In case you missed the news, Burn the Midnight Oil's Kickstarter was funded! 💖
We've raised $113,075 USD (or €96,596 EUR) and counting thanks to our backers. If you missed out on the campaign but really want to nab some merchandise or one of our other cool rewards like beta access, late pledges will remain open for the next few weeks!
Every extra penny made goes towards our stretch goals.
For the rest of this month, our socials might be a little quieter. We've already jumped straight back into working on the full game, but we're going to need a min to gather our bearings. Just know that we're working hard on our first demo update, which will add over 15k+ words and more art to the current demo!
🦇 Play the Kickstarter demo on Itch or Steam
💖 Join our Discord server (17+) and chat about BTMO with us!
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what if you guys had to adapt btmo into something other than a game, like an animated series for ex, how would the story then be handled? like the romance since there's three for each mc would they just end up solo??,,,, im curious about how writers think in other mediums :) obv btmo is meant to be a game!!
We’d have to do a spin off, same world but different characters and story. A prequel could also work.
There’s no canon route and the stories vary way too much for it to make sense in any other medium. ^^
reading these asks and damn... does dante care about anything 😭😭
A lot of our characters aren’t in the best mental state/situation, and some of them aren’t neccesarily good people, so many of them naturally may not care about things a normal person would haha. Dante’s kind of in survival mode when we first meet him in BTMO.
how would/does the cast react to someone having a "crush" on them? It would depend I guess but still a fun character question hehe
Assuming this is some other random individual, not their potential partner in game.
Abraxas: He’ll pretend he doesn’t know unless the person confesses. Then he’d politely turn them down.
Circe: It really depends. Maybe she'll have fun with them, maybe she'll use them, maybe she'll feel the same, or maybe she'll just ghost them.
Dante: He doesn't really care. Even if they confess, he's unlikely to change how he behaves. There could be rare exceptions, though…
Edgar: He probably won’t realise unless the person says something, in which case his reaction would depend entirely on whether he liked them back or not. If not, he’d awkwardly turn you down. If yes, you’re Circe, and you’ll get to see in-game lol
Iridis: Couldn't care less if he's not fond of that person. If he is… You'll see what happens to Dante in the game!
Nocturne: Depends on who you are and what she thinks of you. If she’s interested, she’d pursue you. If not, but she still sees some purpose in being close w you, she may use your feelings for favours. Otherwise, she'll just ignore the person unless they try to confess.
Raoul: Flattered but a bit awkward. Unless he's interested in them, he'd turn them down, and remain a bit awkward until he feels like the person has stopped liking him.
Zeno: He has no idea how to deal with someone who holds romantic affection for him. Decent chance he gets so flustered, he just avoids them. If he is interested, you'll see it in the game!
What does the mating process look like? What makes it different from regular human proposal and marriage that makes it so that they're permanently bound?
It's essentially a conscious decision that leads to an emotional lock!
It's not going to make a lot of sense from a human standpoint, but imagine as if you replying "Yes" to the question "Will you marry me" meant that your feelings of love for that person become permanently frozen. From that point on, you'll always love that person, you'll always put their needs before yours. It may change in nuances over time, but there's no undoing it.
That's why, even though hellhounds do take non-hellhound mates, taking a hellhound one is always the safest. After all, a mutual bonding will ensure you'll stay together forever, but other species? Their feelings can still change… Finding a mate is as much a blessing as it can be a curse.
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do creatures like Kemonomimis exist in this world? If they do how do you think they’d blend into the setting
I mean, there's werewolves. They have an in-between form, which they wear around other supernaturals and hide when they're out and about where humans may see them.
Generally, I'd say any other animal hybrids or Kemonomimis in BTMO universe are also able to hide their animal features either at will or through other means (e.g. potions, spells).
It's been a very hot start to the summer for many of us. Hope everyone's staying safe and cool! 😰
Development Update
Rouwan and Cherry finished several new sprites in June, while Chester continued working on the additional pose and outfit variations for the main cast. You can already find two of the new sprites, as well as many more art previews, over on Kickstarter if you're one of our backers.
Otherwise, please stay tuned for some new character previews throughout July. ;)
BTW!! Any thoughts on Raoul's off-duty fit? 👀
On the writing side, June was a decent month.
We wrapped up editing on chapter 1 of Edgar's route, which is one of the longest chapters in the entire game so far (over 20k). Emotionally and action-wise, it's a pretty heavy one. Thankfully, it's also got a few peaceful moments among the horror and drama.
Last but certainly not least, Toby turned over some ideas for the chapter screens! Below you can see the idea we decided to go for, though the design will be adjusted to fit each route.
Embrace the Unknown...
The lovely DEADline Studios invited us to participate in this event! Throughout July, we'll be teaming up with 10 other indie VN studios, encouraging YOU to Embrace the Unknown! ✨
As you wait for more Burn the Midnight Oil, why don't you give one of these visual novels a try? If you're a fan of fantasy and sci-fi, mystery, and/or hot monsters, we promise there will be something to your taste.
WATCH THE ANNOUNCEMENT VIDEO ON YOUTUBE
We're always excited for a chance to support and collab with other indie VNs. English visual novels are still quite niche, but they're nevertheless very dear to us 🫶
Thank you for reading our June update! See you at the end of July 🌞
Maybe words of affirmation (giving), but receiving is anybody's guess. Lazarus kind of likes one person for a century, and once he's decided on someone, they can do whatever they want and he'll still like them.
✨ Are you ready to test the limits of your heart? ✨
This summer, we are partnering with ten other incredible indie VN studios to encourage YOU to Embrace the Unknown.
Step into a curated collection of eleven unforgettable romances featuring monstrous and mysterious LIs, uncharted worlds, dark aesthetics, and more as you experience love that redefines devotion.
Steam links and summaries for each game under the cut!
(Alphabetical Order)
A Date With Death 2: REMNANTS by @twoandahalfstudioss
Congratulations, you’re dead!
A Date with Death 2: REMNANTS is the sequel to the hit chat simulator A Date with Death!
Play as newly created Grim Reaper 0213 in an Underworld hit by revolution. Spend two weeks getting to know your new teammates - 5012, your trainer, and 0204, your fellow trainee.
Create your own custom character, from appearance to pronouns, walk around your base and meet other Grim Reapers, and flirt your way to a number of good and bad endings.
Alaris by @crescencestudio
A global crisis that only continues to escalate. A dangerous run-in with a shadowy stranger. And a mysterious word that won’t stop gnawing at you.
How does everything tie together? And what role could you possibly play in all of this?
Enter a world of magic—of Fae and Dragon.
Andromeda Six by Wanderulust Games
Set in the distant future, you take on the role of a lost traveler. With no memory of your past, you wake up on the starship, Andromeda Six, surrounded by its crew of outcasts, each with their own vivid backstory, and one common goal.
You must try to recover the pieces of your past to uncover your true identity and purpose, while learning to survive the political turmoil overtaking the galaxy after its recent terrorist attacks.
On your journey you may end up discovering more than what you bargained for, but can you handle the truth of your past, or will it end up consuming you? Will you follow the destiny the stars have written for you, or forge a new path?
bloodlust.exe by @rosesrotofficial
You're the finest vampire hunter in Octania. That is, until you're bitten by a vampire while escaping the Vampire Overlord's hounds.
But you're not dying. No, you're turning — into a vampire, into everything you're not.
It's time for your revenge: join the weird vampire chatroom you were invited to and stake the vampire that bit you. Maybe this will grind your transformation to a halt.
... It's just your luck that they're hot.
Burn the Midnight Oil by @foxglovegames
It's the 80s. Supernaturals flock to the neon-soaked streets of North Haven, where they hide in plain sight amongst the ceaseless nightlife.
Playing as the flirtatious vampire detective Circe or the brash hellhound cop Dante, you must solve cases that threaten to unveil dangerous secrets from our protagonists' own pasts. Investigate murders and vampire conspiracies with Circe or hunt down the source of a deadly magic drug with Dante! Perhaps they might even find love, but beware— some of our love interests may be more monstrous than others.
OBSCURA by @rottenraccoons
There's a marketplace under the mountain where anything can be bought and sold. Visitors wear masks to become faceless strangers. It's home to the unscrupulous, the outcast, and the desperate.
You're one of the desperate.
Strangers with their own secrets and ambitions can show yo uways through the market. They'll guide you to your goal, but don't trust them to have your best interests at heart.
Ookami Okami by @ Mushroomallow Studio
You are Akine, a sharp-tongued former Okami (innkeeper) reborn as a bold Ookami (wolf yokai/spirit) with a dangerous talent for flirting–especially with the masked white tiger who saved you.
Enter Shimon, the stoic beauty who is utterly clueless when it comes to emotions. But perhaps, his silence is hiding something.
Your mission? Restore the inn, exorcise wayward spirits, and peel away the layers Shimon hides behind. But beware; his trust is fragile, and every choice you make could heal old wounds–or tear them open wider.
Are you ready to ring the bell and check in?
Save the Villainess by @bestlaidplansproductions
Congratulations! You are now in possession of one (1) neurodivergent romance novel villainess!
Unfortunately, neither you nor she remember the bad romance novel you are trapped in… or which character wants her dead.
Guide your amnesiac villainess through mysteries, menacing manors, and (wo)men who may be trying to murder her.
Meet with five suspiciously gorgeous characters and pursue romance, revenge, or revolution.
Can you find clues, fight off foes, calm angry furniture, and escape from eldritch horrors while solving the mystery of this world?
TELLURICENE by DEADline Studios
Welcome Researcher,
An emerging species is taking root—preternatural, highly intelligent, and swiftly spreading.
Classified as the Vivus glomerorum, these new lifeforms threaten to infiltrate our resilient nation. It’s up to our bravest and brightest minds—like you—to investigate and decide: friend or foe?
You have been selected to conduct scientific studies to piece together the truth behind the V. glomerorum. In the wake of a looming TELLURICENE, you will have an intensive ten days to decide whether this new era comes to fruition or is forever halted. Your great nation thanks you for volunteering in Project Sporesight. May we endure under your guiding hand.
Under Heaven or Hell by Moonlust Games
You wake up in Hell with no memory of how you got there, and no clear way out.
To return home, you will have to survive the brutal politics of this realm and forge alliances with two dangerous devils and an enigmatic angel, each with their own secrets, and temptations that may pull you closer.
Will you escape with your soul intact, or will your path become forever tied to those who linger within the flames?
Your choices will shape your fate, and perhaps, the fate of Hell itself.
When Stars Collide by @steamberrystudio
When Stars Collide is a science-fantasy adventure romance story.
In the game, the player joins the crew of The Ophelia, a deep space exploration vessel as they uncover a trove of technology from a nearly forgotten species. Unaware that, among the items they unearth is an inhabited stasis pod, the crew recovers the found items but inadvertently awakens the occupant of the pod in the process.
Upon awakening, Wil Nymera, a young interstellar wanderer, discovers they've been asleep for nearly 500 years. With nowhere else to go, Wil temporarily joins the crew after revealing they are Veleian, an ancient species known for their telepathy, advanced technology, and tendency to either guide younger races toward betterment - or else obliterate them.
As Wil attempts to settle in and restart their life after a 500 year nap they did not intend to take, the crew of The Ophelia find themselves caught in a struggle between ancient powers and newer factions eager to get their hands on Veleia's tech and a centuries old secret buried in the depths of Wil's mind.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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Will we get to learn more about lazzy and Circes past in her route? He’s my favorite and I’d love to get to learn more about his past and why he’s the way he is
You’ll definitely get to know more, though it depends on the route ^^
Lineart vs color with Dante
(Did what I could with the one image I could find of his hellhound form, the smoke out of his mouth is my assumption/theory that he breathes fire 😉)
i’m so sorry for sending so many asks at once. and they’re all about edgar. sorry. anywway! since he just listens to wwhatevver’s on the radio / literally Anything iirc from the old ask wwhat wwould he think of wwhite girl pop specifically
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