Hey everyone, sorry for the delay in getting a second update posted here, but the last week and a half has been completely overwhelming. The Novelist has received far more attention than I expected, which is absolutely wonderful, but after 15 months of working on the game silently it was a huge change to suddenly have to think about working on the publicity side of things. I’m really swamped right now, but I’m deeply grateful that people have taken an interest in the game.

Anyway, here’s an assortment of links that recap some of what’s been going on this week:

• IGN Gameplay Video: This is the first public footage of The Novelist in action. They tried to keep it to 5 minutes, which is a really compressed timeline for a game like The Novelist, but it’s still worth watching to see what the moment-to-moment gameplay is like. The real meat of the game is making multiple decisions and shaping Dan’s relationships over time, which is the kind of thing that’s impossible to show in a short video. I hope to post a longer video soon that shows more of the chapter flow and gives a more normally-paced look at the game.
• I participated in Indie Press Day, which was a really great time. There were a bunch of indie games there, along with press, and it was really fun to see other games, play a few of them, and watch people play The Novelist. It was the first time I’ve ever had complete strangers play the game, which was exciting and also valuable from a playtesting perspective; I already have a list of things I want to improve in the game based on watching people play it for the first time. Keep an eye out for stories coming out of that event.
• I also sat down with Nathan Grayson from Rock Paper Shotgun today and let him play through a chapter of the game. We followed it up with an interview, so keep an eye on Rock Paper Shotgun for more coverage.
• Speaking of press, you can always get a look at the latest coverage on the Press page. If you scroll down, there are links to the ongoing coverage for the game, so bookmark that and check back every now and then!
• Remember, if you want to keep up with the game’s development there are a few different options. You can subscribe to the RSS feed by clicking the Follow link at the top of the page, you can find the game’s official Twitter feed at the top of the page, and you can follow me at @KentInPublic.
• If you haven’t already, please consider supporting the game on Steam Greenlight. From what I can tell the game is doing well in the voting, and with a little more support I’m hopeful that we can get the game on Steam!

So what’s next? Well, I owe a lot of journalists a lot of interview replies. It’s gonna take me a while to get through them all, but I’m deeply appreciative of their interest and am going to answer every last question.

And development on the game marches forward! I finished outlining the final chapters of the game late last week and am going to start writing them very soon. I’m also going to get around to some of the unsexy features you need in a game, like an options screen, to balance out the tough creative work.

But in the short term, I’ll be heading out of town for a Memorial Day weekend with my wife. It’s been an incredible week and a half since the announcement, but it’s also been utterly draining. I worked some … let’s say … very long hours prepping for the Indie Press Day and IGN demos, and just like Dan in the game I have to make sure to spend time with the people I love!

I hope you all have great weekends, and thanks so much for your continued support and encouragement. Working on this game is very difficult at times, and your kind words and enthusiasm really do pick me up. You guys are amazing.

-Kent