I Just Want to be Single!! - Anti-Dating Sim Visual Novel

No, the game has not been cancelled.
10 months ago – Sun, Aug 31, 2025 at 07:59:50 AM

I know I've been super quiet in the past few months and that has made some people worry that it is a sign that we're going to disappear forever. That's understandable and I'd be worried too if I was in your position and a number of people have been raising concerns to me privately.

With news of both Silksong and Deltarune chapter 3,4 recently it's been a hard hitting reminder that we're still behind on our promises and have yet to deliver. Not to mention our communication could be better.

That being said, I want to reiterate from last update, that yes- we are still working on the game. We've been more careful about burnout and taking a measured pace with it. Every time we mingle with trying to progress too fast it's been a close dance with permanently cancelling the game, which it's only a miracle that we've managed to avoid that happening.

Another point to be repeated is the question of 'are we still chasing after perfection?' The answer is no, so I really don't want people to get the impression that the game is in "dev hell" as some would call it. It's certainly going SLOW. But not halted.

I hope that clears up some worries if not all.

Please take these meagre morsels of progress previews to quell the fire in your souls:

So you might be asking a few burning questions such as the following.

• "Why is it actually taking so long?"

Admittedly a couple of months in the summer have seen very low progress for the game, I've been personally having to move twice which includes the finding a place to live part, and dealing with other jobs.

I've been getting back to it from the latter half of August and rekindling me and my dev partner Tsun's flame of inspiration and motivation for the game. If anything, stepping away from the game every now and then seems to help us tremendously mentally if nothing else.

We also just want to add a lot of content.

• "When will the next update actually come?"

As I said in the last update, I've become increasingly against setting any kind of date since it always seems to be a curse or a jinx for me to do so and it just means I'll disappoint everyone by eventually missing it.

I would say it's in the realm of possibility of being released in the next month but please don't kill me if it doesn't.

That's really all I wanted to say, I'm sorry if I got your hopes up by pinging you or emailing you with a nothing-burger update but I'm sure some people would like to know if we've completely given up yet. No, we have not. Thanks for staying so supportive of us even up until now, your patience means everything to us.

Note: Feel free to ask us anything and come to us directly with your concerns. Thank you

Thoughts before the first major content update
about 1 year ago – Sat, Apr 26, 2025 at 05:29:13 PM

Hey guys, it's m.

Today I wanted to just get out my thoughts out for the current state of the game, get us all on the same page before the next update. The Early Access release of the game was both a success, having around 170 reviews that are 96% positive as of writing.

But it was also understandably underwhelming for people who have been closely following the game, playing the updated versions and supporting the game the most - as the actual content was not different in the EA release. As most of you probably know, going into Early Access was an abrupt decision by me that was more or less forced. (You may read more about this from the previous update.)

Much of the feedback that we've gotten echo the main sentiment of "it's good but its so short, it needs more content". I've also seen some harsh but true comments to the extent of "2 years and the game hasn't progressed since the demo."

I can't really say much to anyone who says this because it's fair to say it and it's perfectly understandable where they're coming from. I would probably say the same thing if I was waiting for this game for 3 years only to receive a half baked EA release.

Now, I want to explain a bit of what Early Access is doing for the project right now and what you should expect in the future. 

Two years ago me and Tsungelique had no idea what the game would become. I  wanted to make a really unique game like nothing else. We put so much hard work into making a cool concept and turning it into a demo showcase. The kickstarter blew up beyond expectations and needless to say, even if at the time we didn't say it, we knew we bit off more than we could chew.

Or did we?

It took a lot of tears, sweat and blood to do it but we made the game even better. I wanted to make the game's presentation and style to be the best it can be and to a certain degree I would say we've succeeded.

Of course, there's a certain line that exists called redundancy. A lot of people tell me that "the game doesn't need to be perfect" and that it can be "just good enough." And there's a lot of truth to that.

But I want to let you guys who are reading this to know that I don't want it to be perfect. I AM sort of a perfectionist but that's besides the point. I want you to know that I'm not trying to make it perfect, I'm trying to make it better, to make it good. I want it to reach my vision I have for the player to experience. 

Things just take a lot of time and effort and money, a lot more than expected. And every time you guys support the game, give it a like, a wishlist, a buy, drop an encouraging comment, or even just look at it, it helps us a lot. There's a ton of people who want us to succeed and see the game finished. There are many of you who are patiently waiting, still, for this game.

I want to thank you all so much for that, for being supportive and patient.

But I also want you to know that I am very much working to make the game better AND working to make sure the game is progressing.

I know there is growing sentiment and worry that the progress of the game is being bogged by the work being scrapped and being redone over the course of development.

I want you guys to know that there are a lot of things being worked on inside the game that have been in the oven for literal years at this point. It may not be immediately obvious or even shown in the next update. But there IS a lot of content that is being worked on right now.

And yes, it is agonizingly slow for me as much as it is for you. I know that some of you may tell me to take my time and as long as the game is finished eventually, that it's alright. But I also know that not every single one of you shares that opinion.

What I can say in response to that - is that I want the game to be good. I want the game to also be finished. It's not in my interest to circlejerk myself at the expense of others' patience and generosity. And I also know that I need to make the game that matches my own vision, not to crumble under the expectations of others.

I'm sorry it's taking so long for content to be done. I want it to be good and I will keep working on it. I will keep working until the game is finished no matter what. It's not something I'll abandon even if I get really depressed and burnt out sometimes. That's the main reason why I've been very quiet since October, I had a bit of a breakdown and burn out. We all did.

But now I'm back and there are so many things I am cooking to be in the game, and it really is torturous to not be able to show them because they just aren't ready yet.

Here's some things I've been working on but have never been shown publicly. These things are still being worked on and will eventually be finished. I know it's a lot and it will seem like unnecessary features or scope creep but, in some cases, these things have been in the game for a very very long time and have not been finished yet because it just either takes a long time or more budget.

• a dialogue choice Mixing system
• some new minigames (important: a lot of the old minigames were cut (also never shown))
• mini episodes
• cameo extra episodes
• different pov episodes
• retroactive points collecting
• a library location you can visit to read books
• a group chat feature
• a browser feature
• the hats that aya can wear customization
• art/cg gallery
• music ost player
• achievements
• a typing mechanics: a lot of them are in the game but not have been shown, this is a big one
• character voice acting
• (there may be more I am forgetting)

Each time I 'reveal' a new feature it might seem like an unnecessary addition to the scope but the truth is that these things have been under development since the beginning. It may have been smarter to cut them at some point, and I HAVE made a lot of compromises behind the curtains, but these will eventually be in the game at some point. It just needs time.

Time. Speaking of time.

The game becoming Early Access was important. At the time it was a difficult decision to make but it is giving us much needed relief, both financially and expectations wise.

Of course I feel guilty that it was a let down for some of you who were excited to play "the full thing" but I want you to know that you will be able to play the full thing eventually.

I want to build the game better, and I want to finish it even if it takes time. It may be slow and it will be difficult to wait, for all of us. But I would rather make a good game eventually, than to miss the potential of my vision. I'll try my best to not get stuck in the mean time.

So that's it. I hope with this update I've quelled some concerns about the development.

When does the actual content update come out since it's past Late March like I said in the current version:

I don't know. I seem to have a terrible track record with announcing dates, both in terms of the launch date and the content update date...
So from now on I will probably refrain from announcing specific public dates.

I hope it will be finished soon.

Important last update before the official Launch of IJWTBS
over 1 year ago – Sat, Feb 22, 2025 at 03:12:41 PM

After the last update I was sure the game was going to launch in November but due to some internal issues with Steam and some last minute backend things to do it got delayed. I've been quiet about it since then because I didn't want to make another announcement before confirming anything with the utmost certainty, which might have caused some confusion.

Things got a bit delayed - however, I'm happy to announce that the game will be officially launching in 2 days, on February the 24th (Monday).

I will be working on the game as it goes live for hotfixes and bugs that will appear on launch, and I'll be continuing to update you guys on progress as we go into the first season of - I Just Want to be Single!!

Here's some quick facts about the game:

• It will work on PC and Mac and Linux
• It will be priced at $20 (with a 10% discount on launch and adjusted for your region)
• The game price will be raised when Season Two is released (You automatically get Season Two free and all future updates if you buy the game now)
• The current game has the extended prologue, as well as introductory chapters for each character
• The game will continue to be updated as time goes on, progress updates will be brought to you via updates here, our Discord and Steam announcements

If you have any questions or issues please let me know in either the comments, or our Discord server.

We're alive! A Huge Break and Unexpected Consequences
over 1 year ago – Mon, Oct 07, 2024 at 07:50:15 PM

Hey folks, it's been a while hasn't it?

I've always wanted to be transparent and consistent with my updates and unfortunately I wasn't able to stick to that these past months. There's been quite a gap since the last update and I'm sure some of you have been worried. 

For many reasons, personal or otherwise, production had become very difficult and progress was basically non-existent. 

I will try not to get too deep into personal matters but the core reasons that made things complicated was a mix of many things, many reasons, many things going wrong at once. Budget ran out, motivation was extremely low on all team members, inflation and other economic and external factors (jobs) hitting us hard. Most importantly, core members of the team had been having directional differences and strained mental health concerns.

While it didn't happen voluntarily, production had stopped for a while. While a break was necessary, it was more like the situation became a break-down for the whole project. Some of us had to take a step back for mental health reasons and while nobody wanted it to happen, the situation was forced upon us and we more or less didn't have a choice. 

I am saving you the trouble by skipping over a lot of internal drama, but let's just say the game almost got cancelled a few times because of the numerous complications and problems occurring behind the scenes but we tried our best to not let that happen.

That's just a glimpse of what was happening in the past few months. I apologize for the lack of communication and more importantly I want to thank you all for being patient and understanding during this time.

---

After the break things are starting to finally look better and that's why I'm writing this update today.

Production has slowly started back since a little while ago, and things are moving back into motion. However, since we've lost some time and the situation has called for changes in how we operate, it's clear that some shift in plans were necessary. That's why today I'll be announcing a new direction for the game. While I understand this might be disappointing for some of you or it might not be what you expected or were promised, it was the only path we could take in order to still finish the game in some form.

The game will be released in multiple updates.

You will still only need to own the one game with no additional downloads or parts,  however the game will be released in an non-complete form with the game updating in terms of additional future content. Said content will not require additional purchase, the game still functions as one package/purchase.

The reasoning for why we are doing this is because it makes the process much more manageable and lenient than how we were able to operate until now. With the updates, we'll be able to deliver on content we've wanted to deliver to you and complete the intended original vision without compromising on cutting content. Plus, we get to get some much needed income to feed ourselves and pay rent. The only "catch" is that you don't get to see the ending quite yet but seasonal anime isn't something we're not used to, right?

We won't make any promises on when future updates will come but I want to guarantee that the first season of the game will still give you a good experience to enjoy by itself.

Addressing the elephant in the room: Physical Rewards

I understand many of you are eager to receive your physical rewards, and it has been quite a while since the campaign. Now that the game is releasing in some form you may be wondering when we will be sending out the physical rewards to backers.

As of right now, we're not able to send out the physical rewards just yet. I apologize for the long wait and delay. We're hoping that the extra income from the release of the game will help us get our rewards sorted and make sure we're satisfied with the quality of the products we're shipping out to you.

I'm not sure when we will be able to send out the rewards just yet, but know that we are still working on them and doing our best to get them out, hopefully around the second update of the game. I also want to mention that we're improving and revising/revamping all of the reward designs in light of the design overhauls we've done for the game throughout the years and we'll talk about that in more detail in a future update.

I know this is a lot of new information to take in all of a sudden, but know that we made these decisions to do what's best for our supporters and the game as well.

Please look forward to I JUST WANT TO BE SINGLE!!: Season One, coming November 1st!

EDIT: We will also be emailing you your steam keys within the next few weeks, so please check your emails.

The hardest choice is to keep going
about 2 years ago – Mon, May 20, 2024 at 01:58:40 AM

This (and the last) month has been the most difficult period of time for us since we've started this project.

There had been many problems one after another but I guess I've mostly been sweeping them under the rug and bottling my feelings. Problems like the budget, mismanagement of funds, hiring staff and working with other creatives, over-scoping, overworking, motivation, burn out, frustrations with process, frustration with waiting for answers, imposter syndrome, needless perfectionism, being ghosted, ghosting people myself, pressure from expectations, pressure from family, pressure for success and money, pressure to prove myself and strained relationships. 

There's a lot of things in my life that I can't control. And I guess the funny thing is that the more I try to influence things, and control them the more they seem to fall out from my hands, like trying to grasp water. The more desperate I get, the more it seems to slip away, makes me feel like a fool for even trying. But when a lot of things go downhill at the same time, or in a row and you feel like you just can't catch a break, like how nothing seems to go your way - it seems like the only thing to do is to just give up everything.

I guess all of that sort of culminated and reached a tipping point recently and I had a breakdown. A couple of breakdowns, actually.

Almost did a lot of stupid things, and DID a lot of stupid things. Things I couldn't take back, hurt some friends that are dear to me. I thought about quitting this project a lot. Almost did some things that would have been very unfortunate to everyone.

I know, seems kinda weird, after all this time. I made it seem like everything is fine, and maybe things weren't too bad, but I wasn't feeling fine. I was feeling like I was being responsible, reasonable, patient for not saying anything. But I wasn't. I was just being stupid.

The thing I tend to do when I feel hopeless and depressed is I shut myself off from the world. I guess it's one of those things where it's a negative mental spiral. Like when you feel sad but don't quite know why, you feel even more sad because you don't have a good reason to be sad. It's not healthy for you.

I've been dealing with a lot of problems, problems I don't really tell anyone about because I feel like nobody would care. But even if they would, it's not their responsibility. And if even if they listened, it's not like they can solve my problems. And even if they could, they wouldn't. That's the kind of negative toxic thinking loop I can get into.

I just feel like running away, you know?

And that kind of thing makes people notice and worried. I see people message me on Discord and email me or comments on Kickstarter, trying to support me in small ways. Those things mean a lot to me even if I don't say anything back.

I've talked to some friends and I'm mostly over it now. I haven't give up yet.

Recently I've managed to overcome a big problem. But I wasn't the one to fix it or solve it. I would say it's more that someone else didn't give up on me when I thought I was hopeless. You could even say they saved me, multiple times. It's something I probably won't be able to pay back for no matter what. And that comes with a certain amount of guilt.

But I think the best thing I can do for myself and that person is to move on and learn from this. I need to learn to catch myself when I'm thinking negative thoughts, I need to learn some self awareness and ask for forgiveness, I need to learn to be honest with myself. But all of those things are normal stuff everyone goes through.

I guess the real lesson I needed to learn was to learn to accept that no matter how much I'm suffering or how much pain I'm in - that I'm not alone. Not in the sense that there will always be people around me, but in the sense that I'm not special. I'm not the only person who has feelings, who feels pain and goes through suffering. I just need to practice a little humility.

I've heard of a saying. It goes something like this:
"Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow"

And recently what I've learned is that I'm pretty selfish. I don't like sharing my joy nor my pain. I don't share the burden on my shoulders with others because I never learned the joy of sharing.

I've met a lot of people and gained a lot of things through this project and I'll always be thankful for that. But I guess I never really got used to it. I've always been alone before and my family was never that fully supportive of me.

It's not anyone's fault but it's a thing that I don't know how to do and as a result it makes me hurt myself and others through it. 

It's difficult but I need to learn to have some emotional permanence, that people don't always have to keep actively telling me and showing me to prove their appreciation and love for me to feel valid. Like I'm not dying.

I need to learn to let go of control and put faith in someone else no matter how little I have to offer them and not be afraid of abandonment. Even If that's all I've known.

Because to trust is to be trusted. To love and be loved is to rest.

I'm sorry that there is no real progress update for the game this month. 

I am still working through some things. Maybe things will change, I don't know yet. 

This is all I have to say for now, but I haven't given up on the game yet.

- Tsundere Studio