Happy New Year, friends! I’ve been away from GameJolt for a while now, and you haven’t heard much from me. But work hasn’t stopped, and Locus Veritatis is still in active development—this post is all about that. Bundle up warm - in Doktria, the cold spares no one.

The first half of the year was quiet: exams and university applications were my priority, so I didn’t really work much on the game. But after that, things kicked into high gear. Returning to development after such a long break turned out to be a bit of a challenge. It was tough getting back into the code. I was worried everything was held together by somewhat shaky mechanics and that players might easily break the game with any action. That anxiety didn’t last long, though, and after a few rounds of testing, I started introducing new features.

New nights, antagonists, and story branches?
Yes, the game won’t have just one ending - not even just one scenario. I’ve already implemented a simple but plot-critical branching point: the path of revolution or the path of order. The differences show in the new nights, where different gameplay mechanics come into play. If you side with the revolutionaries, instead of just fending off threats, you’ll have to secretly carry boxes into the house. But if you turn them in to Gaston - you’ll get him as an ally, but more on that a bit later.
(Screenshot in Russian)

New antagonists have also been introduced:

-The Shadow, or the Thief - a professional who breaks cameras and can seriously hinder the Guardian of Truth’s survival.
(Screenshot in Russian)

-The Arsonists (their gameplay is implemented so far) - essentially a mini-boss with three different attacks. To defend yourself, you’ll need to perform a sequence of actions, or it’s game over.

The revolutionary’s mechanics have also been reworked. You can no longer scare him off with the alarm - now he hangs posters in the hallway, and the player has to take them down. The revolutionary remains neutral until you choose the path of order.
(Screenshot in Russian)

Companion System
Yes, alongside antagonists, I decided to add helpers to make things a bit easier for the player. A dog has been added to the game - an adorable little guy who warns you if he senses danger. I also mentioned Gaston as a companion: he’ll be able to warn you about antagonists and, in critical situations, even deal with them himself. A very strong ally.

New Save System
Players can now replay completed levels and even change the course of the story. A small but neat detail.
(Screenshot in Russian)

Updated Graphics
Another big focus for me has been updating the graphics. Some sprites are already two years old, so it’s time to freshen them up and give the game a new look. I haven’t changed much yet, but I’m quite happy with the results so far!
(Screenshot in Russian)

Tutorial
A major issue with the demo was the overly complicated gameplay -players simply didn’t understand how to play or why they were losing. One of my main goals became creating a clear tutorial for newcomers. At first, I wanted players to figure everything out on their own, but I eventually decided to make things much clearer.

What’s Next?
The main scenario is nearing completion - all that’s left is to finish the final nights, the story scenes after them, polish everything up, and give it all a nice finish. After that, I can move on to additional scenarios, and the game will be pretty much ready!

And yes, you might not only experience the cold of Doktrina but also a warm bit of steam in a certain shop… But it’s too early to talk about that.

Thank you for sticking around and following this project! It’s very important to me, and I want players to enjoy what’s been made. Once again, Happy New Year - I’m hoping for a release in 2026.

Follow my Telegram channel: https://t.me/JsonGradEmpire