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2025 Retrospective

[p]It's been a big year for DEVIL'S LIMINAL, as well as for me personally! So, I wanted to share a retrospective about how 2025 has been.[/p][p]But first, if you haven't already: Please consider leaving a review! Reviews and wishlists tangibly help boost games! This is my first indie game, so every little bit makes an impact.[/p][p]And the tldr: Made a lot of progress in 2025, on track to finish the game in 2026, self-promotion is hard, but people like the game so far! Please consider leaving a review.[/p][h3]Some Background[/h3][p]I first started brainstorming the game in 2018/2019, and during lockdown in 2020 finally had the time and energy to start working on it. At the end of 2022 I had the demo ready to share and a rough draft of the entire game: friends playtested, wife and I made a ton of art, and I commissioned music. Soon after, voice acting was added.[/p][p]In 2023/2024, with return to office, increasing work responsibilities, and changing jobs, I didn't have the time or energy to seriously commit to the game. Finally, in October 2024 I pushed to increase the length of the demo as a challenge to myself to make sure the project didn't wither away.[/p][p]At the end of 2024 I had surgery that rendered me couch locked, playing a lot of Infinity Nikki, with a lot of time to think. My day job was in a game studio, but the most fun I had in a long while was finishing up the October 2024 update. I started to dread the idea of recovering and returning to work, and not being able to update my game again for another 1-2 years.[/p][p]In March 2025 I left my job and created my own studio: Studio Interlude. My goal since grad school was to eventually have my own studio, and I felt I was finally in a position to make this a reality.[/p][p]In June I released the game in Early Access! Maybe it wasn't the smartest marketing decision ever made, but I have made MUCH more progress on the game this way. I'm something of a high-functioning procrastinator, so having a monthly deadline for updates is crucial for me.[/p][p]Generally, I've been struggling with getting in the mindset for promoting my game. I just feel incredibly goofy talking about any in-progress work or myself. So, a big goal for 2026 is figuring that out and, of course, finishing the game.[/p][h3]Progress[/h3][p]Since the game is organized into days, here's an overview of what "days" have been finished (well, mostly finished).[/p][p]Full Game (???) (for reference): June 7th to September 1st[/p][p]Update history:[/p]
  • [p]First Demo (December 2022) (still available, with updates): June 7th to June 20th[/p]
  • [p]Extended Demo (October 2024) (no longer available): June 7th to July 4th[/p]
  • [p]Early Access June 2025: June 7th to July 18th[/p]
  • [p]EA July update: June 7th to July 23rd[/p]
  • [p]EA August update: June 7th to July 27th[/p]
  • [p]EA September update: June 7th to August 1st[/p]
  • [p]EA October update: June 7th to August 4th[/p]
  • [p]EA November update: June 7th to August 8th[/p]
[p]Progress has slowed down now that the game is in August due to being a much rougher outline, but I'm still really happy with how far I've gotten this year! I'm quite proud and terrified that I ended up writing over 150k words and making 10+ hours of gameplay. A few people have played the entire thing in pretty short order; I'm not sure what that does to a person.[/p][h3]Getting the Word Out[/h3][p]I wanted to share what sort of promotional progress I've made.[/p][p]Steam Festivals[/p]
  • [p]Hungry Ghost Festival[/p]
  • [p]Debut Festival[/p]
  • [p]Fall in Love Festival[/p]
  • [p]Choose Wisely Festival[/p]
[p]IRL Events[/p][p]Interviews and Articles[/p]
  • [p]Otome - Devil’s Liminal: When Love Haunts You Back[/p]
  • [p]Interactive Fictions - Pride Month Feature #4: Devil's Liminal[/p]
  • [p]Yuri Kissaten - Lesbian Games Galore in the Summer 2025 Yuri Kissaten Espresso Showcase[/p]
[p]Streamers[/p][p]Here is a breakdown of how many streamers played the game, and how they found out about it:[/p]
  • [p]2 reached out to stream via Bluesky[/p]
  • [p]9 reached out to stream via Partnier[/p]
  • [p]4 streamers I reached out to for Hungry Ghost Festival[/p]
  • [p]8 streamers I reached out to for Fall in Love Festival[/p]
  • [p]4 streamers I reached out to for Choose Wisely Festival[/p]
[p]27 streamers total (at least that I was able to catch)![/p][h3]Thank You for Your Support!![/h3][p]Seriously, at the end of the day (year) I want to thank everyone who's supported me along the way. Very few things are truly made solo, and it's taken help from artists, photographers, musicians, voice actors, helpful programmers in forums, font designers, Wikipedia, books, and especially my very patient friends and family to make this game. I honestly find it shocking that strangers on the internet have spent time and money on my game, and shared such kind words about it. While in the thick of working on something, it's impossible to know if you're making anything that would resonate with someone else, so I'm glad it has.[/p][p]Looking forward to next year, and finishing this thing! Thanks, all![/p]