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10 Years of The Underworld!

February 10, 2024
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This weekend marks the ten year anniversary of when I started work on The Underworld!

The original r1, with no map system or UI scaling

When I released the initial version, I didn’t expect how much people would enjoy the game or that they’d want to play more.  I’ve been very encouraged by the positive comments and patronage over the years.

There’s been 83 releases total.  Here are some milestones:

  • Feb 9, 2014 – Started work on game (based on oldest surviving file)
  • Aug 13, 2014 – First initial announcement about the game
  • Aug 16, 2014 – First test build sent privately (15 downloads)
  • Oct 14, 2014 – First public build posted (11,322 downloads)
  • Nov 11, 2014 – First sale on BMT
  • Apr 10, 2017 – First Patreon backer
  • Apr 24, 2017 – Patreon launched
  • July 25, 2017 – Adobe announces end of Flash (oof)
  • July 31, 2017 – Discord created / first message (“Test”)
  • Feb 2, 2018 – Subscription
  • April 16, 2020 – Started work on new engine (which happens to be the 1000th code check-in)
  • May 16, 2020 – 1000 people in Discord
  • June 24, 2021 – First WIP release of new engine with chapter content playable again
  • August 5, 2023 – Port work for the new engine done as TF Mods added (the last of the remaining major features from the old engine)

After rewriting the entire game in a whole new programming language, the game is better than ever!  Today we’re up to 27k registered users and 1.3 million gameplay sessions.  Back when I first started this, I never thought it’d have the following it does today.

Thanks to everyone who has supported me on this fun and exciting journey 🙂

r49 – Return to The Farm (Procedural Extended Play)

January 27, 2024
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In the latest build, you can now return to The Farm and explore a procedural farm-themed dungeon.  In addition, one of the endings for the farm chapter (the SkyCorp ending) has a couple new story scenes (~3,000 new words) so you can see what Sasha and Isabella have been up to in the intervening time.  (I have plans for a future update that will also cover the VCiV ending in a similar way).

After getting an ending for the Farm chapter, the Extended content opens up after beating the Strip Club chapter.  Quick start options for both endings have been added to the Chapter Select screen.  For the SkyCorp ending, if you’re re-caught in the farm, you will be forceably transformed into a cowgirl once again.  Micky has a new intro if he re-catches you directly.

Security has been stepped up, so escaping your milky fate will be notably more challenging.  Beware — if you indulge in the bovine growth hormones to up your milk production, it’ll become impossible to move far away from the milking machine at all!  It is definitely possible to get yourself trapped on the farm while in Extended mode.

Similar to past procedural dungeons, you can change the generation parameters to make larger or smaller dungeons by visiting Malory in VCiV HQ before entering the farm.  By doing this, you’ll also have a specific intel objective item to seek out in the procedural dungeon and return to her (assuming you don’t just give in to your new life~)

Hybrid Cows

In addition to becoming a cowgirl again, you now have the option to become a hybrid cow.  If you return to the farm as another species, for instance a fox, you will be able to ask Micky to change you into a foxcow.  Showing up as a Dragon Queen will result in you becoming a Dracow Queen, and you’ll indeed both make milk and lay eggs~

Typically, hybrid cows will end up with milky F-cup breasts, including an extra row of breasts, an udder, some kind of tail, cow ears and non-dexterous hooves.  The species name you’re referred to as will also be updated to include ‘cow.’

(This should work for most of the species in the game, but certain edge cases like supporting non-verbal speech hasn’t been done yet for the farm enemies)

Misc

  • Added back button to Chapter Skip screen (finally after 9.9 years 😅)
  • Modding:  Fixed a bug where Player.incOverweight function was not passing the optional hyper parameter

r48 – Gym Rat (Weight Gain Dom)

November 23, 2023
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r48 is now released to all backers and includes a new mob, a way to re-encounter Valeska, and assorted fixes.

Gym Rat

A new fightable enemy has appeared in Haven:  the Gym Rat.  This athletic female wields a double-ended dildo with weight transfer powers.

If you lose combat against her, she’ll fuck the pounds into you via the double-ended dildo, leaving you chonkier every time you meet her.  She soon realizes she can eat as much food as she likes and just stuff the fat into you, instead.  Your progressively growing weight becomes a sign of her dominance over you as you struggle to beat this powerful enemy.  This rodent loves playing with your new chub and teasing you about how heavy you’re getting.

Not content with only fattening you up during encounters, she’ll also try to convince you to wear one of the cursed collars that will transform you into one of the thicker species (Panda, Elephant, or Turkey) — forms that keep piling those pounds on regardless of your efforts.

The weight transfer dildo can fatten you up to the point where walking around becomes difficult, and eventually impossible entirely.  (Note: currently immobilization just drops you off at the gym so you can (slowly) work off the pounds, though I’d like to add some more immobilization activities/options in future.)

If you defeat her in combat (no easy task given her high level), you can turn the tables!  Flip the dildo the other way around, and now you’re adding pounds to her.  If you get her fat enough, she’ll start to lose combat effectiveness, and eventually immobilize… making her stuck like that forever.

There’s around 3,600 new words for Gym Rat content, including variations to properly recognize different acceptance levels and be compatible with vocal limitations.

Re-encounter Valeska in the Dragon Temple

If you are a collared Dragon Queen, you can now get knocked up by Valeska (from the previous update’s Procedural Dragon Temple) as many times as you like!

After you have become a full Dragon Queen and collared by Valeska, you can use the altar in the Hatchery to re-trigger her breeding sequence.  The alternate intro to it is around 1,200 new words long and teases the player a bit about how the whole temple knows you are a horny, egg-filled Dragon Queen now~

Misc Improvements / Fixes

  • Fix bug where Valeska fails to put the level limit piercing on you.
  • Butt size adjectives now consider overweight amount (in addition to also considering breast size as before.)
  • Text spacing fix for when increasing or decreasing weight for belly shirt lift-up stage.
  • Added new text variables for checking player weight.
  • #121 – Fix bug where dragon servant would cause instant full term pregnancy if player had a type of pregnancy other than Dragon Queen.
  • Fix issue where going in and out of chapter select options was causing player to be overleveled / too far along in progression.
  • Fonts on the blog / intranet portal are a bit larger to more closely match in-game font size and generally be more readable.
  • #113: Fix for self examine textbox not resizing on window maximise (fixed in demo, also).