Hanako Games

Long Live The Queen (original game announcement)

#1 by hanako - Dec 14 2011

While Magical Diary is stalled due to artist unavailability, I'm not sitting around doing nothing; here's another little project we have going on at the moment.

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#2 by FantasyFan - Dec 14 2011

Oooh, that looks interesting. I love the background. "Mood," "Classes," could this be another school game?

#3 by Cerberusia - Dec 14 2011

I really like the look of that - rich colours, and the fancy clock on the right hand side is a nice touch. Raising sim, perhaps?

#4 by hanako - Dec 14 2011

Not school exactly - she has private tutors. She is, after all, the (almost) Queen.

But yes, it is a sim.

#5 by FantasyFan - Dec 14 2011

Ooooh, a royalty sim, now I'm REALLY interested.

#6 by kyoli - Dec 14 2011

i am getting all excited now! ^_^ can't wait to see what this game will be like! ^_^ i need to start saving my money so i can buy all the amazing games you have on here!

Re: Another project in development

#7 by Yuki - Dec 15 2011

hanako:

...stalled due to artist unavailability...

Yeah, I know exactly how you feel.

The game looks good though. Interesting concept.

#8 by opheliastornoway - Dec 16 2011

I saw your blog post about this concept - so glad you've decided to go ahead with it!

So, excluding the disappearing artists phenomenon, how long-ish would you say until you're able to release this? I know it's super early days, but my sis would love this game and I'd like to know whether it would be best to pencil it in as a gift now or leave it until further down the track (curse having to pre-budget presents, seriously, ugh).

#9 by perch - Dec 16 2011

Well, I know what I'm putting aside a bit of cash for over the holiday season. I'm agreeing with everyone else on the beautiful rich colors. Plus yay, another sim raiser.

Though I'm sad about your artist troubles and hope those get resolved soonish.

#10 by hanako - Dec 16 2011

I expect a very limited secret test (NOT of the whole game, but letting a few people play the early bit to see if the interface is understandable and so on) next month probably. If no unforeseen trouble this would likely be finished in February... but I never place bets on there being no trouble!

#11 by opheliastornoway - Dec 17 2011

Sister's birthday is at the end of February ... I shall keep my fingers crossed for you that nothing gets held up!

(By the way, I am pretty much new here and don't think I've ever introduced myself. I've been reading your blog for a while, and think it's fantastic that you're making a living from making indie games with a specifically female audience in mind!)

#12 by crazyninny - Dec 17 2011

WWWAAANNNTTT. D:

#13 by Nada - Dec 19 2011

I'm really excited. I love sim games and yours are always so much fun!

#14 by Spiderkitty - Dec 21 2011

Looking forward to it!

#15 by Muse - Dec 22 2011

This looks adorable! I am so excited! It reminds me a bit of Princess Maker (just due to it being a princess in a sim game), and anything that reminds me of that is excellent!

#16 by Benazir - Dec 22 2011

Is it VN/GxB?

#17 by hanako - Dec 22 2011

No.

It's a sim, and while you are playing a female character and she may get married at the end, it is NOT a romance game. Marriage is politics here, you may barely (or never!) meet the person you have to marry.

After all, if things are going badly enough in the country you're trying to manage, marrying someone more powerful in the hopes taht they can protect you may be your only way out... there's no time there for hearts and flowers and learning their deep secrets.

#18 by perch - Dec 22 2011

@Hanako

You have peaked my interest even more. It's political Princess Maker, only with a princess starting. I hold out hope for ending variations where my girl gets to give it all up and run off with a soldier or farmer and endings where she kicks some serious Risk skills at the other kingdoms and ends up single, but powerful or single and destitute.

Also does this mean that man with the magnificent golden curls shall be a sparkling addition to the cast? I'm really looking forward to this game. I was just thinking about loading Cute Knight or CKK for some sim raising.

#19 by hanako - Dec 22 2011

No, curly-haired dude was for a totally different game... which is now stalled due to the artist disappearing. sadly familiar story.

#20 by perch - Dec 22 2011

Geez I'm sorry Hanako. That really does suck.

#21 by Benazir - Dec 23 2011

hanako:

there's no time there for hearts and flowers and learning their deep secrets.

Just as in Skyrim....

#22 by Muse - Dec 23 2011

Awwww. The political game sounds really fun. I do agree getting to run off with a knight or farmer and leave your country to rot sounds like a fun option.

But honestly, this sounds really interesting. There aren't many VNs (at least in the US?) that aren't romance games. I am very excited!

Re: Another project in development

#23 by RedSocialKnight - Dec 26 2011

hanako:

While Magical Diary is stalled due to artist unavailability

Noooooooooooooooooo!

hanako:

I'm not sitting around doing nothing; here's another little project we have going on at the moment.

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

#24 by animeluver45 - Dec 28 2011

The game looks so exquisite! I'm getting excited already!

SO EXCITED!

#25 by skuzzbopper - Dec 29 2011

This game already has me so intrigued!

I know you've stated that it's not a romance sim, but I'm still looking forward to some romantic elements. Here's hoping, anyway. I LOVE the idea of a princess sim that's not all hearts and flowers-- actual politics! Amazing! I can't even wait!

This just looks SO cool!

#26 by fictionalfemme - Dec 30 2011

Ooh! So, is this going to be handled like Magical Diary where there's a preorder release and then an official release, or no? Also, have you given this project a name yet?

{$$} <~~ me w/money in hand

#27 by Wakuseino - Dec 31 2011

[quote="hanako"marrying someone more powerful in the hopes taht they can protect you may be your only way out... there's no time there for hearts and flowers and learning their deep secrets. [/quote]

Yeah, I bolded that part for a very important reason. It seems to me that that's the perfect time to be learning their deep secrets, since you'll probably have to use it as ammunition if they decide to oppose you. Of course, to get those deep dark secrets you'd have to get someone to actively help you hunt those secrets down, and then there's the chance of it exploding in your face...

...Yeah, maybe I'm overthinking this a bit.

#28 by junsei7 - Jan 1 2012

This sounds so interesting! Yay Hanako! The background is so lush and I am a real sucker for anime-style gravity-defying curls.

I am sorry to hear about artist troubles for other games, though. I hope these get sorted out for you.

#29 by hanako - Jan 1 2012

The working title is "Long Live The Queen" - it may or may not be changed. Up until we do logo and title screen art there's always a chance of changing my mind.

There will probably be a very limited preorder release because this game is not as complicated as Magical Diary and will not need such thorough testing, so you'll have to keep an eye on the forum for when the test slots eventulaly come available.

#30 by kurobizzle - Jan 9 2012

I love the title!!! It feels like a non-romance Princess Maker, and that game was amazing. I can't wait for this to come out!!

#31 by Oki - Jan 12 2012

That looks incredibly lovely. <3

#32 by skuzzbopper - Jan 21 2012

This looks so cool!

I'm kind of dying to see how this turns out-- what the whole plotline is, how things work... Really interesting, particularly with what we know about it so far!

#33 by summers1989 - Jan 22 2012

This game looks like it would be awesome! I especially love the fact that it's more political than romantic.

#34 by Hattee18 - Jan 25 2012

I love the art in this game. I don't even know what it's about yet but I'm already intrigued

#35 by manfromba - Jan 26 2012

Is this the project that is on hold due to the artist quitting? I hope not!

#36 by hanako - Jan 26 2012

No. (Look at the screenshots! Totally different artstyle.)

This is still on track - the art's not FINISHED but it's being worked on.

#37 by Hattee18 - Jan 26 2012

Yay! That's great to hear.

#38 by Rozelliee - Jan 27 2012

This looks great because I love the Princess Maker series! But it's hard to find translations besides Princess Maker 2.

I know you don't like releasing absolute dates or anything, but do you have any idea about when the testing phase will come out and are you willing to share?

#39 by hanako - Jan 27 2012

Testing for people who are willing to play the game with the *plot* complete but a lot of artwork still missing could be within the next couple of weeks - actual game release I'm still hoping for by the end of next month. But it depends!

#40 by Rozelliee - Jan 27 2012

Ooh so soon ~ I would totally be willing to play the game with just the plot. Heck I'd be willing to play it completely image-less. <3 I just love these kind of games so much. I'll be checking back often!

#41 by FantasyFan - Jan 27 2012

I'd be totally willing to test it - you always make such awesome games.

#42 by hanako - Jan 28 2012

(Several posts deleted to avoid a cascade of Me Too!)

I appreciate the enthusiasm, but I wasn't actually trying to call for volunteers.

There will most likely be a half-price alpha link posted here at some point. Given the nature of the game it can't be properly tested in small chunks; it needs to be set up to run all the way through and see what happens.

#43 by JackoWords - Jan 28 2012

Argh, I can't wait to play this. This is precisely the kind of game I love.

#44 by Rozelliee - Jan 29 2012

I am totally okay with this. <3 I've always been one to buy your games- they're just so fun and addictive! So paying for it- even an alpha, is not really an issue, as long as I can eventually play the full game as everyone else is.

Half price is even better.

#45 by opheliastornoway - Jan 30 2012

I definitely wouldn't be averse to paying half-price for the alpha, though I haven't done anything like that before.

What sort of information do you want from alpha testers? Whole playthrough logs, or just error logs - though I guess we wouldn't even necessarily notice what they were!

#46 by hanako - Jan 30 2012

I will give all relevant information when it's ready, since anything planned now could change!

#47 by J_Yum1978 - Feb 9 2012

I am already loving it!! It looks kind of similar to Princess Maker!! Speaking of PM, I had PM 3 & 4 but I lost it!! I moved around so much during the last two years, I must of lost it then. Anyways, I am looking forward to the new game!!

Ah!

#48 by Naiomi666 - Feb 11 2012

Now i wish I never looked at this section of the forums. I thought before that it was going to be ready to preorder soon but it's not here yet. Too excited...

#49 by hanako - Feb 11 2012

Spiky's had sinusitis for the past couple of weeks, which has slowed things down, but he's on the mend now.

We're in the stages of rounding off features like logging and updating so that we can get testers into it soon.

#50 by junsei7 - Feb 11 2012

Poor Spiky! That's horrible. I hope the beloved Caterpillar feels 100% better soon.

#51 by Rozelliee - Feb 12 2012

hanako:

Spiky's had sinusitis for the past couple of weeks, which has slowed things down, but he's on the mend now.

We're in the stages of rounding off features like logging and updating so that we can get testers into it soon.

Oh, that sucks! It's never really fun to be sick.

I hope you get well soon, Spiky!

#52 by Nada - Feb 12 2012

I hope he feels better soon! I'm super excited about this game. =)