Legends of Astravia has undergone a lot of changes over the years. From the modest attempt in the 2017 IGMC contest to today, there have been several demos and the visuals, mechanics, and story have been continually refined.

Many old screenshots and promotional tweets were recently removed in order for the game to be more inline with its final release. However, I believe this media is a very important part of the game’s history.

This page contains an archive of the short form (Twitter media) posts made from 2018-2023. Some of these images were also used on itch.io in the earlier developer’s logs, which are still preserved there.

I hope you enjoy flipping through the game’s transformations over the years, and if you’re a game developer yourself, I hope that it gives you some insight and motivation to continue your own work. I took the time to add some retrospective notes that are hopefully helpful / funny.

The media on this page is for reference only. For up-to-date promotional media, please check out the presskit.

May 21, 2018

“Here are some additional menus, changes, and a map you can expect to see in the v1.2 update! #indiedev #rpgmaker #screenshotsaturday (I’m a little late on screenshot saturday)”

Dev note: My first dive into menu design. It honestly wasn’t too bad! Some elements such as equipment stayed, while others like the bestiary are gone (but might return!)

May 26, 2018

“For #screenshotsaturday we have a screenshot of the completed cave network, as well as the new battle layout and background for the swamp dungeon! #indiegames #indiedev #rpgmaker”

Jun 28, 2018

“A gif of the new battle command wheel:”

Dev note: The battle system has come such a long way, I think making the Time Bar more visible was the best change, but I actually miss some of the way the windows laid out in this first iteration!

Jul 19, 2018

“I’ve been quiet, but busy! Check out the new enemy HP bars~

Jul 23, 2018

“Check it out! Message boxes are semi-transparent and the text isn’t so darn spread out.”

Jul 30, 2018

“A late #screenshotsaturday showcasing some baked lights! I’m going to be overhauling lighting (after the v2.0 release) and creating a custom mask for every single map.”

Dev note: Truly a lovely effect, but ultimately way out of scope for the final game.

Oct 2, 2018

“Created a new script this weekend…I think it makes sense to indicate whether or not you can interact with something! I’ve been meaning to add this for a long time, but it was refreshing to finally get it done.”

Dev note: Only to eventually replace with someone else’s script which was much better written. Oh the irony!

Oct 18, 2018

“My game, Legends of Astravia invokes the nostalgia of classics like Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger. I hope to get it under the spotlight some day by making it polished and professional while still maintaining that RPG Maker flavor.”

Dev note: Always FF and CT isn’t it?

Oct 18, 2018

“Miss me? I’ve been busy!

Took some extra time to make journal update notifications. Now you can actually tell when you’ve completed a quest step or unlocked an enemy’s details in the bestiary.”

Dev note: What in the modern AAA? This one definitely won’t end up in the final game. That quest menu was pretty cute, though!

Oct 22, 2018

“How about a quick map teaser? A little late for #screenshotsaturday but that’s OK!”

Oct 31, 2018

“Good luck to all of the #IGMC2018 entrants this year! Be sure to get plenty of rest and stay hydrated~

I will not be entering, but that’s because I have a lot of plans and updates for this lovely submission from last year. Legends of Astravia has come a long way since then…”

Dev note: Incredibly rare battle screenshot from the game’s very first iteration. Wow!

Nov 2, 2018

“While I personally can’t bring myself to turning down the music in any game, that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be an option! So, I whipped up an options menu to give the player some flexibility:”

Nov 8, 2018

“Finally decided on a skill system. Players can freely equip skills among party members. Equipped skills level up to be more powerful, and acquired in all sorts of ways, such as leveling, treasure, or a store! #indiedev #indiegames

You’ll be able to try it out in the demo soon!”

Dev note: First iteration of the skill system, before it was called “Essence”. The UI honestly wasn’t so bad, even all those years ago!

Nov 13, 2018

“And it’s done! You can gain “essence” through items, equip them, level them up, and acquire different skills based on it’s level. This will be in the new demo for everyone to try out soon!”

Dev note: Second iteration, with the FF7 materia influence much clearer. The AP system eventually was dropped.

Nov 28, 2018

“Announcement soon…”

Dev note: First batch of screenshots from the first demo (2018). Some elements have stayed while others have gone since then.

Dec 12, 2018

“Made some much-needed changes to the battle system in response to all of the feedback received on the demo.

The ATB is now smoother, easier to use, and properly animates actions. The update for this should ready Friday!”

Dev note: The battle system, while always eye-catching, has suffered from serious balancing issues. Apparently when the first demo came out, people were absolutely obliterated by the bees!

Feb 1, 2019

“Here’s an update of what I’ve been working on this past week: [itch.io link] A little early for #screenshotsaturday but I’m too excited about these new tileset changes!”

Dev note: First attempt at giving Astravia it’s own visual flair. Some contrast / color filters did manage to make those RPG Maker XP tiles pop, but ultimately they were still too unwieldy to work with.

Feb 3, 2019

“Currently tossing around the idea of a resolution change. This would allow for hi-res character busts and GUI elements, but would maintain the “pixelated” graphics look with the same viewport. Screenshots in the comments for an example. What are your thoughts?”

Dev note: The big change that would put Legends of Astravia on the path of constant design changes for the next 3 years. In hindsight, the original 4:3 ratio really contributed to the game’s nostalgia factor, and if I could go back with the skills I have now, I could probably keep it that way. But ultimately, the widescreen serves the new battle system a lot better, and is more compatible with modern hardware. So here we are!

Feb 10, 2019

“This weekend has been a bit more art-oriented.

Re-doing Baldric’s portrait has been on the to-do list for a while, but thanks to some inspiration from a friend, it finally got done! How does it look?”

Dev note: Baldric was based on an edited RPG Maker VX portrait I found on CLOSET, and I further edited and redrew him at a higher resolution. It’s kind of funny how a lot of character features made it all the way to the game’s present-day design.

Feb 12, 2019

“Oliver got a makeover today! His portrait is now much more true to his sprite and envisioned design.

What’s an RPG protagonist without a little angst, right?”

Dev note: Oliver was also an edited default RPG Maker VX portrait. He finally lost his priesthood in favor of the funny little jacket thing he wears, and received his iconic braid! Apparently at the time I was quite proud of this redraw. Amazing how far his design has come since these days.

Feb 18, 2019

“Another redraw done! Baldric’s wife, Lina.”

Feb 26, 2019

“Here is a preview of the 2.3b update. It will include a variety of changes and updates, including a more engaging opening, new character portraits, tileset changes, and more balanced battles!”

Mar 16, 2019

“For #screenshotsaturday, here are how the newly redrawn portraits look in-game!”

Mar 21, 2019

“The v2.3 demo update is now available! This includes the newly drawn portraits and tons of quality of life fixes.”

Dev note: This “promo art” of Oliver and Baldric is too funny to not post. Also the confidence I had from day 1 by sticking a trademark symbol on Astravia. Classic.

Apr 6, 2019

“Another redrawn portrait crossed off the list! This character was supposed to be introduced later on, but I think I like him enough to introduce him much sooner: say hello to Azel!”

Dev note: … The way this man has bent the game to his will since this day. Also, I’ll forever miss this handsome portrait, but it was just too prolific among RPG Maker games to keep in the final. I think a weird twisted goal I had was for people to see this portrait and go “Oh yeah, that’s Azel from Legends of Astravia!”.

Apr 13, 2019

“For today’s #screenshotsaturday the newly designed inventory is just about completed. It is now much cleaner and has useful item descriptions so you know exactly what items are good for healing, buffs, etc.”

Apr 20, 2019

“Another menu done just in time for #screenshotsaturday! Here’s a pretty new save menu that has smooth, sliding window “drawers”.”

Dev note: This save menu was super cool, but the sliding windows gave me so much grief they eventually got nixed in the most recent iteration.

Apr 23, 2019

“Here is a very special preview of some new cinematic artwork that will be in the game’s Early Access release version. Who is this mysterious woman?”

Dev note: This character’s first design, which would later be improved. I’ve always wanted to have a more diverse cast, but the lack of access to non-white character assets was a big limitation until I had the art skills to draw my own. RPG Maker has been around for years, with thousands of assets, and it’s a bit sad, but not surprising, just how few people of color there are.

May 2, 2019

“Another redraw done!

This is Sarina, a knight who escorts Oliver to Valica City in the beginning of the game. She completes the 4 starting party members in the main menu!”

Dev note: Sorry gamers, but Sarina’s chest got nerfed (in favor of an actual chest plate to, y’know, protect her chest!)

May 5, 2019

“Unfortunately we missed #screenshotsaturday, but the shiny new equip menu is completed! Unlike the old version, it’s much cleaner and there is room to display status effect info!”

May 11, 2019

“About halfway there with the new menu redesign! Here is the updated status menu showing all of a party member’s potential.”

Jun 2, 2019

“Apologies for the radio silence–though I’ve had some IRL business to attend to, the project is still active!

This week, the quest log received a much-needed makeover.”

Dev note: While this system eventually went away, and will probably be replaced with a much simplified “journal”, I wanted to point out that this (and many other features for Astravia) came from KK20 at Chaos Project. I can’t understate how helpful he’s been over the years in helping my hone my true inner Ruby.

June 16, 2019

“Incredibly close to completing the menu redesign. Just a few more to go. This one was the most intensive – the enemy bestiary!

It allows for detailed information depending on an enemy’s discovery status.”

Dev note: I quite miss the bestiary. It’s a bit of a scope problem but I think it adds a lot to the game, so I hope to bring it back in the final release.

July 1, 2019

“For those of you wondering why the updates have been slow and sparse the past few weeks, it’s because…I’m moving!

The project is still very much alive, but a lot of my extra dev time has been absorbed by packing boxes.”

Dev note: Another big iteration of “cover art” for the game. Oliver’s art looks so silly. I miss ???’s witch hat though, it was super cute.

Aug 14, 2019

“A teaser for the new intro, in the new 720p resolution, with the newly drawn character busts…!”

Dev note: Over the next year, you’ll see me experiment with this feature all the way until finally falling back on the face-in-message box design, which has never failed most classic RPGs. Sometimes you have to take a few falls before you figure stuff out!

Aug 24, 2019

“The new battle system is coming along nicely! Still quite a bit to do, but everything is properly fitted to 720p, enemies are labeled and there are now some cool effects on the battler busts.”

Dev note: The first big iteration of the battle system in 720p, with all of the lovely UI/UX issues attached.

Sep 4, 2019

“The battle system is still being worked on, with just a few more tweaks to go?”

Dev note: “just a few more tweaks”… meanwhile, 3 years later

Sep 7, 2019

“A small accomplishment for #screenshotsaturday: the “Game Over” screen has been updated to be prettier and doesn’t force you to wait through the title screen again ⏱️”

Sep 8, 2019

“Another bust redone! Say hello to Arlyn, leader of the Royal Order in Valica.”

Dev note: Arlyn’s design will change a lot, but I miss his ponytail. The spirit of it will live on in another character, however.

Sep 14, 2019

“All of the character art is completed for the starting cast, so here is a nice promotional image displaying them all!”

Dev note: Only Oliver, Baldric, and Azel’s designs will survive the years to come…

Sep 17, 2019

“Everything is finally coming together with this new resolution increase. Lighting and “doodads” make for some nice map ambiance!”

Sep 18, 2019

“We reached 100 Followers!

It isn’t much, but here’s a wallpaper to show how grateful I am for all of the positivity and feedback Legends of Astravia has received.

Without all of you, this project wouldn’t exist, so thank you!”

Dev note: First major follower milestone. I honestly love the wallpaper idea, and should definitely try to do it again with the final designs!

Sep 19, 2019

“As an additional thank you for everyone’s awesome support so far, here are some character wallpapers.

Here’s to many more months of successful development! ?”

Oct 12, 2019

“This week is a new character reveal!

Meet Minerva, a mysterious desert elf from the province of Bymere.”

Dev note: … sigh dark skin, white hair trope strikes again. Thankfully her design gets significant improvements later on.

Oct 31, 2019

“It’s been a while since an update was posted, but we’re still hard at work!

Here is a little teaser–Oliver’s concept art! Perhaps this and the other characters will be in a future artbook…?️”

Dev note: Oliver’s completed design, which will finally stick around. Tunic, boots, belt and gold trim… Now he’s a proper classic JRPG protagonist!

Nov 2, 2019

“It’s not much, but Oliver and Azel’s sprites got a makeover today to better match their finalized character designs.”

Nov 22, 2019

“Here’s Oliver, now with color! This will be part of a series of “cut in” art that will appear during key points in battle.

The excellent lineart was done by the talented Ryuuen”

Dev note: When I had the lineart for this piece commissioned, I honestly almost cried–seeing your characters exactly as you envisioned them is something special. Ryuuen has been an incredible support with their work, and truly brought the characters and their designs to life in the game’s final promotional art.

Nov 24, 2019

“Better a late #screenshotsaturday than never, so here’s a really short preview clip of the cut-in effect in battle using the new artwork.”

Nov 28, 2019

“Here’s some “box art” with Oliver front-and-center; promotional art that will present itself on Steam, etc. when the game goes into early access.”

Dev note: While I’m really not proud of this art, I’d love to redraw it sometime. I think the heart is there!

Nov 30, 2019

“For #screenshotsaturday, here is a preview of the new title screen, which tells a more interesting story now.”

Dev note: The fantasy text eventually went away due to readability issues, but I’d love to bring it back with a cool animation instead.

Dec 7, 2019

“Not much for #screenshotsaturday, as most changes have been under-the-hood.

For now here’s a preview of how precise the 8 direction/grid-less movement is.”

Dev note: The first preview of the switch to gridless 8-direction movement. It massively improved the feel of the game, but has given me immense grief over the years trying to program and debug it. Worth it, though!

Dec 20, 2019

“The Legends of Astravia page on itch.io has been updated with a bunch of new screenshots to showcase all of the changes since march.”

Dec 21, 2019

“Hello everyone! This is the official twitter page for Legends of Astravia! Here you can follow development updates and learn about new versions right away.”

Dev note: Another iteration of the “cover art”. The way I drew Azel in this still has me cackling. Ultimately not the right tone, but I’d love to rework it someday for fun.

Dec 21, 2019

“For #screenshotsaturday here are a few more updated screenshots showcasing the upcoming demo.”

Dev note: Ironically, the “upcoming demo” never came. Which is kind of funny, because it means Astravia has otherwise been on a “2 year” dev cycle, with demos in 2018, 2022, and 2024 – the 2020 demo simply never made it.

Jan 4, 2020

“For the first #screenshotsaturday to kick off 2020, we have some familiar faces as Mordin Village finally gets revised.”

Jan 8, 2020

“A bonus mid-week post; this is just a fun exercise to show how far the game has come since it’s first demo in 2017. “

Dev note: And how much further it’s yet to go…

Jan 19, 2020

“A slightly different update today; a preview some of the game’s lore. Here are the first 4 characters encountered in Mordin, the starting area of the game.”

Dev note: While the lore and designs are now inaccurate, these cards are really cool. Would love to bring something like them back.

Jan 26, 2020

“There hasn’t been much to show these past few weeks due to being mostly QoL, but here’s a snippet of what it looks like to get around the forest with gridless movement!”

Feb 16, 2020

“Pardon the silence. Here’s a small milestone to share.

The push blocks for puzzles are just about complete, and the “camera” now eases when it moves. This makes for easy indication when something is solved across a larger room.”

Mar 8, 2020

“In lieu of the delayed updates, I thought it would be fun to show the #StartToFinish for the current promo piece.

(Be warned, the first sketch was ghastly…)”

Dev note: First sketch of the above promo. It’s goofiness is honestly endearing at this point. Why are Oliver’s hands so effing big?!

Mar 20, 2020

“Excited to finally break hiatus with an update: the overhauled battle system with new sprites! What do you think?”

Dev note: First showcase of Burt’s gorgeous spritework. He’s been with the project since 2020, and it means so much to me that him (and a lot of the other project’s freelancers) continue to take commissions while the game has been in development so long.

Mar 27, 2020

“‘The forests have never been so lush. But if you sit among the trees long enough, you’ll hear them whisper their secret…that the deep greens of their leaves are nourished by the ashes of the Cataclysm.’”

Dev note: I really loved this post, even though it didn’t go very far.

Mar 29, 2020

“I’ve been working on my game’s battle system, but I also just finished up a cutscene. Here are some screenshots:”

Apr 4, 2020

“For #screenshotsaturday here’s a short preview clip showing the brand new battle sprites and Azel’s cut-in!”

Apr 12, 2020

“It is safe to say silence means progress. While there was nothing new to share for #screenshotsaturday yesterday, the brand new demo is in its beta phase, which means a public demo should be available quite soon!”

Dev note: RIP Legends of Astravia 2020 Demo, 2020-2020

Apr 17, 2020

“The first of many monsters in Astravia to get a makeover, this ghostly knight will challenge anyone who fails the trials of the Sanctuary.”

Dev art: This enemy art was so incredible, but fell out of budget for most of Chapter 1. Hopefully more gorgeous sprite art like this for enemies in the second chapter!

Apr 18, 2020

“A lot of the game’s promotional material so far has only shown the first area.

So, for today’s #screenshotsaturday here’s a WIP of a new area: Bymere, the desert province south of Valica’s capital.”

Apr 18, 2020

“Admittedly, the Bymere map posted this morning is still quite unrefined, so here’s a shot of Mordin–the first area in the game you’ll encounter when the demo eventually goes live.”

Apr 22, 2020

“Azel’s portrait received a few touch-ups last night. His braid was changed to be more consistent with his sprite and promotional art, and his hand corrected to look more natural.”

Dev note: Azel gets the best treatment out of everyone in the cast, let’s be honest.

Apr 25, 2020

“For #screenshotsaturday, how about a snippet of that new Ghost Knight in action?

Each week the battle system gets more and more refined, a few UI changes were also made, if you can spot them!”

Apr 25, 2020

“With Azel’s revision earlier this week, it was time for our protagonist to receive similar treatment!

Here is Oliver’s updated portrait, now more inline with his finalized design.”

Apr 26, 2020

“Oliver is a very expressive person, so here are a few of the new expressions that go along with his re-drawn portrait.”

Dev note: Looking back, I’m honestly much happier with the art I’ve drawn myself now, instead of this RPG Maker portrait derivative :)

Apr 30, 2020

“Astravia is more than just swamps and forests–there are all kinds of environments you’ll see on your journey. Here is just a quick sketch of a later area in the game, a mountain covered in snow ❄️”

Dev note: Realistically, the snowy parts of the game won’t be until the second chapter. But I really loved how I designed this map, and it’ll definitely be in the final game for sure.

May 9, 2020

“For #screenshotsaturday, here is a preview of Mordin Village, showcasing some of the nice lighting that is possible in later areas.”

Dev note: Each year I wonder… will I ever get out of Mordin?! Is Astravia just destined to be a time loop game?!?!?!

May 16, 2020

“Things have unfortunately been a little too hectic to get together some gameplay for #screenshotsaturday…

So instead–while a little unconventional–here’s a rough preview of some promotional art for Mordin’s lone swordsman, Baldric”

Dev note: I really started to explore my own art and design more at this point.

May 20, 2020

“Hey #indiedevhour! This morning I shared a new design for Baldric, so now here’s a little preview of him in action”

May 22, 2020

“Legends of Astravia is an upcoming RPG that provides the nostalgic experience of a story-driven adventure alongside exciting battles and exploration.”

Dev note: A rather ugly edit on my part of the lovely battler cut in art, but it is the first and only proper promo of Oliver and Azel together–accurate to the game’s final demo.

May 23, 2020

“For this #screenshotsaturday: A new character art format!

Here is our protagonist, Oliver. A mystician (those in Astravia who can conjure spells) who finds himself wandering the swamps of Mordin, avoiding the ruthless knights that patrol the area”

May 29, 2020

“Azel is a powerful mystician and member of the governing council of Anatas, the Shadows’ Order.

Careful and wise, Azel doesn’t quite trust Oliver, but decides to enlist his help when he discovers the sanctuary in Mordin Swamp has been breached.”

Jun 5, 2020

“Perhaps the only trained swordsman in the quiet province of Mordin, Baldric vows to keep his sword sheathed unless prompted by dire circumstances.

Bold and direct, he appears to have some measure of leadership in the village, offering Oliver guidance after rescuing him.”

Jun 11, 2020

“Apologies for the lack of progress updates recently. As a fun mid-week post, here’s a side-by-side of how much Oliver’s design has changed since 2017.

Quite a glow-up (literally)! ?”

Dev note: It’s fun to see my art over the years. It’s getting there.

Jun 30, 2020

“It’s been too long without an update to wait until the weekend so… excited to share the game’s new conversation system!

Compared to the old system, this new system puts a focus on characters’ expressions and speech.”

Jun 30, 2020

“The system was created with up to 4 speakers in mind, allowing for various scenarios with multiple characters.”

Dev note: This isn’t Fire Emblem, I’m not sure what I was thinking! I went through and designed a whole system like this, only to find that it completely clashes with the games’ maps. Oh well!

Jun 30, 2020

“Hey #PitchYaGame,

Legends of Astravia is a story-driven RPG where you control a cast of unique characters, searching for answers in a world torn in half by the perils of magic.

It features puzzle filled dungeons, engaging battles, and rewarding secrets.”

Jun 30, 2020

“The battle system features a unique spin on the “ATB” system that was the center of the classics like Chrono Trigger and Grandia, letting you choose your actions without waiting and manipulating the timer with a “Fast Forward” button”

Jul 4, 2020

“Working on the first dungeon’s overdue makeover, putting more influence on the earthy nature theme. There’s also a new mechanic here, reminiscent of a very popular RPG for the Game Boy Advance… Do you recognize it? 🌄”

Dev note: The lads and ladies sure love Golden Sun–this post did extraordinarily well.

Jul 25, 2020

“Hey everyone, it’s been a while since I posted an update, as I’ve been working on a lot of various things.

I’ve got something quite big in store. Not really #screenshotsaturday, but here’s a very rough WIP teaser of some key art, with lineart courtesy of the talented @\rawru6969”

Dev note: The first reveal of ???’s redesign, fit with actual black hair. I honestly loved the idea of mysticians and their iconic blue hair being of varying ethnicities.

Oct 3, 2020

“What’s this? An update for #screenshotsaturday …and a new character! Sarina joins the party!

Her design has been significantly reworked… Perhaps we will see more of this pike-wielding knight, soon ?”

Oct 27, 2020

“Spent the past day reworking the title screen, which had some nightmare code in need of fixing.

It now transitions smoothly between the submenus, and will fade out after a set amount of time–allowing you to take in whatever scene is present on the screen.”

Nov 21, 2020

“After finally overcoming collision, it was time to work on the jumping code. Staying as true to its inspiration as possible, the game now features jumping over any 1 tile gap within dungeons.

Puzzles and treasures await!”

Dev note: Maybe a little derivative, but my god do I love Golden Sun.

Nov 24, 2020

“How’s it going, #PitchYaGame?

Legends of Astravia is an #RPG that takes inspiration from the classics like #GoldenSun, #ChronoTrigger and #Grandia.

It features a unique battle system that gives you full control over turns and time ⌛️⚔️”

Dec 6, 2020

“A little late on #screenshotsaturday, but here is the updated conversation system, with some finishing touches.

Characters now blink and name boxes have finally been added so it’s easier to designate the speaker.”

Dev note: Went as far to make this gorgeous VN-style speech system just to scrap it in the end. Great reference for an Astravia otome spinoff, I guess!

Jan 9, 2021

“No big visual updates yet this week for #screenshotsaturday, but a small preview of the WIP: a cleaner, easier to navigate menu that will actually make proper use of the screen. Here’s a before and after of the main menu.

Oliver could use a heal…”

Dev note: The first of the “final” menu revisions, which put the game where it’s at now.

Feb 6, 2021

“For #screenshotsaturday, here’s an actual animated preview of how the new menu system is working out.

These submenus should make navigation much easier, and the experience overall will feel smooth and natural compared to how it was previously.”

Mar 7, 2021

“Hey everyone! It’s been a long time since the last update, but please do not worry; it just means we’re hard at work and there are some bigger, more exciting updates to come.

For now, here’s a small feature preview… ?✨”

Dev note: Another core system that is incredibly difficult to work with, but that adds so much to the game that it is absolutely worth it.

Mar 15, 2021

“The lovely art featured on the new website and this post wouldn’t have been possible without @\rawru6969’s incredible lineart. Please give them a follow!”

Dev note: The game’s cover art, with Ryuuen’s gorgeous lineart and my somewhat evolved coloring. Oh how far it’s come!

May 29, 2021

“Happy #screenshotsaturday everyone! It’s been a very long time since an update was posted here, but we’ve been hard at work on all kinds of updates and changes.

There will be more in the devlog later this weekend, but here is the (truly) finalized conversation system in action:”

Dev note: The finalized conversation system, after overcoming my woes from the VN/bust system. Ultimately quite happy with the UI here.

Jun 1, 2021

“Hey there, #PitchYaGame!

Legends of Astravia is an upcoming classic RPG that features:

?️ A world full of quests, dungeons & puzzles ⚔️ Avoidable battles with a unique timer mechanic ? A character-driven story with secrets & extras

Wishlist on Steam: [Steam Link]”

Dev note: The game finally starts to take form. This post was very well received.

Jun 1, 2021

(Screenshots that accompanied the previous post)

Jun 5, 2021

“For this #screenshotsaturday, here’s a snippet of the revised intro utilizing the new system improvements.

We know you’ve all been eager to see some newer stuff–it’s coming soon, promise!”

Jun 20, 2021

”(⚠️Photosensitivity Warning: Flashing) The prologue cutscene has has been finalized, using a “painted on paper” look. Here’s a short teaser??

We hope it works well to immerse the player into the game world early on.”

Jul 25, 2021

“A few #screenshotsaturday chances have been missed, but perhaps for good reason…

Here’s a look at the new battle menu inspired by Super Mario RPG!

Still a lot of work to be done visually, but it feels very smooth & easy to navigate?”

Jul 31, 2021

“For #screenshotsaturday how about we pause battle and take a breather? ⏯️⚔️”

Aug 14, 2021

“Happy #screenshotsaturday, the overhaul of the battle system UI is finally complete! There will be more details on the process in August’s devlog ⚔️”

Dev note: The closest to final revision. To be honest, there’s a lot about this UI/UX I still don’t like, but each iteration gets a little closer to the ideal final product.

Aug 29, 2021

“Rooms in no particular order, here is a preview of the first dungeon! Are you looking forward to exploring it? ?️?”

Aug 31, 2021

“Making blocks that stay aligned with a grid while maintaining smooth character movement was not an easy task. But push blocks are now working properly, and ready for switches and puzzles! ✨?”

Sep 8, 2021

“Happy #WishlistWednesday!

Here’s a WIP preview of the “Essence” system where you can exchange abilities without being locked into skill trees or classes.

This allows changing up your party & using different characters at any point in the game!”

Oct 1, 2021

”? The developer’s log for September is available! Links to read it are in the replies below. Here are some before & after screenshots of some of the menu enhancements that were accomplished: “

Oct 9, 2021

“Cutscene directing commences! It’s exciting to finally start blocking out some story & content ?”

Dev notes: The slightly larger sprites were really cute. But double the size, double the scope! I hope I can make the 16 bit sprites have the same effect.

Oct 14, 2021

“In the starting area, if you take too much damage in battle, you’ll get some surprise assistance!

(unfortunately, that ✨ spectacular ✨ exit animation is just a placeholder)”

Dev notes: A feature on the chopping block due to the immense amount of bugs, though it was a really, really cool way of assisting the player without holding their hand.

Oct 16, 2021

“Sanctuary of the Swamp - Mordin”

Oct 18, 2021

“The first dungeon is well on its way to completion! ✨”

Oct 18, 2021

“Just a fun little aside: What a difference a little post-processing makes!”

Oct 23, 2021

“Why run around a dungeon when you can ✨ jump ✨ around a dungeon?”

Oct 23, 2021

(Quoting the post above): “Just uh, watch where you’re jumping when things are still a work in progress… ?‍?”

Nov 2, 2021

“Hey there #PitchYaGame,

Experience the nostalgia of a classic RPG with the benefits of modern gameplay in Legends of Astravia; a story driven game with engaging battles, charming characters, and fulfilling exploration.

✨Wishlist: [Steam Link]”

Nov 2, 2021

(Screenshots supporting the above post)

Nov 18, 2021

“A little excitement at the end of the dungeon…what happens when they reach the bottom?!”

Dev note: Still pretty impressed with the floor cracking animation I made, which looks even better in the new 16-bit style now!

Nov 20, 2021

“Excited to show off some new cut-in artwork for Baldric, created by the incredibly talented rawru6969! ?⚔️”

Dec 25, 2021

“For the last #screenshotsaturday of the year, we’re excited to show this nifty bit of UI: NPCs now have “speak” indicators, including a special icon for exhausted dialogue ?”

Feb 14, 2022

“The free demo for Legends of Astravia is now available!

Cast spells, solve puzzles, and uncover secrets alongside a mystic companion in this introduction to the world of Astravia ⚔️✨

Play now: [Steam Link]”

Dev notes: A Valentine’s Day miracle, the game’s (almost) final demo launched on this day. It solidified a lot of core aspects that will still be present in the game’s final iteration.

Feb 19, 2022

“If you enjoyed the music in Legends of Astravia’s demo, the entire soundtrack is available to listen to for free right on YouTube! ✨”

Dev note: This was another redraw of Oliver’s design I did (sort of in a fever dream). How far he’s come after all these years

By the way, these tracks are still on YouTube

Apr 28, 2022

“Legends of Astraviaの体験版が日本語化されました！”

Dev note: Legends of Astravia’s demo received a Japanese translation, and I did all of the integration myself. A massive task, but incredibly rewarding. Despite the game not having a ton of interest for Japanese audiences so far, I enjoy working with it a lot. I hope to have more languages in the future.

Mar 12, 2022

“Plenty of twisting pathways to explore in this (work-in-progress) cave map ??”

May 14, 2022

“Oliver’s journey to the village didn’t go as planned…”

Jul 30, 2022

“Here are few work-in-progress previews of the next area in the game for this week’s #screenshotsaturday ?️”

Dec 5, 2022

“We’re excited to announce a big change… ?️✨

More info in this November’s devlog: [Steam Link]”

Dev note: The most extreme change, and perhaps the best one I could have made over the years. The game finally went from feeling like “an RPG Maker game” to “Legends of Astravia”.

May 6, 2023

“Some screenshots for the updated Steam & Itch pages!”

Dev note: The final revision. Six years later, we’ve come so far. The game is finally where I imagined it would be, with the character art revised and the environmental art truly striking the “nostalgia” chords.

The demo made its return in June 2024, and is still available on Steam. I hope you’ve enjoyed this journey through the game’s development over the years!

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