Hello, lovely players! I’m Ya Mao, and here’s the July game development update for Shiba Sweet.
The best news this month is that I’ve finally shaken off the brain fog (yeah!) and got back on track with focused development, fully enjoying that creative flow again. As the sole developer of this game, I haven’t outsourced any part of the work, which means I’m carrying the full weight of development on my own shoulders. Step by step, I’m moving the game forward into the future, and I’m confident I’ll keep pushing all the way to the finish line.
The ground decoration system is now about halfway complete. Players can already purchase, place, and store items in the warehouse. The available categories include tables, kitchen equipment, ingredient shelves, and decorative plants. This system not only adds personality and liveliness to the kitchen but also fulfills practical needs for baking tools.
This month I redesigned and illustrated the notes tab UI, adding a to-do list feature to guide players toward unlocking new recipes. I also built in a calendar system that highlights important festival dates so players can prepare in advance. On top of that, I added a countdown display in the top-right corner of the kitchen screen, making it easy to see which events are coming up.
To bring the street scene to life, I added more than just cute trees, grass, and decorations—now the local animal residents, who also happen to be regular customers, can be seen walking around. In this update, I also introduced NPCs driving or riding down the road in toy-like wooden vehicles, making the street atmosphere even more bustling and lively.
Players can now practice recipes freely in a safe space with unlimited ingredients. While baked goods made here can’t be sold for profit, I think this is a great way for players to build confidence. Without any pressure, they can practice as much as they want and simply enjoy the process—then return to the main kitchen when they feel ready for real dessert production.
Since English has been the main development language, I grew curious about how the game would feel in my own native language. So, while preparing the demo, I spent some time translating the text into natural Traditional Chinese and setting it up in the engine.
If last month felt like a slow recovery phase, then this month has been a full-on revival. My productivity has skyrocketed, and I’m completely immersed in building the demo. I can’t wait to meet players soon with a fresh new version of the game!
Thank a lot for reading this far. See you in next month’s devlog!
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