It feels surreal to say this, but after so many years, we're in the final phase of development!
This is a huge milestone for me—personally, creatively, and spiritually. It's been both the toughest and most rewarding project of my life...
What started as a half-baked RPG idea I dreamt up as a kid has... with a LOT of luck, patience, sacrifice, and years of hard work, grown into something I'm now proud to share with the world.
Looking back on the whole development, I can see all the ways in which Beloved Rapture aspired for that sense of wonderment, escapism, and genuine adventure I loved as a kid—inspired by so many of the classic JRPGs.
But it also evolved alongside my matured life experience.
It resulted in a dark fantasy story that has plenty of lightness, heart and whimsy too.
The game has grown in scope / length over the years also - even beyond my original expectations.
Soon enough, I'll be happy for everyone to experience it firsthand.
BETA TESTING
Our final rounds of beta testing have begun, as of last week!
If you're interested in helping with this, please, get in touch with us on Discord!
We still have a few more spots.
(Feel free to also join us on Discord to ask any questions about the game! Or just for general chat, too!)
RELEASE DATE
Our scheduled release date for Beloved Rapture is Monday, October 7, 2024!
As of this writing - only two short weeks away!
Myself and my collaborator, Cameron, are still working hard on this, even now - correcting any remaining bugs, testing the final dungeon, & finishing the ending cutscenes.
We're planning on polishing it until the absolute final moments.
We're scheduling this release in such a way where testing the game, and finishing the ending, will happen at nearly the same time! Giving players the chance to get started with it as soon as possible.
Expect more announcements, videos, and details on the game's systems, to be posted frequently in the coming days. As well as any evolving details on the release itself!
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NOVUS ORBIS
This is Graeme, from 2 Left Thumbs, chiming in to share an upcoming game that I think would appeal to this audience!
Novus Orbis is similarly inspired by classic turn-based RPGs, with a deckbuilding roguelike spin, borrowing from genre-defining games like Slay the Spire and The Binding of Isaac. There is an extensive demo available now. Please check that out, and give it a Wishlist!
Also similar to Beloved Rapture, this project has an upcoming Kickstarter, that could use your support. Please give that a follow so you don't miss the campaign!
RPG Direct & PixElated Festival
Beloved Rapture is thrilled to be featured in not just one, but TWO indie game festivals this week!
The PixElated Festival is a celebration of the very best pixel art games have to offer. From retro-style classics to contemporary indie gems - all in one place! A huge thanks goes out to Brave At Night Games for hosting this event, and for accepting Play Rough as a participant.
✨ discounts ✨ live streams ✨ art contest ✨ demos ✨ developer chats ✨ all centered around your favorite games
BEETLE NINJA
Got an itch for more pixel art indie RPGs? Why not try out the totally FREE Beetle Ninja?
Hi all. One new feature we added this week, that I thought I'd mention:
Level Up - Bonus Boosting
After any character levels, the game will now prompt you to allocate bonus points "BP" for a particular stat increase!
See an example below.
*These changes will take effect only in the final release-date version.
I was inspired the likes of Super Mario RPG and other titles — but our approach goes a step further by letting the player assign multiple boosts at once.
Each BP can boost one of the following:
HP or MP
Attack
Defense
Magic
Speed
Once you choose how to allocate, the UI displays how much it boosts!
The amount is based on the number of points allotted, but the exact number is It's not always 1:1 with BP!
We added this for three main reasons:
Customization: Characters have loose archetypal stats, but strategic play allows players to shape attributes based on their preferred style. Replayability: We aim for unique playthroughs each time. Leveling is no longer a strictly linear process. Combat Incentive: As players invest in a character's evolution, collecting BP becomes self-rewarding. Boosts are a supplemental bonus, requiring a commitment to see a substantial difference over time.
We're currently testing the game to ensure optimal balance. Enemy strength, EXP levels, and battle frequency may be adjusted. We're aiming for Beloved Rapture to still be challenging on its own terms, so this won't necessarily make the game "easier."
Release Window + Demo 3.0
Hey folks,
Aaron here - the creator Beloved Rapture. Just dropping in with some updates for your patient souls. Despite a bit of silence on written updates, the development flow is actually running pretty smooth...and I'd like to share some happy news. We've entered the home stretch, the final 20% of the story!
Myself and the team have been grinding away; drastically expanding the game's world, fleshing out side quests, coding mini-games, finalizing cutscenes - and of course, wrapping up the stories of our beloved characters. It's been a dramatic ride—filled with obstacles and challenges—but also, many creative victories to savor. I can safely say; this experience overall has definitely changed me as a person.
From our humble beginnings on Kickstarter and the RPGMaker forums, things have evolved quite exponentially. Especially in the last 15+ months, thanks to 2 Left Thumbs as our supportive publisher.
While the game still operates on a small budget, even by indie standards—I believe this project has come much closer to including a full-fledged RPG world, just begging to be explored. (Closer, at least, than I could have first imagined!) A world that is a character unto itself; that beckons the player to venture out and soak up the sensations all around them. A game that rewards exploration and curiosity, just as much as strategy and discretion. A kingdom that feels like a real place, not a contrived game level. All of this took countless hundreds, or thousands of hours.
And I have to give credit where it's most due: I would've never been able to accomplish any of this without the help of some new artists, or the addition of Giznads, our battle director and game general programmer.
Also, a general endless thanks to... Vagrant Pixels and Lijj for the beautiful portrait art. Fabian for his luminous tiles and pixel environments. Andreas for the nostalgic and lovingly crafted soundtrack. Andrew for his story consulting and mapping help. There are really too many to name in a single blog post, but it's been an honor to be able to work with every one of them.
Beloved Rapture has evolved beyond the simple character arcs I had first envisioned for this story—it’s grown into something a bit more ambitious, to say the least. Yet those central characters and themes are still the heart and soul of the game. They’re still the main thrust of the story, as I hope the players will come to appreciate.
With all that being said, after weighing the options, I've decided to pin the final release window into Q1 of 2024. After many years of investment...it felt like the best decision to go out with a bang! And I'd like the game to be as seamless & polished as it possibly can can be. Having at least a couple of months for beta-tests and revisions can surely help with that goal.
If you've hoped to experience the game *now*, we're still looking for more beta testers. Email me at BelovedRaptureGame@gmail.com, and tell me a bit about yourself and why you're interested. We're taking a dozen volunteers at least - to make sure no corner goes unturned.
Demo 3.0
In other news - as some of you may have noticed, Demo 3.0 for BR has landed on Steam as of October 2023. We updated the core build last month, so newcomers can play through Chapter I with our most recent coat of paint. Plus, returning players can witness some changes, adjustments and additions we've made. It's far closer to the "final build" that players can experience on launch day.
- Faster Swim Speed Options. - Battle adjustments, enemy difficulty shifts. - Adjustments to the Fishing System. - Extra puzzles, maps, and cutscenes for those who seek them out. - New dialogue branches. - QoL fixes, including menu adjustments. - New items and Gear.
For any casual feedback - good or bad - the Steam discussion boards are a great spot too!
In the coming months, I also look forward to posting some more comprehensive character profiles, trailers, videos and other promo images that can help set the stage for the game's launch.
Cheers, Aaron / Blind
Demo 2.0 Uploaded
Hello everyone!
Since launching the demo in October 2022, we've received a tremendous amount of support and critiques from all across the spectrum.
I wanted to personally thank everyone who's played the game thus far - it truly means the world to us!
Over the past months, Cameron and I dug into all the feedback, and rebalanced many aspects of the gameplay experience itself. In some cases, we added entire new systems (such as swimming & fishing).
The demo will still contain the game's first chapter, but with some significant overhaul & refinement. I believe this version represents a more accurate picture of what the final game might feel like!
A list of changes
Added GUIDE Menu: A sub-menu allowing the player to check the map, view quests, enemy details, game mechanics, and more.
Swimming: Certain bodies of water are now traversable! The player can also dive to reach hidden gold, chests or underwater switches!
Active vs Wait Modes: The player can now CHOOSE if they want battles to run on ACTIVE mode (a FF7 style ATB), vs WAIT (enemies won't attack continuously until the player chooses). This can be changed at any time in the menu.
Maiden Statues Rebalanced: Statues will now only give a GODDESS TEAR item if the game is running on Story Mode. Otherwise, they only offer a single-use heal.
Fishing: Use your fishing rod + lure at certain locations throughout the game! Over 15 unique fish to catch!
Item Messages: The "Item Found" message boxes now will show a small visual icon of each item once it's been obtained!
Golden Chests: New varieties of treasure. Chests will look visually distinct if they contain Gear/Equipment.
Stats Rebalanced: Some enemies adjusted according to player feedback.
New locations: Chapter 1 has been greatly expanded with over 4 new optional areas & hidden treasures.
Graphical Bugs: Minor visual bugs fixed.
- Aaron
Bestiary Menu Added!
Hey, everyone! Hope you've all been well.
I have to offer a huge thanks to those who have continued to support, stream, or share the game!
We've been quietly plugging away on development ever since the demo's release...with special attention paid to address player feedback.
One of the central themes was the management of battles, and enemy difficulty.
To address this specific issue, we took quite a few steps to make the enemy Stats/Weaknesses/HP etc more evident within the game itself. Thus, the addition of the Bestiary menu. Giznads did an incredible job fleshing out all of the customized UI.
Bestiary is contained in the GUIDE section, which is full of maps, quests, and other information.
Once an enemy is slain, the page will log into the guide automatically
The Bestiary can tell you how much EXP to expect from an enemy (for the sort who prefers some grinding), GOLD dropped, Items, elemental weaknesses, and so on!
Look forward to filling in the Bestiary over time. Special items and collectibles can be found in every enemy type is defeated within a particular region!
I'll showcase more on the other Guide sections in the coming weeks.
Next Fest Demo & Presskit
We are overjoyed to finally have Beloved Rapture in players hands. It's such a thrilling thing to see how different players approach a game. How they handle puzzles, exploration and combat. What they like and dislike. All of it is super valuable to us! So thank you for trying it out, and be sure to leave us feedback, if you have any! Whether that be here in the Steam Community page, or over in the Beloved Rapture Discord.
PRESSKIT
To any creators who might be picking up the game during this Next Fest, and are looking to share it with their audiences, here are some helpful pngs that should assist you when creating thumbnails and the like:
New Menu System Complete!
Hi all, Wanted to share a pretty exciting update with everyone!
With the help of my collaborator, Giznads, we've managed to reprogram the previous game menus to take more advantage of the recent shift to Widescreen (16:9) format!
The pages that Giz helped to reprogram include:
Items/Inventory
Status Page
Save/Load Menu
Skills/Magic
Equipment
More TBD.
Skills Menu:
Any skills not yet unlocked are marked with ???? on the screen. The submenu is divided up into standard magic/skills, and the more powerful Relica, an advanced finishing blow.
Inventory:
Similarly, all Items (including consumables and Key Items) will display visually. This offers the player some clues as to the game's scope, as well as some curiosity of what's yet to come. Most importantly, it creates a feeling of true accomplishment as they're gradually rounded-up!
Consumable Items can be used at any time, but Armor/Weapons/Accessories can only be modified from the Equipment section.
More still to come:
Tutorials/Battle Guide
Custom Shop Menus
Overworld Map
Bestiary
More TBD.
Now in Widescreen!
When Beloved Rapture was originally conceived, a commitment was made to honor the classic 8:7 aspect ratio of the SNES. Along with the gameplay, story, graphics, music (and practically everything else) also being inspired by the 16-bit SNES era - honoring that old-school square format felt like the logical presentation style.
(An example of the original aspect ratio)
As the game has evolved over the last few years of development, it began to feel that we were short changing both you and ourselves! With so much care and effort being put into the visuals of Beloved Rapture it began to feel that the smaller, square aspect ratio didn't do the game justice.
(The updated look for Beloved Rapture)
While this 16:9 update is a departure from those SNES games that most heavily inspired our own, we feel that this is a worthwhile trade-off. It bridges the gap between old and new, making best use of modern gaming capabilities, without sacrificing any of that 16-bit DNA that continue to course through every other facet of Beloved Rapture.
We hope you are all as excited by this update as we are! -Graeme (2 Left Thumbs)
