In spite of it all

I never would've expected making games to become the livelihood that it has for me. Ever since I was 10 years old, I've been staying up late to make projects with the intention of having others experience them, to little fanfare... I was surprised at the overwhelming popularity of Thirstchasm, which was my first experiment melding my NSFW work with my passion for making video games. Ever since then, I've worked to improve the stories and experiences I share via the medium.

Skantish is a game that I want to finish. This global crack down on NSFW in the past week, along with the sudden change in my living/rent situation, has felt like a sucker punch to the gut. However, it isn't a project I want to leave dead in the water. There's a story within it that I want to tell, characters I want to develop and morals I want to express. It isn't "just a porn game" to me. I wouldn't waste the time it takes to develop games if I was just going to half-ass it... And that means doing my best to see it through to the end, no matter the circumstances.

The plans for the game's final release are up in the air. I have a few ideas, (Either a Gumroad, custom website, or maybe even selling them here on Patreon) but with things going the way they have been, both Itch and Steam effectively banning NSFW, I don't trust any platform to hold out until the game is complete. That also goes for Patreon, which I may have to swap to an alternative platform for at some point if they also decide to ban NSFW overnight.

While I'd like to focus all of my attention and effort solely on Skantish, I may have to start doing regular commissions again. Tailbound's continued sales make up a huge portion of my income, and if it's suddenly delisted from storefronts, that would make this Patreon my only active revenue source... Which, with my increasing cost of living, won't be enough to make ends meet.

Ultimately, I'm hoping there's enough of a backlash to set things right, and this ends up being yet another nothingburger situation on the internet. I just felt it'd be appropriate to make a statement clarifying my plans with Skantish, since all of this directly effects my ability to even live.

No matter what, I want to continue making games as long as I live. Video games can impart experiences and inspiration like no other medium can. Their worlds, characters, and raw atmosphere is something I've been infatuated with ever since I was four years old... The world we live in is cruel and corrupted. Not only do these games provide temporary escapism, they build character and teach morals that last forever. If there's one that's always stuck with me: It's up to us to finish the fight.