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Latest Updates from Our Project:
See you in the New Year + Choose Wisely Festival!
4 months ago
– Thu, Dec 04, 2025 at 09:15:19 PM
Dear Backers,
Suffice it to say, this year has been unlike I anticipated in terms of my personal health issues and recovery — but after the busy holiday period ahead, I'm very much looking forward to seeing the rest of OSAS through in 2026!
In my last post, I detailed more about why production has been put on hold and what I'll be doing moving forward to expedite the process. I anticipate the next update I make here will be delivered in February, when I should have some proper development news to report at last.
As I haven't been able to work, I can't provide a specific release window at present, but the game will be released before the end of 2026.
I hope you'll all have a wonderful holiday season ahead and a smooth transition into the new year in the meantime!
Before 2025 is done, however, I've got one more announcement to make:
Choose Wisely Festival
We'll be taking part in the Choose Wisely Festivalhosted by Studio Ephua on Steam, including a feature in its showcase on December 8th at 6PM GMT.
Visit the festival page here between December 8th to 15th to check it out. I hope you'll join us in celebrating all the amazing upcoming and released narrative games that will be highlighted!
Backer Bulletin: Restarting the Engine!
9 months ago
– Fri, Jun 27, 2025 at 08:50:44 PM
Dear Backers,
After a break which has needed to be much, much longer than I anticipated, I find myself more steady on my feet and better equipped to check in with you all about our game.
I am very sorry for the extended delay and for the radio silence — it is never reassuring when an indie crowdfunding project like ours goes quiet, and especially not for several months after over a year of consistent posts. Rest assured updating you has been on my mind for some time now, but I didn't want to offer any too prematurely — not before I could be sure of what I would be saying.
I can say for certain that I am returning happier and more well rested than I have been in several years, which is why I'm able to offer this update now, and why I am confident I can return to providing timely updates to you all, month by month.
My Hiatus
As I mentioned in my last update, I had feared the fatigue I was feeling would balloon into burnout, but in hindsight I already was burnt out. It was only after shifting my full attention to this issue that I recognised I needed to disconnect fully in order to have a restorative rest (essentially, to "touch grass", as some may say).
In that time I have had scarce contact with my online development sphere and sought out other pursuits that might constitute self care. I even finally played the famously time-consuming Baldur's Gate 3, which features several of the voice actors in OSAS. (Of course, Scratch the dog's enthusiastic tail-wagging at camp gave me a gentle nudge about my work here and there — I'd recognise Shaun's voice anywhere, having listened to him as Seamus for hours on end!)
It will take a while longer for the engine of production to kick into full gear again, especially as I've done little in the way of creativity in the past while. I'm back because, just the other day, I caught myself wondering earnestly when I would be back to work again. I've missed creating, and I've missed the feeling of making OSAS.
While my burnout was caused by development pressures, I persisted because of the magic of it: of knowing I was making something beautiful, alongside incredible people, and for such a special audience.
Despite this setback, this was a much needed centering. I am optimistic that OSAS will be better for it!
Production Updates
Between February's update and now, progress has been slow-going, but small advancements have been made in the background by my wonderful team. I remain very grateful that they've been not just understanding but encouraging of my need for a break, and it is very nice to come back to OSAS knowing they've made progress in my absence!
Our background artist Joseph is just about done with the penultimate background artwork of the game, and my co-writer Rowan has made their way through the thicket of writing in-game bonus scenes and short story reward content. Our audio engineer Haru has been working steadily on voice line edits for Act 3.
To get us closer to the finish line, I have recently begun assessing work for the game I may be able to delegate further, and will begin onboarding assistants for scripting in order to relieve some of the pressure of production for myself.
That will allow me to focus more solidly on CG Art for the game, which has been left dormant for too long!
My first sketch of the OSAS boys in some time!
So...when will it be done?
My main objective now is to evaluate our team's production velocity over the next two months, which should then allow me to make a more informed estimate on when and how Of Sense and Soul will be completed. That means that I can't currently offer any projected release date, though I will be aiming for the game to be completed and made publicly available within 2025. Other backer rewards, likewise, will be delayed accordingly.
Once again, I'd like to offer my apologies for the silence and delay — and also my gratitude, for sticking around and reading this update!
As for next month's update, I'd love to know in the comments: Would you like to receive a special download of a handful of the OSAS soundtracks?
(It's the least I can offer, for making you wait!)
Release Delay Announcement
about 1 year ago
– Thu, Feb 06, 2025 at 04:50:59 PM
Dear Backers and Supporters,
With a deep breath, I must announce that Of Sense and Soul's release window will be pushed back in order to ensure the game is of the quality we want it to be when it arrives on your screens.
Why the delay?
Amidst various delays and struggles over the past few months, the game is simply not to a state of completion where I would be confident in its delivery by March this year. A large majority of the game is shippable, but it has been taxing to juggle management, drawing, and scripting, and my productive capacity has suffered as a result.
In my past experience with this type of fatigue, it can quickly snowball into burnout and longer lasting damage. It's become necessary for me to lift some of the pressure of the game's production now, wherever possible, in order to continue development in a sustainable manner.
If I were to adhere to the original timeline, I would not be able to uphold some of the standards I try to in delivering OSAS. Making the game itself a quality experience is the foremost of these, but what I consider equally important is ensuring a quality experience for you all after the game comes out—extra production time will help ensure that, post-release, I will be more prepared to address bug fixes, content updates, and all else the future brings.
(And of course, there are all your backer rewards to attend to as well!)
Then when will the game be released?
Since this change requires some recalibration on my part, I'm not able to provide a new, concrete release window for you all to look forward to yet. As the adage goes, "all good things come to those who wait"—but seeing as I'd like to avoid testing anyone's patience with this matter, I will be trying to adhere as close to the original release window as is comfortably possible.
I am optimistic it is possible to minimise the delay while reaching a more sustainable development pace for the remainder of production, and already, the decision to delay the release has lifted a weight off of my shoulders.
With this new breathing room, it should be much easier to create without undue tension.
What's next?
Beyond the delayed release of Of Sense and Soul, nothing else will really change in my communications here or in our team's continued efforts behind the scenes—as always, I will keep you all updated as exciting developments arise.
I will, however, have to ask you to endure my monthly bulletins for just a while longer! These will also include further information on when you can expect your rewards as I sort out the details.
As ever, on behalf of myself and my team, thank you for your understanding and support.
Backer Bulletin: Hello, 2025! + Reward Fulfilment Timeline Update
about 1 year ago
– Sun, Jan 12, 2025 at 09:44:50 PM
Dear Backers,
I hope the start of this new year has brought with it all the invigoration new beginnings ought to!
In this update, I'd like to take a look back at 2024 and a look ahead to 2025 —what we've done with Of Sense and Soul over the past year, and what we will do with it now as we approach our intended release window.
⚠️ In that 2025 forecast section below, I've also included an amendment of the Kickstarter Reward Fulfilment timeline, as I now feel Q2 of 2025 would be too ambitious of a window for fulfilment all to take place in.
A Year in Review 🎉
All in all, 2024 has been a packed year of making strides towards a completed version of Of Sense and Soul, and this coming year will be no different!
2024 in Bulletins
January saw the initial release of the Act 1 Beta, and in February OSAS was at 70,000+ words as we wrapped up loose ends for Act 2. March saw the start of Act 3 production while Round 1 of voice recording began for the remainder of the game.
April saw a website and newsletter refresh as the game reached 86,000+ words. In May we expanded Act 1 Beta access to the rest of our backers, and Round 2 of voice recording began as scripting and backgrounds trickled in. June was all-in on voice acting, and scripting improvements were made to the game.
A screenshot from the Act 1 Beta onboarding screen.
We celebrated reaching 100,000+ words on OSAS in July as audio engineered voice lines, miscellaneous visuals, and new scripting methods fell into place. (Confluence: An Of Sense and Soul Soliloquy was also released in Japanese this month!) August saw a greater shift towards art production and voice recording Round 3 took place. By September the game was 107,000+ words long!
October was properly art-focused with two sprites and more CG sketches to show at last. November saw the readying of two CGs, and by December our final directed voice recording session took place as our last three sprites fruitioned, scripting shifted solidly into Act 2, and OSAS reached 112,000+ words of story content. We also released Version 4.0 of the Extended Demo, featuring lots of updates to existing camerawork!
A Screenshot from the Hugo Chapter 8 Omnibus Scene CG
2025 Forecast 🗓️
With our game expected to release by the end of March this year, all our efforts at the start of the year are trained solely on that goal. It will be quite a busy few months in order to make that happen!
As ever, I'll be keeping you all updated in these bulletins, so you know all the latest.
Kickstarter Reward Fulfilment Schedule Changes ⚠️
While all rewards were originally expected by Q2 of 2025, I've had to make some changes to the fulfilment schedule beyond the main reward (the game itself).
This will help us ensure the rewards we deliver are worth your while, and give us leeway to provide support for players after the game's release.
Here's an updated reward fulfilment schedule for your reference:
Q1 2025 - January to March
Early Access (2 weeks)
Digital Game Copy Keys for Steam and Itch.io
Background Art and CG Illustration Cameos for Collection/Opal/Omnibus Backers (in-game)
Backer Name Credits (in-game)
Q2 2025 - April to June
The Of Sense and Soul Soundtrack
Backer Bonus Scenes
Hugo & Seamus Paper Doll Printable PDF
Q3 2025 - July to September
The Of Sense and Soul Official Artbook PDF
Daguerreotypes: An OSAS Sketch Zine PDF
Writings from Of Sense and Soul Audiobook
Brooks' Guide to London - The Making of Of Sense and Soul PDF
Q4 2025 - October to December
Custom Portrait in the OSAS Style for Opal/Omnibus Backers
Physical Rewards for Collection/Opal/Omnibus Backers (Thank-you Letter and Print Ephemera Bundle)
If you have any questions or concerns about this change and what it means for your pledge, feel free to use the comments or message system here to contact us!
What's Next?
We'll be aiming to finish up voice recording this month, then it'll be full steam ahead on CG art production and scripting the rest of the time!
Have a lovely start to 2025, and I'll be back with more production news in the next update!
Backer Bulletin: Picking Up Steam, Demo Ver. 4.0, and All Sprites Done!
over 1 year ago
– Mon, Dec 16, 2024 at 07:26:12 PM
Dear Backers,
Happy Holidays, one and all! In the absence of a fresh holiday illustration, I have no choice but to share this one of our two very cheerful figgy puddings again (an oldie but a goodie):
A Victorian style greeting of Seamus and Hugo as Christmas puddings on the same plate.
Whatever the season brings you, I hope you get some good rest and relaxation in advance of the new year — and good food, too!
Picking Up Steam 💨
The Of Sense and SoulSteam page has gotten a little glow-up over the past month in preparation for the game's release and participation in several Steam festivals. We're doing our best to gather more wishlists for the game ahead of its release (including posting more short videos on YouTube) so do let any interested parties know! 💖
We are also bringing Confluence: An Of Sense and Soul Soliloquy to Steam, in both English and Japanese! That will be coming in just a few days time, right before Christmas.
Steam Page Preview for Confluence: An OSAS Soliloquy.
Production Updates 🛠️
There has been a lot of progress made on OSAS this month, but more to go still!
Demo Version 4.0+
There was a big update made to the OSAS Extended Demo to bring the camerawork in Act 1 up to our new standards. (It also is created using a new Ren'py Version, switching from Ren'py 7 to Ren'py 8.)
The below comparison is just a small slice to demonstrate that. In general, the scene direction has been brought up to speed with the level of dynamic I've put into the rest of the game.
You can download the OSAS Demo Camerawork Update on Steam or Itch.io!
Screenshots from Hugo Chapter 1 and Chapter 3 showing the comparison of each
Visuals and Scripting 🎨🎞️
First and foremost, I am very pleased to announce that all character sprites are now play-ready! Howard, Nathaniel, and Leticia are now inserted in-game and can now play their proper roles.
Here are a few screenshots of new game contents from Hugo Chapter 7 and Seamus Chapter 10 to show them off:
Camilla and her new husband Howard greeting Hugo at their Wedding Breakfast.
Hugo facing off with his older brother Nathaniel
Seamus making painful small talk with his ex-fiancée Leticia.
I've been making a fair bit of headway on scripting as a result of these new assets, so more of the game is now present and accounted for.
A screenshot from Seamus Chapter 7, in which Seamus stumbles upon Mr Brooks and his friend/interviewee Dr Lewis exiting the library.
I'll be waiting on receiving more backgrounds in the new year, and the plan is to receive placeholders for all of them up front so that I can start on scripting as soon as possible. This method worked very nicely for the Willhaven Manor Dining Room background, which is now ready in all its Christmas splendour!
Unfortunately, it first appears for a festive but rather awkward Charkham family dinner:
Sadie, Seamus, and George gathered for Christmas Dinner in a well decorated dining room. Pictured in the back are two KS Backer Background Art Cameos on either side of the mantle mirror.
The manor dining room is also currently being used as a placeholder for the Seamus' backstory flashback sequence mentioned in a previous bulletin. I've determined in the interests of efficiency that we'll manipulate pre-existing assets instead of making whole new illustrations, and this has enabled me to make it as dynamic as the rest of the game is!
Those illustrations would be beautiful as well, but I'm quite happy with this result at the moment:
A screenshot from the Seamus' backstory sequence using sprites and camera magic to portray the flashbacks.
Story 📝
Hugo's Best End and Seamus' Good End are now drafted, which means the game is fully written! (Fully written, yes, but fully finessed, not yet.)
With adjustments to these drafts and additions to Hugo Chapter 11 left to go, this has brought our word count to just over 112,000 words.
The current word count for Of Sense and Soul: 112,831 words.
We are also starting to ideate for the backer bonus scenes and short story reward content as writing for the game comes to a close.
Voice Acting & Audio 🎙️
We've now held the last of our planned voice direction sessions and have retakes and miscellaneous independent recordings left to go. That means a vast majority of the voiced scene contents are now taken care of! (I can't quite believe it either.)
Haru has also now sent over some new engineered lines, which are being implemented in the game as I type.
What's Next?
As you might imagine, I'll be buckling down on CG Art and Scripting after a holiday break! There is a lot of game content to cover and make playable, so while this month was a stretch for more beta access content, there will certainly be more coming in January.
Have a great rest of the year, and we'll see you in 2025! 🥳
