Dev Log – Backgrounds and Environments Update

In this update, I focused on one of the elements that has the biggest impact on immersion: backgrounds and environments.

Up until now, many of the backgrounds did their job, but they didn’t fully convey the atmosphere, depth, and visual consistency I was aiming for. The goal of this update was to make each scene feel more alive, clearer, and more polished, without distracting from the characters or the gameplay.

Casey progression: Of course, there has also been progress on the female progression side  as many of you already know with Casey  but this dev log will focus specifically on the visual and aesthetic improvements.

🖼️ General background improvements

Multiple backgrounds have been redrawn and refined to improve composition, contrast, and overall readability.

Color and lighting adjustments were made so each area has a clearer identity and a stronger sense of atmosphere.

Flat or repetitive elements were removed to avoid scenes feeling empty or lifeless.

🌗 More depth and volume

Backgrounds are now built with layered elements to create a better sense of depth and avoid the “flat wall” look.

Softer shadows and smoother gradients help characters blend more naturally into the environment.

More natural transitions between foreground and background elements.

🎮 Improved in-game readability

Backgrounds now compete less with the characters, keeping the player’s focus where it should be.

A better balance between visual detail and clarity, especially in longer or dialogue-heavy scenes.

Adjustments were made to ensure the game looks good on both large and small screens.

📘 Tutorial presentation improvements

The tutorials have received a visual pass to make them look cleaner and more professional. Layout, presentation, and overall clarity have been improved to provide a better first-time experience. 

These improvements were possible thanks to the continued support from the community, which allows me to keep raising the overall quality of the project.

🔧 A stronger foundation for future scenes

This update isn’t just about visuals. It also sets a solid foundation for:

More complex environments.

Longer and more dynamic scenes.

Better integration of effects, lighting, and animations in future updates.

The updated prologue is now available to download on itch.io.

Is there any specific environment or visual detail you’d like to see improved next?