Hello Gorgeous!

I wanted to talk monetization, and get some feedback from you all, before we make any FINAL decisions. 

Here are some of the questions we've been asked so far:

Do you plan to release a FREE to PLAY version? YES!  We plan to release the mobile version as 1 game, with the option to pay to unlock skipping all minigames as well as skipping to the next "day" in the game, where it would otherwise be restricted. 

What will FREE to PLAY look like? Ideally, we'd offer options to skip a single mini-game or multiple mini-games through "tickets" which you can earn in-game, by swapping out Chibi Coins (earned through responses/connecting with characters/increasing their affinity) or by making an app store purchase. We'll also have bundled options to purchase the game outright, providing the ability to skip all mini-games and move onto the next day freely, for a set price. This option will unlock the ability to play all routes, and skip all mini-games in them no matter how many times you play the game from the start! We're still ironing out the details on that. 

What will PAY to PLAY look like?  Right now, we are hoping to set the overall cost around $20 USD, so that you can purchase the game outright here on Itch.io or STEAM, as well as unlock the feature on Mobile (IOS and ANDROID). You'd be able to skip all mini-games freely (some might still want to play them, but if you're just not in the mood...) and move on to the next "day" freely as well. In other words, no pesky story interruptions for a set cost! 

What types of mini-games do you have planned? For us, the most annoying part of games we've played was the weird way they "hack" things or the weird mini-games that made no sense. A good example is Duskwood. Playing Candy Crush to hack someone's cloud, just didn't make sense. So, we are hopeful that our ideas line up a bit better. One example: Hacking! You'll be playing a "rock band" or "DDR" style game where you have to click the correct arrow on the screen or on the keyboard, in time. It's still another "mini-game" but we felt it made more sense for "hacking" style clues! We have 4 other games planned, for Photos, Audio, Location tracking, and "locks". 

What other packages will you be offering, make game play easier for those without monetary options? We will offer the free-to-play, without it being impossible to finish. You can play the game, without spending a dime. At 9 am (local time) each day, 10 full chatrooms, will open up, and as you play them, texts, emails, clues, and phone/video calls will appear as well. Get through the day, and want to play more? You'll have to wait until 9 am the following day (local time). You won't ever have to pay to unlock the "missed" chatrooms, but you will have them pile up on you if you wait! 

In addition to that, you will have 5 "lives" to complete the mini-games within the time allowed (very flexible)  and they will regenerate over time. Every 20 minutes you will gain another life, meaning it will only take 1 real-time hour! If you get tired of a certain style mini-game, we will offer single purchase "tickets" for that particular style mini-game, and a pack of 3-5 (TBD) tickets, for any type as well. So if you love the hacking games, but hate the photo games, you can purchase enough tickets to skip them. Tickets roll over, so you have them for future playthroughs if you want, but you don't HAVE to spend a dime on the FTP option.  

I know that a lot of people don't like "paying" for content/entertainment, but I would like you to consider this: Each of us is doing this project UNPAID, and is taking time out of our "regular" lives to create. There is only a handful of us. 740 chatrooms. 140 texts/calls. 200 hand-drawn icons, CG, and UI parts/backgrounds. IT'S ALL US! So please be kind. Whether you choose to play the free-to-play option and donate where you can, or purchase the game outright, we appreciate your support! 

 Please let us know if you have thoughts on any of this, as we have not set prices exactly, and we may change things along the way based on your opinions.