I was twelve years old the first time I realized information was power.

Not in some profound way. In a stupid, specific way. I figured out that if I paid attention to what people said in AOL chat rooms, I could piece together their passwords. Their pet's name. Their birthday. The school they went to. Most people used the same three things. I wasn't a genius. I was just paying attention when nobody else was.

That stuck with me. The idea that social information becomes technical access. That the password you need might be hiding in a conversation you had hours ago.

That's the game I'm building.

What Is Blue Light in Winter?

Half visual novel. Half hacking sim. But not in a surface level way.

Most games that combine genres just alternate between them. Dialogue section, then gameplay section, repeat. The two halves don't talk to each other.

This one's different. What you do during the day directly feeds what you can do at night.

During the day, you're a high school student. You go to class. You talk to people. You notice things. A locker number mentioned in passing. A password hint dropped casually. The bully who shoves you in the hallway and everyone pretends not to see.

At night, you sit at your computer. You scan networks. You crack passwords. And all that information you gathered during the day? It becomes your way in.

That guy who made your life hell? Maybe he doesn't deserve that A after all.

The conversation you had at Sadie's locker? That's how you figure out her password hint. The detail Kevin mentioned about the school network? That's the vulnerability you exploit later. Every interaction is potential intel.

If you've ever played Uplink or Hacknet, you know the hacking side. If you've played Life is Strange or Emily is Away, you know the story side. This tries to make both halves actually need each other.

The Story (No Spoilers)

Sadie needs help. Her grade is slipping and her scholarship depends on it. You have the skills to help her. But every hack increases your trace level. And someone is watching the network.

The Demo

I'm building a 4 day demo that covers the first act. Not a vertical slice. The actual first act of the game.

Your choices matter here. Not in a "pick A, B, or C at the end" way. In a "the bully you ignored on Day 1 escalates on Day 3" way. In a "the trust you built with Sadie changes what she tells you" way. In a "the mystery you uncovered comes back for you" way.

Stand up to Marcus or stay quiet. Open up to Sadie or keep your walls up. Dig into the old files or leave the past alone. Every choice echoes forward into the next scene, the next day, the next conversation.

What's Next

Right now I'm locking in Day 1. The first school day. The first night on the computer. The first breadcrumbs of the mystery. I'll be posting progress here and on Twitter as development continues.

If this sounds like something you'd play, follow along.

Blue Light in Winter. The computer is a mirror. The winter is a mood.