Shiba Sweet · published
Hello, lovely players! I’m Ya Mao, and here’s the Jul. game development update for Shiba Sweet, which will also be our final entry! I am thrilled to announce that the official release date is set for September 17 (Americas & Europe) / September 18 (Asia). The game unlocks simultaneously worldwide; the date difference is purely due to time zone variances.
This month's game development progress includes crafting a new launch trailer, completing two full playthrough playtests, continuous debugging to polish the user experience, and updating my official website with a brand-new Press Kit.
During the planning phase, I storyboarded the video and recorded all necessary gameplay footage. After writing and finalizing the voiceover script, I completed the voice recording, video editing, and subtitling. As planned, the final trailer will be released in five languages: English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
For playtesting, I put myself in the player’s shoes and did two complete playthroughs. That means no debug shortcuts, just completing the entire game using standard player speed and decision-making. I really love how Shiba Sweet is designed to let players speed up or slow down at their own comfortable pace while experiencing their growth as a pastry chef.
Throughout testing, I kept a quick running list of bugs to fix in the game engine. I resolved numerous issues, including missing localization characters, missing sound effects, audio reset bugs, button transparency and line-break errors, and incorrect display logic for the bento list.
Near the end of the month, I dedicated time to review the official website. I compiled materials and created a dedicated Press Kit page, consolidating key information such as game overviews, release dates, and media assets onto a single page for easy press access.
For a long time, I worked alone behind my computer screen, fully dedicated to making an adorable, heart-warming Shiba game. My dream was to hand over a freshly baked game to players and offer them a delightful, comforting experience.
I will always remember bringing the game demo to a physical gaming expo for the first time last year. Seeing the sparkle in players' eyes as they played and hearing them exclaim how cute the Shibas and desserts were deeply moved me as a developer. Although I always knew I would finish the game, that very moment gave me the ultimate fuel to carry it across the finish line.
Thank you for reading all the way here, and a massive thank you to everyone who has followed my journey! While the devlogs for Shiba Sweet end here, ideas for my next game are already brewing. Please consider following Maowoo Games on Steam so you’ll get notified when my next title drops.
Since we all share a deep love for games, I'm sure we will meet again!
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