- August 2026 Update - 22 August 2026
Hey everyone, It has been a year since my last update, and I wanted to briefly check in. I can't believe how quickly it has gone by, and I appreciate everyone's positive comments. Time away from working on the game has genuinely been good for me, and I've especially done a lot of things to address other aspects of my life that indirectly affect development, such as my health. The project is still very much not cancelled, and I'm pleased to report that it is coming out of hiatus as I've gotten back into a more regular gamedev schedule. Though I don't have anything exciting to share just yet, I've been mostly re-establishing my workflow and getting back into the mindset of creating. Unfortunately, Early Access will be delayed (again) until 2027. I'd like to keep a date floating above my head, even if it is not set in stone. Thank you as always for your patience, understanding, and kind fe…
- Honest Update - August 2025 - 21 August 2025
Hey everyone, I tend to put off giving these kinds of updates. They're embarrassing, and I know most folks following a game project just want to hear about the game. But I suppose it is a good indication that there's a human behind the work after all. Getting right to the point: Early Access is delayed until 2026. Progress has been too painstakingly minimal to meet my ambitious deadline of this year. The rest of this update is just the honest and kind of boring human stuff, so feel free to continue reading if you like that sort of thing. It's been 4 months since my last update, and I kept telling myself I'd just wait until I had a lot of cool progress or stuff to show and make a big comeback. But the days continue to fly by and I think it's probably more important to just give a real update, even if it is frustrating. I briefly touched on this in previous devlogs, but to be completely t…
- Spring 2025 Update & Early Access Details - 28 April 2025
Hello everyone, As you can see, I opted not to do a strict monthly update and instead focus more on the project. But I'm happy to report some progress and check in. As the weather gets a little warmer where I am, my motivation also gets a bit of a boost. Here's the contents for this month's log: - Early Access details - Development progress - Continuing plans Let's get into it. Early Access Details As mentioned in the 2024 summary, the game will not launch in separate paid parts, but instead in early access. It's a bit ironic, because I've flip-flopped on this idea since I published the initial Steam page in 2021. However, unlike 4 years ago, I am feeling much more confident in my ability to provide meaningful updates and communicate and engage with those who are invested in the early iterations of the game. I have also finally updated the website and Steam page to reflect this. I apolo…
- RPG Maker Festival 2025 Demo Stream Re-runs - 3 February 2025
Get a glimpse of some of last years Next Fest streams and demo playthroughs, running all through the RPG Maker festival!
- 2024 Year-End Summary - 10 January 2025
And just like that, it's 2025. I admit that I tend to use developers logs as an opportunity to be candid. I think as an indie developer, I am both blessed and burdened by the direct connection with my audience. I can go at my own pace, with my own voice, but I also feel obligated to provide updates on how the game is progressing, even if things aren't going as planned. But seeing as a lot of fellow creatives and developers read these, I just hope that my honesty provides some solace. Introduction 2024 was perhaps the most challenging year since I began working on Legends of Astravia in 2018. Experiencing a significant loss in the spring, then later attending an event I've always dreamed about in the fall is a testament to what a rollercoaster this year truly was. And despite the finish line still feeling so far away, I've resolved to move forward with a little more confidence. I'm a bit…
- Developer's Log - August 2024 - 23 August 2024
Hello everyone, Sorry this devlog ended up arriving so late. Between some exciting news that I needed to prepare for, as well as battling a few demons (metaphorical, not literal. I wish I was that cool), it was tough to get words on paper. I have a lot of really big announcements and excitement to share, though. Also, I'm going to try something a little different and put a little summary / table of contents at the start of each devlog. So here's what to expect for this one: Official demo page added to Steam (+ leave your reviews!) Extremely exciting super special announcement Development progress report Minor release plans adjustment Official Demo Page Last month, Steam announced a new feature where demos could get their own individual pages on Steam, and thus have a separate description, assets, as well as reviews. This is pretty cool... albeit a tad frustrating given it would have bee…
- Demo 0.7.0 Update - 22 June 2024
Hello everyone! So far, response to the demo has been good. A few folks pointed out some issues during Next Fest, and I was finally able to address some of them. The 0.7.0 demo update is now live, and fixes the following: The game engine was updated on Windows. Note that aggressive antivirus software may flag this as false positive since it will appear as a "new" program. Please feel free to report any issues. Addressed performance issues on Windows, and defaulted to DirectX 11 instead of OpenGL. We'll keep an eye out for any issues that may arise for folks on older hardware, but it should overall be a huge improvement. Special thanks to Eblo for this one. Fixed a bug where you couldn't fast-forward and defend at the same time in battle if you were using an Xbox controller. This one was pretty egregious and lead to battles feeling a bit clunky. Miscellaneous fixes for certain exotic con…
- Post-Next Fest Summary - 17 June 2024
Hello everyone, After a week of excitement, Next Fest June 2024 Edition finally comes to an end. To each and every one of you who tried out the demo, provided feedback, and wishlisted the game--thank you so much!! I'd like to make a few announcements and let you know my plans as they relate to the demo release and Next Fest. Later this week, I will have a detailed postmortem on Next Fest from the developer perspective, which I will post on www.studioalemni.com. Then, regular monthly Developer's Logs will resume, updating everyone on the game's progress. Demo Staying Available In case you missed it: the demo was not removed, and will remain available until closer to the game's release. There were so many games in Next Fest, I see no reason to penalize folks who had interest in the game but haven't been able to check it out yet. So please feel free to take as much time as you need to chec…
- Legends of Astravia Demo Stream Re-runs - 12 June 2024
Missed the developer's stream or just want to check the game out? That's what this event is for!
- Next Fest Begins! Check out the demo and developer livestreams! - 10 June 2024
Check out Legends of Astravia's new demo, livestreams and more--Steam's June 2024 Next Fest starts now! Catch the developer Jaiden (me!) as I stream LIVE on the following dates and times: Tuesday, June 11th @ 9PM EDT Saturday, June 15th @ 8AM EDT I will be playing through the demo, discussing my development process and answering questions about the game. Note that while the demo is available in Japanese, developer streams and Q&A will only be available in English. Regardless, I will certainly do my best to answer questions in any language with the help of machine translation. I am looking forward to it! And if you can’t make it, there will also be pre-recorded streams running for the duration of the festival. Here’s to a fun and exciting festival filled with great upcoming games!
- Legends of Astravia's demo is now available! - 30 May 2024
Cast spells, solve puzzles, and uncover secrets alongside a mystic companion in this introduction to the magical world of Astravia! Download the demo for free right here on Steam! It is available in both English and Japanese, on Windows, macOS and Linux (Steam Deck). Please be sure to check the system requirements for more information. We've confirmed the game runs great on the Steam Deck! Any bugs or issues can be reported via this form on the Studio Alemni website. We’ll also be keeping an eye on the community page and in the official Discord server for reports. Additionally, any and all feedback is more than welcome, and will help make the game the best it can be when the full version releases. Thank you again for your endless support. And an extra special thanks to... Ryuuen Tanaka, for drawing the incredible new art of Oliver and Azel (and all of the other various, wonderful art pi…
- Demo Launching May 30th! - 23 May 2024
I’m incredibly happy to announce that the new demo for Legends of Astravia launches right here on Steam next Thursday, May 30th! Cast spells, solve puzzles, and uncover secrets alongside a mystic companion in this 1-hour introduction to the magical world of Astravia. The demo will be available in both English and Japanese and be playable on Windows, macOS and SteamOS – we’ve confirmed it runs great on the Steam Deck! It's wonderful that so many people are excited to play the demo, so this will be everyones' chance to catch an early glimpse a whole 10 days before the June 2024 Next Fest starts. Thank you, as always for all of your support. I hope everyone is excited to see what Legends of Astravia has to offer!
- Developer Demo Playthrough and Q&A - 14 May 2024
Get a hands-on look at Legends of Astravia's new demo as the developer Jaiden plays through it and talks about their design process and more. Saturday, June 15th at 8AM EST (in your timezone)
- Developer Demo Playthrough and Q&A - 14 May 2024
Get a hands-on look at Legends of Astravia's new demo as the developer Jaiden plays through it and talks about their design process and more. Tentative Date: Tuesday, June 11th at 9PM EST Please keep an eye on our upcoming updates in case this time changes. Finalized dates and times will be announced a week before Next Fest.
- Legends of Astravia is Coming to Steam Next Fest! - 2 May 2024
I’m pleased to announce that Legends of Astravia will be in the upcoming Steam Next Fest from June 10th to June 17th! Be sure to follow the game right here on Steam to be first to know when the demo launches, as well as catch livestreams, chat with the developer (me!) and learn more about the game. Note that developer streams and Q&A will only be available in English, but I’ll do my best to answer questions from all languages with the help of machine translation! Visit the Steam News hub and make sure you’re following Legends of Astravia: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1233680 Stay tuned for more information! -Jaiden
- Developer's Log - February 2024 - 11 March 2024
Hi everyone, Things are going well, especially with regards to the game's new demo. This developers log will be jam-packed with announcements and exciting news, so let's jump right into it! Announcements Marketing Refresh, New Art and New Trailer For those of you who missed it--there's a brand new trailer that showcases the new art, gameplay and snippets of story since 2022. It's very short, but I think it's a great little teaser. Check it out here: There's also a new vertical box art, which illustrates the main cast you'll be traveling with the first half of the main story: A very special thank you to Ryuuen Tanaka for putting the lineart and shading for this piece together! And to go along with all of this, marketing got a big refresh across all channels. You can check it out on the Steam Page. Demo 100% Complete! The 2024 demo is done! Of course, this doesn't mean it's ready to play…
- Developer's Log - January 2024 - 9 February 2024
Note: In order to maintain pretty pixel ratio, images will open in the current tab/window when clicked. Hello everyone, So far we're kicking the year off nice and strong, as progress on the new demo is going extremely well. This month I have the opposite problem that I usually have when putting together a devlog--there was too much done to share! I'm also going to structure devlogs a little differently now; I will start with any exciting news, announcements, etc. before moving on to the actual progress. Wall of text first, then pretty pictures :) New Demo 80% Done It's almost a bit surreal working on the revised demo. A lot really has changed, and it's fun to see how my process has become more optimized. The process for making cutscenes is more streamlined, with a clear process from writing the draft, integrating, and testing. And by applying the "layered cake" method that Fang taught m…
- 2023 Year-End Summary - 8 January 2024
Hello everyone, 2023 has finally come to an end. I'll admit, I began writing this developer's log thinking I'd only have a couple of bullet points for the game's development and progress. However, it turns out this year has been a very productive one, and just because the game isn't done yet doesn't mean amazing progress wasn't made. My resolution is to be more kind to myself as an independent developer, and understand that the project is not funded and that I am working on it entirely in my spare time. With that in mind, and looking just how much we got done this year, I think the project is doing pretty darn good! This devlog is a lengthy summary broken into three parts: December's development progress, a summary of the entire year, and plans / announcements for 2024. Buckle up, because this is a long one! December Developer's Log December went well, likely due to the holidays and the…
- Developer's Log - November 2023 - 11 December 2023
Hello everyone, This is a shorter developers log, but I am happy to report this has been a productive month. A lot of work is still being done "under the hood", and as such there's not quite as much to show. Backend, Backend, Backend One of the biggest bottlenecks in development at this point is data editing and testing. Legends of Astravia uses a lot of custom scripts and data, and as such, this requires closing the game, making edits to code, reopening the game, in an endless cycle during content development. I finally bit the bullet and decided to change how the game handles and loads custom data, and it's likely quadrupled my efficiency. Now instead of needing to constantly close and reopen the game when making edits, I have a couple files I can edit right at runtime. Additionally, testing battle sequences was a horrifying process. It admittedly lead to me delaying on making cool ne…
- Developer's Log - September & October 2023 - 6 November 2023
Hello everyone, This is indeed another combined two-month devlog, sorry to keep you all waiting. Things have been immensely chaotic, making it difficult to round up progress. But no matter how quiet it gets on social media and update channels, the game is always being worked on! Fang and I did some really cool stuff the past two months, and we made some interesting discoveries about the best way to deliver this massive game. I do hope it will make the wait worthwhile. Let's take a look at some progress, and some info regarding the demo that was due for the fall. Development Progress Animation Graphics Fang sorted through and put together dozens of battle animations. I look forward to bringing these fancy effects into the game soon so you can see them in action: Writing Fang and I have spent a lot of our time in the past few months working on the game's writing. We thought we had it down…
