First of all, it's been a beautiful year for me as a developer.
From the continued success of Happy Bones I and Happy Bones Infernal, to my newest full-length game release this year, 'Waking Atlas'! Y'all have poured out your love, support, and coin in order to keep pushing me to do what I do, and I appreciate the HECK out of that.
Let's take a look at some of the big achievements!
Happy Bones I hit over 500 players worldwide, which is crazy to me! Looking back at this dinky project that I started back in 2016, it's wild to see where it's gone.
Happy Bones Infernal sold THREE TIMES as many copies this year than it did last year when it launched, for a total of nearly 300 copies to date. This probably means the most to me, as while I love the narrative story of that game, I do regret doing the game in 3D vs.. the hand-drawn style that made so many people love the first game. (You live and learn I guess) Overall, I'm glad to see that this entry is seeing a resurgence of sorts.
Waking Atlas became my fastest selling game to date, which also took me by surprise as the only other game made with GB Studio at the time on Steam was a game called Dragonborne, which literally got negative reviewed into oblivion, the dated mechanics and graphical style being cited as the culprit. (It got so much dislike they actually ended up unlisting it from the Steam store) My worries ended up being unfounded, as it sold twice as many copies on launch day than Happy Bones I did on it's respective launch day in 2021, and you all showered (mostly) praise upon my inbox!
Then there was Captain Cone! *crickets* *crickets* Don't worry, his time to shine will come eventually.
So where are we going from here?
If you follow me on Twitter (X?) you know that I announced that I was remaking Happy Bones I in HD, I did a silly teaser trailer for it and it was a grand time! You can see that teaser here if you're interested!
It's still in development despite the Unity fiasco.
OMG BUT FROSTEDFEARS WHY ARE YOU REMAKING THAT?! IT JUST CAME OUT TWO YEARS AGO!
Well, for starts, it won't be releasing for a while. So by the time I'm projecting to actually launch it, it'll be more like 5 years since the original came out.
Secondly, there are features that I wanted to add to the original, that I simply can't because of how I developed it. I never thought about adding major features when I made the original, it was just a hobby project for years. Therefore making it from the ground up but prettier, *chefs kiss*.
Lastly, I want to be able to reach the console audience, those guys deserve weird RPGs too! Porting RPG Maker MV games to modern consoles is a convoluted process, and the porting services are simply too expensive when I can just remake the game but better, ya know?
Where else are we going?
Lots of places...just not for a while.
I don't want to come off like I'm crying on the internet here but bear with me.
Ever since I released HB1 I've been plagued with a pattern of mobility related health problems. I had a motorcycle accident in May of 2021, which lead to be being unable to walk for several months, and I wasn't able to truly walk normally again until the later months of 2022.
Flash forward to 2023, in March (several days after finishing development on Waking Atlas) I woke up with an awful deblitating lower back and leg pain.
Turns out I'd herniated a disc and it's since been causing me movement deficits and just awful pain all the time.
Presently, I'm seeing a spine specialist, doing considerably better, and the end of my (sorry to sound dramatic) suffering is in sight.
With that, I've been thinking of all the things I can't wait to do, all the things I've missed out on the last few years. I'm an outdoorsy person, and I can't wait to go all the places I've been wanting to go, go do all the hikes I've been wanting to hike.
Naturally, my mind isn't on working on my games right now, there's just other things I'd rather do now that I'm able to again. I've sat in front of a computer screen every day and I just need a break :(
I've released a game every year since starting, but this is the year I'll most likely break that trend.
This isn't goodbye so much as it is a see you later, alligator!
Thank you all so much for you support, and I sincerely hope I have it when I return, whenever that is.
For now, I'll leave you some completely wild screenshots of some things I've been working on, and you can probably look forward to.
For now, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for playing.
Happy Bones: The State of The Game!
Hey Everybody!
Here in about a week and a half, we'll be coming up on the TWO-YEAR ANNIVERSARY of Happy Bones! It certainly feels like it's been longer than that for me, but hey, that's exciting!
I do not have an event planned, but I DO have another game releasing
That means it's been two years with you lovely bunch!
ALL RIGHT LET'S TALK BUSINESS!
Let me get the kind of bad news out of the way first:
Happy Bones Infernal ACT 2 has been canceled...sort of.
The story will still be told but I've decided to revert any future mainline Happy Bones games to a hand-drawn art style. There was too much content in Act 2 and too much planned that it just didn't feel right putting it after such an epic main story.
Infernal will still receive an update with an extended ending, however.
I've been exploring many ways to tell it, and for a while I had something pretty cool going.
So what you see in those GIFs is a little bit of early footage of a 'Happy Bones' online RPG that I had in development for a bit. It featured the same hand-drawn art style as the first game and saw the player take control of an alpha human some years after the events of Infernal, essentially playing out the story of ACT 2. Players were able to really create their unique character in the Happy Bones art style, and choose one of the three original classes (Brave, Holy, Occult). There were world events, animated attacks, etc. Sadly, I've moved on from this project for now, but it was fun and I'm not opposed to returning to it in the future. I'll figure out something in regard to the proper continuation of Infernal.
Once RPG Maker Unite comes out I'd like to start on a Happy Bones 2 (proper). This wouldn't be a direct sequel, think the Final Fantasy games, similar themes, new characters, self-contained.
In other news...
My newest game, WAKING ATLAS is coming out Apr 20th of this month over on itch.io, it'll be free to play in a browser, and able to be downloaded in Gameboy, PC, and Pocket formats for a small $2.99 fee.
I don't want to spoil anything major in regards to the story of the game, but I will say that if you've enjoyed the Happy Bones series' so far...
You absolutely do NOT want to miss this one.
Play it, I promise the pay-off will be worth it for you! ;)
Go play the Happy Bones Browser Version while you're there!
Happy Bones 1 Final Update?
It's coming, don't you worry. I wanted to release it on the 2 Year Anniversary but that isn't going to happen. I'm dedicated to making it as CHONKY as possible because after that I'm going to be DONE DONE with the updates for it.
You're still getting that summoner class!
Well, that's really it!
Talk to me, what do y'all want to see?
Thoughts? Feelings? You know I want to hear it all!
As always, much love!
And Thank You For Playing!
-FrostedFears
UPDATE 1.3 & WHAT'S TO COME!
Hello everybody!
Thank you for your patience!
Update 1.3 is finally here!
It will be hitting Steam as an update this evening.
Let's talk about what you can expect:
1. A Redone Character Select Screen!
2. Character Portraits in battle!
3. TWO NEW QUESTS!
-Jazzy's Stamp Collection: Help a depressed clown track down what he desires most, his lost stamps. You can start this quest anytime from a new door found in the game room in the Cervantes House.
-The Beast From The Rift: A rift in the lab is unstable, perhaps you could find a stabilizer in the TV station to help out the scientists? You can start this quest late game after completing Gustavo's portion of the main quest, found by accessing a new door in the lab area. This quest culminates in a hunt for an escaped monster and showdown with one of the hardest bosses in the game, but rewards the player with some of the best armor obtainable.
4. New Boss Cutscenes!
5. New Pins Added To The Prize Capsule Pool!
6. New Weapons Added To Monster Drops!
7. Two New Achievements!
So What Comes Next For Happy Bones?
So all this being said, the majority of this update that you're not seeing is a framework rework. I've redone a lot of the variables and switches in order to give me the ability to extend Happy Bones to its fullest capabilities.
This game has the finest community of players and supporters around, and I'm dedicated to making this the best possible experience it can be.
There's many of you who have 100% Completion on this game.
That means you've kept coming back every updated, loaded up your save files, and ventured back into the compound to destroy whatever new demons or adventures I've added.
I appreciate the heck out of that, that's awesome.
So I've decided I want to keep the updates for this game coming.
Therefore let's talk about what's coming with Update 1.4
First of all, by popular demand...I'm excited to confirm the SIXTH playable class for Happy Bones by showing you a screenshot of what it looks like in battle currently.
Yeah I know.
Awesome right?
The Sixth Class
'The Whisperer'
is a culmination of ALL the feedback I've gotten over the last 18 months of this game's lifespan. The Whisperer is the only class in the game that is able to speak to demons, and is able to win their loyalty over by performing certain tasks. Therefore it is the only class in the game that will have additional PERMANENT party members, which has been a highly requested feature.
You can even see them following you around outside of battles. You can even give them cute names (as I have)!
The Whisperer focuses on being able to take care of her team of demons and ensure they are able to take and deal as much damage as possible.
I'll have more details on that class in the near future!
'What Else?'
-More Graphical Improvements! The new cutscenes are great, and I think I'd like for more of the game to feature visuals such as those that add to the experience. Additionally I think the new battle UI makes the game feel like a less generic looking RPG, and I'm looking to do the same thing with the menus/inventory.
-A Quest Log The two new quests in the game are the two highest quality quests in the game, and I'd like to add more, in order to make them as comfortable as possible to keep up with I'll be adding a quest log.
-A Raised Level Cap
"WAIT WHAT? A RAISED LEVEL CAP?! BUT WHY?!"
Because I want to extend the length of Happy Bones' Main Story. When I started developing Happy Bones back in 2016 Zolob wasn't intended to be the final boss of the game but actually the midpoint.
Obviously that changed.
So consider this an expansion to the main game.
The level cap will be raised from Level 20 to Level 40, and every class will get new skills.
This major expansion to the main game will completely bridge the time between Happy Bones and Happy Bones Infernal, and help us understand Laura even better.
I expect it to add nearly 3 hours onto the main quests playtime, and it will expand the world by nearly 300%
Yeah, this sounds wild. It is. You're going to love it.
Don't lose your save files boys and girls, you'll be able to boot up your favorite one and continue your adventure.
Why Now?
Because you all wanted this. You supported this game and poured your heart and souls into feedbacks, reviews, YouTube videos.
And it's time I TRULY gave back to you all, I can sit here and give you Steam award all day but that doesn't feel like a true thank you to me.
You've helped me make Happy Bones great, but now we're going to make it legendary.
I am pouring all my development time this year into the production of this expansion, so I wouldn't expect another game release from me until fall of 2023.
But I have one lingering question for YOU.
What Do You Want To See?
Now is your chance to shape the final form of this game.
Let me know.
Much love.
Enjoy the Update.
From the bottom of my heart as always, thank you for playing.
I will have another announcement with more expansion details and screenshots coming soon.
Update this Halloween Season!
Y'all didn't think I'd disappoint for Halloween did you?!
First things first, sorry I've been quiet on here lately. Even on my Twitter I haven't spoke much publicly. I've been working on some other projects and finishing my first novel! I still care deeply for you all.
So let's talk about this update.
The majority of changes this update brings comes from player feedback so let's start there!
Improved Class Select Screen!
Yeah I know, it's a miracle. You can now freely browse the class select screen without an annoying pop up box every time you move! Each scroll gives a brief description of the class you're choosing, and players can simply hit ENTER to choose the class now.
Enhanced Cutscenes!
A few cutscenes have been expanded to give them some more OOMPH!
Namely some iconic bosses who deserved better and truly posed a greater threat than their intros gave initially gave off.
Expanded Areas!
A few areas have been slightly expanded offering new NPC's , new tasks, and expanded story... And of course...
New Monsters!
Like...
Flesh Golem! & Dearly Departed!
Additionally there will be a slew of new weapons and pins to collect, like this Shrunken Head!
Overall, I believe this update provides a nice new layer of paint for those that have already experienced Happy Bones, and a great addition for any newcomers to experience as well!
Thank You all for everything, many of my supporters have been added to the credits out of thanks for all you do whether it's promoting my work or simply finding bugs and posting them in the forums.
I hope you all enjoy this update when it releases later this October (before Halloween).
Much Love, and as always thank you for playing!
-FrostedFears
RPG Maker Festival Special Item Code!
To celebrate RPG Maker Festival...
Enter the code below into the Gift Machine in the Machine Cave in order to receive a BATTLE RAT!
112622
Unless you're on Mac, someday guys...someday you'll get that update.
So Happy Bones is being featured during the RPG Maker Festival Sale this year, and I just think that's the coolest thing, because if I could travel back in time and tell younger me that this would be happening someday he'd probably pee his pants. I mean, not that he didn't already pee his pants but maybe in excitement?
In order to elaborate on that I'm going to tell you the story of the first RPG I EVER made.
AND OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL TRAINWRECK IT WAS!
So let me set the scene here, the year is 2003, I'm in like the sixth grade or something right? I'm doing my 11 year old thing on the internet one day, probably listening to Green Day and looking around on emulation sites for something to play, trying to cope with the weight of my parents violent divorce and custody battles.
After a bit I find myself on some strange corner of the internet looking at a download link for RPG Maker 2000 by Don Miguele (FREE) .
Accompanying it were all these awesome screenshots of what looked like a legitimate way for an 11 year old to be able to easily make fully customized RPG adventures, I was psyched!
So I downloaded it...
And holy crap, it wasn't a virus.
It was awesome.
For once I was able to create the game I wanted to create, everything was within my limits!
I played around with the program for weeks learning the ins and the outs, while I was in class at middle school I would be drawing enemies and maps for an RPG I was working on. Slowly, bit by bit, what I was creating would become the first RPG I ever completed! It went by the name of...
Unburied
Oh yeah, super edgy sounding.
But it actually wasn't all that hardcore, in fact it was essentially my own take on an Earthbound styled game, because that's just what I liked to play in those years.
From what I remember of the general plot it went a lot like this:
In the region of Appleland lives a young boy named Karl who has just tragically lost his mother. Many weeks later his mother comes to him in a vision telling him that she is not at rest, and that a great coming disaster is causing animals and people to become violent, and to seek out her prior bandmates in order to piece together the symphony that will set her soul at east.
So obviously Karl has to do this right?
So Karl tells this to his dad and they leave home on an EPIC QUEST.
So they go to six different cities in Appleland, piecing together this musical piece.
Fighting rabid raccoons, turtles, ferrets, you know...
They're joined by a gorilla named KOKO and a young orphan girl named LENA.
They keep fighting weird stuff.
And then after 3 hours of grinding across plot holes, poorly drawn enemies, and listening to a MIDI version of Darude's Sandstorm as the OVERWORLD and BATTLE theme, they finally piece together the symphony, bringing peace to his mother's soul.
So I let my friends play it...and they didn't like it as much as I did...
But looking back I don't blame them because I just don't think the game made sense to them.
Good stuff, good memories.
Thanks for listening to the story of Unburied and HAPPY RPG MAKER DAY! If you're ever looking for a creative outlet I'll always personally suggest trying out RPG MAKER MV.
