[p]Dear Villains and Villainesses,[/p][p]Have the winds of autumn treated you well? We here at Best Laid Plans Productions have been enjoying the autumn chill, getting cozy with our stacks of villainess novels, and layering on things like guillotine-deflecting scarves. While we’re at it, we also have some fun updates to share with you all – including a talk we did for the Game Devs of Color expo![/p][p][/p][h3]
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[/h3][p]First, as a present to welcome the fall, we have some lovely Izel fanart to showcase, commissioned from Rui (
@sorin.otsori on Instagram). Won’t you enjoy the beauty of falling leaves with our dizzying Duke of the North?[/p][p][/p][p]
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[/p][p][/p][p]Next, let’s talk about what we did this month. First, we got busy programming a beautiful library that will be used in many future scenes! This background was created by Karel Kok, who gave us over 200 art layers to play with for the library. Emily spent about 20 hours animating this background as it can be further subdivided into several individual backgrounds that contain their own secrets. Here's one part of the library:[/p][p]
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[/p][p]In scene 25, we depict Jane’s entrance into the library. In this scene, you’ll get Jane to explore vital information in the library involving books as well as other... mysteries. [/p][p][/p][p]We also created the covers of all the books Jane will read and programmed a beautiful map of Carcosa that Jane explores in scene 26. All these artifacts were created by
Saleha Chowdhury, who gave us dozens of layers to play with. Keep an eye out for any 'creatures' you might see as you read the books and review the map. They're clues to dangers you may encounter later! [/p][p][/p][p]
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[/p][p][/p][p]We also edited the existing scenes 27 and 28, which will take place in the library and which we will program in October. [/p][p][/p][p]Scene 27 challenges you to learn more about the most powerful noble families of Carcosa, the fantasy kingdom where Jane has transmigrated. Can
you tell who is friend and who is foe from a library book alone? [/p][p][/p][p]Meanwhile, scene 28 contains an encounter with a vital character who takes Jane by surprise. Here’s a hint: who do you think will be the most likely person to sit quietly in a library, biding their time to take Jane by surprise? [/p][p][/p][p]
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[/p][p][/p][p]This month, we’ve had the immense pleasure of being featured in two Steam festivals. First, we appeared in the
Hungry Ghost Festival organized by the South East Asia Game Aesthetic. Second, we appeared in the
Game Devs of Color Steam Festival, organized by the Game Devs of Color organization.[/p][p][/p][p]Last year, we also had the pleasure of hosting a talk on Save the Villainess at the Game Devs of Color expo. Our talk is called “Why Save the Villainess? Challenging Injustice through Perspective” and can be viewed on Youtube below: [/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]This talk strikes at the heart of an important question that haunts our story: what makes a woman a villainess? After all, while Save the Villainess is a game that asks you to discover who wants to murder a villainess, it also reflects on how Jane’s identity as an autistic biracial woman makes her hated within the cruel and unjust historical world she is thrown into.[/p][p][/p][p]Is Jane a villainess because of the past actions of the original Jane Neville? Or is Jane a villainess because she does not follow the rules of her cruel, sexist, and classist culture? Finally, how does the injustices that Jane faces reflect the injustices that villainized people in our world face? [/p][p][/p][p]Ultimately, we hope that if you’ve ever been hurt by others for your differences, Jane will be someone you can relate to. In real life, we may not get to decide the story the world tells about us. Yet in Save the Villainess, you'll get the chance to write the story that every villainess has always wanted to tell about themselves.[/p][p][/p][p]
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[/p][p][/p][p]Finally, we want to end by sharing major news on a game we love by a team we love.
Threads of You: Beyond the Bay is an extraordinarily charming and beautiful indie romance visual novel created by Lavendeer Studios. [/p][p][/p][p]
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[/p][p]This beautiful game allows you to romance one of seven handsome and hilarious men in the beautiful town of Brine Bay with your customizable avatar. If you want to live out a wonderfully sweet, charming story of friendship and romance that has 14 possible endings, please check out their demo on
Steam and
Itch.io. You can also join their
discord server to chat with other fans.[/p][p][/p][p]
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You can even see a little cameo of Jane if you try out their demo on Steam and Itch.io![/p][p][/p][p]This month, they’re running an exciting
Kickstarter campaign that offers a ton of special items you can only pick up during the campaign. Please support the game and help them achieve their sketch goals. It’s the best way to start off your dream life in Brine Bay! [/p][p][/p][p]Finally, remember you can always find us at the various sites below:[/p][p][/p][p]
✦ Our discord server - come chat with us and hear what other players have discovered about our game![/p][p][/p][p]
✦ Our mailing list - we send out cute kitten pictures and free cards featuring new banter from our main characters every month. This month, the characters celebrate National Reading Month and will tell you what books they enjoy reading! [/p][p][/p][p]
✦ Youtube, Bluesky, and Tumblr - our main social media accounts[/p][p][/p][p]Thanks again for joining us for another lovely month and update, friends. We’ll see you in October with a special Halloween update. Stay safe and warm until then![/p][p][/p][p]With Much Love,[/p][p]Tanya & Emily[/p][p]Best Laid Plans Productions Inc.[/p]