The Delta Academy
A downloadable game for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android
Hey There!
I'm Healer Main and I'm in the process of creating a visual novel themed on a magical concept I've had floating around my brain for years. I have been so inspired by countless VNs over the past two years that I couldn't help but want to get more involved with creating my own. The primary inspirations for what I'm creating would be (in no specific order) Coming Out On Top, Extracurricular Activities, Morenatsu, and House of Beef.
Synopsis
This story follows you, the main character, as you explore a brand new world of magic and beings of all shapes and sizes. You come upon your powers suddenly and wake up at The Delta Academy for Men with nothing but questions. As you learn more about magic and start befriending (and further) your fellow classmates or teachers, an uprising occurs that you feel compelled to assist with.
However, things aren't always as they seem. Friends become foes, enemies become lovers, the fabric of reality itself becomes subjective. Can you harness your powers and protect the cosmos? Will love be the key to saving everyone or get in the way?
Specifics
The final game will feature at least six 'datable' main characters as well as a slew of side-characters to interact with. There will be no 'wrong' answers in The Delta Academy but your choices will open up or close routes and scenes depending on the choices you make.
I'm still in need of a background artist so while I've included placeholders, please know they're just that. I hope they're not too distracting!
Updates
I'll be releasing two chapters a month on Patreon, but will provide public builds here on itch.io as well as on my Patreon page every couple months.
The second being you meet after waking up in The Delta Academy, Steven is also the only other human at the academy. He's a Bane, putting him in control of the natural elements. Steven came to the academy about a year ago and, from what you gather, in a similar circumstance to your own. The details are still a mystery to you.
What is he so worried about sharing? What in from his past keeps him so guarded? As you get closer to this fire mage perhaps you can get him to open up and share his demons.
Bryce, Bryce, Bryce. A humorous Shield with heterochromia certainly has a knack for getting into sticky situations. He's lovable, sure, and may come off as aloof and carefree most of the time, but there's something he's not telling you. What is it?
While getting closer to Mr. Unlucky, you hope to uncover his dark past that fuels his desire to live every moment without regret because nothing really matters. Will you be the one who reminds him that there are important things still left in the cosmoses? At the very least, will you be his good luck charm to prevent as many clothing malfunctions?
A Minotaur, a Healer, and your roommate: Bok seems to have quite the stick up his butt. For having powers solely focused on nurturing and helping those around him, he certainly doesn't play into the stereotype. He doesn't seem thrilled to be a Healer and to that end, he doesn't seem jived about The Delta Academy at all.
What's making him so angry with you, the academy, and seemingly everything? Can you befriend this gruff bull or is any attempt to warm him up a lost cause?
Born a Tennant, raised a Raven, Spiff is a highly capable martial artist. Ravens, being impervious to almost all magic, train in physical prowess and with a Tennant's natural abilities he's suited well for the role.
But he seems too willing to flirt with danger. It's only a matter of time before the cat catches his tongue. What is he trying to prove? Why does he seem to willing to throw himself at every risky opportunity? Can you calm him down or will you join him in his runaway ride towards self-destruction?
Arcanist Remington Bohld is an accomplished and powerful Nox that you meet when you wake up in The Delta Academy. Not exactly what you expected to see, either. He came to the academy nearly a decade ago to better assist in helping novice mages that had no other option. He also takes the role as your primary professor at the academy, so you spend a lot of time with him discovering and developing your talents.
He seems pretty easy to fluster though, which may prove fun for you. Why is he so uncomfortable with certain subjects anyway? Where there ulterior motives for leaving his esteemed job prior?
A dragonkin, Drax is one of the few Benders at The Delta Academy. With the ability to control and bend the minds of non-mages and, as you quickly find out, novice mages, he is uneasy to be around. To have any chance of getting close to him you're going to need to build up some mental defenses or you may become his prey.
While he teeters on the edge of evil will you be able to keep him on the side of good? Or will you be the push he needs to fully embrace his ability to shape the minds of mortals? And, will you follow him into that descent?
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Download
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Development log
- v1.08 ReleaseJul 28, 2021
- Android AccessibilityJun 19, 2021
- v1.07 ReleaseJun 17, 2021
- v1.06 ReleaseMay 20, 2021
- v1.05 ReleaseApr 30, 2021
- v1.04 ReleaseApr 13, 2021
- v1.03 ReleaseMar 22, 2021
- Discord ServerMar 06, 2021
Comments
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I just read your comment on this not being continued for now because of multiple things irl, and even if I'm sad about it because this was great, I'm glad you actually told us. I have quite a few other games I have 0 idea if are being continued or not and it's rather frustrating since the creators haven't said anything but also continue to use social media ignoring people asking what's going on with the games.
also, I've never tried to make a VN but I have done some coding and such, and it's a LOT more complicated than it seems when being described by others, so I get the struggle to continue doing it daily or on a schedule for an entire month over and over especially since you said you have ADHD and because it took so long every time with a lot less progress than the effort seemed.
so I guess goodbye for now, I hope you had at least a little fun during the time you worked on this and in the future you get to do what you want to without feeling obligated to do it. thanks for sharing this stories start and I wish you luck in future endeavors!
Is there any chance of the fabled 1.09 Patreon release coming here, or is that too much to ask too late? I was one of your patrons (happily, of course!), finished the 1.09 build and deleted everything but the saves in preparation for the next.
Don't ask - we all have our own neuroses haha.
Before I was able to re-download 1.09 for posterity's sake, the Patreon was taken offline and I haven't been able to find it since...
P.S. And @Healer, I completely understand the stress from both the work itself and the need to please people who give money for what really amounts to passion projects. I've been mulling over / world-building / on-and-off working on my own VN since beginning of pandemic and I always think "but what if I'm the next Blackgate?!" lol.
I hope at some point in the future (and not necessarily soon; you need to do it on your own time when you feel you are ready) you're able to find yourself a competent programmer to take the Ren'Py load off of your shoulders and pick this up again. It was truly great while it lasted.
I loved the game, I hope you manage to finish! congratulations regardless
The game has been officially dropped according to Healer Main.
It is sad to see such an amazing VN get dropped.
I agree. I wish it wasn't, but he is happy at least.
"Abandoned vn? Eh, i'm too curious to just skip it. After all, what's the worst that could happen?"
I was so foolish. Now i'm thinking about things that could be, but (probably) never will.T_T
Deserves 5 stars, but since it has been dropped... 5 stars but also a frowning emoji.
This visual novel was a truly captivating and immersive experience. The story was engaging and accomplished what few others have for me: throw a hefty amount of text at you (with little sprite movement relative the length of conversation) and not have me notice until round 3 getting through the initial routes. The two most universe-building lore-heavy sequences have no choices, and almost no sprite movement but it didn't matter. It is unfortunate that the energy spent creating won't enjoy resolution.
The characters were well-developed and relatable. The worldbuilding--which for any VN can be a challenge, but for one like this that introduces fundamental changes to the fabric of the _practical_ universe it can be tedious at best or skull-numbing torture at worst--is accomplished as nimbly as a top class Raven. Imagine ELI5-ing LoTR with the level of detail for daily-use application of magic that comes with Harry Potter; sounds hard right? Now do it in an hour and make sure none of it feels like information overload. Also throw in some quality smut-adjacent content. That's even harder (heh). It is impressive to say the least.
I loved the concept of exploring a brand new world of magic and encountering all sorts of unique and interesting beings. The level of detail about the simple mechanics of the world (think "how would a one-size-fits-all-species toilet work" level of detail).
Unique and (as much as they could be) fully fleshed-out starting paths almost makes the abrupt end worse. Overall, I highly recommend this visual novel to anyone who enjoys both fun furry romps in magic-land as well as feelings of loss.
It's truly sad that TDA is no longer being developed. It had so much potential and left me wanting more. It's a shame that we'll never get to see the full potential of this VN. I would be delighted to be wrong about this.
Given the radio silence, it is hard to know what happened, I hope the dev is ok. Regardless of how much it stinks to have another VN to add to my unfinished-tails folder it sucks more to left guessing if the artist is doing ok because this is challenging work.
I apologize for the long response but your review touched me and felt I needed to share a longer version of my decision to put down TDA.
I can't express how sad this makes me, but in a bittersweet way like remembering a loved pet that's no longer here. The appreciation you've outlined here for the world I was building makes my heart so full. The magic system that I used in TDA I've been toying with and reworking for a decade. It was first a non-furry, book (50 pages or so, also unfinished) and then I tried to overlap my love for world building and my lust for furry VNs. It was more daunting than I had expected.
Developing a VN is technically easy. Anyone can do it. The difficulty is persistence and dedication, which isn't a strong suit for my ADHD brain. I bit off more than I could chew.
Writing a chapter for TDA would take about 4-6 hours but then converting that into a VN was overwhelming (scripting the lines, adding expression markers for each new line, adding music, images, transitions, variables to track heart events). That 4-6 hours became 20+. After a long day at work, cooking dinner, taking care of the boys, trying to get to the gym, spending time with my boyfriend, friends, and family, and wanting to have wind-down solo time with a video game meant that I had very little energy/time left each week and I'd be giving up parts of my life to make it.
I started TDA when I lost my job and found free time I hadn't had before. That opened the door for me to pour my creative energy into something I was truly passionate about. I daydreamed that I could grow enough support like Extra Curricular Activities or After Class, and be able to support myself doing something that I loved but that obviously takes time. I also didn't love the idea of being beholden to my supporters (no offense intended!). Although NONE of them were pushy or impatient, guilt would hit me hard when I didn't think I could make a monthly deadline or that the story maybe wouldn't be interesting or spicy or long or unique enough to warrant the support. These demons were internal, to be clear, but a trap I couldn't escape all the same. Writing/creating without expectations is freeing, but doesn't cover the bills.
I contemplated just avoiding Patreon altogether to get rid of the expectations but then this would only be an expense. To add some data, TDA has been downloaded about 15,000 times on Itch but I've only made $134. The background artist I was working with was $100 per background so creating the game free of time constraints and expectations would have costed me a few thousand dollars. Patreon felt like the only way forward, where I was making near $300 per month even early on with few subscribers. It paid for the assets and was a glimmer of hope that perhaps it could support me as well but I couldn't remain jobless for a couple years as my following grew. I don't mean to criticize people who don't donate on itch (I'm that way for 50% of the games I've played), but it becomes impractical for creators looking for a way to put food on the table.
Once I got a job again, if I was to work on TDA only during my free time and when I had the energy left to give, I could only realistically give a few hours each weekend. A chapter would end up taking months to finish and with 20+ chapters planned with 5 unique chapters per datable character the roadmap was at least 6-8 years. It felt so daunting.
The other killer was just how lonely it was. I was creating a world that people were enjoying but I was doing it alone. There was no one to share the success but also the tediousness of creating it. The idea of building something for years by myself was killing my mental health. I'm an introvert in many ways but no solo activity has kept me motivated for long. TDA is my longest project I've ever stuck with on my own.
I love creating. I still draw from time to time and write short stories on other platforms, but they have small finite ends. And there's no expectation for a sketch or short story to appear and so whether it's been 1 week or 1 year since a post no one worries or messages me.
I'm partly in denial for TDA being gone forever. There were moments, a couple years ago, when I thought about just publishing everything I had: sketches for characters not yet introduced, outfits and scenes I had drawn, the character arcs I had planned for each character. Just to give everything I had so at least we'd all be on the same page for what was in my mind; but I couldn't. Giving that all away feels like the final, internal confirmation that I was done and I haven't been ready to do that.
Please don't read too optimistically into that though. For me to ever consider revisiting TDA I would need to do-so with a team and if that doesn't include my boyfriend or a close friend then it still involves me giving up on other parts of my life to revitalize TDA and the chance of that being true is incredibly low (no one in my IRL appreciates the furry world).
So, thank you for your incredible review of my little unemployment project. I, too, love the world TDA is set in and hope it was enjoyable even if unfulfilling.
<3 Healer Main
Lack of chronomagic is the biggest downside of real life, huh? My feelings resonate so much with all those mentioned misalignments and circumstances that it hurts. Only the best wishes to you though (or anyone who happens to read it for that matter).
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Another abandoned game. It was just getting good too... Itch.io should just remove all abandoned games so nobody gets their hopes up...
It looks so good! Why must all good things be abandoned?!
Their patreon is no longer a creator, guess the game really is cancelled =/
I love this game please keep up hard work and please don't abonden it
Has this wonderful VN been abandoned? It's been over a year without any news about it...
He-he… I did not expect this VN to have the kind of situations I saw.
Just to evade spoilers… in one of the scenes, MC is trying to escape from someone…
I did not expect to see a “relief” option after a stressful encounter, I’m laughing too much for this little snip. I haven’t played too much but just making me have a good laugh, I can see that this will be a really fun ride.
Agreed!!!
Is this still receiving updates? Remington is so cute, I was a little bummed when the demo ended right after really getting to speak/flirt with him
Please finish this I enjoying this
This is an AMAZING visual novel PLEASE dont be dead
I hope more updates come cause this visual novel is absolutely amazing
Hello, healermain. I like your game very much. I translated it into Chinese. Do you need me to send you a Chinese version?
798674867@qq.com You can email me if you need
Greetings, i have some curiosity about the World you are Creating. Id like to look around before i Buy, please
Healermain posted something on his twitter not too long ago. Wonder where he went for so long.
Hi are there any updates? I want to see more of Spiff, Bryce and Drax
Probably not, might be dead. Nothing since August 2021
Hey,
I have played this game, one among many about visual novels...
But, it is not just one among others! I really took pleasure about the story, the characters. I am so much waiting forward for the next releases and steps!
It is original, refreshing! As an RPG gamer and master, there are even some ideas I love (I won't spoil).
I wanted to become a patreon, was not able (I think that he said that currently Healer Main set it on pause as he did not perform any releases currently). As soon as possible it is, I become a patron!
Please, continue and finish it !!!
Yay, just finished catching up with the game
As someone ABSOLUTELY not into bears (hello Harold Grifter, Parker Stone and Juuichi Mikazuki), I was delighted to encounter that cinnamon roll of Remington Bohld, he's so adorable and funny to tease
It's nice to finally play a VN where the main character is a charming and witty guy, feels way more realistic, funnier and refreshing than your average shy and closeted MC
Too bad there hasn't been any release in the past few months, but I'm gonna eagerly wait for the next update !
Spiff is something else. 😂😂😘😘
Any news? We haven't heard a peep from you since late July, should we worry?
sorry if this sounds rude but do you know when the next update will be just asking
Probably dead, sorry about it.
I hope not its a great game and hope to see more
It isnt dead. He just hasn't even quite finished the next Patreon build, and is trying to keep them one build ahead. If you go to Healer Main's patreon page, he posted a public announcement there to let people know that, at the end of last month
oh thank god i'm so happy he's still working on it
I think he closed the patreon..
I just read the update you posted as a public devlog on your patreon, HM, and just wanna let you know that personally I really just like the characters (personalities and looks) as well as the story itself. I dont tend to read something just because it has NSFW or not, since that wouldn't keep my attention if that was the only reason. I would have commented this on that post but am currently not a patron only because of finances being tight. Though if things ever start looking better for me financially, I will gladly support it.
Ok I like the game and cant wait to see it grown this is a really good cant wait for the update
I hope you are doing well I these trying times!
It's very rude, I know, but... I have to ask, really...
There's any NSFW content in this game? Because is kinda my cup of tea...
Oh goody
Will there be more public update?
Please don't take this the wrong way but, is this VN still alive?
Afaik yes it is, last public build was released about 53 days ago and the patreon build is available already
Thanks, again didn't mean to insult this great VN or its fanbase, just wanted to be sure before I got invested
I wanna
Bryce so much!
I think he'd enjoy that.
Hello creator of delta academy, I like ur game a to z. The blushing big bear is the one I'm most fan of! I look forward for ur the games new updates and more events. Yet I hope ur in good health. Regardless, some of us can't wait for the new updates. Plz let us know when ut comes.
Hi there. I think there's a problem on the android apk. The game is able to launch but i can't play the game. It seems that i can't touch the play button or any button.
Same
I came for Drax
But there's no Drax yet TwT
same Q.Q
me three. we need more Drax :(
Drax is next in the public demo; he's out now on my Patreon.
Dont know what to comment soo..
Guess who deez are and where they are from...
P.S. when you answer pls dont show it, make it so you have to show more to see the answer.
Third one:
VN Socially akward
The t and the l got switched, a small gripe, I know, but I wanted to let you know.
Rub
Rub
Rub
Rub
A
Dub
Dub.
This game has so many unique ideas with its magic system, I'm excited to learn more. The characters are cute and the dialogue has made me laugh many times. Can't wait to see more updates, thanks for the great game!!
nsfw??
Unless you're in the sex work industry, yes.
Will there be a way for android users to do the QTEs, or are we doomed to be deers frozen in headlights whenever they appear?