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Deluded Diaries: Roadmap. Acreton town
Each Deluded Diaries: Roadmap post pulls back the curtain on what to expect in the future. So far, we’ve covered our plans all the way up to v1.0, with the latest one focusing on Lindcliff—a place you already know in one way or another.
v1.1, however, will introduce another settlement called Acreton. So what is it exactly and how is it different from Lindcliff?
Acreton town
Acreton is a small but modern town, filled with student energy, nightlife, and a noticeable streak of chaos and crime. You may've noticed it before: you pass it when the mysterious driver takes you home from the cemetery (the very start of the game).
In terms of places to visit and things to do it’s everything you expect from a town this size: a restaurant, a gym, a night club… All of these can be roughly categorized—and I took some creative liberty here—into:
Spicy (e.g. Porn Studio, Strip Club)
Customization (e.g. Clothing Shop, Beauty Salon)
Services (e.g. Bank, Post Office, Convenience Store)
Apartments (both of familiar NPCs and new ones).
Imagine the possibilities! We’ve already mapped out some ideas for activities, jobs, random events, lore connections, romanceable characters, and more.
Besides, I’ve pestered our lead game designer with a bunch of questions, and here’s what v1.1 means for the world of Deluded:
How is Acreton different from Lindcliff gameplay-wise?
Compared to Lindcliff, Acreton offers (way) less survival, and (way) more rewarding exploration. The main idea is to spend most of your time discovering everything we’ve put into the town.
Does Acreton bring any unique features?
While all the core gameplay loops and mechanics are expected to be in place by v0.9, that doesn’t mean Acreton doesn’t have a thing or two to surprise you! There are some Acreton-only factions, for one, and new facilities also imply new mechanics. Think of it this way: if there’s a Fitness Centre, Alisa can do yoga, go to the gym and swim in the pool. If there are Hot Springs, she can go for a dip or chat with someone while soaking.
Keep in mind that (almost) every location has 18+ interactions one way or another 😉 That should give you a good idea of how dense and detailed the gameplay is going to feel!
What could a day in Acreton look like for Alisa?
Alisa wakes up to knocking on the door of her little room. A well-built man on the doorstep reminds her about the debt. She’s just landed a job as a masseuse thanks to her high [STR], so she heads to work.
Clients come and go as the day rolls by. One of them asks for a happy ending, and now Alisa can afford going to the gym after work ([STR >>]), which means clients will pay her even more. Someone is peeping at her in the shower, but she chooses not to notice it… yet.
Later she goes to a nightclub to unwind and restore her [MOOD]. She meets an intriguing woman who likes to be in control. She invites Alisa on a date. Alisa goes home pleased with the day and falls asleep.
Won’t Acreton feel too easy compared to Lindcliff’s social survival?
Less survival doesn’t mean no pressure! You’ll still need to engage with the city and earn some money (including plot-related reasons), so it shouldn’t feel like a pure sandbox with no direction.
Are any Lindcliff NPCs going to appear in Acreton?
Some Lindcliff NPCs and characters from certain factions might have their arcs continued in Acreton, though it won’t be very common.
Can I go back and forth between Lindcliff and Acreton?
By that point you’ll most likely be done with your Lindcliff quests, but yes—there will be several ways to travel back and forth. It’s basically fast travel, so the road won’t tire you out.
Can players get a glimpse of Acreton before it’s released?
No peeking, probably 👀 Acreton is planned to stay hidden until its proper release!
Is Acreton going to be fully ready by v1.1?
Not exactly. We’ll be adding more quests and content in v1.2, but Acreton will already be fully playable in v1.1.
Does that mean we finish the story in v1.1/v1.2?
Nope! Acreton is the second-to-last major location, so the plot unravels further on (further than what our Roadmap currently covers 😄).
How many more hours of gameplay is v1.1 expected to add?
That depends on our resources and the support we get. We have plenty of ideas for Acreton, but we’ll only commit to what we can deliver well.
v1.1 is quite some time away, so plans can still change. We’re always keeping an eye on your comments and suggestions, so we know how excited you guys are about the open world. We also have dedicated channels and roles on our Discord to make it easier for everyone to share their thoughts and ideas!
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Deluded Diaries: Roadmap. Lindcliff quests and surroundings
If you’ve ever wondered what Deluded will bring to the table in the future, we have a Roadmap for you to look at! And a series of posts that cover each of those anticipated updates (minus the minor ones)—like this post! That means, Roadmap posts are about what we plan to add to the game, not what’s already featured in Deluded. Basically, it doesn’t say “hey, you can already test it out in the game!” , it says “hey, we want you to know what happens in v1.0!”, although it’s still some time away.
So, today we are talking about our plans for v1.0, also marked in our Roadmap as More Lindcliff quests and surroundings! It’ll be a logical continuation of v0.9, expanding on the Lindcliff village we’d introduced.
We are doing it Q&A style—easier to compile, easier to comprehend.
What does Lindcliff actually entail as an open-world location?
If you’ve played the Prologue, you’re already familiar with Lindcliff—that’s where Alisa’s family lives on the outskirts. If you follow our Dev Report Summaries, Dev Updates and other Dev- posts, you can see the work never truly stops, and you’ve probably been piecing together the bigger picture of Lindcliff bit by bit.
Unlike meticulously designed yet rather exploration-limited Alisa’s parents’ House, Spring Mansion and Intercity Mall (all currently available as of v0.4.8), Lindcliff is your first actual taste (more like a full meal!) of the open world. Think of it as a densely populated village that's split into two big sections: Lindcliff itself (the centre, the residential area) and Park-Slums (now partially available in the open-world prototype).
After the Prologue you start off in Park-Slums—a sketchy area full of shady characters and hobos—and try to make your way to Lindcliff. This is where the (social) survival starts, with all its ruthless challenges. As of v1.0, Lindcliff is fully yours to explore, which means you are welcome to complete quests, follow the story or try all the features we’d implemented.
There is less polishing, more adding new stuff. Expect more quests, new locations, interactions, additional NPCs and various side activities! Our designers have put a ton of work—and they’re still at it—into mapping out every nook and cranny of Lindcliff, so it will feel like a real, living town.
v0.9 is planned to have about 65+ hours of gameplay, and v1.0 is planned to add roughly 23 hours more (total of ~85-90 hours for you to sin and enjoy!).
Will Lindcliff be fully finished by v1.0?
Yup! Of course, if any minor polishing is required, we’ll get right to it, but other than that—you are all settled in for a good time.
Can players’ feedback still affect the game after v1.0?
Right now Deluded, being an Early Access game, really takes all kinds of feedback into account. What you guys want to see in the game, what you like, what you don’t like and so on. We, on the other hand, are currently testing pipelines, polishing logic, implementing new systems… The list is long, and your attention span is probably too short to read all of it. Check the Roadmap, really.
What I’m trying to say is, now is the perfect time to share your thoughts on the game. Once the core systems and mechanics are in place (that’s expected by v0.9) we won’t be making any changes to the backend—this is important for save compatibility. That being said, we’ll keep an ear out for what you want to see in terms of content, characters, and quality of life improvements!
What about the main story?
The core gameplay loops will be fully implemented by v1.0, making Deluded a game ready to be played, but the main plot will continue to unfold in future updates. We’ll leave you on a solid cliffhanger, but it won’t lock you out of exploring and enjoying the game.
Will there be romanceable characters?
Some of you have asked whether romancing certain characters will be an option: yes, it will! We’re planning to start testing the romance game loop around v0.6! That, of course, is going to be a very rough, bare-bones prototype.
We’ll kick things off with just a couple of romanceable characters, and over time we’ll add more. By v1.0 we plan to have a much larger selection of cuties! But that’s something to discuss in a separate post 😉
You’ll see much more of Lindcliff locations and activities as our development progresses, but for now this should’ve given you the idea of what to expect!
Next Roadmap posts will cover Acreton—a bigger city with a downtown and multiple points of interest. Compared to Lindcliff, it’s less survival, more try-this, try-that! The good news is, we’ll start working on Acreton earlier than you expect it, so it won’t get in the way of v1.0 release.
Any questions? I’ll be in the comments section if you need me!
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Deluded Diaries: Roadmap. Open world and Steam launch
Hey-hey! This is yet another post in our roadmap series!
Some of you get confused by what exactly these posts entail. Is it already in the game? Is the new update out?
No. Deluded Diaries: Roadmap posts cover what is to be added to the game, not what is already implemented! It goes over each milestone of our roadmap to show you what we aim to achieve with each future major update.
For example, in the previous post we talked about the Prologue polishing stage (v0.8), and this time we are diving into the open world of Deluded along with the Steam launch (v0.9).
If you’ve wandered around the Deluded world enough, you’ve probably come across some work-in-progress stuff (if not, here’s a tip—head out of Alisa’s house and try going into Lindcliff). That’s open-world prototypes. Yes, we plan to add a full-blown open world packed with activities, NPCs and locations.
Without spoiling everything at once—here’s the gist. After 7 days of the prologue Alisa wakes up in a grave. Stripped of her past, she has to find her own way to survive and get to the truth: what happened to her family?
This is how the open world starts—your journey in a society where trust is a currency and every choice has a cost.
You can probably imagine how much an open world means for a game like ours, which positions itself as an adult survival RPG. To get ahead of some questions (though I’m sure you can come up with more and hop in the comments), we’re breaking down what the open world of Deluded is all about, Q&A style. Let’s go!
So what does “open world” imply in Deluded?
First of all, freedom! No more day-based limits like in the prologue, so you can explore the world at your own pace. The map will be about 3×3 km with 70% of it taken up by mountains and a canyon filled with mysterious fog—natural barriers that shape the landscape and create clear exploration paths.
The world is supposed to be divided into five zones: three of them accessible in the main story with the remaining two planned as possible DLC areas.
How long would it take to actually complete the playthrough?
The prologue and the main quest is planned to take around 16 hours, while the side content must add about 50+ hours. But you’ll need more than one playthrough to experience everything!
Does the main quest “expire” if I focus on side quests? Is there any punishment, a bad ending?
Nope! Have you played the Witcher 3? Remember how you can literally spend all your time collecting Gwent cards instead of saving Ciri? Yeah, same idea. Explore the world all you want, the main quest doesn’t go anywhere.
There are two endings planned for Deluded, but they don't depend on how long you take to complete the main quest.
But will there be time-limited quests?
A few side ones, but they're designed to be intuitive. You'll naturally be aware of the time pressure when you accept them, so you won't be caught off guard.
What about difficulty settings?
Ideally, you’ll be able to choose from Easy, Normal or Hardcore — we’ve got you covered, whether you’re a casual player or someone who loves a challenge 😏
Can you go back to some sections you’d already been to?
Since our game is not a linear “free roam”—yes! If you’ve read the post about Skills in Deluded, you also know you get to fast travel (a Driving skill). The only exception is the prologue: you can return to the Alisa’s House location, but you can’t replay the prologue itself.
What should I expect performance-wise?
Deluded doesn’t aim for hyper-realistic graphics, so you should be fine. Here are the approximate system specs we’re targeting for the Steam release:
Will the survival part risk overshadowing the rest? Tend to Alisa’s needs, get money, repeat?
If you’re resourceful, you’ll have no trouble balancing RPG, (social) survival, story and adult content. Otherwise we’d suggest to step down a difficulty level 😉
What if I get softlocked—everyone hates me, I have nothing to eat and I can’t do anything?
No worries, there will be plenty of activities to help you with survival—like foraging or fishing—that don’t rely on NPCs at all.
Will it be possible to complete the game in the most innocent/safe way, avoiding gloor, prostitution and similar content?
It’s possible if you follow the [PURE] route, but still—you’ll have to sweat for it! Some extreme 18+ events or scenes can be avoided by using Alisa’s skills and attributes. Besides, keep an eye on the gloor tags (item tooltip) in your inventory. Then you know for sure if you are going to like something or not 😉
I’ve played the demo enough. Would it be possible to skip the prologue in v0.9?
Yes! During the ride home in the beginning of the game there's already a "Skip the prologue" dialogue option that'll become available in v0.9.
If I do, how does the game determine my character's personality (LEWD, PURE, INT, etc.)?
In v0.9, while Alisa is getting a ride home after the cemetery, you’ll be able to choose all her starting attributes.
Will save files from the demo/crowdfunding versions be compatible with the Steam release?
We plan to work on the technicalities of it. So, in theory, all builds released after the polishing stage (v0.8) should be compatible with each other.
Will the game be fully playable at the v0.9 Steam release?
Yes! All core features, all basic mechanics will be in and ready for you to enjoy. Content-wise? Supposedly, you'll have about 65+ hours of surviving, life-simming and sinning.
So, this is set in stone—Deluded will be on Steam. We can’t yet provide the exact release date, but it’s happening no matter what.
That’s all dandy and delightful, of course, but! We'd like to also address some news circulating about Steam no longer allowing Early Access for adult games. Some devs with their new games have been affected, having to suddenly change all their plans, while others, especially those with a longer Steam publishing history, classify this as rumors.
Does this mean no EA for Deluded? We… don’t know, actually. Only submitting the v0.9 build itself will clear things up. What we do know is that Steam hasn’t changed its official rules (yet?) and the decision on the EA for adult games is made on a case-by-case basis.
Regardless of Steam’s future decision, just know that if we have to skip EA, prolong our dev timeline or even split the game into parts—this is not our choice and was never our intention under normal circumstances. We’ll take any actions necessary to sustain the development and adapt to the new conditions that, frankly, seem to get worse for adult media every day.
And in order to not end this post on a sad note—remember that Deluded will thrive and outlive any potential censorship only if you continue to give us your love and support, which you’ve clearly given us a lot already!
Deluded does not have any investors or publishers—just the community of enthusiasts who believe in us and support us in every way they can. We rely on you as much as you rely on us. And we’re eternally grateful!
Anyway, I hope this sheds some light on Deluded’s open world and what you can expect from it! Anything else you are itching to ask about in the comments?
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Deluded Diaries: Roadmap. Polishing
He-hey! We’re back with the roadmap posts where we break down each future milestone from our roadmap!
In the previous roadmap post we talked about the Privacy system—one of Deluded’s key pillars, among other things. So if you haven’t read it, go check it out first.
And today it’s time to talk about the first milestone in this roadmap that probably won’t add any new content. Instead, it will be focuсed solely on improving what’s already in the game—the mechanics, the environment, the optimization, etc. This is important to do before going to Steam to make the game as polished as possible and provide the good first impression on the larger audience of Steam gamers.
This is probably gonna be the loooooongest patch to make because there are so many things to implement and polish before we even dare to step onto the Steam’s realm. Because we know how picky Steam players can be. 😅
When we’re closer to this line, I’ll probably make a separate devlog about all our plans with everything 100% confirmed. But generally, we plan to fix all the little details, bugs and do a ton of QoL changes to make the gaming experience as smooth as possible.
We can’t say for sure that all of the features listed below will be implemented during the polishing stage. Those are based on your feedback, the team resources and what we, the devs, would really want to see in the game.
So, what exactly do we plan to be polishing in Deluded?
The Must-Haves (sorted by the level of importance):
Navigation map
Tutorial
Player statistics (how many quests you’ve completed, how many trash cans you’ve explored, etc)
Autosaves
Optimization
Difficulty levels
Improve UI/UX
Create ambient audio (SFX + background music) for different locations
Improve clothing system (to prevent clipping in cinematics and add physics to certain clothes where applicable—e.g. skirts, dresses, coats…)
Make animations more detailed and improve the cinematic experience
Improve textures to unify the game’s visual style and environment, add details
Improve accessibility:
Manual brightness adjustment
Sound cues
Key remapping
Dialogue read indication
Achievements—the ability to replay scenes you discovered
Translation tool or the addition of several new languages
Full prologue VO (all prologue characters)
Improve the lighting transition between inside and outdoors
Remake/refactor mechanics to avoid conflicts
Add Inverse Kinematics support
Footprints from snow/sand/dirt, as well as water ripples
Controller support
Butt slap jiggle effect
Camera angle switching system for dialogues
Poses and emotions system for dialogues
Lip-sync to match characters’ lips with the voiceover
Other nice additions (still thinking):
Mac/Linux support
Steam Deck compatibility
Mod tools
S**-toys support 🤫
Saves compatibility between versions
Steam achievements
And many more smaller bug fixes and QoL improvements that have been sitting on our Trello board for too long…
What are your thoughts? Anything we missed that you think is important? Can’t wait to read your comments!
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Deluded Diaries: Roadmap. Actions menu
Continuing our series of posts about the roadmap, where we explain in detail the meaning of each milestone towards creating the adult game of our dreams!
Today's topic is the version 0.6 and the actions menu, which we briefly mentioned in this post. Now we are cracking open the mystery so that you can learn how it works! As of this post and the upcoming version 0.4, it's a prototype, so things may change throughout the development.
You can read the previous posts in the series here.
Coming in Deluded v0.6: Actions menu (also known as radial menu)
The radial menu is something many games have, and ours is not unique here. Starting in v0.4, you’ll be able to activate it by clicking the radial menu item in your inventory (available in the open-world prototype). Later on you'll be able to use it by pressing Q. It allows the player to perform actions anywhere in the world... With some limitations attached. We don’t have the visual in-game prototype yet, but you can imagine what it looks like—a circle with a center button and options spread out around it.
Actions accessible via the menu
There are some generic ones and attributes related ones. By default you can:
Sleep
Pee
Wait
Pleasure yourself (if Alisa is Hor*y).
The attribute-specific perks that appear when you've leveled them up enough are the following:
🟣 LE*D ≥ 75. Alisa gains a new Actions menu option: Prostitution (available anywhere, unless there are no people around)
⚪ PURE ≥ 75. Alisa gains a new Actions menu option: Pray (available anywhere, no ritual items needed)
🔴 STR ≥ 50. Alisa gains a new Actions menu option: Work out (available anywhere)
🔵 SUB ≥ 25. Alisa gains a new Actions menu option: Beg (available anywhere, but it won’t get you anywhere if there is no one around, duh)
🟡 GRC ≥ 25. Alisa gains a new Actions menu option: Dance in public for money (available anywhere, but no people around=no profit)
By the way, Attribute Perks & Drawbacks is a vast topic to be covered in one of the upcoming posts!
Hold on! Can’t let ya roam freely now
To put it shortly, you don’t want to be running around seducing people in public places. I mean, you can, but that will increase the Stress, which affects the MOOD. If you are not careful enough, that will result in game over.
Also, remember the Privacy system we talked about earlier? That affects the radial menu gameplay as well. Low-privacy (public) areas provide a bigger chance to encounter a wealthier client (thus bringing you more money) and it’s less likely to get into trouble.
And something else…
You can’t provide intimate services if there is no one around. I know, bummer. You can have fun yourself though, if you really feel like it and have the Hor*y effect active. Sleeping in a public place will put you in danger. Just a heads-up, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
In low-privacy areas the way Alisa's pleasuring herself depends on her LE*D level:
LE*D 0–25: she can do it only while fully clothed;
LE*D 26–50: she can remove her underwear;
LE*D 51–75: she can drop her top;
LE*D76–100 will let her do it nude.
That sums it up nicely. Got any questions? Hop in the comments below!
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