Build 25538228

We hope everyone is excited for this major Early Access update v0.9.7 with lots of new content, features, and fixes! We really appreciate everyone's support for the game and helpful feedback as we read through every single post/ticket on discord, conversations in the Steam Discussion board, Reviews, Stream commentaries, and more. Thank you for continuing to support lovebyte.exe as it means so much to our tiny indie team of four as we're self-funding and self-publishing this game 🫶

Before we get into all of the meaty updates for Early Access, we want to share that lovebyte.exe was accepted into the GDoC Expo, which is now LIVE! We're so incredibly honored that our parasocial VTuber Dating Chatsim was chosen to be in the festival out of a record number of games. Please check out the festival for amazing games from numerous, brilliant dev teams!

And we're also so excited to announce that the "Zeta Version" of the lovebyte.exe "Pretty Little Liar" theme song, performed by Zeta's Voice Actor Banzoin Hakka, can be viewed on YouTube here. We hope you enjoy his phenomenal performance and the MV we put together!

【Known Issue】

• Some Mac users have reported issues with opening the game on OS27 - we do not have a fix for this yet. Macs on an OS before 27 will be able to open the game with no issue.

【New Features】

• Added 3 in-game days to every route - with the exception of one particular route due to the specific narrative, resulting in four game days. Because of the way content is shown differently in his route, we have partnered with the route's Voice Actor Banzoin Hakka to showcase spoilers of future biscord calls and route content, which you can watch here — please note that biscord voice call and DM content vary depending on the character’s intended story; some voice calls are unvoiced at the moment. We anticipate all voice lines will be in the game early next week. Tip: once the calls have been unlocked, as long as you save, you can replay the call when the voice lines have been added via the “Library” screen → “Calls” section

• Added Zeta and Calais shimejis

• Added VTuber Card Collectibles minigame (base feature only with only one available deck at this time and only bulk selling will be available)

• Added official Ichigo artwork (work-in-progress)

• DM Speed Optimization

【Fixes】

• Fixed one of Pochima call placements due to feedback

• Fixed bug where the Biscord profile popup was not working properly with your input username/info

• Fixed a specific case where the mini Biscord distraction popups changed VTubers too early, spoiling who you were talking to

• Fixed other small bugs

In the meantime, we’d like to share some features that will be added in the next update and our overall Early Access roadmap based on all of the feedback we’ve received:

【Small Patch Update plans - next week or two】

• Improve DM system

• Adding QoL to the “Next Day” transition screen: Person most talked too notification (this already exists in the save screen but it’ll be more prominent to help with knowing who’s potential route you’re on)

【Next Major Patch Update plans - Oct 22】

• Adding “Romance Easy Mode” where players can opt-in to get heart notification for “correct” answer choices

• Adding online card selling feature to VTuber Card Collectibles minigame

• Adding Ichigo pop-up distractions

• Adding Ichigo emotes/stickers

• Adding one new collectible card pack

• Improve readability of stream chats

• Please note: no new route content this month as we need time to edit, mix, polish voice lines for upcoming biscord voice calls as well as VTuber stream scenes; all scenes have been recorded, there’s just a lot of content so we need the development time

【November Update plans - Date TBD】

• Adding mouth animations for all characters in their stream scenes

• Adding 3 in-game days to every route

• Adding Ichigo shimeji

• Adding Cloud Save

【December Update plans - Date TBD】

• Adding ability to upload personal profile picture from your PC

• Adding new collectible card pack

• Adding 2 in-game days to every route

【January Update plans - Date TBD】

• Spruce up the Wiki feature

• Adding new collectible card pack

• Adding remaining in-game days right up to “before unlocked Ending” moment

【February Update plans - Date TBD】

• Settings for changing text size

• Adding all Ending scenes with voiced content

【Last Update before Version 1.0】

• Steam Deck Optimization