Hey everyone! TanukiDad with our May 2026 project development update. I'll cover the visual novel and then follow with news about the cookbook.
Visual Novel
Let's talk timelines, since there's some pretty significant news on this front, starting with a personal lesson learned - don't put the expected release date of the next episode at the end of your credits. 😅
The date for episode 2 in the credits is listed as "mid-2026", but in full transparency, the best case for "mid" (and I wouldn't really call it mid at this point) is September. In all likelihood, we're looking at a November/December release date. I know this is disappointing to hear, but there's several reasons for this, and none of them are because we're having an issue/problem with production - we're always working on it, and we're making very good progress. There's also a lot of benefits we (and you!) will get out of this change in release schedule, which I'll mention after the why's:
Episode 2 is more than double the length of episode 1, and might even end up being three times as long when all is said and done (60k - 75k range is expected). It'll be 4-6 hours of playtime depending on your reading speed and how much you're taking time to ogle environments/artwork. Obviously that amount of writing takes more time to do than the 22k that was episode 1. This extra writing isn't bloat or filler; there's a lot going on and a lot of characters to catch up with/follow - including 5 brand new ones. The editor and I have also raised the bar on our writing and applied new "rules" to ensure we're keeping things fresh and to a higher quality of narration than episode 1 had. This approach takes a bit of extra time as well.
Additionally, because of all the anti-trans rhetoric and laws being passed, I got a little miffed and wanted to do my (admittedly tiny) part by adding a trans character to the story, so that there was more representation in our cast and for trans visibility. This character was not originally in the script/story so they required a bit of extra time to develop - but this character and their storyline turned out awesome, so it was worth it.
We're using more assets in general, and not just because of the increased length of the episode. We're letting dolls do more of the work of describing actions alone as opposed to including it in narration, so that means more custom dolls need to be drawn for each scene (and dolls are one of the most time consuming art assets to create). We're also using a few more CGs in general to help with keeping things feeling dynamic and cinematic. Basically, there's a ton of work left on the artists' plates, especially Flint's.
I can assure you that the wait will be worth it, though, because all these things we're doing are going to wow you compared to your experience in episode 1.
Our goal for this next episode is to make it feel like you're watching a major installment in a movie series. We are heavily focused on making the experience feel more dynamic and film-like. More movement. More closeups. Dynamic lighting changes. Snappier scenes. Use of cinematic camera movement/placement, depth of field, filters, and color grading. We want you to walk away from episode 2 feeling that you watched/read something that was like a movie presented in the format of a VN.
While episode 2's artwork is being produced (and Midori and I have finished the script), we'll be doing some edits on episode 1 to improve the visual experience (with our updated engine functionality which did not exist yet) fix some of the ickier spots of my writing which can definitely be improved, fix a typo that snuck through (damnit), and do some cuts where things get a little too bogged down. The story won't change, but it will read a lot better when it's revised. Revising/fixing episode 1 was always going to be necessary, so having a little gap on the writing side of things open up towards the end of production will help us get this done now rather than later.
We'll also be working on episode 3's outline and getting production asset needs logged in Trello tickets so we can start cranking on episode 3 once 2 is done.
Badgercakes Cookbook
While VN production is ongoing on all fronts, so is the cookbook! WuskytheHusky (our professional chef) has 100% finished and authored all recipes that will be in the cookbook, of which there are 32 in total. Yes, these are real recipes! That may not sound like a lot, but with the amount of artwork, writing, and recipe instruction in the book, it'll end up being around 120-130 pages long. Yowza!
You'll see some of the recipes directly in the VN (or at least hear them referenced), so this has real tie-in if you demand in-universe continuity when it comes to themed cookbooks.
Soul Nero has been doing incredible work on the art front, and I want to stress how this is turning out to be just as much an art book as it is a cookbook. It's also a personal insight into Sebastien's thoughts on his recipes and family, as the entire thing is written from his viewpoint (which has been a ton of fun to write).
Note: The text in this cookbook preview isn't fully edited yet, so expect some minor mistakes/spacing issues. We'll fix everything before release, of course.
Being that only the artwork and writing (only, he says) is left at this point, I expect a holiday release is very possible for the cookbook (meaning November/December). We're shopping around publishers at the moment, but we'll self publish if necessary (print-on-demand). A digital version will be available as well.
That's all for the May update. The team appreciates your continued support and patience as we work to bring you the highest quality Sweet Leaves material we can make!
Happy spring,
TanukiDad