Well, the time has finally come! Royal Duality releases tomorrow on Steam for Windows and for Mac on Itch.IO (keep an eye on Twitter tomorrow for more details!)
It is our first release and we are... a little nervous. If you'd like to spare a kind word, please leave us a review.
It has been a long journey, with an incredible amount of hard work, dedication and patience, but we're finally here. We have immense gratitude that we need to share, but we will try and be succinct.
Thank yous
To our cast
We have been incredibly fortunate with our cast of voice actors. We not only received incredible performances that solidified our characters and gave them voices, but we had the privilege to work with kind, dedicated and supportive talent who respected what we set out to do and treated the project, and each other with the upmost respect. We thank you for your immense talent, but also - and equally importantly, for your generous spirit, cooperation and resolve.
To our proof-reader, content reviewers and testers
Good graphics, great vocal performances and an ambitious story are what many see when they play a game, but what many players cannot see is the pain-staking testing that takes place. We have had multiple people read the script and play this game again and again...and again (I daresay they won't be playing Royal Duality for quite a while upon release)! Without their commitment, you would not be receiving any game at all. Royal Duality may not be perfect, but it's closer than ever thanks to those who have taken the time to help us in these rather invisible endeavours.
To the providers of sound and music
Creative commons has allowed us to make this game sound great, we are grateful and humbled that so many musicians, Foley sound effect makers and sound artists have created resources for us to use for projects such as this one. There is a full credits document available within the game folder where you download Royal Duality which lists all of the full details, but there is also a list in the game itself. Please take the time to read and listen to more of the wonderful music and sounds from these artists.
To our supporters
Over the years that we've created Royal Duality, we've had advocates from within the project, family and friends and also enthusiasts from outside the project, helping us with their own expertise, providing us with motivation and having enthusiasm for what we've done. Whether it's a like or a retweet, or a verbal comment of excitement- we'd like to thank you all for your time, you've spared a thought for us, and we hope you can enjoy the game we've created.
To each other
Hyakuten games is led by two people - Hyaku and Ten, people with full-time jobs who create games in their spare time. Without each other, this project would never have been completed. So, we want to thank each other for all the work we've done to bring Royal Duality to life.
Hyaku's calm nature has helped Ten in times of immense stress. Hyaku's art, CGs and backgrounds make for an immersive and wonderfully aesthetic game, the time and effort is evident in every scene. She also spotted a variety of continuity errors, which provided more than a few moments of frustration for herself and Ten, but made the game what it is now.
Ten's determination and organisation skills had helped the project continue to progress, even when the entire world has been at a low ebb. She has acted as both the coder and primary script writer for the game, and has taken steps into the unknown for this project. She hopes she can sharpen her skills for the projects of the future :)
So...what's next?
Royal Duality's Audio Drama, 'The Tales of the Silent One' is in progress and will be released episodically. We hope that those who want to enjoy the story in a different way can listen to it and get a feel for the world that Royal Duality is set in.
There is also another game in the pipeline...if you get to the true ending of Royal Duality...you may just get a taste for what's coming next.
...But for now, we'll take a small rest... Thank you once again, and we sincerely hope you enjoy Royal Duality.
Hyakuten Games
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