Hi lovely patrons!Let's have a chat about episode 2. First thing's first - we're already working on it and have been for a few months, prior to the release of episode 1. We didn't really know what we were doing when we initially started on this project, which understandably slowed things down a bit, but now that we've gotten a lot of experience beneath our belts, production should be more streamlined and a little faster (plus, we don't have to build an engine from scratch for episode 2). The goal is to have episode 2 fully released by mid-2026 (targeting June/July), which I think is quite achievable!
The team is very excited about the next episode, because we finally get to dive deeper into the story. Episode 1 had to serve as an introduction to the world and characters, of course, but episode 2 is going to really propel things forward and dig deeper into existing storylines. Here's some of the things you'll see in episode 2 (note, early WIPs)...
New characters! You'll be meeting Jo's girlfriend, Peach:
And Sebastien's and Emma's parents:
New locations! You'll be seeing some familiar places, of course, but episode 2 takes us on a road trip with the badgers as they head to Montana to deal with Gram Gram's inheritance. Here's a look at the waiting room of the memory care facility:
And you'll see some locations that are updated for fall, like the Gazebo:
... and the faculty lounge:
Since the story takes place over an entire school year, we wanted to make sure we had season-appropriate changes in backgrounds where it made sense to do so. Not only do the backgrounds change with the seasons, but so do our sprites! Every season, our sprites get a new outfit, and episode 2 takes place during autumn, so that means you can expect an autumn outfit for main-cast sprites. Here's our fanciful principal rocking his fall threads (RIP all that pink on his summer outfit):
Now, let me give you an update on each individual area of production for episode 2 so you have an idea of where we are...
Writing:
Writing began a few months ago. I'd say I'm about 60% of the way through the first draft (though the entire episode and each individual scene is already outlined; that's a pre-first-draft step that was done a long time ago), and I'm very happy with what's already down on the page, and our talented editor will only make it better. I've worked and tweaked the emotional focal point scenes in episode 2 quite a lot already, and I think they're going to be very impactful in the final product. Note that episode 2 is expected to be around double the length of episode 1, coming in right around 50k words. This wasn't necessarily by design/intent; it's just the length the episode needs to be in order to do the job right.
Character Art:
Lots and lots of work to be done here (please cheer Flint on!). We've got all those new characters (meaning sprites + dolls, the chibi BG overlays, for each), new outfits, new custom expressions, and of course, CGs. Sprite production is well under way, which is our first focus. Then, we'll move to CGs and doll overlays. We'll definitely have a few animated CG cutscenes in this episode like we did in episode 1. I'm insanely excited for some of these, like the one that ends episode 2.
Background Art:
Reo's already completed a few of the BGs for this episode. We're trying to increase the dynamicism of our BGs even further for episode 2 where possible. A goal is to have at least one animated element in most backgrounds.
Episode 2 has a number of backgrounds that will be returning from episode 1, some of them with seasonal updates on them. You'll also be seeing more of the Grainger household:
For longtime fans, you might remember this design from a picture Kygen drew; we used that as the model for their living room. There's several easter eggs in this background, and I'm looking forward to the scenes that use it because they're so tender and warm. ❤️
Audio:
AJMW is already knocking it out of the park with new music; a couple of tracks have made me cwy (for real). We'll have 12 new tracks for episode 2, in addition to custom foley where it's called for like usual.
Programming/Features:
We're beginning to pick away at some of the improvements we want to make (such as working on the "back" button functionality as I type this out) for an eventual patch for episode 1 and inclusion into all future episodes. Adding controls that allow you to control your reading experience more granularly is a major focus for us - things like allowing more precise saving, pausing/skipping cutscenes, an audio slider for cutscenes, etc. Secondary features like a gallery are important to us, but are lower on the priority list with respect to those other features. We hope to have a gallery implemented in episode 2, but that's time and budget dependent.
We're always interested in feedback if you want to leave some for us, and I'll answer questions/comments as am able during the upcoming months of development. I'll share updates as we progress. Thank you so much for your support; this is mostly an entirely self-funded venture, so your funds are very much appreciated and immediately set to use!
-TanukiDad