Danimalso

Using Tumblr for the first time to post my fanart for your awesome game ,

If you're reading this it means that you stumbled upon Officer of the Fleet somehow and are interested in its development. Awesome! Thanks for being here.

I'll admit I'm not much of a blog guy, (so expect me to be a little technologically illiterate when it comes to this Tumblr thing) but I think it's important to have a place where I can talk about the development process of my game, answer questions, and perhaps even post supplemental materials in a place everyone can see, not just on the Choice of Games forum.

So what can you expect here? Uh, mistakes probably, but beyond that you can look forward to monthly updates on my writing progress on the first of each month, answers to your questions, and, as previously mentioned, maybe additional material if I'm ambitious or inspired to expand the universe with information or world building that doesn't fit directly into the game's narrative.

Regardless of what the future holds, I'm happy you're here, I'm happy you enjoy my work enough to stop by, and I'm happy to provide you as much Officer of the Fleet goodness as I can!

Some useful links:

The game: Officer of the Fleet

Patreon | Itch.io | Steam | Discord | Character Descriptions

In the distant but still recognizable future humanity has overcome our differences. We are finally a united people. No longer divided by our nationalities, our religions, or our race, we call ourselves human. But we weren’t alone. The Discovery War was unprovoked and bloody.  It took years of strategic diplomacy before humanity was allowed to join the Interstellar Concordat, and though there is an uneasy peace, not all our new allies seem to have our best interests at heart…

The game features an intriguing narrative filled with mystery, action, and romance told from two perspectives. From one perspective, the player is an observer that guides the other characters and their choices. From the second perspective, the player takes control of their own character; a powerful Mah'Abeu shrouded in secrecy.

Who will you be? A  confident flirt with an optimistic outlook on life? A timid loner with a flair for diplomacy? A bisexual envoy who never lies and likes to be in control? Or a shy yet loyal individual who always has a snarky comment at the ready?

I have play-tested, provided feedback, edited code, and played many, many games. And I’ve got news for you about a game you might be missing out on: Infinite Stars!!

If you like interactive fiction, you should play Infinite Stars.

If you like romance, play Infinite Stars. If you like angst, play Infinite Stars. If you like adult content, play Infinite Stars. If you like games like Slay the Princess, Dispatch, Telltale games, Hosted Games, or choice-based story games in general, then genuinely I think you should give Infinite Stars a try.

Infinite Stars is a sci-fi interactive fiction/visual novel set in a future where humanity has finally united, only to discover we are not alone in the universe. After the bloody Discovery War, humanity joins the Interstellar Concordat, but the peace is uneasy, and not every alien ally seems to have our best interests at heart.

In the game, you experience the story from two perspectives. Sometimes you act as an observer, guiding characters and influencing their choices. Other times, you control your own character: a powerful Mah’Abeu shrouded in mystery. You can customize who your character is, shape their personality, and decide how they interact with the cast.

One of the biggest strengths of Infinite Stars is its beginning arc. It honestly has one of the strongest opening arcs I have seen in an interactive fiction game. Even as a demo, it left me very satisfied, and continuing to play afterward was still a fun experience. Being able to customize my character, build relationships, interact with the cast, and slowly uncover the story made the game really engaging.

The game has mystery, action, romance, angst, character drama, and a lot of space-opera tension. The artwork is improving, and even more features seem to be in the works, including potential gifting mechanics, outfits, and dating-sim elements.

For me, this game hits because I love stories where identity, choice, romance, loyalty, mystery, and emotional intensity all matter. I like being able to shape my character, connect with a cast, and feel like my choices actually reflect who I am. Infinite Stars gives me that mix of drama, customization, sci-fi worldbuilding, and relationship-focused storytelling that makes interactive fiction so addictive. I also love seeing how the game is progressing seeing how much more exciting content there is, especially with the planets we will visit.

Since I’ve been getting a lot of emails lately and there seems to be a bit of confusion, I thought I’d make a small post here too:

I made the game public again. 🫣

Mostly because I finally felt brave enough to share it again. And honestly, my partner also encouraged me a lot when it came to putting it back out there.

To clarify one thing though: I’m not really “back” on Tumblr itself. I just don’t think the platform is really the right one for me... Or maybe I’m not right for the platform? Either way, that’s okay haha.

I’m still active on Discord, through email, and occasionally on Patreon where I share updates, announcements, progress, and so on. (Everything remains completely free, as always.)

And for anyone wondering: I never stopped writing.

This story has been with me for years now and, gods willing, I honestly don’t think I’ll ever stop working on it, no matter how long it takes me to finish.

I’m also planning to add a proper update log directly into the game itself soon, so even the silent lurkers among you can more easily keep track of where things currently stand without having to hunt through posts and announcements.

Since I’ve been getting a lot of emails lately and there seems to be a bit of confusion, I thought I’d make a small post here too:

I made the game public again. 🫣

Mostly because I finally felt brave enough to share it again. And honestly, my partner also encouraged me a lot when it came to putting it back out there.

To clarify one thing though: I’m not really “back” on Tumblr itself. I just don’t think the platform is really the right one for me... Or maybe I’m not right for the platform? Either way, that’s okay haha.

I’m still active on Discord, through email, and occasionally on Patreon where I share updates, announcements, progress, and so on. (Everything remains completely free, as always.)

And for anyone wondering: I never stopped writing.

This story has been with me for years now and, gods willing, I honestly don’t think I’ll ever stop working on it, no matter how long it takes me to finish.

I’m also planning to add a proper update log directly into the game itself soon, so even the silent lurkers among you can more easily keep track of where things currently stand without having to hunt through posts and announcements.

Honestly… that’s where I’m at.

Creating this project has been an incredible experience - joyful, exhausting, transformative. But also, truthfully, a difficult one. I know this might come as a bit of a surprise. Yet I learned something personal today; something that made me question my priorities and my well-being, and realize that maybe I’m simply not made to share parts of myself so openly.

I also want to address something that’s been discussed in a few places online. The use of AI - I know it’s something many people find unacceptable, even deeply upsetting. And that’s valid. Most of the comments about it have been respectful, but ... some were not. And I’d be lying if I said it didn’t get to me.

And the truth is… I don’t have much energy I have left to keep this project alive while facing that kind of backlash. I can take criticism, but I’m not built for big arguments. But please don’t misunderstand me - I’ve also seen every kind message, every bit of encouragement, every person who felt something through this story.

And I want to thank a few people in particular. One playtester - who stood by me from the very first test of Chapter 4, and who has already taken a look at parts of Chapter 5. You know who you are. And another person, who offered to help with fanart - you also know who you are. I won’t name names, because I don’t know if you’d want that, but… thank you. Truly.

At the end of the day, this was always a hobby. Yes, I made a Patreon page. Maybe because I wanted to feel like I belonged to a space I’ve loved for so long. I’ve adored Choice of Games titles for decades. I’m not the youngest anymore, and I’m not a native speaker.

I write everything myself. The only thing I’ve ever used AI for is translation, coding, and a bit of help with phrasing things idiomatically. That’s the truth, and I’ve never hidden it. Maybe some of those translations carried patterns people found too “AI-like,” and I understand why that upset them. It’s fair. But please know this story - all of it - came from me. From my own thoughts, my own heart. Every idea, every scene, every character.

I think the hardest part is admitting that I’m just… not built for this kind of exposure. I’m a people pleaser. I try to see the good in everything (or maybe just want others to see the good in me) and to make everyone happy. But I can see now that, even without meaning to, I angered people. I stepped on toes. Some felt personally offended by how this project came to be, or by the tools I chose to use. And I'm sorry about that. And so I’m pulling the plug.

I’ll delete my Patreon in a few days. I’ve already refunded everyone who subscribed in the last few days (just as I’ve always offered to previous subscribers as well). And I want to be clear - I never wanted to make a real profit from this. Not then, not now, not ever. I have a full-time job, a full life outside of this. I only wanted to create something people could talk about with me while we waited for the next big stories to come out.

So I’ll upload everything I have right now. Chapter 4 is finished. Chapter 5 is almost there - some routes are still missing, and I’m sorry to those who were looking forward to them. The demo will be set to private. You can find the link to the (private) game at the very bottom, in case anyone still wants to read it and see where the story was heading, even if it’s unfinished for now. But I don’t want to draw in new people or promote it any further. This is just for those who already cared enough to get invested.

I hope you’ll still be able to see, through Chapter 4 and most of Chapter 5, where I wanted the story to go and maybe, despite everything, that you can still enjoy it for what it is. I think I’ll keep writing privately, for myself for now, and perhaps one day share it again with those who wish to see where it leads.

I know this probably feels strange - especially after I just announced the update yesterday. But that’s life, isn’t it? Messy. Human. Sometimes you think you can handle the storm until you realize it’s been wearing you down grain by grain.

It’s nerve-racking for someone like me. I honestly thought I could take it. But it turns out I was wrong and that’s on me. I know I’ve disappointed people now, which feels even worse...

And please know, I never once claimed to be an author, or the next great writer, or anything close to that. I never tried to make a living out of this. I only ever wanted to create something I could share.

I want to express my deepest respect to every writer or artist or creator who puts their work out there and faces public judgment. It’s brave beyond words. It’s terrifying, draining, and it makes you vulnerable in ways most people will never see.

I’ve neglected parts of my real life for this project. Pieces of my world outside the screen. And maybe I’m just not very good at keeping “real life” and “online life” apart, no matter how much I’d like to believe otherwise.

So yes, this message probably feels unexpected. But if you’ve read this far - thank you.

Thank you to everyone who supported me. Thank you to everyone who cared enough to read. I hope you don’t feel betrayed. I hope I was honest enough with you.

When you share something with the world, there will always be people who dislike it and others who love it. But I’ve learned that I simply don’t have the tools to cope with the former.

I didn’t know that about myself until now.

So once more - thank you. To this community, to everyone who took part in this journey. Over the next few days, I’ll quietly disappear. At the end of the day, no matter what I decide, I’ll never be able to please everyone - so this time, I have to choose to please myself. God, reading this back it sounds like a self-pity party sprinkled with justifications... But that’s not what I mean. Please don’t take it that way. I’m leaving with something I’ve learned about myself. And I’ve felt wonderful emotions through all of this. I’ve had conversations I’ll remember, spoken with people who cared, and shared pieces of a story that meant something to me. And that, in its own way, is exactly what I’d hoped for.

Oh, interesting - no, I actually haven’t thought about that before! I don’t know all that much about Discord, to be honest.

But feel free to let me know in the poll below if you’d be interested! And I’d be extra grateful if you could also leave a quick comment about what you’d enjoy most on a server like that (if you vote yes, of course). That would really help me get a better idea of what it could look like. 💛