It's that time once more.

The final devlog.

It was an... interesting journey making Cube's Dark Hours 4. I don't think it has really dawned upon me that the game is nearly done. Obviously, there's still playtest this, bug-fix that. Heck, just yesterday, I had to do a recode of one character because he felt "bad" about trying to jumpscare the player. It's alright, he's in tip-top shape now.

Anyways, we've gotten to a very decent point. Why hold back now?

Well then, let's wrap this all up into a nice little bow, shall we?

[CDH4] How different is the final CDH4 from your original vision?

...Very different.

You already know about the scrapped iterations and how the current version is the 4th iteration. For a refresher, here's a screenshot:

Cube's Dark Hours 4 has grown so much more than I could have possibly imagined. I thought this game would relatively be the same size as CDH1 Reopened, but the ideas grew, the ambition grew, and I got a lot more experimental.

Overall, I can't really go into specifics just yet, but that 400mb+ file size? It doesn't lie... or, at least, I hope it doesn't. At the end of the day, you all are the judges.

[CDH4] What features or concepts got scrapped along the way?

There's not too many to go off of. However, the crown of most scrapped and altered concepts has to go to Night 6.

You remember the scrapped flashlight asset?

That was meant to be used for Night 6. There was a new shadowy character planned. The character worked in phases:

• Phase 1 -> Asleep

• Phase 2 -> Eye barely open

• Phase 3 -> Eye fully open

• Phase 4 -> Game Over (whoop de doo, you're dead)

You would have to hold down CTRL to shine the light on the shadowy character for a certain amount of time to move it back a phase.

This was mainly scrapped because the game already has enough foes to deal with, and adding another problem, while simple to deal with, would be a total pain to have around.

After the flashlight mechanic was scrapped, I repurposed the shadowy character to a "ONAF3 Shadow Flumpty" styled character. Basically, flipping down the camera where the character is visible would move the character in phases. Flip too many times, and you're on the Game Over screen watching a green skull slam down on a table.

Ultimately, this was scrapped as well.

The shadowy character, while interesting, didn't resonate with me all that much. Plus, Night 6 already has plenty to deal with, and keeping our shadowy friend around would've risked breaking the Night 6 gameplay experience.

Of course, there are many other scrapped concepts, but I prefer to get in detail with those on a live stream once CDH4 is released and experienced to the fullest.

[CDH4] Based on the scrapped iterations, did you ever consider a completely different ending?

No harm in sharing these. After all, the previous three iterations were scrapped a while ago.

• 1st iteration: This iteration was a direct sequel to CDH3, meaning you play as the fake alias night guard. You complete a twisted dream purgatory that is Night 6. Suddenly, a hand pulls you away, and it's... a figure. It looks weird, it feels weird to be around, yet you feel at ease. The figure wears a mask resembling a crow... but weirdly in a shape of what plague doctors usually wore. The figure tells you that there is no time to waste, dragging you into an undisclosed, empty, cold location in the void of your mind. It is later revealed that the soul had been "put to rest", and The Shadow would be absolutely mad.

• 2nd iteration: The different time period "Shadows" failed to get the fake alias night guard. In retaliation, TS from post-CDH3 travels through time in a rather specific way that breaks the time barrier. Then they kill the "plague doctor mask" figure, call themselves "the higher-ups", wham bam, game done.

  Thinking about it now, the second iteration would have sucked more than just gameplay.

• 3rd iteration: pretty much the same thing as the second iteration, just less dumb. But even then it's dumb.

Now, with the current 4th iteration... Well, I'm not just going to tell you, am I? :]

[CDH4] How does Night 6 compare in difficulty to previous nights?

I can now say that, without a doubt, Night 6 is no longer a slip. Dropped is the 11-12 minute mark from CDH3 and CDH1R's 6th night, because CDH4's 6th night will be 9 minutes long.

Oh, yeah, it's also actually harder than base-game nights as well. Probably should have mentioned that first.

All in all, the important thing I have to say is... well, don't get too cocky ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[CDH4] Are there multiple endings or secret conclusions?

No.

Just like previous games, there is only one ending, which is the real definitive one... 9 times out of 10.

[CDH4] Why did you decide on a completely new Night Guard character instead of Dave (CDH1/PRICKLZ/CDH1R) or the fake alias guy (CDH2/CDH3)?

Because trying to bring them back would only cause issues in the story. The first three iterations, besides just gameplay, would be a complete dumpster fire if the previous Night Guards were brought back.

Needless to say, even if the new night guard isn't on-screen much, I think you'll get to enjoy #### as much as I did...

...Totally not because the name is a pun :p

[CDH4] Will CDH4 be more punishing than previous entries?

Well, not "extreme" persay, but it still has its moments where you need to juggle around a bit :]

[CDH4/Other] What comes after CDH4?

I could say "Cube's Dark Hours 5"...

However, the answer this time isn't so simple.

Time will tell, but don't expect CDH5 news anytime soon.

[CDH4] Are there any visual or sound cues depending on certain scenarios?

You bet there are!

For example, when I was playtesting, one character's fake-out SFX started playing. The issue is that I completely forgot I had that implemented, so I quite literally scrambled through the cameras.

Fun times :D

[CDH4] Will this game have a night 7?

Nope.

As funny as it would be, no.

If it were to happen, it would just be a repurposed Night 6, which, at that point, why even have a 7th night?

With all confidence, CDH4 will only have 6 nights, with the Custom Night offering extra challenges and rewards that may or may not tie themselves to achievements.

[CDH4] How different will the Custom Night challenges feel compared to N1-N6 character AI sets?

I just threw them into a random number generator ranging from 1 to 20.

Hope that's a decent answer.

[CDH4] When the credits roll, what do you want the players to feel?

Thoughts. Nothing specific, but thoughts will linger.

[CDH4] Is the game meant to feel like a finale… or just another step forward?

Ideas never die down. The possibilities never die down. As long as I am motivated and passionate, the CDH series still has many steps to take :]

And now, we mark this next part as the "Audience Questions"!

I didn't really get many questions from my discord friends, but anywhoo, let's get the ball rolling:

"Will There be a CDH world and a CDH UCN game?" (by @Shelly43 )

• I haven't really thought much about a "FNAF World" style spinoff. But thinking about it, hmm... I'm not really sure on the definitive answer.

  Part of me really does want to give it a try. If or when I do ever consider it, I would prefer to take a more undertale/deltarune approach. Not specifically "timeline resets", but more so consequences to your actions. If the players want to be pacifist, they can recruit as many as they like. If players feel genocidal, they can kill off whatever they want. But at the end of the day, the ending would most likely be the same theoretically, but depending on player choices, the ending would play out differently.

  Basically:

  

• A "Ultimate Custom Night" game has always been brewing in my mind ever since the start. But that is reserved for the series' finale. If a UCN Cube's Dark Hours game is ever announced, just know that, at that point, I am ready to end the story.

"Is the 2.0 achievements thingy for CDH 3 gonna be worked on after CDH 2 remake is done?" (By @Shelly43 )

I have no idea ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

(I'll think about it)

"Forsaken" (by @Shelly43 )

I'm more of a Piggy and Doors guy

"I know where and when this game takes place!" (@ZurielCarson , @Eantyant )

nuh uh-

And that is all for the Audience Questions!

Much shorter section, but better to have it small than not have it at all.

And with that… we’ve reached the end.

Cube’s Dark Hours 4 has been a strange, twisting journey to make. Four iterations, countless scrapped ideas, experiments that worked, experiments that didn’t… but this is it. The version you’ll be playing soon is the one that stuck. The one that feels right.

I don’t think I can stress enough how different this game is compared to the rest. It’s not just another sequel. It’s something larger, stranger, and far more personal. Whether that’s for better or worse… well, that’s up to you when the time comes.

This is the final “News Post Thingie” for Cube’s Dark Hours 4. From here on out, it’s all release prep and playtesting. I’ll save the deep dives and ramblings for after you’ve all had your first experience with it.

Thank you to everyone who’s been patient, supportive, or even just curious throughout all of this. You’ve kept me going more than you know.

Put on your badges, the hour is near.

See you on the other side, One Smile at a Time.

Take care, stay safe, God bless!