Hello, lovelies!
Last week was the first time the newsletter went out to over 100 subscribers! Iām blown away by how quickly this little side-project has grown. As a thank you to my early subscribers, Iāve sent them an e-mail to show my appreciation. And all the replies Iāve gotten back have been extremely lovely! Yāall are the best!! š
Speaking of lovely subscribers, have you considered signing up for this newsletter if you havenāt already done so? Subscribers receive the latest and greatest in adult news every Sunday morning. š
Now letās get into it!
Manage your waifus in Subverse š
NicheGamer reports that adult sci-fi RPG Subverse launched into Early Access with a big splash this weekend, immediately rocketing to the top of the Steam sales chart. Studio FOW originally funded production via Kickstarter, raising over $2 million USD and smashing every stretch goal on their campaign.
Subverse is an erotic RPG where you gather crew members as you attempt to save the galaxy with your spaceship. (Hmm⦠sounds familiar somehowā¦) It features both turn-based combat and twin-stick shooting. Each crew member has unique abilities that can be deployed in battle.
What makes the game stand out is its high production value. Powered by the latest Unreal Engine 4, it features beautifully rendered babes and cinematic quality cutscenes.
Iāve played the game over the weekend (I was one of the Kickstarter backers) and I can confirm that it is a very entertaining romp that wears its inspiration on its sleeve. š
Subverse is out now on Steam Early Access.
What happened to dating sims? š©
Tom James has written an epic article diving into the history of Japanese dating sims. And the way he tells it, it all came crashing to a halt in 2009:
However, for the Japanese dating sim, things were different. In 2009 [ā¦] it was in its last throes on those platforms. And it knew it. Dating sims themselves have continued to be released in fits and starts in the decade and change thatās followed. But for all intents and purposes, that year was the last one that traditional releases [ā¦] remained a going concern, ones with a place at the greater table of Japanese games.
He then goes on to explain the lineage that can be traced from Tokemeki Memorial to Amagami:
If Tokimeki Memorial 4 is characterized by a certain sense of resignation, Amagami faces the impending death of the dating sim with one of completion and thoroughness. With roots dating back to the True Love Story series on the original PlayStation, itself almost as old as Tokimeki Memorial and among the few competitors to Konamiās monolith to also survive the genreās entire lifespan, Amagami is the ultimate realization of a gameplay formula honed over the course of 12 years and six games.
And finally to Love Plus:
Then thereās Love Plus. Of the three major dating sims released in 2009, Love Plus is likely the one thatās most difficult to parse from the outside, devoid of its native context at the time of its release. Overseas, itās a game most remembered for the ludicrous-sounding headlines its most diehard Japanese fans inspired among incredulous members of the foreign video game press. Most infamously, blogs and forums were aghast at one fan who was said to have married his DS girlfriend in a ceremony held in Guam.
Iām very interested in the history of dating sims myself. I think theyāre a fascinating genre that proves that games can support more verbs than run, jump, and shoot. Unfortunately, I donāt speak a lick of Japanese, which is why this rich history is still locked to me.
But Iāve always said that the best way to learn a language is to give yourself a goal. So why not feed two birds with one scone and learn how to read Japanese while playing visual novels?
Have you tried learning Japanese for this goal as well? Let me know how it went!
Relax and give your feet a rest with At Your Feet š
WinterWolves Games has launched a new project on Kickstarter that is almost guaranteed to break the bank. At Your Feet is a lesbian dating sim that has you playing as Emma, a twenty-year-old college student with a secret foot fetish.
And for a lover of feet, what could be better than a part-time job doing pedicures at a local spa? Emma has never been able to admit her kink to anyone, including her ex-girlfriend. But thatās about to change when three new women enter her lifeā¦
While Iām personally not interested in this type of content, I think ālesbian foot fetish dating simsā is definitely an underserved market segment! š
At Your Feet is up now on Kickstarter.
Adding the sexy with paper prototyping
Over on the blog, Iāve written an article about how I use paper prototyping to make my game sexier:
My sexy game had a pretty big problem. The most consistent feedback I received on the builds was that people were wondering where the sex would come in. It turned out that my sexy game about sexing it up in space⦠didnāt actually have any sexy gameplay. The sex was supposed to fit between the existing gameplay systems, but I hadnāt actually designed it yet.
Have you ever done paper prototyping on your games? Let me know how it went!
Writing Wrap-Up š
PCGamer looked at Memoirs of a Battle Brothel and liked what they saw:
I did not expect that my first day on the job helping run a cyberpunk brothel would be spent lifting a trade suspension. Maybe S&M actually stands for Shareholders & Markets and I have been misled about what goes on in certain clubs.
Operation Rainfall reviewed IxSHE Tell, an award-winning visual novel:
Itās time we finally review IxSHE Tell. HookSoftās 17th (!) project, an award-winner, is at long last available on Western markets. A story that prides itself on deep character development. A story that wastes no time on its theatrics and drops you right into the romancing.
Nutaku launched a new adults-only free-to-play game for Android this week:
"You take the role of instructor at the famous Magus Academy with smoking-hot sorceresses as your students," a rep explained. "Beat the naughty witches in exciting boss fights, train them to unveil their magical lovemaking abilities, and make them forever yours in this hentai-filled fantasy world."
J-List interviewed an adult voice actress about her work:
Letās say young women in need of money consider the option of doing adult work. [ā¦] It is also a form of entertainment as in creating movies, not just a customer service job.
LewdPixels interviewed the makers of Tame It!:
We made some steps from common games as in art style and mechanics so even in the narrative, all texts and interfaces in the game are in the form of emojis. This allows players to interpret the story by themselves [ā¦]
Moccasinās Mirror has an update on the GUI for their game Lust Colony:
On the left there is going to be the character select screen that you'll be unlocking after the join the crew, and in the center information that is available for everyone [ā¦] [Y]ou'll fill [the right side] with the character more personal information
Germanyās leading censorship advocate takes aim at OnlyFans:
āWe are registering that OnlyFans, for example, are increasingly attracting erotic providers and influencers, and we will take care of it,ā Schmid ominously warned the German public during an interview with the influential Welt am Sonntag newspaper.
Utah signed a controversial āporn filterā bill into law this week and the adult entertainment industry isnāt having any of it:
But behind the push that propelled Susan Pulsipher [ā¦] and her impractical demands for āporn filtersā lies another tale: that of the Mormon churchās obsession with both pornography and the āfilteringā of it for deeply religious reasons.
Scientists confirm that climate change is causing penis shrinkage:
As if forest fires and melting ice caps werenāt enough to keep you up at night, hereās a brand new nightmare: global warming is coming for your penis.
Cheeky chuckle š¤
Artist spotlight š”
Thanks for reading this far!
If you want to help me compile the newsletter, feel free to poke me on Twitter.
Until next time!
-Mr. Hands
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