Hardenville is nearing 2,000 units sold on Steam in just two weeks, which is a remarkable achievement for The Prologue. Once the revenue hits our bank account in late December, we'll invest in an additional PC equipped with an RTX 4090. This new PC will aid in static renders, allowing us to multitask alongside our current PC with a RTX 3090 solely for animations. This marks a significant milestone for us!

Our next release, Episode 1, is scheduled for late December or January. It will offer at least twice the content of The Prologue, including a substantial amount of animations.

Unfortunately, as of today, Hardenville holds a "mixed" rating on Steam due to the overall negative reviews mainly concerning the current length of the game. We understand this perspective and view it as a constructive criticism moving forward. We're hopeful that with the release of Episode 1, we can elevate our rating from "mixed" to "positive".

We're aware that some developers have abandoned their Adult Visual Novels over time, and this concern may linger among supporters. Our aim was to garner early support to assure everyone that this game won't be abandoned. Thanks to the Early Access on Steam, we've received substantial backing, reassuring us of our community's support. Please rest assured that Hardenville is intended to encompass a total of 10 chapters, with The Prologue serving as Chapter 1 and Episodes 1 through 9 constituting the remaining chapters. We've meticulously planned the entire season and even have exciting ideas for a potential Season 2.

We also promise that all upcoming episodes of Hardenville Season 1 will be accessible at no extra cost to those who purchase it. Furthermore, there won't be any other DLCs, such as additional purchases for more explicit content in the game. It's one purchase and one purchase only!

We aim to introduce voice actresses into Hardenville at a later stage, likely towards the end of the Early Access period.

[h3]Q&A #1[/h3]
Now, let's delve into the Q&A session. Which languages would you like to see available in Hardenville? Please share your thoughts, questions, concerns, feedback, and more in the comment section below. Your input is highly valuable to us.

A question and concern that have been seen in some places is: Q: "That a main LI willing to give a random dude a head in a porta potty doesn't really inspire me with much confidence in this." A: Sandra, one of the main LIs, has a compelling reason that will be revealed at the Home-Alone party in Episode 1. Just hang tight. Natalie is more like a side LI.

Much love from JoyFI Games

Hardenville: Make A Guess! #1 | Answers

Answers
The correct answers for "Make A Guess #1" were Millie and Jasmine, the main girls who use the workout room. Millie participates in handball, and Jasmine participates in gymnastics.



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Hardenville: Make A Guess! #1

Make A Guess!
The formerly guest bedroom was rarely in use, and two of MC's roommates wanted to improve their skills in their respective sports. Johanna and Tom agreed to convert the guest bedroom into a workout area. However, the room couldn't be used after 9 pm (21:00).

For which two of Ariel, Millie, and Jasmine do you think this workout room was created for? And which two competitive sports do they participate in?



Much love from JoyFI Games

Hardenville | MC's Bedroom Animation (4k, 13 Sec - 30 FPS - Over 390 Images)

Animation
Get a sneak peek of MC's bedroom, which will be featured from Episode 1 and beyond! It has been rendered in 4k using over 390 images.

Almost all the furniture used in MC's bedroom has been made by us in Blender.

Vimeo (Click Here to Watch Animation)

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What's next for Hardenville

Thank you!
We'd like to express our heartfelt gratitude for your support and interest in our passion project, Hardenville.

We've always planned for the Prologue to be a short introduction to introduce players to the characters in Hardenville. A total of 10 chapters are planned, with the Prologue being the first and Episode 1 to 9 making up the remaining chapters. The Episodes will contain much more content and animations compared to the Prologue.

While we have noticed in reviews that some people find the Prologue too short, it was a deliberate decision to bring the game to Early Access on Steam with the first chapter. Typically, other visual novels don't do this until about mid-development cycle. We believed it was best to release the game early, gather feedback, and gain support to improve the game significantly. Our plans include translating the game into multiple languages, adding voice actresses at some point, expanding our team and much more.

At present, Hardenville is a solo endeavor led by Filip, a 25-year-old Norwegian developer.

The planned release schedule for Hardenville episodes is as follows:
  • Hardenville Episode 1: Late December 2023 or early January 2024
  • Hardenville Episode 2: Q1 2024
  • Hardenville Episode 3: Q2 2024
  • Hardenville Episode 4: Q3 2024
  • Hardenville Episode 5: Q4 2024
  • Hardenville Episode 6: Q1 2025
  • Hardenville Episode 7: Q2 2025
  • Hardenville Episode 8: Q3 2025
  • Hardenville Episode 9: Q4 2025


Please be aware that the planned release dates are subject to change if we require additional time for development.

Freckles Upgrade
In our upcoming big release, Episode 1, we're making small adjustment to the freckles. It's not a major overhaul, just a change in color and a slight reduction in their intensity. These changes will only apply to Episode 1 and beyond, so there's no need to worry about us taking the time to redo all the renders in the Prologue.



Please join our Discord server to make a great community with us! https://discord.com/invite/XPmezdYHeX

Thank you so much for supporting our game, Hardenville.

Much love from JoyFI Games