September Update: Goodbye Summer!

We’re officially in the -ber months which means the weather's getting colder and our powers are growing STRONGER. Welcome to the September update!

There’s lots of fun stuff in this one as spooky season creeps closer 🤭 Here’s where TOUCHSTARVED is at now:

🛠️ September 2025 Dev Snapshot

Narrative

• Chapter 1 – Writing | ⚒️ ~ Dialogue locked, VO prep underway

• Full Game – Writing | ⚒️ 91% Drafted, 70% through final passes

• Full Game – VO Prep | ⚒️ In Progress, scene + line selects underway

Voice Acting

• Full Game – VO Recording | 📅 Talent Booked for Sessions in Q3 2025!

Art & Implementation

• Chapter 1 – CG & UI Art | ⚒️ 84% Complete, final polish in progress

• Chapter 1 – Implementation | ⚒️ 73% Complete, final art in progress

• Full Game – CGs & BGs | ⚒️ ~61% Complete

Systems & Testing

• Full Game – Systems/Code | ⚒️ 64% Complete, revamped UI in progress

• Chapter 1 – QA + Bug Fixes | 📅 Testing Phase Scheduled (Begins early Q3)

• Localization Planning | ⚒️ In Progress, negotiating with translation partners

Release Plan

• Chapter 1 – Early Access | 🔓 Launching Q3 2025 for qualifying backer tiers

• Chapter 1 – General Access | 🔓 Launching Q4 2025 for all other backers

• Full Game – Public Release | ⏳ Targeting 2026 (exact quarter TBD)

📌 Reminder: VO and localization are end-of-pipeline tasks. These are progressing as planned, not behind schedule!

🎨 Art Updates

NPC Design Preview

baddie alert!! 😍 (let’s just hope her intentions are good…) 

The art team’s still hard at work with designing unique NPCs to flesh out TOUCHSTARVED’s world. Here’s another one we’ve been loving, and you’ve already met her! 

Honestly jealous of how good the red eyes look… Maybe drinking from the Seaspring and having Ocudeus in my head wouldn’t be so bad. 

Eridian Alphabet

We’ve been developing a stylized Eridian alphabet for the in-world graphics throughout the game! This will help us avoid localization pains as we continue pursuing translation into other languages…plus we’ll be able to have readable messages throughout the game (if you’re determined enough to translate them). 

This script will be all throughout Eridia, from backgrounds to illustrations and (maybe) props! We love expanding the world of TOUCHSTARVED and it was a fun challenge trying to convey a sense of age, culture, and mystique in these letters.

Background Teaser

You’ve all been so hyped for the background teasers we’ve shared, so here’s *dj Khaled voice, air horns* ANOTHA ONE! See if you can translate the Eridian on the walls 😉 Whoever successfully does it gets kisses from Princess. 

⭐ Dev Team Updates

Pax West feat. Co-Director Dev

Hi, it’s me, Dev! I just wanted to thank everyone who was able to make it out to the PAX panel. I had such a great time yapping about VNs and getting to meet some of you (not to mention the amazing cosplayer)! This community is really wonderful, and I’m incredibly thankful for all of you! Here’s hoping we get more opportunities to meet more of you in the future.

Check Out Enshrined

Enshrined - A new game feat. Voice Director Souha

Souha, our amazing Voice Director, has a brand new game coming out soon. Here’s some more information on Enshrined! 

Legend holds that the Sword of Cietri–a fabled blade that appears once every 100 years for just 24 hours–will grant its bearer their heart’s desire. But there’s a catch: the sword’s power can only be unlocked by joining with another in body and spirit. 

As fate would have it, your only choices for unlocking the sword’s great power just so happen to be the other 3 adventurers who you nearly beat to the punch. Can you make the best of a bad situation and bond with a stranger when absolutely everything is on the line? Or will you return home empty-handed?

Enshrined is the latest title by Truant Pixel’s Souha Al-Samkari, senior writer on Date Everything and First Bite, a vampire visual novel. If you’ve ever wanted to watch three awful men argue for the chance to bang a stranger (you) in a temple then this just might be the title for you.

Enshrined is fully voiced by an all-star union voice cast, featuring:

• SungWon Cho as Jun.

• Jonah Scott as Niko.

• Dave Fennoy as Dyma.

Please check the demo as part of Steam Next Fest October 13-20, and wishlist it on Steam!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3835610/Enshrined/ 

💌 Till next time

And that’s a wrap for this one! Chapter 1 early access is getting closer and closer, and we can’t wait to share more soon. 

👀 Got Questions?

You can always reach us:

• redspring.helpdesk@gmail.com

• via comments

We hope everyone has had a lovely September and look forward to getting spookier with you all next month 🤍!

With love (and too many Halloween costume ideas I can’t decide on),
—Sofi @ Red Spring Studio

PS: Don’t worry, you’ll still see Lulu in these sometimes. I didn’t completelyyy kick them out 🤭