Exilian

I've been working on The Hidden Art of Innkeeping for the past 3 years and the game will be released tomorrow (Sep 3, 2024 at 9 am Pacific Time). I just found out about Exilian through Mastodon, and I thought some people here might be interested in the game.

The Hidden Art of Innkeeping is a cozy indie game where you manage an inn. Meet fun guests (including biologists, wannabe adventurers, a vampire, a pirate, and more!), unlock delicious dishes, and configure rooms and amenities as you transform an old farmhouse in a seaside village into a luxurious inn.

Immerse yourself in a fantastic historical setting, where typewriters and Jane Austen novels can coexist with fairies and gnomes, and where people have hedgehogs and turnips as pets. Discover new areas and hidden treasures, uncover secrets, and rejuvenate the struggling village!

There's a demo that'll be available until the game is released, so you can try it if you want!

Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2613800/The_Hidden_Art_of_Innkeeping/ (https://store.steampowered.com/app/2613800/The_Hidden_Art_of_Innkeeping/)
Itch: https://seaphoenix.itch.io/hiddenart (https://seaphoenix.itch.io/hiddenart)

Trailer:

Screenshots

(https://img.itch.zone/aW1hZ2UvMTk5MTY4MC8xMjM2MjEzMC5wbmc=/original/OGWd%2BZ.png)
(https://img.itch.zone/aW1hZ2UvMTk5MTY4MC8xMzU2MjA4NC5wbmc=/original/A2yt9Y.png)
(https://img.itch.zone/aW1hZ2UvMTk5MTY4MC8xMzU2MjA5MC5wbmc=/original/gV7ZkH.png)
(https://img.itch.zone/aW1hZ2UvMTk5MTY4MC8xMzU2MjA4Ni5wbmc=/original/fLOFE8.png)

Note:
This game is a sequel to The Lost Art of Innkeeping (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1327820/The_Lost_Art_of_Innkeeping/), but can be played as a stand-alone game without knowing anything about the previous game.

It looks lovely! Very much reminds me of the RPGs I used to play when I was a teen.  :)

Quote from: The Seamstress on September 03, 2024, 06:43:33 AMIt looks lovely! Very much reminds me of the RPGs I used to play when I was a teen.  :)

Thanks!

Quote from: SeaPhoenix on September 03, 2024, 01:50:20 AMwhere typewriters and Jane Austen novels can coexist with fairies and gnomes, and where people have hedgehogs and turnips as pets

This is very much a vibe I appreciate and approve of :) Looking forward to getting some time soon to have a play of it!

Quote from: Jubal on September 03, 2024, 10:54:02 PMThis is very much a vibe I appreciate and approve of :)

Ha ha, thanks! I knew joining this place was the right choice. :)

I finally got round to playing through the demo! I'll probably pick up the full game sometime soon :)

A few thoughts on it:

• Overall enjoyed it, the guests were fun and the gameplay worked and made sense and progressed nicely.
• I think the one bit I didn't enjoy was sound design: I kinda felt like I wanted more variation, or maybe some capacity to change the music, or something like that. It was perfectly standard music for this kind of game, but even over the 6 day playthrough I started finding it repetitive.
• I didn't find the kitchen door (and thus the all important rope) until Day 6, which is probably daft of me but thought I'd note it.
• Realising I could shift+move to run was a game-changer, I felt like that should have been an early tutorial prompt.
• I was initially surprised that WASD wasn't my movement default. I might re-bind that playing the actual game, it's so common in games that it just feels the natural thing for me at this point.

Also, bits and nods I most liked:

• Branka the mouse.
• Penelope looking for Odysseus with their pet chicken, 10/10 no notes.
• Accurate depiction of Peacocks.

Anyway, thanks for making it and as & when I get to playing the full version I'll let you know any more thoughts :)

Hello fellow Inn-themed game developer! :-) :-) This looks lovely.