Hellooo I Wanted To Ask If When You Choose A Platonic Option At First Meeting With Any Of The ROs Does

hellooo i wanted to ask if when you choose a platonic option at first meeting with any of the ROs does it lock you out from ever being able to pursue a romance with them in the future?

Hi! I imagine you're referring to After Dark? Please correct me if I'm wrong!

That shouldn't happen, but it might be a bit frustrating to miss out on some romantic interactions between one potential start of a romance and the next one. This is because the story tries to follow a realistic pattern of "developing a crush," which usually happens at random but is motivated by something specific (for example, when you wake up the morning after Michael saved your life, if MC is attracted to men, they might see him in a new light and develop a crush on him). If, at that moment, you decide that MC doesn’t have a crush on him, then doing things like sharing food with him obviously won't spark one, but if they do have a crush, then it could strengthen those feelings. The same applies if he does something particularly kind and you realize you're starting to like him, or things like that.

As the story progresses, it becomes harder for a sudden crush to develop, for obvious reasons. However, you’re never completely locked out of a potential romance route, although that could happen based on your long-term choices (including, simply, how you treat the potential romantic interest).

I hope this helps! ☺

Do you personally play After Dark or just make characters to test the story? If you personally play it, could you share the personality of your MC and who they have as a love interest? ❤️

Yes! Thank you for asking this!

So, I do at least one complete run each update, just to make sure everything works as it should. Of course, I also test different characters, but my canon one resembles me a lot (yeah, I'm that type of player, don't judge me pls).

My MC is usually a gay guy who matches my physical description, he's smart and loves literary subjects, but I don't place much importance on his family relationships. His 'malus' trait varies a lot because my health sucks anyway, so one is as good as another lol

He's inquisitive but not at the expense of other things. On the first night, he might open the window, but when Michael advises him not to look while walking during the first day, he asks why and then follows the advice. He keeps Rain talking for as long as needed (even at the cost of his phone battery), agrees to see him right away, and comforts him whenever he can.

He's always kind and appreciative of what others do for him, never lying or pretending. If he can share something, he does it. He helps Abby when she needs it, and even though he's not the bravest of the group, he researches and reflects on what's going on, offering advice and asking for others' opinions.

...and of course, he has a relationship with Michael, because if this were a D&D game, Michael would be the Paladin, and I, as a player, am pretty predictable :P

Thanks again for asking! Can I ask what your MC is like? ☺

bro I want to say that I really enjoyed your long weekend!!! You're so good! but for god's sake I've played it three times and the ending still isn't what I thought it would be💀 so please tell me what can I do to make my MC have a good ending, I'm starting to doubt that my MC actually was originally no good ending lol

Hi! I’m really glad you enjoyed A Long Weekend!

I had written a short guide on the forum, but it didn’t attract much interest, and since it’s quite a bit of work, I didn’t finish writing the walkthroughs. Let’s see if I can help you here now!

First of all, let me ask you a few questions (sorry if they’re a bit basic, but I’m basing this on my past experiences!):

Do you check the stats while you play? Right from the start, there’s not much, but you do need to keep an eye on the "Mind" and "Energy" bars!

Do you try to balance Mind and Energy? What values do you reach toward the end of the game?

Do you meet Alex? If so, what are your choices?

Do you generally choose "passive" actions? Like, staying in bed, not going out, etc.?

Do you generally choose "jealous" actions? Like, checking the photos, calling the bff, writing a negative email, etc.?

By understanding your playstyle, I can guide you a bit better in the right direction!

Thanks for playing A Long Weekend and for reaching out to me about it ♥

hello! just wanted to let you know i found a bug.

it says i have no cigarettes left when it’s actually my most supplied item

Hi, thank you for letting me know!

I looked at that scene and apparently, it wasn't checking the correct variables—it ran a check on the number of pills instead of cigarettes.

It is now fixed, and will no longer cause this issue from the next update.

Thanks again! ♥

I tried checking the stats carefully like you said and I succeeded on the 5th try! and I'm really satisfied😆 really like your game, you're really talented!!! Looking forward to your next products🤩

Yay! I’m glad you made it! Can I ask which ending you got? There are seven in total ☺

Thank you so much for your kind words! I don’t have any other published games at the moment, but you can follow my works in progress here on Tumblr (check the tags #After Dark and #The In-Between on my blog), on the forum (After Dark and The In-Between threads), and generally on Patreon (with the #Hope Abides exclusive as well). You can also stay in touch via Discord if you’d like!

Hi, related to the question before, you mentioned you enjoyed reading a lot. Thank you for that full answer btw :) but I wanted to ask you, do you enjoy playing video games that are choice based also? (Or at least the choices you can make throughout the game have an impact on the actual storyline) Like the telltale series, or Dragon age? When I read through all the new releases of cog, I always like to replay these games as they give me the same feeling but of course more visual.

You're very welcome!

Yes, I like those games too :-) My favorite game of the eighth generation is Until Dawn. Honestly, the day I get tired of Until Dawn will be the day I'm replaced by a body snatcher...

I love Dragon Age, and The Wolf Among Us is another game that kept me up through multiple playthroughs (I can't wait for the sequel to come out!). Other games in this genre that I've loved include The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante, Heavy Rain (though the ending… eh), Detroit, Beyond: Two Souls, and Night Call.

Unfortunately, I completely lack free time, so I have a lot of games on hold and others I still need to play. For example, in the future, I want to catch up on Undertale, Frostpunk, The Dark Pictures Anthology (obviously :P), Catherine, the Deus Ex series, and As Dusk Falls.

I need to finish Disco Elysium, Oxenfree, and (though not entirely in the genre you mentioned) Help Will Come Tomorrow, Lamplight City, and Mind Scanners!