New game release: Can’t Hold My Feelings 🍷

Hello everyone!
The short visual novel “Can’t Hold My Feelings” has been finally released, and it’s available for free on itch.io.

After a year of dedicated work (despite some breaks along the way), we’re thrilled to share this project with you. This game has been a significant milestone for us, especially because it acted as a benchmark for Estelle (see the project page if you haven’t already). It has helped us understand what we can realistically achieve as we set our sights on creating even bigger games.

What I’ve come to realize over the past year is that making something big requires the help of many people. As much as I’d like to say we can do everything ourselves, the truth is that we probably can’t. There are too many tasks to be done, and there are only two of us. Even tasks that we are physically capable of completing might simply require too much time, making it unfeasible for us to handle them all. That’s why it’s important to recognize and accept our limits while being open to asking for help when needed.

I believe that Estelle could be an amazing story. I genuinely think it’s a tale worth telling, and for this very reason, it must be told in the best possible way. I’m fortunate to have a well-paying job, which allows me to finance the game and realize my vision with minimal compromises.

I am determined to bring this project to life, and although I’m not entirely convinced I have everything it takes to make it happen, I do feel like it’s within reach. I want to thank everyone who has been supporting me: your encouragement has been nothing short of miraculous! A year ago, I never would have expected the level of support I’ve received, even from friends I believed wouldn’t be interested in what I do. I’m still amazed that come people think highly enough of me to have faith in my abilities. For all of you, I have nothing but gratitude.

“Can’t Hold My Feelings” serves as an introduction to the two (plus one) major characters in the story: Monica and Jacob, with a brief appearance by Alistair. If you can connect with them now, on a lighter and more casual level, there’s a good chance you’ll love them even more in Estelle. And if they don’t quite resonate with you yet, there’s still a possibility you’ll appreciate them more in their origin story.

So, I hope you’ll root for us and continually encourage us to never give up.

Thank you for reading!