Monster Girl Therapy News

[p]Everybody... [/p][h2]Monster Girl Therapy is OUT NOW![/h2][p]...including a launch discount of 20%![/p][p]But first things first: THANK YOU for your interest in this little game of mine and, of course, for your interest in these monster girls! So... HAVE FUN! :D[/p][p]I'm THRILLED to see how people react to the game![/p][p][/p][h2][/h2][p]There's also a new trailer![/p][p][/p][h2]If you happen to like the game[/h2][p]...and you'd like to support an indie?[/p]

• [p]Reviews on Steam, even short ones! There's a lot of shit out there, so many people are waiting for honest impressions. (Understandable!) [/p]
• [p]Telling someone who might be interested, telling the people on social media... or even telling your favourite gaming influencer![/p]
• [p]Following Zwiebelspiele on social media and interacting a bit: Bluesky, Twitter, TikTok, Youtube[/p]

[p]Thanks again!!

[p]My game is out in just under a week, my head is spinning with a lot of annoying publicity… So it should be the perfect time to take a step back.
[/p][h3]Remembering 200X[/h3][p]My first impression of RPG Maker was probably Ente die Ente or “Duck the Duck” – capturing the tone of the game perfectly! We were at a friend’s place, and even though, in that moment, the vast world of video game development was slowly opening up before me, I mainly remember cartoon animals made with MS Paint and an antagonist named Atze Hutler. I also learned of Vampires Dawn that day, with its deeply adolescent fondness for fountains of blood and a completely ridiculous excess of exclamation marks. If a game looked actually good back then, though, the resources were DEFINITELY ripped from Secret of Mana or some other jrpg. (Most developers had no clue!) Even the trendy youth mag Bravo‘s spin-off Screenfun didn’t give a damn about any of that when they burned RPG Maker games with exactly those quality standards onto their print run of 100,000 cover CDs.[/p][p]Welcome to the German RPG Maker scene of the early 2000s!
[/p][p][/p][p]Back then, I didn’t actually play all that much. I just wanted to make games, but unfortunately I was also 15 fucking years old. And although I have tremendous respect for the people who, at 15, took on massive projects (“Final Fantasy, but as an MMO!!”) – and then actually SAW THEM THROUGH in some form or another – I definitely was NOT one of those people. What I was able to do, however, was posting, on the community forums! No matter what they were named at a certain point (from RPG-Ring to Multimediaxis), which subforums merged or split off in a rage, whoever was currently muddling forum politics and personal relationship drama … These message boards were always there. Especially the creative parts! Community meetups like the NATO (please don’t ask) or the still ongoing BMT were social trials by fire that probably saved me single-handedly from the weirdest excesses of being a real fucking nerd. In fact, most of my friends today – and my partner! – hail from these forums as well. You know who you are! [/p][h3]RPG Maker is just REALLY cool![/h3][p]Right? I know, my community has spent 25 years venting in walls of text, sprawling quote battles, and 100% personal flame wars about the engine and its weaknesses … But the advantages are far too often taken for granted. Not today! :D[/p]

• [p]RPG Maker is a chill middle ground. Of course there are more common engines, and more powerful ones, but RPG Maker also works for beginners with zero background knowledge, with just a few simple YouTube tutorials … and STILL provides ways to dive deeper into all the technical underpinnings. I’d even say it motivates you to do so, precisely at the points where it is limited for the sake of simplicity. (But you can also just… NOT do that, which is at least as valuable!)[/p]
• [p]Role-playing games are perfectly suited for teenage nerds. RPGs are fantasies, they literally let us slip into another role, they’re practically THE genre for escapism – but of course also for utopia and dystopia, for symbolism and allegory, ultimately for exploring yourself. If someone wants to express themselves through video games? RPGs! o/[/p]
• [p]RPG Maker offers access to a complex genre. RPGs, however, are also HARD, multidisciplinary, ideally with epic music, deep writing, beautiful art design, and so on and so forth … And RPG Maker delivers all of that in one cohesive package. Experienced developers might wrinkle their noses when they detect even a smidge of the standard resources, but getting cool anime-style portraits and ready-made sound effects delivered in a way that actually fits together? That’s PRICELESS![/p]
• [p]It’s just so… free! I don’t necessarily mean the “free” resources that were oh so cheerfully ripped from popular jrpgs back then … but maybe I do! On the more legal side, I can find virtually endless games without spending a cent, and free resources for PRACTICALLY EVERYTHING! But I also love that I can play a Dragon Ball fangame from Brazil, or a Japanese horror game that makes me question the developer’s mental health, or visual novels with or without (but mostly with) a lot of porn. And if I want to advertise my game, I can use RPG Maker’s fonts, symbols, and even music. None of that is a given.[/p]
• [p]RPG Maker has FLAIR. Sure, people love to say “you should just use Engine XY instead!” … but dear people? RPG Maker is a BRAND, and for once (!), I mean that in a positive sense. The cohesive overall package has a part in that, but perhaps even more important is the history, the entirety of projects and experiences attached to it, precisely because RPG Maker is such a specific thing. On the one hand, we have truly big, impressive games, often with artistic ambitions (Ever pedaled full speed off a cliff in LISA? Ever groaned at a pop culture joke in To the Moon?), and on the other hand, we have a huge amount of trash … intensely PERSONAL trash! And together with the community, all of that creates real flair.

[p]When I look at these two paragraphs again, I 100% understand why RPG Maker brought so many teenagers together, back then. It certainly helped that it used to be, uh, “free”, of course *cough*, and that today you can get older versions dirt cheap – especially for teenagers, and ESPECIALLY in regions that are less privileged and less equipped with modern consoles. Democratic game development for everyone![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]So what now?[/h3][p]Not to ruin the mood, but I’m afraid Minecraft – and especially Roblox! – have taken RPG Maker’s place, at least for most teenagers. And aside from the faceless malevolent mega-corporations behind them, that might not even be such a bad thing …? =_=’ I still recommend RPG Maker though![/p][p]Obviously, I also dusted off the engine a few years ago. That was insanely nostalgic, with some skills coming back instantly, but it was also quite a wild learning experience, being in my late 30s with a somewhat functional sense of myself and what I can (not) do… So yeah, I actually managed to finish a few things, and Monster Girl Therapy releases on March 10! ;D But aside from said publicity stuff, I also just found it incredibly cool to really “dive in” again, to see that a lot has changed (often for the better!) and to see that there’s still SO MUCH going on here. In that sense, dear RPG Maker and dear RPG Maker people: Thanks a lot, I love you very much! Next time: I don’t know! My game is coming out, so I won’t be thinking about blog posts for a few weeks! XD[/p]

[p]Let’s cut to the chase: Monster Girl Therapy launches March 10 and will cost $6.99. There’ll also be a 20% launch discount during the first week—for everyone who takes a leap! :D[/p][p]That said, I also want to explain the thoughts behind these numbers. And the most important thing right up front: a large part of my decision-making is based purely on vibes. As a semi-professional solo developer, I can afford to listen to my gut sometimes—and luckily, the brain tends to go along… most of the time, at least.[/p][h3]Dating[/h3][p]There’s a lot of well-meaning advice out there on when to launch a game: autumn is packed with huge releases that suck up all the attention, you should avoid holidays, and so on. But I also realized that for every rule, there’s plenty of exceptions. In the end, the core idea seems to be intentionality. Just think about it?[/p][p][/p][p]Originally, I wanted to release my game in January or February, but I just couldn’t finish everything in time. (That’s right: SEMI-professional!) I also thought about Valentine’s Day, but that might have been a bit too cheeky, especially since too many people are already expecting a dating sim. March 10, on the other hand, is interesting because it’s one week after Steam Next Fest. Quick side note: I considered participating in Next Fest, but I was unsure about the demo… and in the end, I simply missed the deadline. (Alright. Maybe not even semi-professional?) Releasing right after Next Fest, now, feels like an opportunity: the hype has probably cooled off, the demos have been played, and hopefully people are open to something new and unexpected. We’ll see whether that idea works out! I’ll also try not to think TOO much about the fact that a new WoW expansion launches a week earlier and the second live action season of One Piece on the same day.[/p][p]More importantly… the game is ready (aside from the German translation), and I really don’t want to sit on hot coals any longer. That might be the most unprofessional sentence in this entire post, and yes, it would probably be economically smarter to gather more wishlists and maybe catch the next Next Fest—but hey, I’m allowing myself this particular lack of professionalism.[/p][p]The reason for my little translation miscalculation, by the way:[/p][p][/p][p]As for the release time: one commonly established idea for international launches seems to be 7 p.m. (Germany) / 10 a.m.–1 p.m. (US, depending on time zone). In Europe, people are sitting down at their PCs to chill, while in the US gaming journalists are grabbing their (second? third?) morning coffee. And since I don’t have a strong reason to go against that bit of established wisdom… Monster Girl Therapy will launch on March 10 at 7 p.m. (Berlin time)![/p][h3]Pricing[/h3][p]Early on, I found myself somewhere between $5 and $10, and luckily my beta testers mostly agreed. $10 would feel somewhat expensive for a short RPG Maker game with relatively simple mechanics, while less than $5 would feel… kinda of cheap for a game that takes itself seriously. At least as a base price! There’s also that marketing joke that $12 feels like $10, but $13 already feels like $15, and so on. ($2 is basically free!) So I went with 6.99$ in the end.[/p][p]The more you do these number games though, the more they start screwing with your head. Enter the launch discount! I definitely wanted something that feels substantial—10% is basically “nothing!”, to generate some momentum at launch. But going to 30% drops the price below $5… and that just feels wrong? Not only because value is something that matters to me, but also because 30% or 40% start to feel like a clearance sale, like you’re trying to push people into impulse buying.[/p][p]And sure, in the end all of this is manipulation and (kitchen-)psychology at play, kind of. But as I’ve said before: if I feel like I’m tricking people, I’m doing something wrong. Going with the gut, 20% feels like a nice, much more honest middle ground.[/p][p][/p][p]And this is probably one of those moments where purely rational decision-making would lead to different results. 30%, or maybe even 35% would almost certainly be better for wishlist conversion—and that’s my only shot at pleasing the Steam algorithm. But yeah… when in doubt: gut beats brain. Gut beats numbers![/p][p][/p][p]Next time: A love letter (to RPG Maker)[/p]

[p]Time for a little dev blog, this time about writing![/p][p]At their core, role-playing games and visual novels share a similarity: without exciting, genuinely lovable characters, they’re quickly forgotten. If you, like me, grew up during the heyday of Final Fantasy and BioWare, you’re also aware that you don’t need a ‘real’ dating sim to form parasocial bonds with pixels and polygons. And let’s be honest: in Monster Girl Therapy, the monster girls aren’t just in the title, they’re also the main appeal of the game, at least at first glance. And at second glance as well! :D[/p][p]So: How to create compelling characters?[/p][p][/p][h3]Start with ANYTHING … (The Spark)[/h3][p]Seriously: anything! This could be a wild idea (‘A child in a purple cloak full of eyes!’), a pragmatic gameplay consideration (‘Everyone likes grappling hooks!’), or even inspiration from media (‘Oh my god, idol X from K-drama Y was so damn cool!’). In my case, it was the visual designs by TheRealFusion![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]But a spark isn’t a fire yet. As a next step, we need a fitting character concept. This concept then serves as a throughline for multiple layers of character work. In the end, we want something that a) feels human (even when dealing with monsters!) and b) actually sticks with you.[/p][p][/p][h3]… find the core (The Character Concept)[/h3][p]This character concept should align with the game’s overarching concept. Since Monster Girl Therapy carries this core idea in the name—there’s even a blog post about that—it was kind of obvious how to arrive at the character concepts: I needed different monster types with problems! And together, they had to form a coherent cast.[/p][p]As an example without relevant spoilers, let’s use Shaliva, the slime girl![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Her character portrait does a few things before even thinking about the slime part: A relaxed pose with a candid smile, an unremarkable hairstyle, even the simple clothing (for a fantasy setting, at least)—they all but scream ‘girl next door!’ I also love how she’s offering the skull as if she found something interesting by the roadside. But of course, she IS a slime girl. The thing in her hand IS a human skull! And is that a club behind her back…?! That contrast immediately adds a bit of an edge.[/p][p]The character concept: Shaliva is a tutorial NPC that wants to be accepted and loved. She neglects herself to please others—and sometimes takes all of that one step too far![/p][p][/p][h3]… and add some stuff! (The Layers)[/h3][p]The basic idea: every single layer, every aspect of a character should reinforce the character concept, and, by extension, the overarching concept of the game. These layers can even extend beyond the character, including everything connected to them. Below are a few ideas, using Shaliva again.[/p][p]1. Character type. In other games this might be a job, a species, or a narrative role; in my case it’s obviously the monster type. Slimes have been the very first enemies you fight since Dragon Quest—basically tutorial fodder. Going further back, to D&D, gelatinous cubes are destructive creatures that suddenly swallow adventurers and dissolve them alongside their gear. Yikes! But ‘biologically’ speaking, they’re also literally formless … adaptable![/p][p]2. Psyche. Shaliva wants to help. She’s your buddy! Not just because it was her job in the game, but also because she craves the gratitude and emotional validation of others. On the other hand, said game, her purpose, is slowly falling apart. It’s easy to understand why she clings to anyone who might need her help… Her own needs? Who cares! She just wants to help! In truth, though, she’s also deeply traumatized by all the players who skipped her tutorial in order to see more recent content…[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]3. Language. Shaliva wants to be liked, and she wants her interactions to be easy-going. Hey, she’s just ‘one of the guys,’ you know? Accordingly, she speaks casually, with a lot of jokes and puns, always friendly and colloquial, but without swearing. Even her name is a joke! She actively avoids conflict, often using humor. Only when pushed into a corner, her self-denial might escalate.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p](These aren’t even her only colours!)[/p][p][/p][p]4. Environment and music. Shaliva lives in the sewers of Sliwhelbud. This place is confusing, potentially dangerous, but also the tutorial area… so, not REALLY dangerous after all. But just in case? Shaliva will give hints to make sure no one gets stuck! She’ll even answer the dumbest questions possible. And in the background, you’ll hear archetypical fantasy music, adventurous and motivating. The sewers are meant to feel like a mysterious place you explore for a sense of wonder—they’re Shaliva’s sewers after all! (But yes… They’re still sewers.)[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]5. Gameplay. Every monster girl has her own kind of minigame, and for Shaliva, it’s classic puzzles you might find in any RPG dungeon. Flip switches and push barrels! Overcome obstacles for quick dopamine! The puzzles on the main path are quite easy, and if the player stumbles into a more complex puzzle room, Shaliva will make it VERY clear that they don’t have to be solved. Perhaps you shouldn’t even! No negative feelings around here.[/p][p]6. Story. I won’t go into detail, but you might already sense a certain tension between the friendly, aggressively positive Shaliva who refuses to acknowledge any problems, and the traumatized Shaliva on the brink of madness, who is terrified of being abandoned. Will she leave the game in the end…?[/p][p]7. A mirror for the hero. Our protagonist has issues as well. This ‘selfless helping’ thing Shaliva has going on is perhaps not unfamiliar to an RPG hero, or to a player of videogames, and it’s often just as ‘selfless’ as it is for her. Maybe you could help each other![/p][p][/p][h3]What’s the point? (And do I really have to do this?)[/h3][p]Of course not! There are countless ways to create good characters, and this approach, at least with this level of connectivity, might not even be suitable for ALL games. The layers could be completely different, depending on concept and structure. Some aspects, however, can probably be generalized, and the core idea—the whole point of it!—is practically always good, basic advice:[/p][p]The individual parts of a game should build upon each other.[/p][p]Most people won’t consciously notice all of these connections… but they will FEEL them! Our brains are really good at recognizing patterns, and those patterns can help us to make sense of things. That means: if the intent pays off, it becomes easier to empathize, to develop a better feeling for the story and its themes.[/p][p]Now, IF this intent actually pays off is a completely different question, of course…
In this sense: Monster Girl Therapy will be out soon! :D[/p][p][/p][p]Next time: pricing policy (probably)[/p]

[p]Hi everybody! [/p][p][/p][p]Since Monster Girl Therapy is my first somewhat commercial game, I'm following this wild process with a dev blog. It aims to show basics steps in the development as well as some more specific numbers and experiences. The first posts (about the concept and some financial stuff) are up now![/p][p]https://zwiebelspiele.wordpress.com/the-blog/[/p][p]In the future, I will also post new blogposts directly here ... I just didn't, because obviously, all of this IS a learning process for me. :D[/p][p]Is there something you'd be especially interested in?[/p][p][/p][p]Enjoy the end of the year![/p][p]Andre ("Zwiebelspiele")[/p][p][/p]