Nova Hearts News

Wait, why is Nova Hearts participating in the Lovecraftian Days Steam event? Because the game has some Lovecraft inspirations! As surprising as it may be for Nova Hearts, Lovecraft can take different forms and directions.

[h3]What is Lovecraft?[/h3]
"H.P. Lovecraft (born August 20, 1890, Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.—died March 15, 1937, Providence) was an American author of fantastic and macabre short novels and stories, one of the 20th-century masters of the Gothic tale of terror. Lovecraft was interested in science from childhood, but lifelong poor health prevented him from attending college. He made his living as a ghostwriter and rewrite man and spent most of his life in seclusion and poverty. His fame as a writer increased after his death." H.P Lovecraft, The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, www.britannica.com.


The Curious Case of H. P. Lovecraft, Paul Roland

[h3]The Lovecraftian themes in the game are: a cosmic mystery, the unknown/unknowable, an otherworldy influence on humanity, everything happening in a small town, and Fate.[/h3]

In Nova Hearts, Sailor Moon is a clear visual influence on the game, but more subtly Lovecraft's artworks too! We wanted to pay homage to the author by adding our own sense of Lovecraft to the game. The entry point to that is exploring the horror of non-existence and the influence of otherworldly beings when they are deprived of human intention. The game has taken a softer point-of-view to match the joyful pop feel of a queer narrative based on magical girls but retained these notions of what lies hidden and the consequences of powers wielded without conscience.



Lovecraft's artworks are an important part of the game's story. Who are these enemies and "monsters", where are they coming from, and why are they here? This mystery is part of the fantasy we wanted to create. There was never supposed to be a horror tone on things, though, it's more this underlying element to build the whole setting, that would become clear at the end to make the stakes higher. In the first chapter Nova Hearts: The Spark, these enemies look cute on paper, but when you're facing them, you discover there is something wrong. There is a deeper meaning there and the why is what you will have to discover in the full game!

Research for the "Chapter 1 Goon attack"

Final asset "Chapter 1 Goon attack"

More to discover about why the game has some Lovecraft inspirations in the full game! We can't be too explicit about it yet as we don't want to spoil anything! We can't wait for you to play Nova Hearts and discover it by yourself to understand where we're going with it!

[h3]Not convinced yet? Play the first chapter for free on our Steam page! [/h3]

We're participating in the Turn Based Thursday Festival! What better than to talk a little bit about the combat of Nova Hearts? You were many to give your feedback on it and we took notes, so thank you! Let's dive into it and reply to some questions we've seen online.

[h3]Why mixing combat and visual novel/dating sim?[/h3]
Our idea with Nova Hearts was to revisit the genres of visual novels and dating simulations. These games don't often have a combat system implemented. They are mostly based on narration, we wanted to spice it up and add some action into the mix! One great example is Boyfriend Dungeon. We were inspired by the well-balanced relationship between its story, dating, and combat. There are not a ton of games to mix genres like this, so we wanted to do our own and make a game we really want to play: FIGHT and FLIRT!

The theme of our game also helps a lot. In Magical Girls the "magical" is regularly associated with defending someone or something. The heroes have superpowers to fight the great evil! Here our trio Luce, Will, and CJ are defending the city from an emerging threat. Combat was definitely necessary in our scenario, and that's also the best place for Sailor Moon-esk transformations!



[h3]How does the combat work?[/h3]
At the start of the combat, you will see a timeline at the bottom of the screen. This timeline is separated into equal parts that represent a turn.


When it is your time to play, there is a white bar you can move, representing the casting time of an attack. The more you move the bar to the right, the later your attack will be cast according to the order represented by the faces of the characters. If the white bar doesn't appear, it means this action is instantaneous and doesn't need casting time like Luce's second attack to heal all the allies.



[h3]How to progress?[/h3]
During a playthrough, you will unlock new powers per character and will be able to up them. The Power App on the phone is the main place to manage your powers. After each combat, you gain XP points filling a jauge. When you have cumulated enough points, you can improve your attacks. The advantages are often an increase in the damages, in the buff/debuff bonuses, etc.



[h3]Why did we choose this system?[/h3]
Turn-based games and the timeline are dear to our hearts. Our previous game, Othercide has the timeline too in its combat. We wanted to use this system appreciated by the players and adapt it to Nova Hearts. Our current timeline is not final and will evolve based on your feedback. So if you want to share your experience with the combat of Nova Hearts, we're all ears!

Othercide's timeline


We can't wait to listen to your feedback so if you didn't get the chance yet, play Nove Hearts: The Sparke for free on our Steam page!

[h3]An update is on the way for the first chapter The Spark![/h3]

We've been carefully reading your feedback and thanks to your reports and suggestions, a few things will be updated! This update will come in the first week of March.

Here is our plan for this update:

• Fasten the conversation in the Message App
  
• Modify the combat pacing to have fewer combats and fasten them
  
• Specify the intentions behind dialogue choices
  
• Many other quality-of-life improvements and bug fixes!
  

Thanks to YOU, we can improve this game, so don't hesitate to share your feedback and suggestions in the Steam discussions.

[h3]What would you like to see improved in the game?[/h3]

[h2]MAGICAL GIRLS - DATING - EPIC FIGHTS[/h2]

The first chapter "Nova Hearts - The Spark" is available right now FOR FREE on Steam!

The Spark is the first chapter and introduction to the world of Nova Hearts. As the main character Luce, players will meet the game’s flirty and thirsty cast of characters and their cosmic alter-egos, learn the basics of the stylish turn-based combat, and embark on a quest to unravel the magical mystery at the heart of it all. TEXT, DATE and FIGHT!

The full game will then be available in 2025!

[h3]Play the game now![/h3]
Click on "Install Game" on Nova Hearts's Steam page!


[h3]Watch our release trailer![/h3]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
When returning to your hometown, you don’t expect things to be much different than when you left but now, you and other hot singles in the area have transformed into heroes and villains! Reconnect with old friends, meet new ones and pursue the strange origins of the new cosmic madness prowling the streets. Where did this come from? Why did this happen? And why is everyone so incredibly hot now!?

We can't wait to know what you think, so please share with us in the Steam forums or on Discord! Plus, leave us a review to support us!

See you later Luce-igator

The first chapter Nova Hearts: The Spark will be officially playable for free on January 25, 4pm CET / 7am PST.



[h3]The full game will then be playable in 2025.[/h3]

In this first chapter, you play Luce, a positive and funny 21yo who loves being around her friends and helping others. You're back in this city you left some years ago. Discover more about your new life, new old friends, and powers!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[h3]Support us, don’t forget to wishlist Nova Hearts![/h3]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2506290/Nova_hearts/

We can't wait to know what you think of the game, its characters and soul!