Youāve tried it allāapps, setups, chance encountersābut nothingās stuck. So whatās one more bad idea? In a moment of desperation (or brilliance), you say yes to reality TV.
Welcome to Warm Me Up, Snap Studioās very first dating experiment.
You were expecting sunshine and swimsuits. Instead? Youāre stranded in a luxury chalet with eleven strangers and one rule: pair up or freeze out. Fail to make a connection, and youāre headed straight to the Cold Zone.
Warm Me Up is an interactive fiction rated 18+ for explicit language, explicit sexual themes, alcohol use, and moral ambiguity.
Customize your MC. From appearance, personality, to motivations. Your character is yours to make.
Rich relationship dynamics. With eleven other contestants and the cameras always rolling, things are bound to get messy. It's up to you whether you want to keep it platonic, find your person, or hook up in the pantry. Nobody's judging...except the audience.
Multiple endings. Your time in the mountains can leave quite an impression. How will your story end?
Polished, poised, and unapologetically high-maintenance, Anjali doesnāt suffer fools or wrinkles. Her sharp tongue and cold exterior might scare some off, but if you make her crack, she just might surprise you. [BIO]
Outwardly, Dmitry comes off as too perfect. But heās more than just good manners and a strong jawline. Quietly protective and endlessly thoughtful, heāll always strive to put you first. [BIO]
Jong-woo Kim | He/Him, 23, Fitness Influencer
Bubbly, bright, and built like a Greek statue, Jong-woo brings the sunshine wherever he goes. Heās a little awkward, endlessly enthusiastic, and surprisingly wise for someone who still calls his mom every day. Whether heās working out or working the room, you canāt help but smile when heās around. [BIO]
Kailee Blake | She/Her, 26, Interior Designer
Kailee's all smiles and sweet touches, but it's clear she knows how to play the game. While her affection might feel genuine at times, her true motives stay tucked behind that charming facade. If youāre not careful, youāll think sheās on your side right up until she twists the knife with a smile. [BIO]
Kalea Mahelona | She/Her, 22, Student
Kalea is candy personified: sweet, soft, and easy to break if youāre not careful. Sheās clumsy, shy, and easily flustered, but once she warms up to you, sheās all in. [BIO]
Grounded and honest, Linden is the breath of fresh air you didnāt know you needed. A little quiet and unreadable, they offer comfort by simply being. With their steady presence and emotional maturity, they make it easy to be exactly who you are. [BIO]
Luca/Lucia Gigliotti | He/Him OR She/Her, 28, Luxury Art Curator
Cunning, cultured, seductive: Lu thrives on tension and desire. With them, loveāif it exists at allāis a just game. Whether you join in is your choice. Either way, youāre in for one hell of a ride. [BIO]
Makai Jones | He/Him, 27, High School History Teacher
Aloof, unreadable, and hard to impress, Makai keeps his guard sky-high. Heās cautious and most people donāt get past the walls heās built. But if you do manage to earn his trust, youāll find someone loyal, grounded, and quietly ride-or-die in a way that never asks for recognition. [BIO]
Marcel Toussaint | They/He, 29, Mixologist
Flamboyant, passionate, and just a touch unhinged, Marcel refuses to be ignored. They flirt for sport and love watching people fall for them, whether or not they plan to catch them. But sometimes, even a wildcard wants something realā¦it just might take a while. A very long while. [BIO]
Misty Delgado | She/Her, 26, Park Ranger
Misty is the epitome of cool and always in control. She takes life one day at a time and is definitely not one to rise to the drama. Sometimes, sheās so laid-back it makes you wonder if sheās here to make a real connectionā¦or just enjoy the view. [BIO]
Santiago/Santina Reyes | He/Him OR She/Her, 28, Tattoo Artist/Small Business Owner
Smooth, unflappable, and devastatingly charismatic, Santi is hard to resist. Theyāve got a magnetic presence and always seem to know the perfect moment to tease, to comfort, or to challenge you. And their heart? Itās big. So big, you start to wonder if there might be room in there for you, too. [BIO]
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.
ā Live Streamingā Interactive Chatā Private Showsā HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
Happy end of May! I canāt believe spring is nearly over 𫨠Time flies when youāre making an IF. Iād love to release Chapter 2 this summer. Truly, itās all I want in life right now š The good news is that summer tends to be a little quieter at work, which means I can sometimes get away with writing when no oneās looking š
Speaking of writing, Iāve been doing a lot of it lately!
Let me tell you about it!
HIGHS: I really started digging into the Lodge route this month, which has been a blast! Itās actually kind of funny how different the Cold Zone and Lodge routes feel. When I was writing the CZ route, everything felt slower, more contained, and more introspective. Which, I suppose, is the whole point. Youāre literally isolated with nothing but your thoughts lol
The Lodge route is much livelier. No oneās miserable yet, everyone has an actual bed to sleep in, and there are more people around to stir the pot. Though honestly, a lot of that might come down to introducing Misty and Marcel. Theyāre fun! The first four ROs you meet all exist somewhere in the same general plane of reserved and/or shy, with Kailee as the main exception. Then you add these two little firecrackers, and suddenly itās a whole new ball game.
I love how the group dynamics change depending on whoās around. It gives you a chance to see different sides of the ROs, and it makes me really excited for future chapters when everyone is present and accounted for.
LOWS: Adding to the group is fun, for sure, but...THERE ARE SO MANY BRANCHES HOLY SHIT! Lol I'm not kidding! In the Lodge route, there are four main branches, and within three of those, there are nine variations. On top of that, there are also smaller scenario-specific details that only apply in certain situations, and all of those need to be accounted for too.
I keep trying to think of ways to stop it from exploding into all these wild variations, but cutting too much would also dull the story. You wouldnāt get to experience those shifting group dynamics, and thatās kind of the fun of this chapter. Itās definitely a lot to handle, but honestly? It might just be this chapter because of the whole advantage situation. Weāll see if it gets this chaotic again with what I have planned in the future. (It probably will! I donāt think Iāll be able to resist š)
Something else Iāve been struggling with this month is MC personality. I donāt want to overwhelm people with a million choices every time thereās a personality bump. But I also donāt want to force myself to come up with options for every single stat if they donāt naturally fit the context of the scene.
Sometimes choices give multiple bumps across multiple stats. Sometimes they only bump one. But I do worry that Iām leaning on certain stats too often and neglecting others. I dunno--I imagine most of you would prefer more variety in the choice sets, so itās definitely something Iām thinking about as I keep writing.
And that's about it for this month. It was pretty productive, and I'm hoping June will be even more so. Until next time lovelies!
BYYYYYYEEEEE~
Current Word Count: 190K (approx. +66K words for ch.2)
Wait! Before you leave, I have a question!
When you're reading a choice set, which do you prefer?
Action + dialogue (e.g. You frown. "That's not what I meant.")
Hello, hello! Welcome to the April 2026 WMU progress update! Much like March, this month practically didnāt exist. Itās all a bit of a blur lol I donāt have much to say this time around, so Iāll focus on what you came here for: the update!!
HIGHS: Guess who finished the Cold Zone route? It was me. I did.
Well, mostly. There are still spots I need to edit and a few things Iām considering adding in, but itās essentially wrapped!
I think my favorite thing about this chapter so far is that this is the first real opportunity for MCās conflict type to shine depending on your choices! Not to mention the amount of layers. Thereās the whole Makai mess, the revamped advantages, and now Marcel and Misty are disrupting the balance š«£
I was playtesting Makaiās route earlier today and there are quite a few ways that can go š Getting through this route was rough at first, and then it all started coming together, and now I love it. I hope you all will too!!
Now I can properly move onto the lodge routes. Iāll probably start with Dmitry first. I already drafted your first night sharing a bed and itāsā¦ya know?
And! In addition to having Misty and Marcel in the mix, you'll meet two more characters this chapter as well, one of whom has one of my favorite routes šāāļø Can you guess who??? š
I also added more visual signals to the choices. Originally, I was planning to keep MCās malice/helpful/messy choices hidden and have the consequences emerge later. But then I thought it might be jarring if you havenāt been paying attention and your MC suddenly says they donāt care about someone or refuses to apologize for a very intentional choice.
SO while you wonāt be able to see the totals, youāll be able to see which choices will earn you those points š
LOWS: Writing the Cold Zone route was a slog. Iām not even going to pretend it wasnāt.
I think a lot of it came down to stress in my real life and not feeling motivated or inspired to write the way I usually do by the time I get home. But also, this chapter, as I mentioned, has a lot of opportunities for conflict. The struggle this time was trying to address that when, like, half the cast is extremely conflict avoidant lol
It was a good opportunity to define the charactersā voices without having them fly off the handle, but man, it wasnāt easy getting there š
I think my biggest problem for this chapter has been deciding when to let MCās locked-in choices come through versus letting YOU make choices in the moment. So far, Iāve been leaning into those application choices. And when I read it back, Iām pretty satisfied!
Still, the perfectionist in me thinks thereās more I can do, and thatās where things get tough. Because then Iāll hyper-fixate on a passage instead of making the progress I want to make.
I also think I'll need beta testers soonā¦
Anyways...
Last month I asked your opinions about chapter releases, and it seems like most of you prefer getting the full chapter when itās ready.
Okay, heard. Iām aiming to release it this summer. What? No? Who said that? š
BYYYYYYEEEEE~
Current Total Word Count: 125K (approx. +45K words for ch.2)
Where tf did the month go? Hello? March is supposed to be the longest month ever. Does time not exist anymore???
This month was sooooooooooo busy! Work has been kicking my ass (for context, I lead a team of two...and now I'm flying solo until Augustā¦soā¦double the workload. Yaaay...) Itās also conference season this time of year for my line of work which means stresssssssss until the end of May š Still, writing every day is non-negotiable for me, even if it's just a little. If I don't, the day feels wasted. Donāt worry, though! Iām taking care of myself and making sure not to push myself too hard š«”
Anyways, letās catch you up!
HIGHS: Iāve been thinking about relationship statuses for a while now. For transparency, there are 8 of them: lover, anchor, platonic, wary, warming, rival, stranger, and dismissed. As Iāve been writing this chapter, there are certainā¦things that can happen where if you were platonic it might be kind of jarring in context. So I introduced something that lets me officially account for previous statuses. I'd been tracking them locally before, but this makes it so much easier to call whenever I want! It also opens the door for more flavor. If things were purely friendly and suddenly there's flirting, now the ROs and MC can actually acknowledge that shift. I already tried it in one scene, and it's just the subtlest little phrasing but I love it and it makes me smile~
Aside from all that, I've got a lot of scenes drafted and have a full road map for chapter 2! I just need to finish writing it all...which brings me to...
LOWS: I wonāt lie; I havenāt gotten as far as I wouldāve liked to in this chapter š„² I was hoping to have the Cold Zone route completely done by now, but I still have quite a bit to write. I haven't even officially touched the other routes yet š Some days I write a ton; some days itās only a couple hundred of words. Life has been life-ing. I did find something that allows me to block certain apps and websites so I can just write without distractions for a few hours. I'm trying to use it more often, but I think my mind's too noisy lately so it's admittedly been hard to focus.
The other thing I've been wrestling with is deciding which variables should exist and which shouldn't. I worry about bloating (and my own sanity š« ) I want the game to be as customizable as possible, but I don't want to add variables just for the sake of having them. If I include a custom choice, it needs to mean something and get referenced enough to justify its existence (I'm looking at you multi-lingual choice set š)
So that's all for this month! I'm gonna keep trucking along, but I do have a release date in mind~ wish me luck š
BYYYYYYEEEEE~
Current Total Word Count: 115.35K (approx. +25K words for ch.2)
Actually wait! I have a question for you lovely people! When I read IFs, I find that I like when the full chapter is out (unless I'm absolutely hooked and can't wait š¤) Still, I'm curious what you all think.
No promises on a schedule or anything! This is purely for research š
When it comes to chapter releases, which do you prefer?
I'm peckish. Release the chapter in multiple parts!
I want it fully cooked. Release the full chapter when it's done!
My hunger cannot be sated. Release multiple chapters at once!
This past month has been a time for celebration š„³ Yall really showed up for the demo and I'm still sitting here like??? Thank you so much for all the love!! It genuinely means more than I can put into words. Knowing you had fun and that you want MORE? Itās motivating in the best way š
Alright, TO THE UPDATE.
HIGHS: Okay, so remember when I said I wasnāt going to do any major edits because I wanted to focus on finishing the storyā¦? I technically lieddddddd
Taking some constructive feedback + a few things that were personally bugging me, I went back into ch. 1 and made some updates. I just kept re-reading it thinking, āwhatās missing?ā and eventually accepted that I needed to do this.
SO! First, I addressed the situation where MC is friends with certain ROs and promised to pick who their friend wanted. Based on feedback and after re-reading it again, it felt weird not to acknowledge it. So now, MC can mention it, and the friend should react accordingly.
Second, there are obviously MCs who havenāt built romantic connections, which makes the Cold Zone pretty much inevitable. I actually already have mechanics that can support that route...it's even briefly mentioned right before the ceremony if your MC hits that threshold! I just kind of forgot it existed in my excitement to publish the demo š Anyways, there will be some extra text in place post-ceremony to make that path feel more intentional.
And lastly, because I am who I amā¦I CRAVED MORE DRAMAAAA
So I reworked the advantages; the upgraded versions are much spicier imo š But youāll have to wait to see exactly what I mean though~
I have a few other small tweaks I want to make in ch. 1, so these updates won't go live just yet; my top priority is still ch. 2!
LOWS: Expectation is both my biggest motivator and my worst enemy.
Iāve got my own standards for the quality of my work, and then there are the expectations I think everyone else has. You all have been so kind and excited and enthusiastic; I want to give you the same level of fun you had playing ch. 1. and Iād hate to let you all down, let alone myself š
There have been moments where I write thousands of words, reread it, and immediately think, āAh this is shit, I hate this. They, too, will hate thisā And then I scrap it, then rewrite it. And then I still wonder if itās good enough!
I want to build his arc carefully, and that means I canāt reveal everything too soon. At this point in the story, everyoneās only known each other for a day. So what level of emotional intimacy makes sense? How deep is too deep? Is it believable for him to say this? Does that line push things too far too fast? If he holds back, will it feel unsatisfying? How do I create something that feels meaningful without rushing him? How do I leave players curious, and even better, wanting to stick around with him? Thatās the puzzle Iām currently sitting with.
*sigh* I just need to lock tf in
With thatā¦MAKAI GET YOUR BITCH ASS OVER HERE! We are finishing this SCENE š¤
Catch you guys in the next update!
BYYYYYYEEEEE~
Current Total Word Count: 109.9K (approx. +18K words for ch.2)
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.
ā Live Streamingā Interactive Chatā Private Showsā HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
I wanted to properly introduce myself and share some WMU progress with you before demo day!
So, you can call me Echo. Itās been my name ever since I started writing my first LITG fan fiction. Iām an adult person with a full-time job in communications, I love video games, traveling, and Iāve been working on WMU for almost ten months now. This is a passion project built from love and a desire to make something messy and fun. Iām so hyped (and a little nervous) to be sharing it with you all. There are already so many of you here before release, and I canāt say enough how grateful I am for your interest and support. Thank you!!
Now onto the update!
Highs first: When I started WMU, I had zero twine/sugarcube experience and only basic CSS/JS knowledge. There was a lot of fumbling and swearing and tearsā¦Iām definitely still learning, but I finally feel like Iāve got a decent grasp on things. A huge portion of early development was just getting comfortable with the code, and writing, of course. That said, WMU is in a pretty good place! Iām so close to wrapping up the first chapter for the demo.
Today, I finished the first group game which felt like the first real test. At first, I thought Iād just track the points, easy-peasy. Then I remembered that Iām trying to avoid making new passages for every single choice, which meant I needed to adjust the code to account for the wrong answers, the right answer, and the default response if you get the question wrong so I can put them all in one place. I also had Kalea DOMINATE the game, with her swooping in to get the right answer whenever you fail, and realized the win threshold against her wouldāve been way too high. The whole thing had me spiraling into coding HELL! But itās done now, and I learned a lot for the next series of group games.
For writing, all thatās left for this first update are the results of the game, individual RO time, and the first Warm-Up Ceremony (pairing with your chosen RO)! Of course, I still have to edit, code, and playtest, but knowing that this is all thatās left until demo day is weirdly comforting.
Now for the lows: How many variables are too many variables? Does the limit exist? There are a lot of variables in this game (and counting!) I even built two separate trackers to make sure I donāt lose anything, and I still get overwhelmed sometimes. There are the big story-beat variables, and then there are tiny ones I sprinkle in just to make the experience feel personal. But balancing all that with MC personality options is tricky.
For example: Anjali is one of the ROs with an optional contentious/flirty dynamic determined by friend/flirt points. Right now, it reads bold so Iād either need to account for shy MCs or generalize it so it works across the board. Part of me wants to stick with the point system; another part thinks I should introduce a new variable specifically for those dynamics. I donāt knowā¦it makes my head hurt sometimes lol
Anywayyyy, thatās about all Iāve got. Thank you again for all the follows and love š If you're curious about anything, feel free to ask; I'm happy to answer!
Hi all! Happy New Year!! December feels like it flew by and so many things happened. Iāve had a lot of friends and family visiting over the past couple of weeks which definitely slowed my work progress on WMU, so I had to make up for it with a couple of all-nighters to catch up. My introverted sensibilities simply cannot handle my new hosting responsibilities! But now, my apartment is blissfully silent, and Iām determined to reach my publishing deadline. Alright, letās get into the update, shall we?
Highs: Youāll be pleased to know that the demo is essentially done! I've still got some editing and playtesting to do, though to make sure I didn't miss anything. I wanted to avoid putting an official release date in case I couldnāt honor it, but of course I have my own deadline in mind that Iāve been working toward. It happens to be the exact date that Warm Me Up starts filming. Iām still not telling you when that is though lol patience my friends! Just know that it is muuuuuch sooner than you think š I shared a test file with one of my friends who's an interactive fiction newbie and always gives it to me straight, and she really liked it! She gave me some great feedback too, so I was able to edit a couple of things based on that.
This past month, I was finally able to fix the mobile version! When I tell you it was driving me INSANE! The back button wasnāt showing up, then it was peeking out from behind the passage, unclickable and taunting me š then the setting buttons were overlapping and too small. It was a headache, but if I did everything correctly, you should be able to comfortably play on mobile (I hope) I also introduced a TON of new widgets thatāll help me update things easily as the story grows. They do increase the outcomes/branching by a lot, but ultimately, it'll give you more personalized story beats based on your stats and choices!
And the lows: You know, I mentioned last time that this is a variable-heavy game and that I have two trackers to stay organized. I think whatās most concerning is my own human error? My process is this: simultaneously write and code, and then, after Iāve finished a chapter, log all the variables, choices, and stat changes in my trackers and use the totals to determine/review stat thresholds. But I make mistakes! So when Iām trying to account for conditional statements and their thresholds, I find that at that point in the story, you might not see the flavor text because you havenāt hit those stat thresholds. Then I realize, oh wait, maybe you actually did, I just accidentally typed in a 1 instead of 2 or something in my tracker. Then I gotta go back and review it to make sure Iāve got it right. I either need to take my time and pay better attention or stop working into the wee hours of the morningā¦or both. Both is good lol
And thatās it! As always, if youāve got questions, Iām happy to answer š