《 Important Announcement!! 》
There will not be a new update for the main game today (the 20th). Instead, we’d like to take this opportunity to address the current state of the game and its development.
First, we want to acknowledge the recent changes you've likely noticed both on the blog and behind the scenes. The creator of Bonely Hearts Club (OwlBones/Rayne) has officially stepped down from the project and will no longer be involved in the game's development. We have a new lead developer that has been working with us for the past few months and has been actively pushing development forward behind the scenes. Any changes to the game are being made with OwlBones’ permission and in agreement with the development team. If the direction of the project no longer aligns with your expectations, we understand if you choose to step away.
We also want to address the many questions regarding the main game's development and why it hasn’t been released yet. As mentioned briefly in a previous post, our former lead coder experienced a catastrophic hardware failure where both their computer and hard drive were lost—resulting in the loss of all original game files. Because of this, we made the internal decision to move forward using multiple coders and to switch to Ren'Py for all future development, as it offers greater accessibility for our team.
Over time, we’ve had several team members leave the project due to personal matters, disappearing without contact, or other issues we won’t disclose to protect their privacy. Despite these setbacks, we’ve onboarded new team members over the past few months, and we’re committed to getting development back on track.
Given all of this, we cannot guarantee a release date at this time. However, with the demo re-release now live and monthly updates in place, we view this as a step forward toward steady progress and a more stable future for the project.
Most of the boys’ scripts are complete, but due to departing members who requested their work not be used, some assets and scripts are currently being rewritten or redrawn. This has caused additional delays, but we're actively working through it.
The game is currently about 58% complete, as we have the majority of our art assets, UI, and other essential files ready. With the demo re-release now live and one of the main scripts actively being coded, we hope this gives you a clearer picture of where development stands and answers some of your questions and concerns.
We’re still working to streamline the development process following the transition to our new lead developer. They have has been dedicated to equipping the team with better tools and support systems both for internal workflow and for maintaining your trust as our audience.
We genuinely want to see this game through to completion, and your continued support means the world to us. Thank you for sticking with us through all the ups and downs.
Keep on loving,
— The Bonely Hearts Club Team
