Hi everyone :sasa:. Clea has just been released on Steam! No pre-scripted scares—your skills alone determine Clea's fate as she escapes from the Whitlock Mansion.
With multiple endings, secret chapters, as well as unlockable costumes and gallery images, I hope you will enjoy your time with Clea. Perhaps you might challenge and conquer Chaos Mode, which unlocks after your first run :neonya:?
Please remember to pick up that launch week costume via the in-game menu, by the way! Feel free to check out the demo version, which contains 1 of the 2 bonus dresses :vintydelusional:.
Also, in case you missed it, you can rep Without Within in-game with this Vinty mod!
Clea will be released on July 10th! Sometime next week, I will drop a Vinty color alt costume mod for the game, too. I very much hope you can consider wishlisting Clea, then show your boy some support on release day.
Thank you so much :vintysmile:!
The future of Without Within (struggle is real)
Recently, a reader asked about the possibility of a Without Within 1 and 2 remaster. Makes sense, since I would do a far better job now compared to 3-4 years ago.
That is, assuming I have the required budget, and unfortunately, in this saturated market (one that is niche to start with), I lack the sales numbers to justify such an endeavor :vintydread:.
First, I want to say thank you to everyone who sends me these messages. I still get emails telling me Without Within, especially the first one, has inspired people to pursue their dreams. If money were a non-issue, that would be enough fuel for me to continue.
And now, back to the topic at hand. If Vinty's adventures were to continue, some major changes must be in order. Here are a few ideas:
Light novels:
Before Steam Greenlight became a thing, I had spent 10-12 years writing away, hoping to one day complete a novel of publishable standard. If I continued the WOWI series in novel, or at least novella format, that could allow me to fulfil that dream. Light novels, after all, would be far cheaper to produce.
Format shifts:
Alternately, WOWI could remain in visual novel form. It will, however, need to go through drastic format changes. Have you played Narcissu? It would be more along those lines. Less images, and the text takes center stage. To many players, this will be seen as a downgrade.
Translations:
Here comes another hurdle—translation costs. Without Within 1 and 2 featured Chinese translations, but not the third instalment. As a script expands, translation costs also balloon. Visual novels contain more text than traditional games, which restricts localization possibilities.
Full circle:
The first game I published on Steam was Unhack, which attempted to combine storytelling and gameplay. By the way, did you know I program for my day job? In fact, I have loved to code since around 8-9 years old.
With that said, I would like to come full circle and once again put those skills to use. And so, for the foreseeable future, I am going back to traditional games.
Clea:
I would like to introduce you to Clea, a horror title I have been working on:
There is currently a prototype available, with a limited time to submit feedback and have your name listed under special thanks:
In summary, the Without Within series cannot continue in its current format. Still, I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas. I hope you can share them with me in the comments below.
Thank you so much! Vinty and I thank you :vintysmile:.
Without Within 3 released!
Hey everyone :vintysmile:. Without Within 3 has just been released!
And oh, here is a heads up; most of my games will go on sale a week before WOWI3 comes out. If you want to get in on some discounts, please check out Steam on April 30th. Hopefully it will be a nice lead into WOWI3's release.
Thank you :excelia:!
Thank you for the past five years (The Last Birdling released)
Hi everyone :vintysmile:! The recent sales week went very well, so I want to say thank you for that first.
And now for today's announcement—The Last Birdling is out :bibi:!
Bimonia is one of the last Birdlings alive on this earth. The Birdlings see humans as sworn enemies, and Bimonia has been taught to kill on sight.
One day, Bimonia meets Tayo, a human child hunting in the forest. Bimonia fails to kill Tayo, and they instead become friends. Mother will be furious if she finds out, or worse, this relationship may cause tension between the two species to erupt.
The Last Birdling explores Bimonia and Tayo’s fight for their friendship as the world threatens to tear them apart.
Follow Bimonia and Tayo’s journeys from alternating perspectives. With 21 decisions and 5 different endings, The Last Birdling is a culmination of all the lessons I have learned since 2012. There is a progress tracker available, which means players can unlock all the conclusions without any guides. I have also added a glossary feature, so those who wish to dive deeper can immerse themselves in the lore :lulululu:.
I hope you can give The Last Birdling a look and spread the word. As always, a review afterward would be much appreciated, since it will help other gamers out :airin:.
Thank you for the last five years of support :yoyo:!
Without Within 3's new artist
Hi everyone! Hope you are all doing well. It was my birthday a few days ago, so I am still in a happy mood :excelia:.
Karousel-k is Vinty's original artist, and she provided the illustrations for both Without Within 1 and 2. This year, due to scheduling conflicts, we have decided to part ways for now. Should we start by thanking her for all the work she has done? Without her art, Vinty and Excelia's stories would not have been the same :vintywhy:.
Today, I would like to introduce you to our new artist, Arisa-Chibara. Here is a preview of her work so far:
And of course, we cannot let a post pass by without Vinty:
With the extra time needed to find our new artist, I have concerns about releasing WOWI3 before Christmas. Since the story takes place in December, a timely release would be great, but quality comes first, so we will see as the months unfold.
In addition to this, I would like to use this chance to share with you my next project, The Last Birdling:
When I reflect, I realize I have been doing this for five years. Not sure if a nobody like me is allowed to brag about a five year anniversary project, but The Last Birdling would meet that criteria, and Without Within 3 as well, of course.
Thank you so much :vintysmile:!
Without Within 3 in Christmas 2017
Hey everyone! Hope you have been enjoying 2016 ːexceliaː.
Well, this is it—I have decided to produce Without Within 3 in 2017. The story this time will take place during Christmas, so I am hoping for a timely release in around November. Please look forward to joining Vinty on her next adventure!
You know, Without Within 2 is not at all a financial success, and I gave this series a lot of thought during my Singapore and Malaysia trip back in 2015. I am thankful for everyone's support, but those Chinese translations pushed the project over budget, so the journey has been difficult.
No, I need to let Without Within end. I love Vinty, but I cannot progress my career with a niche series like this, I thought to myself.
Then one evening, I took a stroll around the streets of Penang, and as I gazed toward the distant beach, the ideas came flooding in. Vinty was telling me that hey, my story is far from over.
Perhaps Vinty meets a new calligrapher in Malaysia? No, maybe she reunites with Excelia first. Is there a new character, and if so, who is this person? Well, maybe this, or perhaps that.
All right, I am sneaking back to my hotel to type this all up.
You folks play a big part in this as well. Most of my other titles are more financially successful than Without Within, but none of them have bonded us together in the same way. One guy messaged in to say Vinty's tale has inspired him to pursue his photography dreams, while another girl is actually into calligraphy as well. There is just no way to tag a price on stories like these.
So yes, this is why I have no choice but to keep going. I know many players have no interest in the sightseeing aspects of WOWI2. Well, I am sorry, but I want to keep sharing my passion with you, so WOWI3 will continue that trend with links to real life footage of Singapore and Malaysia.
It sucks to end things on a downer, but to set expectations early, due to budget issues, it is extremely unlikely that WOWI3 will feature Chinese translations. I am deeply sorry about this, and it is my fault that Vinty’s adventures have not been well received enough to justify the costs involved. Some players have kindly offered to provide fan translations, but this is beyond my control, so I cannot make any guarantees.
Thank you everyone ːvintysmileː!
The future of Without Within
Hello everyone :excelia:! I will be sharing this on both the WOWI 1 and 2 boards, so sorry about the double post.
A couple of years ago, I found artist Karousel because I wanted to create a mascot for the InvertMouse brand:
Original sketch VS Karousel's render
And so came the birth of Vinty, who later starred in her own Without Within series. The first game was free, which certainly helped with reaching as many gamers as possible. I have never released a title that was loved (and hated!) by so many people before, so WOWI 1 will always hold a special place in my heart. Thank you to everyone who connected with this struggling calligrapher through the WOWI series.
When I heard Karousel wants to focus on her own projects in 2016, I knew I needed to make a post and celebrate the work she has done in the past few years. I wish for her continued success as an artist, so here is her website for those who wish to keep in touch:
http://www.karouselart.com/
If you enjoyed the Without Within series, be sure to let her know! Vinty is not just my character or Karousel’s. At this point, she belongs to the entire community.
As we proceed, I could find a new artist for Vinty and her games, but the truth is, I too am looking to change up my formula starting from 2017. During my Singapore and Malaysia trip last year, a new adventure for Vinty did cross my mind. Unfortunately, I am unsure when or if this story will be brought to life.
If I were to continue the WOWI series, I want to continue that travel novel trend from the second title. Vinty visits a new location, and there will be real life footage scattered throughout the adventure. I have a deep love for places, and I enjoy sharing this passion through the WOWI games.
However, according to most of WOWI 2’s negative reviews, many people do not share this sentiment, which is totally okay. I tried my best to mix storytelling with sightseeing, but perhaps I did not do good enough of a job, as some gamers thought the plot was lacking compared to WOWI 1. Most people enjoyed WOWI 2, but the feedback does shake my confidence to continue this series in the tourism direction.
Next comes the translation costs. Both WOWI 1 and 2 are available in Chinese as well as English. I barely broke even with WOWI 2’s development costs, and the translation fees played a huge role. If I ever produced WOWI 3, I doubt I would be able to feature another Chinese translation. This sort of thing happens even for larger titles, but the potential disappointment from players does frighten me quite a bit.
I am keen to share Vinty and Excelia’s next adventure with the world, but I am trying to grow this brand, and I think the market dictates I should venture in a new direction. Definitely not closing the books forever just yet, though.
Thank you for reading through this! Please feel free to share your thoughts :vintysmile:.
