Hello again, Magical Girls! Rachel here with one last Lock & Key update.
It’s been quite the journey, hasn’t it? Lock & Key has changed a great deal over the years; art style, story, dev team, UI, backgrounds…it’s almost hard to believe how much both the game and its devs have grown over time. Those of you who have been around for both demos are no doubt aware of all the improvements we’ve made, improvements that were only possible thanks to your support. Sherri and Kealey’s journey is your journey just as much as it is ours. And while our road may have come to an end, yours stretches outward into infinity. This story and its characters belong to you now. Treat them well!
I started working on the concept that would eventually become Lock & Key when I was in my mid-20s, and it stemmed in part from my fear about turning 30 and entering that next chapter of my life. I’m 31 now. L&K got me through that terrifying transition by being a story about transition. Moving from one phase of life to another, one form of personhood to another, is scary as hell! Yes, it’s ultimately an arbitrary number, but an arbitrary milestone is still a milestone. And like many milestones, it comes with a choice. So this story is one of choices as well. Not choices between “good” and “bad,” but choices about how best to see the world and how best to prepare for the future.
Like many young girls from my generation, I grew up loving a specific Magical Girl series: Sailor Moon. When I injured my hand while working on Heart of the Woods back in 2018, I took the time to sit down and rewatch the whole thing (this time in Japanese instead of the terrible english dub I grew up with.) Before then, I had a very complicated relationship with the genre; becoming an adult shattered a lot of my illusions about the power of girlhood upon realizing just how much being a woman in today’s world can kind of suck, and I felt a bit betrayed in an odd way. But rewatching the series reminded me that despite everything, there’s still power to be found in womanhood. You just have to measure your expectations. Lock & Key was born in part from that understanding. So…thanks, hand injury?
That being said, every person who worked on Lock & Key had their own passion for the Magical Girl genre. We had our own favorite shows, our own history with the genre growing up, etc. etc. Everyone’s perspective played a role in shaping the final product, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Game development is a collaborative process, after all!
So I guess that’s it. Tomorrow, you’ll be able to see this journey through to the end–or multiple ends, to be specific. I do hope you enjoy the story enough to give it more than one run; every ending has its own merits, even the quote unquote “bad” ones. You’ll understand once you see them for yourself. Just remember not to spoil the mystery for anyone who hasn’t learned the truth yet! I can’t wait to see how people feel about the answer to this mystery, but I don’t want it to get in the way of other people’s enjoyment. You know the drill.
And before I go…I want to say thank you one last time. No matter what the future holds for all of us, it has truly been an honor to share our story with you. I’m eternally grateful. Thank you so, so much.
With love, now and always,
Rachel