#no thoughts just coding

Sooo… I know I have not posted on this blog for a while, and I also completely missed Papyrus Day on July 13 by @bonetrousledbones. 😭

Originally, I planned to release a small beta version of Pap App: Matched for a Reason for Papyrus Day, with Papyrus as the first available companion.

Unfortunately, after several re-runs and a lot of development work, I still was not satisfied with how the game was turning out.

So, naturally, I made the completely reasonable decision to rebuild the entire thing from scratch... again.

The original version was being developed in Ren’Py, but the more I worked on the app interface and the systems I wanted to include, the more I began running into limitations. Because of that, I decided to move the project to Unity and fully develop it there instead.

Do I currently know exactly how I am going to accomplish everything I have planned? No

Am I determined to figure it out anyway? Absolutely

Hopefully, the things I learned while developing the Ren’Py version can still be applied to Unity. If not, then I suppose I am going on another research spree like I did for the past several months. Welp.

Since I missed Papyrus Day and the beta was not ready, I thought it would be fair to finally share what I have been working on behind the scenes.

What is Pap App?

Pap App: Matched for a Reason is an Undertale-inspired visual novel presented through a mysterious compatibility app.

You will create your profile, complete a compatibility survey, receive your match percentages, and decide which of four very different tall skeletons you would like to contact.

The original concept focused only on Papyrus, but the new version will also include:

Papyrus

Stretch

Edge

Rus

Each of them will have their own conversations, relationship development, route, and ending.

What to Expect:

A phone and messaging-based interface

Private chats and meaningful conversations

Four distinct Papyrus-inspired companions

A compatibility survey that affects your available routes

Platonic and romantic endings

Replay and recalibration features

Unlockable moments and additional content

Hidden interactions for curious players

A larger secret route for those who explore everything

The game will focus heavily on intimacy through conversation: learning someone’s habits, noticing the little things they remember about you, staying awake longer than either of you intended, and slowly realizing that the person on the other side of the screen has become important to you.

I considered releasing another smaller beta first, but I think I would rather take my time and release the full game once it is genuinely ready (reconsidering but what you guys think?).

For now, I will begin documenting the development process here: writing, programming, interface planning, character work, failures, discoveries, and probably several moments where I question why I decided to learn Unity. 💀🫠

There are no finished visuals to share yet, but they are coming.