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[wuuthrer]

Here we are one week later
 
Dear murderers,

 How time flies! The euphoria of the beginning is gradually disappearing as are the impressive donations. Despite this, we have still managed to raise 38% of the funds this far, which is almost half and more than enough to start celebrating! So…
 



Let's taste some music,

Here is some music for your ears. A bonus EP available on bandcamp, a little preview of the game’s original soundtrack. Skillfully composed by Siddhartha Barnhoorn, with vocals by Lara Ausensi.  
 



In the real world,

More good news, from May 20th to the 22nd Don’t Kill Her will be presented at the Stunfest festival in Rennes (France) among an array of other awesome indie games. I’m really looking forward to seeing the reactions of the players when they meet Her for the first time.


Regarding what comes next, I’m really putting up a fight to gain more visibility - trying to generate more press coverage while coming up with new perks that won’t kill the crowdfunding budget. So loads of work on my plate, but quite a few surprises in store for you guys

[Jasmine]

Yo. That E.P. is f'ing beautiful. I love Sid's use of  Lara's stunning voice (actually reminds me of the childlike vocals used in Final Fantasy 13).

Really reminiscent of it.

I'm really glad the project has started taking off! I was a little worried with it being I.G.G. (I'm sorry but it is Kickstarter's less attractive sister), but it looks like you just might be in the clear!

I don't want to jinx anything, though, haha.

[wuuthrer]

Glad you like the soundtrack's preview!

To be honest, I'm a bit worried too about the indiegogo. I choosed the plateform because it allows the flexible funding. To me it was a more honest option, because whatever the outcome will be, I'll finish Don't Kill Her. But it seems like people consider the project less seriously because of that, and indiegogo.

But it's not over yet, and I still got plans to gain more visibility. So let's keep our fingers crossed and do our best. I mean, I had really great feedbacks and a lot of people are excited for the project. So, I truly believe it's worth it.

[Fenrir]

Erf I would have loved to go to Stunfest, seems more and more the place to be for french indies!

[wuuthrer]

It's the first time I go :]

But yeah, I've heard a lot of great things about it!

[wuuthrer]

Half of the allocated campaign time has already flown by,

I would like to share with you some of the amazing press coverage She has been getting since the campaign started. Huge thanks to all of the journalists who took the time to spread Her word. Whether it be their support, preliminary analysis of the mystery surrounding Her or their excitement for the game’s release, the encouraging feedback and their vote of confidence are very precious to me and welcomed. So here’s a little peek.



















New perks,

The physical counterparts have met a greater success than expected. Therefore I am adding an extra one for you, dear backers, as well as the opportunity to be able to participate directly in the game’s development. Take a look for yourself.

But the road is still long my friends,

Unfortunately the past few days haven’t been very bright, in terms of finances. The campaign is stalling and the funds are increasing at a snail’s pace. Therefore I find myself forced to go against Her will.


As you well know, since the beginning of this project, She has made it Her purpose to limit the amount of material and information I was allowed to divulge. According to Her, the aura of mystery surrounding the adventure should be maintained as long as possible. Furthermore She is willing to go to great lengths to keep the elements of surprise She has orchestrated secret.

Nevertheless I have decided to unveil a playable demo of the first minutes of the game. If everything goes according to plan it will be out in a couple of days.


Let us rejoice murderers, the best is yet to come. And a lot can happen in 15 days.

[wuuthrer]

She won’t be pleased


The times are grave but I bear exciting news. As announced a couple of days ago, I have decided to go against her will for the very first time.

Despite all of my efforts to get her to understand the importance of this demo, I’m afraid She might appear unexpectedly to stop you from playing. Not to worry, I trust you will find a way to learn more regardless.

So let’s get started! The demo’s waiting for you and it’s quite accommodating (see game options below).

Play on your browser (requires Flash Player)
=> try the demo on gamejolt <=

Download the game on the following links:
Official website dontkillher.com  : PC | MAC


Spread the love. Share the demo.

[wuuthrer]

Dear murderers,

Many of you have already laid your hands on the demo released a few days ago. Emails, tweets and comments: your feedback has been amazing. I am thrilled to see that the game has made quite a disturbing first impression. Everything is going according to plan, as She had obviously foreseen, considering the number of times players have blurted out “DAFUQ” during gaming sessions.



Let's plays

I was really pleasantly surprised with the spontaneous Let’s plays the demo received upon its release. A huge thanks to these guys as well as to all the youtubers that shared their experience!


Imgur
Why stop, when things are going so well? I’ve just shared stuff on Imgur including numerous screenshots and a brief summary of the game. Time to upvote my friends, it’s now or never! Let’s combine our efforts to increase visibility, so that more people have the opportunity to discover the demo.


Funding
Despite this good news and the humble infatuation for the game, the fundraising campaign is standing still. At this rate, the 100% goal seems unachievable. This said, dear murderers, the one thing She has taught me is that hope lives on. A lot can happen in ten days and who knows what’s in store for us?



Greenlight
But let’s not part on the tedious subject of money, I’d rather conclude this update with some exciting news.



THANKS TO YOU, DON'T KILL HER HAS BEEN GREENLIT!

So thank you for your impressive support, it was worth it. Thanks to your time and energy Don't Kill Her will be available on Steam upon release.

The game is not over yet, dear murderers!

[wuuthrer]

Building up a storm


Howdy dear murderers,

The indiegogo campaign has been seemingly quiet these past few days. As mentioned, I was lucky enough to be presenting Don't Kill Her at the Stunfest in France. I initially intended to continue working on the campaign, and keep you up to speed on all the juicy gossip but was unable to do so. Curious festival-goers and journalists took up all of my time, a unique opportunity to meet and exchange views with eager players. So nothing went according to plan... but it was for the best!




Stunfest 1st talent award

Ok so this was totally unexpected: Don't Kill Her won first prize in the most promising game category.
Honestly I was really surprised and moved by the reception of the game. Players asked loads of questions about Her and many are really looking forward to discover what She has in store for them.
The feedback and support were amazing and really encouraging. Long story short, my batteries are RECHARGED for the final countdown.

Financially speaking, things are a little less exciting. The goal is far from being met, nevertheless the gathered funds are quite impressive.
Besides, the last few hours of the campaign can still offer some surprises. Nothing can be taken for granted.
So my friends, the little time we have left is crucial. Roll up your sleeves dear murderers, I’ll be back with further news in a couple of hours.
 
The best is yet to come.

[wuuthrer]

The final countdown



Dear murderers,

The fateful time has come. From now on, every little bit counts, every share, ANY SUPPORT IS WELCOME or let’s be honest VITAL, for the campaign to reach its climax.

Our weapons of choice are multiple and none should be overlooked. A share on Facebook, a tweet, a publication on your favorite forum or sending out a private message: our joint actions will be key to the campaign success.
To combine and intensify our efforts, feel free to use this image pack to show your support on social media. Don’t hesitate to use these images as your profile or background pic and to inform people around you of this critical situation. Don't forget to share the link of the campaign as well!
 




While we're at it, here are the links for the twitter and Facebook publications we should focus our efforts on.
Facebook - Twitter 

I’m repeating myself, but since the beginning of the campaign, the support I’ve received has never ceased to amaze me. This is really priceless guys. Let’s seize the opportunity of these last few hours to come together one last time and literally break the Internet.

Together, let’s help this campaign live it’s last moments to their fullest. Regardless of the outcome, it will call for a major celebration so let’s get this party started!
 
ONCE AGAIN HUUUUUGE THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT

[wuuthrer]

Ok let’s face it, reaching the 100% goal in the remaining time would be nothing short of a miracle. But hey whatever! The amount gathered is quite impressive and it will make a HUGE difference. So allow me to borrow Her words, as they seem really relevant at this stage of the campaign: « Fortunately in our story, the outcome is of no importance  ».

I will never be able to THANK YOU guys enough for all you’ve done till now. I’ll be back once the campaign is over to celebrate in STYLE.


In the meantime, here's a bunch of let's play made so far. They're pretty cool :]

[wuuthrer]

Hi guys!

I haven't post anything there for a while. So, it's time to catch up.

I realised that all of this PR is very time consuming, so I've decided to be more straightforward and post here more succinct updates, throwing more pictures than text, since it takes me quite a lot of time to translate my thoughts in english.


Artkwork <3
It was my first time using this kind of format for Don't Kill Her. I must admit that I'm finally quite happy with this work as it remains true to the spirit of the game, both from an aesthetic point of view and its content. I wanted to portray as best as possible the essence of the charm this universe holds for me. The opportunity for me to keep a memory of this joyful little world... before it disappears as She has intended.




Showcasing the game
Earlier this month, I was lucky enough to be able to expose Don't Kill Her at a digital culture festival in Switzerland: "Numerik Games". The audience came from all over and it was a great occasion to meet a plethora of players, from various backgrounds. An opportunity for Her to plant the seed of new questions in those who were brave enough to let themselves be sucked up in Her world.






But what about the game?
It's coming along, slowly but surely. In fact, I've been spending a lot of time analyzing « Let's plays » and the feedback I received from the demo. I’m overall very pleased, as most players tend to converge where She intends to take them. However I felt the urge to discuss some discerning adjustments that needed to be made with Her approval. Far from me to rethink the game in its entirety, but let’s say I needed to adjust a few things in terms of its tone. Unfortunately, I can't tell you more, let's just say that She and I were not indifferent to your reactions.

Therefore, I began to collect three years of various notes, scribbles, and sketches, and sought to harmonize this mess. I had not expected the task to be this daunting. I decided to remove unnecessary or optional content, while synthesizing my intentions at best. In the process, many ideas have sprouted and others died. Overall, i am even happier with the idea of moving forward and creating new content. In fact, I greatly worked on the fluidity of the various encounters, their relevance; but also on different ways of telling the story that lies within the story.

In short, thanks to your input, I was able to rework the script and it’s going to turn out a hell of a lot better.

Concretely, I can show you a glimpse of the recent work I've done, which will in no way spoil your discovery of its application in the game.





That's all for today! I hope next time I'll post here I'll have more cool stuff to show you, like .gif from some characters I've been working on.

[wuuthrer]

Hello there!

I've been taking a little break from my narrative design work and comes out with a new design for one of the guy you'll meet during your journey.

[wuuthrer]

Do you guys like .gifs?



New idle animation for one of the "main" character. You may not meet him in the game if you don't explore enough, like a bunch of other ones.

[wuuthrer]

HOWDY DEAR MURDERERS <3


First, I would like to throw you some .gifs






Lately, I’ve been devoting a lot of energy to developping of Don't Kill Her and I must confess that I’m absolutely delighted with how the game unfolds. I've even managed to surprise myself with the turn of events!

I’ve been paying special attention to the supporting characters, who revolve around Her and the person you play. This means that everyone has their story, their very own role to play in the larger scheme of things. The main idea is to weave a kind of constellation of relationships that the player will be given the opportunity to explore in different ways.

I hate grand monologues and cut scenes that abruptly interrupt the rhythm of a game. So an important part of my work is to implement clues in a way that they reveal themselves spontaneously, rewarding the player’s curiosity. For instance noticing elements of the decor, discovering secret areas or analyzing the underlying message of a discussion or the psychology of the characters. What particularly pleases me is that all of these elements contribute in their own way to feeding the main plot by allowing the player to understand the heart of the story: Her identity. This may seem a little confusing for the time being, but I promise that in the game it will be more clear and natural.


It's always great to hear what you guys think about all of this, so don't mind telling me :]

[wuuthrer]

Hi there!

I'll be back with more content soon, but today, I just wanted you to meet this new character :]

[wuuthrer]

Greetings, dear murderers!


First things first, let’s begin with the most recent events. Don't Kill Her was presented at the Swiss video game festival Ludicious, located in Zürich. The numerous visitors were able to meet Her in a very pleasant setting. As usual, I left a couple of flipbooks out on the stand. And here’s something that surprises me every time: the gamers remove pages from the flipbook to take with them, therefore “killing” her in the process. Obviously, She’s cracking up as I write these lines.

Level design galore

Some time ago, I mentioned my new approach to working on the game’ script. Following the feedback I had received from people that had played the game, I felt the need to adjust the manner the game was designed around Her, and the other characters. So I wrote quite a lot, and also summarized and condensed my narrative intentions. Gradually, She and I managed to strengthen the game, to make it more tangible. So much so, that I decided to apply the same rigour to the level design.
 
Therefore, I decided to build my own tools in order to create the different areas  the game will be comprised of, more efficiently. However, She reminds me not to reveal more for the time being, at the risk of undermining Her plans. More specifically, let’s say that I attempted to write down a very very precise storyboard on many different levels.
 
Such an undertaking has many advantages. Firstly, I will finally be able to accurately assess the amount of work left before the release of the game. On the other hand, I had no choice but to imagine another process for the unfolding of the story and its secrets. Come to think of it, the latest one was literally inspired by one of the characters of the game! So here’s an enigmatic preview for you my dear friends.

 
Characters

In addition to all the writing and relentless work on the storyboard, I have evidently been designing new visuals.

 
On this matter, if you care for a sneak peak, please feel free to follow me on instagram or tumblr, where you can fin regular updates on my work (and also .gifs on top of that!)
 
I know I'm slow on the updates but it's because I don't want to show everything I'm creating. She doesn't want me to do so, to save the mystery, obviously. Anyway, I hope those little updates manage to share the excitement I got working on this game :]

[MereMonkey]

Loving the aesthetic of this! 

[wuuthrer]

Loving the aesthetic of this! 

Thanks! It takes a lot of time, but it's defnitely worth it, I guess :]

[tpelham42]

Looks and sounds great. The art style is really interesting.