And just like that, the Expanded Chapter 1 of Alaris is set to release Friday, November 12, 2021! As many of you know, I’ve spent Devtober working on this release, and I’m proud to announce that the release date is officially upon us :D For those who have played the Sample version of Chapter 1 or those who are new to Alaris, you may be wondering what this release will have to offer. So I’m going to cut to the chase and show you just that: 

Updated Art:

The preferences page has been updated and now matches the rest of the game’s GUI. Etza’s sprite art has been updated and sprite expressions for many of the other LIs have been added. And finally, the prologue art for the opening scenes has been changed. 

Updated & New Features

The expanded version will have the complete personality feature, where you can now track your personality stats and affection points with LIs. With this function, you can directly see what your stats are throughout the game! There are also going to be two new features in the game: a Codex and Free Time. 

The Codex will give you insight into different terminologies and the general world of Alaris. Now, when terms unique to the game, such as dragon energy, overtaken, and the energy crisis are thrown around, you can better keep track of everything. Additionally, the codex will be updated as the game continues and you unlock and learn more about the world!

The Free Time feature is similar to a “Dating” feature for the game. During each chapter, players will now have a certain time to choose an area, or “date”, of their choice and invite an LI of their choosing. Some LIs are not included in this feature due to plot purposes, but in later chapters, you may run into them coincidentally, who knows! Additionally, if your affection points are high enough, certain LIs may even ask you out on a date instead later in the game! The Chapter 1 Release will only have a preview of the Free Time (specifically the market dates) and this is largely due to plot reasons. Later chapter releases will have the complete Free Time feature, where you will be able to go anywhere you want! 

Completed Extras Menu

Finally, the Extras Menu will be included in the game! Through this function, you will be able to access CGs you’ve unlocked, replay certain scenes, and listen to the soundtrack of the game. 

On top of this, there will be additional content in the Expanded version that was not included in the Sample release. Between the Free Time and additional content, the Expanded Chapter 1 Release will have around 20,000 words. The Sample release only had a little over 10,000 words, so you can see there is quite a good amount of new content to go through! 

So just a recap of everything, the Expanded Chapter 1 Release will feature:

1. ~20,000 words
2. Personality feature that uses various personality choices to influence stats and affection
3. Free Time preview where you can go on dates with the LIs
4. Codex function that expands on Alaris worldbuilding
5. Complete Extras Menu with CGs, scenes, and music
6. Updated Art & GUI

I hope you’re all looking forward to the release - it’s quite exciting that a more complete version of the game will be available :D As always, feel free to follow me on itch.io or Twitter for more updates or donate at Ko-fi to support development <3