Forsaker:DingDing&Blade News

[p]Hey everyone, [/p][p]Old friends and new pals! I'm the dev of Forsaker: Dingding & Blade.[/p][p] [/p][p]I'm back again! It’s been quite a journey—we’ve been grinding for over a year, and honestly, everyone’s on the verge of losing it haha. Let’s take a breather and chat about some recent updates.[/p][p] [/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]How much longer until it’s done?[/h2][p]It’s done! (¯︶¯)~ We’re now in the phase of continuous optimization.[/p][p] [/p][h3]The Development of Forsaker: Dingding & Blade[/h3][p]In fact, this project has taken us over a year. Although some of the content and concepts were brainstormed and designed earlier during fragmented time, it still took longer than we imagined. It’s been incredibly tough—everyone on the team has had their moments of breakdowns. Developing a passion project online truly gave us a taste of what it means to “To work for passion, not pay” (and I never want to go through that again, haha). Remote collaboration turned out to be way more challenging than expected—even though half the team are veterans who’ve worked together before, the toll was massive... just massive. Yeah, for our next project, no more remote work. We’re going to find a physical office space. Communication will be so much smoother and more immediate... way, way better. Nothing beats the energy of working offline.[/p][p] [/p][p]Throughout the development process, the person under the most pressure was definitely xiao Y. The sheer volume of art assets was insane—she went completely numb, her brain just stopped working.  Attached is an image... as a tribute (and she had to draw the tribute image herself—so it’s basically her paying homage to herself...).[/p][p][/p][h3]Gameplay Modes of Forsaker: Dingding & Blade[/h3][p]As mentioned before, Forsaker is a visual novel series. The focus is on the story, with gameplay serving as a supplement. Future titles will also incorporate supporting gameplay tailored to the narrative.[/p][p][/p][p]After entering the game, you’ll have the choice between Reading Mode and Adventure Mode. I highly recommend starting with Reading Mode. If you ever get tired of the story, you can take a break and play some Adventure Mode to interact more with the monsters.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p] [/p][p]Even in Adventure Mode, you can still progress the story while battling. The combat difficulty isn’t too high. If you get tired of the this mode or find yourself stuck, you can seamlessly switch back to Reading Mode with just one click. It’s super convenient...[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Some Monsters in Forsaker: Dingding & Blade[/h3][p]These fruits and veggies... our beloved seven little ones have been with us for almost a decade. We’ve reimagined them as all-new monsters. Three of them are featured in this game, and the remaining four will appear in the sequel... This installment will also include a familiar yet unfamiliar character who will battle you in a new way, with less demanding requirements... Ugh, I’ve been tormented by his previous incarnation too...[/p][p] [/p][p][/p][p]On a side note, because the scene is dark... the eggplant’s face is actually on the other side.[/p][p]Now, let’s talk about the game’s pricing, which everyone’s been curious about.[/p][p][/p][h3]Pricing of Forsaker: Dingding & Blade[/h3][p]After final discussions with our publisher (shoutout to Infini Fun!), the domestic price will be set at $10.99, with a 10% discount available during the first fourteen days after launch.[/p][p] [/p][p]Release Date[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Mark your calendars for September 24 at 10:00 AM(UTC+8)![/p][p] [/p][p]We’ll continue to collect everyone’s suggestions and feedback. Thank you to all who have supported us—we truly appreciate you![/p][p] [/p][p]I’m off to get back to work now. Feel free to leave us comments, and I’ll ramble on again next time...[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]The brand-new visual novel Forsaker: DingDing & Blade is officially set to launch on September 24, 2025, at 10:00 AM CST on Steam![/p][p][/p][h5]✦ About the Game[/h5][p]In this tale of “devouring” and “being devoured,” you will embark on a journey full of choices:[/p][p]Set in a tripartite world of Humans, the Divine Corpus Church, and Forsakers.[/p][p]Two rustic youths’ seemingly routine mission spirals into a crimson odyssey, unveiling a cannibalistic game rife with conspiracies and moral crossroads.[/p][p][/p][p]Narrative: Over 200,000 words of script across three intertwining storylines. Can you piece together the ultimate truth of the world?[/p][p]Combat: A roguelike deck-building system deeply tied to the narrative. Balanced for fun, with a “Lazy Mode” available for those who wish to enjoy the story stress-free.[/p][p]Visuals & Sound: A hand-drawn art style that is both adorable and haunting, with nearly a hundred CGs. The atmospheric soundtrack complements the tale, creating a uniquely soothing reading experience.[/p][p][/p][h5]✦ Release Info[/h5][p]Release Date: September 24, 2025, 10:00 AM CST[/p][p]Platform: PC – Steam[/p][p][/p][p]⚔️ Add the game to your Wishlist now to get notified at launch![/p][p]👀 Follow us to stay updated with news and behind-the-scenes content.[/p][p][/p]

[p]Howdy everyone, old friends and new! I'm the dev of "Forsaker: Dingding & Blade".[/p][p]It's been a while! We've been working hard to finish this game and have accumulated some updates, [/p][p]so allow me to ramble on a bit about the team's recent situation and the game's progress.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Whether the launch is delayed​[/h3][p]Yeah... it's delayed. We naively thought we could finish it in the first half of the year... Then we were overly optimistic that it would definitely make the summer release window. But, our artist had to leave the team for about a month and a half due to some family issues, forcing the project to pause for a while. She returned in early June after handling things at home, and we resumed work. Of course, we weren't completely idle during that time. Designers optimized systems, programmers squashed bugs, and I worked on some preliminary documents for Forsaker2, outlining the story framework and writing the prologue's script, hoping we can smoothly develop the sequel.[/p][p][/p][p]Aside: As the half-artist still on the team during artist's absence, I did my best to draw a few story CG images. Here, take a look at one...[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p](Their first in-story appearance together)[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Is the team stable right now?​[/h3][p]Hmm, it's okay. It's still just us few. Though, during Xiao Y's absence, new artist Xiao Chuan kept helping us (thank you!). Currently, things are stable. We're all still functioning, no problem. The lack of animation expertise we mentioned before has also been preliminarily resolved. Our new planner, Dayi, has a decent art foundation. We "cultivated" him these past few months... and acquired a new animator! (o˘◡˘o)[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]About Adventure Mode & Story ModeWe[/h3][p]touched on this before. Forsaker series prioritizes visual novels, supported by gameplay elements. Future entries will incorporate auxiliary gameplay based on the needs of their respective stories.[/p][p] [/p][p]For the sequel, based on our current concept, we aim to make the gameplay deeper and its integration with the narrative tighter. The first game, however, remains primarily a visual novel with light card mechanics as supplementary gameplay. As for Adventure Mode, you progress the story while fighting. The battle difficulty isn't particularly high. If you ever get truly stuck... just switch to Story Mode...[/p][p] [/p][p]I've played some excellent pure visual novels over the last few years. Sometimes, reaching a certain point in the story, I'd want something to click or interact with. That's why we added some playable elements into our own game – so you could play a bit when tired of reading, and read a bit when tired of playing... That was the idea, anyway. The actual effect will need to be seen after launch. Hence, we also prepared Story Mode, allowing players who dislike combat to experience the full story seamlessly. Hope you'll like it.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]About the "Familiar Feel" of Forsaker's Art Style​[/h3][p]Old players of "Gemtrader Story：The Aeon Stone" might recognize our team's scent. Old Margaret has been with us for 9 years now. We've always loved our art direction, so we've maintained our team's consistent style while continuously evolving and seeking new breakthroughs on this path. Thank you all for accompanying us all these years.[/p][p] [/p][p]The first thing Xiao Y did after returning was rush this fan celebratory birthday art. Margaret's birthday was only days away. We used to draw it every year, just never imagined it would end up being a fan art form... heh, this world can be quite interesting sometimes.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p](Picture shows Margaret birthday fanart)[/p][p][/p][p] [/p][h3]​About the Crowdfunding situation 2 months ago​[/h3][p]Yep, we ran a crowdfunding campaign. This is a completely new work; players haven't experienced the content yet. Unsurprisingly, not many bought physical merchandise. Most backed the game itself. Quite a few veteran Gemtrader Storyplayers came to support us too. A huge thank you to everyone who backed us – new and old players alike! Thank you! Your support lets us create better.[/p][p][/p][p](Picture shows some crowdfunding merchandise)[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]How much longer until it's finished?​​[/p][p]Soon... Soon enough... Almost there now...[/p][p] [/p][p]I'm off to work... Feel free to leave us lots of messages, everyone. Remember to add the game to your wishlist! Catch ya next time I ramble...[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[p][/p][h3]"Forsaker: Ding Ding & Blade" Selected for Steam China Showcase!
[/h3][p]Thank you to the organizers for this recognition.[/p][p]Our team is burning the midnight oil to finish the full version—we’re in the final sprint now![/p][p]If you haven’t tried it yet, feel free to download the playable demo.[/p][p]Please stay tuned—the full release will be absolutely amazing![/p]

[p]Forsaker: DingDing & Blade is a visual novel/roguelike hybrid indie game where a simple mission spirals into a cannibalistic odyssey. You’ll struggle as a fragile human, a blood-soaked knight, or a flesh-devouring Forsaker. Will you cling to this broken world—or forsake it entirely? [/p][p]🔹 Devour or be devoured [/p][p]🔹 Roguelike survival meets branching narrative [/p][p]🔹 Unique playable forms We're raising funds to complete the final phase of development. [/p][p] If you enjoy dark fantasy, character-driven storytelling, and roguelike gameplay, we would love your support! [/p][p][/p][p] The campaign runs until June 26, 2025 Support us here:[/p][p] kickstarter link [/p][p]Thank you for walking this path with us. More updates coming soon![/p]