After 6 long years, it's finally time to return to the Burden of Proof storyline with a brand new game to be released next year! It's real, it's happening, and it will showcase all of the improvements I've made as a developer with completely new music, artwork, environment and character modeling, and an original story that follows up on threads left behind from the first game. All new cases and courtroom antics await in... Burden of Truth!
The best way that you can support this new project is to tell your friends and give the game a wishlist so you can be notified as updates happen. It really does help out a ton and ensures that I can release the project in confidence so I truly appreciate it :D Additionally, Burden of Proof is now 60% off for the next week to celebrate this announcement! Now, on to the fun stuff...
What is this?!
Burden of Truth is a new game that expands on the missing Chapter 3 from the original title in order to flesh out Conrad Cross' transition between a steadfast prosecutor and a legendary defense attorney. This is content that I have alluded to in the past, but now it's finally time to realize it and fill in the gaps I meant to showcase back in 2018. But if we're seeing a story that takes place between that 2-year time skip from Burden of Proof, what more is there to learn?
Without spoiling too much, a lot. Since the original Chapter 3 was so vague, it opened up a lot of room for new details and situations to unfold that allow Cross' character to undergo a much more gradual change to the person we see at the end of the game. After a crucial introductory sequence to get reacquainted with the gameplay, this new "Chapter 3" will be comprised of multiple different cases all tying in to each other with the ultimate goal of saving Sarah Fletcher from a guilty verdict.
Along the way, more context will be provided to everything that was introduced in Burden of Proof, and some concepts, such as Fletcher's disease and true role in the conspiracy, that were previously glossed over will finally be addressed in full detail. To kick off the hype, let's look at...
A story synopsis
One year after his mentor's poisoning, renowned prosecutor Conrad Cross accepts a new case tangled in web of conspiracy. In order to determine the true culprit, Cross and his opponent, Kate Flocking, engage in a battle of wits and piece together the incident by analyzing the available evidence. However, this objective proves difficult to accomplish when it's revealed that a mysterious organization is interfering with the flow of information to the courtroom. Even so, the legal counsel is determined to persevere through these limitations and expel the lies by uncovering contradictions within the witness' statements. To deliver justice, someone must be found guilty.
But as the trial winds down, an unsettling situation unfolds when a mysterious figure informs Cross that his childhood friend, Sarah Fletcher, has been arrested on suspicion of murder. At the same time, the dangerous rebellion group 209 Dive mounts an assault to retrieve the Zero Data, a database of information that could plunge the world into nuclear war if it falls into the wrong hands. Knowing that Sarah could never be responsible for the heinous crime she's accused of, Cross must turn his entire mindset around to become the defense attorney that his friend deserves. As the only person capable of saving Fletcher and preventing the catastrophic consequences of the Zero Data's exposure, Cross must enter a deadly trial that could very well determine the fate of the world.
Why now?
As you can imagine, a lot has changed since 2018 about the way I develop games and the way I tackle new projects. Having completed Shinogi Chess Club and Shinogi Chess Club 2, I've built up a ton of new tools and skills that make developing these "hybrid genre" projects a lot easier. Everything looks and sounds and plays so much better than it ever did before, thanks to a ton of practice with graphics, music composition, programming, and story writing.
I've had this idea for a long time; the idea to fill in the gaps and flesh out the Chapter 3 story I envisioned with the proper care it deserves. But now that I've had some practice honing my skills in visual novel creation, what better time than now to put all that to the game which introduced so many of you to my work? Originally that was meant to be one small segment in what would've been "Burden of Proof 2" (though the title would've been different) but after giving it some thought I realized a few things:
I want to ease people back into the story with something a bit more tame, before we get to the insanity I have planned
A slightly shorter project is easier to manage and will release faster
No need to update character/location visuals multiple times if I can make one new appearance that serves well for this flashback sequence, and put a lot more attention on this crucial moment in the story
Burden of Proof should be an anthology--an ongoing series that I can return to every now and then when I have ideas and motivation. You might think that this leaves Cross' story in a bit of a weird place, but I think these games are more about the journey than the destination. There are always new puzzles to solve, new twists to experience, and unlike Shinogi Chess Club, there is no specific end to these courtroom adventures. This is absolutely inspired by Ace Attorney and The Mandalorian, which do progress characters but in a more subtle/infinite storytelling sort of way. All that is to say: I cut out a lot of ideas so that they can be utilized in the next game after Burden of Truth, and this can be seen as a bit of a transition not only for Cross, but for the game series to set up a new standard.
But make no mistake; this IS "Burden of Proof 2", and although it serves as a bridge into the next story, you will get the experience of a complete game that ties up some loose ends and clarifies a lot of details that were previously left up in the air. In fact, there's even more to the game than just that, but I'll save it for you to discover on your own :) Be rest assured that it will be a satisfying entry for BOP fans!
What's next?
Over the next few months I'll be sharing a lot more screenshots and information about Burden of Truth, so do feel free to follow me on Twitter or join my Discord server for updates! In addition, I hope to release a demo of the first chapter of the game later this year, so be on the lookout for that! I highly encourage you to click "wishlist" over on the Steam page as it really helps a ton:
In the meantime, feel free to check out the trailer showcasing some incredible voice acting by Skip G and a brand new song which will be heard as part of the game's soundtrack!
That's all from me, so I hope you enjoyed this breakdown of what's to come and I hope to see you in the coming months as more info on the project is released! Again, I truly appreciate every bit of support from everyone who has played my games, and though it may take a while to bring it to life, know that I'm cooking up a powerful game that will add something meaningful to the story while still respecting the original tone. Although I have progressed a lot since 2018, it wouldn't be Burden of Proof without a bit of jank and camp, so I'm taking measures to recapture that sort of magic as well :) Thank you for all the kind words I've received so far, and...
Thanks for playing, - Matt
Shinogi Chess Club 2: Resistance is now Coming Soon on Steam
From the moment that the original Shinogi Chess Club released, I've had concrete ideas to continue the story and dig deeper into all of the questions raised by the first game. After a brief experiment with a different genre, I returned to the shared world of Burden of Proof/Shinogi Chess Club to tell the true story that I really wanted to achieve when this series first started. 8 months later and after a whole lot of effort, Shinogi Chess Club 2: Resistance is finally nearing release!
If you're interested, you can check out the Shinogi Chess Club 2 Steam page using the link below! Wishlists really do help a lot and I appreciate everyone that has taken the time to support me!
Over the course of this past year, I've worked hard to not only anticipate expectations for this game, but exceed them. You'll see improvements in animation, rendering quality, stability, performance, and writing. I've tried to hone in on more consistently entertaining dialogue which balances plot, humor, and insight into each character. But beyond that, so much more has gone into the development for this project.
In a nutshell, here's what you can expect from this new title:
A continuation of Himiko's journey as she tracks down her mother
An answer to nearly every question which was raised by the first game
A direct look into Himiko's backstory and further development of the lead cast
Largely the same exploration gameplay as the first game, but even more streamlined with less confusing levels and clear goals
Enhanced Shinogi Chess controls and new variations in board setup which make certain matches play out differently than the first game
UI polish across the board (literally and figuratively)
Difficulty-related achievements are tracked per chapter and no longer require you to play through the whole game in one shot
New easter eggs, hints, and lore about the state of Burden of Proof's characters and plot threads
As usual, a whole suite of new music which expands upon themes from the first game and many scenes are now uniquely scored as well, utilizing motifs from each opponent/situation and playing with them in exciting new ways
Story Details
In the wake of the Typhoon Initiative's collapse, a new threat has risen to challenge the city's obsession with Shinogi Chess, a board game variant which has taken hold of countless schools across Japan. With the Spring Championships behind her, Himiko Masaki continues the search for her mother, and will stop at nothing to acquire power in pursuit of this goal. As she investigates new leads and unravels a sinister conspiracy, Himiko is driven down a path of vengeance, and discovers just how far she's willing to go for the truth.
Meanwhile, Yoshino High School has finally recovered from last semester's shocking events. The Shinogi Chess Club struggles to stay afloat when new arrivals, including aspiring poet Kenshi Okawa, shake the group to their core. As Himiko learns more about the other members, such as Kaito Sakuma, a brilliant student with suspicious connections, she realizes that more lies beneath the surface when it comes to her friends. Amidst these complications, rival clubs at Yoshino High have also caught wind of Himiko's activities, and seek involvement for the safety of the school.
That's all for now, and I'd like to once again thank everyone for supporting me and keeping up with my work. I know everyone has been patient waiting for answers, so I think you'll be very satisfied to see everything that gets explored in this new title. For fans of Burden of Proof, I know this game will only provide a small taste of updates for BOP's plot lines, but I do believe you'll still find a lot to love here.
This brand new release follows up on the world of Burden of Proof and connects the two games in a few significant ways. I'll leave the details up to you to discover when playing the game, but I'll safely say that this is a true evolution of the gameplay style I created in BOP! In Shinogi Chess Club, you'll be meeting a brand new cast of characters across visual novel story segments and experiencing an original story that progresses throughout 4 full chapters. You also get to explore the campus akin to the BOP investigation segments, and talk to the club members during meetings throughout the game!
In the far future, the world has been plunged into an economic depression. One prefecture in Japan has managed to stay afloat by investing in a new board game variant called Shinogi Chess. Companies, governments, and institutions have all shifted their focus towards getting their best representatives to play for public amusement.
Yoshino High School is one such institution. Their Shinogi Chess Club is on the verge of being able to compete in the Spring Championships, an annual competition bringing fame and fortune to the city's best players.
In the midst of this huge event, an upcoming competitor, Himiko Masaki, attempts to improve her skill in the game in order to chase down leads and stop a dangerous organization that's threatening the school. But when she acquires a mysterious supernatural ability, her sense of self is put to the test. With the help of the Shinogi Chess Club members, Himiko must navigate these challenges and discover just how far she is willing to go for the truth!
You can find more info at the Steam page for Shinogi Chess Club here! Don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions about this new game, I'm always happy to give insight into my development process!
Burden of Proof Legacy
I also wanted to mention a few key milestones for BOP and other events that I wanted to share again with everyone here.
This past year BOP has surpassed 400 total sales! The median time played is about 3 hours which is great to hear considering all the users that never seem to install everything in their Steam library. Believe me, I'm part of this crowd too :)
In case you missed it, the YouTube channel Visual Novelty uploaded an entire playthrough of BOP which you can start watching here:
Recently they also started streaming on Twitch and I'd like to plug that here!
I also forgot to mention last time that Twitter user Sam Tyler shared this incredible piece of fan art!
I especially love the fact that Thorn's sword finally broke from all the times he stabbed it into the desk! Thank you so much Sam!
That about wraps it up for today, but I'm sure there will plenty more SCC related news in the coming months which will be shared on the community page for Shinogi Chess Club. Huge thanks again to everyone that has followed my projects and enjoyed my games, I'm hoping you'll all get to experience this exciting new story and see how much I've grown in the years since BOP.
You can keep up with my newest projects and development news on Twitter @RobProductions! Happy gaming! -Matt
BOP 1.0.9 Update & Shinogi Chess Club News
Burden of Proof version 1.0.9 is now live! Like the 1.0.8 update, this patch is meant to fix up more lingering typos and incorrect descriptions across the latter half of the game. Additionally, some extra polish has been added to evidence icons to round out the game for the long term.
This should hopefully be some of the last of the grammatical fixes needed since I was able to oversee a play-through on the lookout for those issues. As always, if you spot more bugs or issues feel free to report them over on the Bug Reports section of the Steam forums!
Changelog:
Updated some evidence icons in Chapter 4
Fixed incorrect evidence descriptions in Chapter 4
Fixed some typos (Chapters 4 and 5)
And now I'd like to share some exciting news on my upcoming game, Shinogi Chess Club!
Shinogi Chess Club is something of a spiritual successor to Burden of Proof, as it is set in the same world and evolves the hybrid novel genre I introduced back in 2018. While it's not a direct sequel, I think fans of BOP will find a lot to love here as it involves a whole new cast of characters, an original story, tons of new music, and exploration as you track down a dangerous organization threatening Yoshino High School!
If you're interested there's more info down at the Steam page for SCC and I'd really appreciate a wishlist as it helps me a ton in bumping the game up on the Steam charts! Additionally, spreading the word and telling your friends is one of the best ways to support the project right now :)
That's all for today! Huge thanks to everyone that has supported my projects these past years, it really does mean the world to see people enjoying with my stories. Shinogi Chess Club is planned to release in May 2022 if all goes well so I hope you'll have a little more patience with me as I finish up the game! If you're interested in hearing the latest news you can follow me on Twitter or check out my YouTube channel. Thank you, and happy gaming!
-Matt
Burden of Proof 1.0.8 Update
Burden of Proof version 1.0.8 is now live! The main goal for this update was to polish up some grammar/spelling issues from Chapters 1-2 and fix a few lingering bugs that I missed in earlier releases.
If your saved game is currently in these problematic sections then you may not see the changes right away. However, the issues should be fixed via natural progression through the story if you have yet to reach these scripts. Since these are mainly simple typos they should not impact the experience a ton if you've already cleared these sections.
Changelog:
Removed a leftover script trigger that allowed you to leave the Detention Center level
Fixed some typos
Fixed duplicate evidence being added to inventory in Chapter 2
That's all for the game content, but I'd like to recap a few cool things related to BOP that happened in recent months!
Shinogi Chess Club Trailer
Burden of Proof's spiritual successor game Shinogi Chess Club will be releasing in just a few months! You can check out the announcement trailer here:
[previewyoutube="N23n4gKvgXE;full"]
More information such as the Shinogi Chess Club Steam Page & a new trailer will be coming soon! Once these are complete I'll be focusing more on trying to get the word out for this new project since I think it will resonate with a lot of VN/BOP fans. I'm hoping to showcase the strategy elements and show off some of the original songs I've been working on, so keep an eye out!
RobProductions Developer Homepage
I also set up a Steam Creator Homepage which will display all of my released and upcoming games! The page has a full showcase of my Steam projects organized by genre and I'll be updating the series lists if/when sequel titles are announced. Check it out here:
You can still see a Store list of my projects by visiting this search link.
That's all for today! Thanks again to everyone that has played the game and I truly appreciate your support and feedback. The 2021 Steam Winter Sale will end on Jan 6th, so be sure to tell your friends about Burden of Proof if they're interested since the game is currently 60% off! You can follow me on Twitter for the latest news & updates! Stay safe and happy holidays!
-Matt
BOP 3-Year Anniversary Sale & New Game Announcement
Burden of Proof is 3 Years Old!
3 years ago today, I hit the release button for Burden of Proof. I honestly didn't know what to expect when my game became available to the general public. Though I was unsatisfied with many aspects of the project during development and had to cut out certain ideas due to time constraints, I pushed through and presented the game as best I could on social media and Steam. Now, the game has sold over 350 copies and is my most positively reviewed product by far.
I want to once again thank everyone who has tried out the game and experienced the narrative adventure that I crafted over 3 years ago. The overwhelming amount of responses and feedback I received has been incredible. It means a lot to me that even years later there are still plenty of people picking up the game and trying it out. In that regard I'm hoping the game still has a long lifespan ahead of it. Getting it in the hands of many new players is still an ongoing goal for me. To that end I'm continuing support for bugfixes or other issues, so if you see something don't be afraid to make a post in the Bug Report section of the BOP Steam forums.
To celebrate this milestone, Burden of Proof will be 50% off as part of the Week Long Deal for 7/26! If you haven't yet already, you can get the game here.
2021 Roundup
Following Burden of Proof, I had my sights on developing something more action-oriented while still telling a fulfilling story. It took many months of work and skill improvement, but with the help of friends and family I managed to make something I felt was worthy to release. Last year, I published my fantasy action-adventure title called Iron Reckoning! It was the first game I completed that featured full voice-acting, a completely original soundtrack, and real-time cinematic sequences with synced sound effects.
It's been over half a year since Iron Reckoning was made available, and in that time I've been hard at work at yet another project. In fact, I've actually been working on this game since just a week or two after Iron Reckoning went live. Today, I'm finally announcing the title of this spiritual successor to Burden of Proof...
Shinogi Chess Club
The courtroom-genre identity has been both a blessing and a curse for BOP when it comes to promotion. My goal this time was to make a brand that could stand on its own legs, while still following the Burden of Proof formula that many seemed to enjoy. Much like that previous title, Shinogi Chess Club will be a 3D hybrid visual novel experience that focuses on puzzle solving, mysteries, and exploration!
It features a whole new cast of characters and an original soundtrack with plenty of references & connections to my past games! In fact, this story takes place in the same universe as Burden of Proof and will follow some key characters that relate closely to the BOP plotline. This is far from a proper sequel, but I hope you'll all enjoy these linked threads and I do intend to return to BOP when the time is right. I don't want to spoil too much, but I would like to talk a bit more about Shinogi Chess Club and the improvements I've made to my workflow!
As a return-to-form of sorts, I've decided to follow the BOP cartoonish/anime art style for my characters. This time, however, I've taken a lot more time to study and perfect my character designs. Each character goes through a rigorous process of concept thumbnail -> final design -> 3D Model -> texture & material work. Here you can see some of the early stages:
Followed by a final concept:
And finally, many hours were spent modeling the character for use in game:
Every piece of art was created by me; I handle all 2D concept work and 3D modeling as well as texture work and rigging for practically everything in the game. This sort of process is a lot longer to complete than what I did for BOP's characters, but I think the quality speaks for itself. Improvements like this are being made all across the board, from UI to sound design and level art.
The character you see above is actually the player character for this story! I've posted about this character I'm calling "Himiko" before on Twitter!
As you can probably imagine, Shinogi Chess Club will put the player in the role of an upcoming Shinogi Chess competitor. This is a fictional game of my own design which extends and alters the ruleset of traditional chess. As a result, the "chess sections" of this game are not intended to require any skill transfer from the chess games that you may be familiar with, and difficulty options will be available to improve the accessibility.
All this goes to say that the puzzle solving aspect of the experience is mainly about learning these new rules and improving your skill at the game to take down bigger opponents as the story progresses! Burden of Proof veterans should notice the similarities and opportunities this format provides for character interactions and introductions! As for the story itself, you can expect a thrilling drama that follows our main character as she uncovers a dangerous threat lurking in the shadows of her school.
That's all I'll say about the game for now, though you can expect more news in the coming months! Thanks again to everyone that follows my work and supports me! As always, you can see my latest updates on Twitter! Please keep an eye out for more info on this new project! Stay safe, and I'm happy to answer any questions in the Steam forums or anywhere else :)
-Matt
Burden of Proof 1.0.7 Update
Burden of Proof version 1.0.7 has just been uploaded. This is a patch to solve a critical issue that would occur in Chapter 2 when loading a save that was made while talking to Chloe. Save files made at this point are now fully recoverable and no extra work is needed to continue playing as normal--version 1.0.7 will handle the error upon loading and correctly place characters as they should be.
However, if you made a save while the game was in that glitched state (Chloe missing from the scene) then that will have saved the characters in their incorrect positions. Reach out to me if you encounter this, the issue is fully recoverable through console commands.
Without further delay, here's the changelog:
Fixed script loading error when resuming a save file talking to Chloe in Chapter 2
Improved UI code to remove some warnings from the output_log file
Various script fixes and camera issues resolved
Fixed Conrad's dramatic pause in Chapter 5
That's all for today! Thank you everyone for playing and checking out Burden of Proof, I appreciate all the support and interest that's been shown in the game this past year. As always, you can check out my latest updates on Twitter. Stay safe!
-Matt
BOP Walkthrough and Iron Reckoning Released
Burden of Proof Community
Once again I have to thank everyone for the tremendous support I've received these past 2 years, I'm happy to still see some new players and new interest in the story I released in 2018!
A key motivator behind these discussions is a new YouTube series started by content creator Visual Novelty, which you can find here! You can follow him on Twitter here. Check out the first video in the series:
[previewyoutube="IuJuKLppcBw;full"]
Thanks for trying it out and showcasing the game's music, puzzles, and characters :)
A reminder in case anyone missed it, you can listen to the entire Burden of Proof OST on my channel here! This only covers songs I composed and none that were included with CC licenses.
Iron Reckoning
After a 15 month long development, my latest game has finally released and is 10% off for its first week! You can pick it up here:
Iron Reckoning is pretty different from BOP considering it is a realtime action game as opposed to a visual novel, more akin to newer Final Fantasy titles. But I'm confident that there's still much to enjoy for fans of BOP. For one, it carries some of my storytelling style which you'll all be familiar with. It also utilizes my 3D art style which has evolved a lot from my previous games. Many enjoyed the OST music from BOP, and I'm proud to say that I've written almost 2 and a half hours of original soundtrack for Iron Reckoning, much of it also drawing on what I've learned in the past. You'll even find a few Burden of Proof Easter Eggs if you look hard enough!
I appreciate all of the support I received throughout my development of this new title. I'm certain that it can be an enjoyable experience for hack-and-slash fans, and I'm happy to have finally finished another story for people to explore and have fun with. I'll have more to say about my development process and storytelling goals in the coming months. In fact, I've already started gathering ideas for my next project, so you can always keep up to date with my progress on Twitter!
Thanks for playing! I look forward to seeing people's reactions to this new title and the future content I have in store for everyone :) -Matt
Iron Reckoning Now Has a Public Steam Page
For the past year or so, I've been mentioning my work and future plans for new releases, developing those ideas on my own before I'm confident enough to show it to the public. If you've been following my Twitter account, you'd know that I've been sharing screenshots of a new fantasy/sci-fi action game called Iron Reckoning. You may have also seen some early footage in an announcement trailer, or caught the process of my character modeling in a timelapse video on my channel. In my discussions here on the forums and around the internet, you'd probably know that the goal is to further continue my storytelling style from BOP while continuing to improve my artwork and programming way beyond what I could accomplish 2 years ago.
So with all of that practice in mind, all of those hints/vague discussions out there, I'm happy to announce that Iron Reckoning will be releasing in early November 2020, for PC, Mac, and Linux! You can check out the Steam page and wishlist it using the link below if you're interested :)
I'd like to once again thank all of you for supporting me and playing Burden of Proof! It means everything to me that I was able to have an impact on your life and entertain by telling my stories. I'm confident that fans of BOP will find something to enjoy in Iron Reckoning, whether it be a story experience, character design, music--it's all evolved from the way I've liked to make games in the past. And I will continue to improve as I learn even more from this development and pursue more ideas down the road.
My approach to game design is somewhat counter-intuitive when compared to other indies. Other game makers at my scale will often tend to find unique tricks and workarounds to the resource problem. i.e. super unique game mechanics that challenge AAA ideas while offering a smaller production that entertains nonetheless. While I would say that Iron Reckoning (and most of my future ideas) have unique game mechanics/gameplay ideas to focus on, the core experience is meant to imitate that of a AAA title, even if a majority of the art/content is not able to match what a larger studio could accomplish. Why? Because I appreciate the AAA mentality; giving the player something expected (gameplay wise) without giving them a total repeat of what they've seen before. My angle is that I believe we can put a little more imagination into big blockbuster titles. That's why I aim to tell my own stories with my own unique gameplay ideas, while wrapping it in an easily accessible experience that anyone can get into.
But let's bring it back to the here and now: Iron Reckoning. This is a fantasy/sci-fi themed adventure that follows a warrior called Jaena as she attempts to reclaim lost territory from an army of machines. The gameplay experience revolves around a unique ability called Bladerush, which allows you to soar through the air towards a thrown weapon. This ability allows you to explore the levels vertically, rapidly reposition yourself in combat, and dodge projectiles and enemy attacks with a burst of speed.
Your main form of attack is wielding Jaena's broadsword--the Claymore V. Understanding the attack combo is key in taking down hordes of enemies and creating your own strategies during battle. You can also wield offensive magic, which costs mana resources. Managing this meter is important, as it also is affected by Bladerush and your ability to air-dodge.
In BOP, I told the story through a VN system. Here, I have opted for real-time cutscenes, all custom animated with keyframed camera motion, and fully voice-acted. It's a huge step up in quality from BOP, and a huge advancement in technology for me, as I had to consider quite a few mechanics in terms of programming and make a lot of content for cutscene animation. But the results are certainly worthwhile for a game like this.
The highlight of these cutscenes has to be the realization of the game's main antagonist, Nomad. An incredible performance by the skilled Thomas Cuba has really brought this character to life, and added a huge amount of depth to the story. It was a blast developing Nomad's design, his speech patterns, recording with Thomas, and crafting the way Nomad moves and responds to Jaena. By the way, you can hear a lovely sample of his performance in Iron Reckoning's new Story Trailer! Definitely look forward to the full game and performance, I'm certain you can appreciate the character and the hard work that went into crafting a believable villain.
That's all I'll say for now! The game is shaping up with development heading into "content-complete" territory for October. Most of what remains is polishing up what I have and fitting as many extra ideas into it as I can, while promoting the title and getting ready for release. I'm hoping that if you've played BOP you will check out Iron Reckoning and give it a shot! This is by far the biggest game I've ever worked on in terms of scope, and I'm hoping you can enjoy what I've put together for everyone to try out.
Once again, you can check out the new game here. Wishlisting really helps to gain visibility and keep everyone up to date on sales/release! So it would really mean a lot if you could help IR and bump up those numbers :) You can always follow my progress on Twitter, and shoot me a message if you have any questions. In October I'll be announcing a more exact release date, along with yet another new trailer, so keep your eyes open and look forward to the completion of this new project!
Thanks for playing my games and supporting my work! -Matt
Burden of Proof 1.0.6 Update
It's been a while, but the latest patch for Burden of Proof is finally live! Here's an update on the changes for version 1.0.6, as well as a news roundup for what I've been doing recently. You might be wondering, what happened to version 1.0.5? It was uploaded just a short while ago before I found a somewhat severe bug, which has just been fixed for 1.0.6.
Update
Changelog: v1.0.6
Fixed inventory being accessible from Main Menu
Fixed some script bugs which caused scenery to not appear correctly in Chapter 5
v1.0.5
Added extra texture details to: Courtroom, Car Objects, Courthouse Lobby, Detention Center, Chapter 4 Locations, and Chapter 5 Locations
Fixed a script bug which caused some objects in Chapter 5 to appear when they shouldn't
Added an additional solution to a Cross-Examination in Chapter 5
Fixed an input bug during "choice mode" causing parts of the script to play when they shouldn't
Fixed UI shadow glitch around Save File text
Overall, this is mostly a bug fixing/polish update, so there's not really any extra content here. But the changes should help the game become a little bit more accessible for the long-term, especially for future players who might be interested in the series. This is the last update for a while, unless more bugs are found, in which case I will be more than happy to continue making fixes. In the meantime, though, I've got other priorities that will require my attention.
My Next Game
I want to give another huge thanks to everyone who has enjoyed Burden of Proof over the past 2 years. The supportive feedback I received has been incredibly humbling and has motivated me to continue development on new projects. The positive response to BOP has put extra pressure on me to make sure my next game surpasses the quality of BOP by a huge margin, and so far it's shaping up to knock BOP out of the park in all aspects--art, music, story, animation, UI, the list goes on, and all of it showcases a a much higher level of polish thanks to what I've been studying on my own in the past few years.
In case you weren't aware, I had a project in the works during 2019 which was supposed to be my next release. However, the game's scope flew far out of reach and I had to stop development in order to work on something else. That "something else" has become Iron Reckoning, an action-adventure game with a fantasy/sci-fi setting. In case you missed it, I announced the game with a trailer back in March on my YouTube channel, with an expected release date sometime this summer! More information can be found in the trailer's description.
It's been a lot of work getting this far, to the point where in early 2020 working on this game would be the only thing I'd do in my free time most days of the week. It's also brought up a lot of stress and concerns that I wouldn't finish in a reasonable time and that I'd have to cut corners in order to get the game completed at all. It hasn't helped that I had nothing to show for 2019, especially when my thought process has been to get a game out at least once a year. But I powered through and was able to make a good amount of progress around when the trailer hit. I'm carrying that momentum forward as I continue to work on Iron Reckoning, in the hopes that it'll be worth it when people are able to play it and see my ideas completely realized.
Iron Reckoning is quite different from Burden of Proof genre-wise, but I believe it still carries a lot of my personal style in terms of storytelling, art, and music, just with an added level of polish that I wasn't able to put forward before. I'm confident that fans of BOP will enjoy this new title if they have any interest in action adventures such as Tomb Raider or Final Fantasy. I'm especially proud to say that this time around I've been able to work with voice acting talent who were able to bring my characters to life and add extra emotion to my story. All of that will be revealed shortly though, and I hope that you'll take some time to check it out real soon once more info is released.
I've also been uploading timelapses of my work as I make more progress on the game, which may be interesting if you're into 3D modeling or art creation.
Finally, as is tradition with my games so far, there will be tons of easter eggs and references to my past projects, including BOP. I won't spoil anything for now, but you can expect a certain lawyer to make a special appearance in some hidden locations :)
Timeline
When May rolls around I'm hoping to start work on another trailer and begin testing rounds on Iron Reckoning. Having actual playtesters will be a huge step this time since I can nail down bugs early and allow some space to see clearly where places need extra polish. The biggest challenge so far has been environment art, there's just so much of it that I'm not sure if I can really hit my goals the way I'd like to. But nonetheless I will keep at it and try to find solutions as I go.
By June I'm hoping to have a Steam page up and a more solid release date planned. It's around that time when I should expect to be in the final polish stages, and then hopefully by the end of June or July the game will be ready for release. Of course, that's all assuming things go to plan, but it's really easy for things to get delayed and moved back with everything going on. At worst I may have to release in August, but really I don't expect anything later than that. I realize it's a bit of a wait, but trust me when I say the results will be worth it. I've stressed this many times already, but this really is the biggest and most impressive game I've built so far. I'm hoping everyone will feel the same when they are able to play it.
Beyond that, a lot of people have been interested in a sequel or some follow-up content for Burden of Proof. Unfortunately something like that would take a lot of time and before I landed my current job I've been struggling to figure out how I will pay back my student loans. Because of my financial worries and my own sanity (it's tough to work on the same thing for a long time) I'd like to hold off on the sequel until I have at least 1 more shorter game released past August. Of course, those are just my current thoughts and things are always able to change. If you're a fan of Burden of Proof I'm confident that you'll enjoy what I have to show next. In that way, I'd rather you all get to play something tangible sooner instead of waiting another year for a bigger project. But believe me when I say, I do plan on building a sequel at some point, and that kind of game would be completely re-imagined from what I have here with updates on all of the art, music, and even gameplay. It's been in my head for a while now but sadly it'll just have to wait until I get my current projects sorted.
As always, I'm extremely grateful for everyone who has played BOP! Iron Reckoning will be my focus for the next few months, so if you want to keep up with what I do, I make regular updates on Twitter and YouTube. I'm glad that the time I put into BOP was worth the effort for many of you, and if this is the last update I'll always be grateful for the support you have given me. I will make another announcement here when Iron Reckoning is closer to release. Stay safe, and thanks for playing!
