Post-Jam Patch Notes

Hello all,

I am very proud to announce our post-Jam update, called "Hidden Passions",  has been released out to the public! We've put in a lot of work over the last month and a half to make this game a more complete experience.

Included in those changes are some requested quality-of-life changes, including: expanding (or contracting) the length of the various routes, re-organizing the game so it is no longer a linear experience (as asked by popular demand), and adding an "estimated time of completion", in order to give the player more choice in the direction of the game.

We've also included remastered versions of the majority of the route conversation music, as well as two additional music tracks! (One of which was accidentally included in the initial release... whoops!) To showcase these changes, we created a music room, complete with author's comments, so you can enjoy these tracks whenever you like. (Though, we recommend checking it out after you've completed all the routes, as there are spoilers and tracks unlock after you discover them.)

But perhaps our biggest change is the addition of a new, secret route!

This ending has two potential conditions: 1) by collecting a certain number of points through the other routes or 2) by collecting all four good endings. Points for the secret route are obtained by answering certain questions a certain way throughout the other routes. If you collect enough of these points, a fifth option will appear.  The option should also appear for any save file which has all four good ends registered, in a classic "golden ending" fashion. (Please let us know if this is not the case!)

This was something we had originally intended to include in the full Jam entry, but it was sadly axed due to time. Now that we've had some time to assemble it together, we hope you'll enjoy this chapter and what it has to offer.

Outside of any potential bugs which get reported (or any additional music), this will likely be our last update of this game. The overwhelming positive response we had in the Jam judging period was simply amazing, and I cannot express enough the motivation it has given me and the rest of the crew to bring this game to its final form.

On a personal note, it has been quite a journey creating KDDS-- not too dissimilar to the one Kokoro experiences in our story-- and it has filled me with a great passion for writing and game design I never thought I would have the opportunity (or courage) to feel or make happen.  This is the first time I've been the head of a creative project or written a screenplay in nearly 10 years. It was something I had a lot of doubts I would ever be able to do again.

To not only put KDDS out, but for it to be welcomed and embraced by the Touhou fan community-- to the point where we were the #4 entry overall-- is incredibly validating. I eagerly looked forward to every comment, and cried tears of joy when we got our results... KDDS was truly a passion project by every definition of the term, from the first concept drafts of a speed-dating sim to the final project: a gigantic visual novel which had deep conversations about personal identity, queer love, embracing your eccentricities and loving someone through hard times.

Myself and many of the others on our team learned many lessons along the way of creating this game, not just from our experiences as a collective, but from playing the games of many of our peer groups in Pride Jam 4.

Luyuu's "The Little Rabbit Princess and The House of Eternity" and megapig9001's "Touhou Heart of the Tiger" were especially instrumental in creating the tone of our secret route. This route was something which was made with a lot of love and care;  Aqwa took their time in crafting a scenario which fit the best for the characters involved, while I pulled from a lot of my personal experiences to inform the conversations which are had between each of the characters in the route.

I hope the sincerity of what we try to say will shine through.

If you've played the game already, I highly encourage you to come back to the game with new eyes and see the secret ending. If you have yet to play KDDS, I encourage you to be deliberate, allow yourself to be atune to your feelings, and take your time in understanding what you see.

Whether you've played before or are blind to the game, we hope at the very least, KDDS is an experience which can help you appreciate the impact which even just a small labor of love can have in the right moment. 

Cordially,

junejijo, on behalf of BakaBaku Circle