This J-Fashion convention was where I had my very first game showcase last year, so I was overjoyed at the chance to come back.
This time, I brought badge ribbons! Everyone who played the demo would get a white badge ribbon, and if you managed to find a bug you could get a bonus pink ribbon.
White ribbon says "I worked at Sugarplum Cafe", pink ribbon says "I broke Sugarplum Cafe"
The ribbons were a success! I didn't realize how interested people were in collecting ribbons at the con. I handed out almost all my white ribbons, and people actively tried to find bugs and earn that bonus pink ribbon. Thankfully the game only broke 3 times!
I also brought the following:
• Three laptops - last year, I only brought one • "How to Play" menus - to pass time as you wait (see this newsletter) • Paper surveys - to get more immediate feedback than Google Forms • Screen recording software - to help catch bugs • Business cards - as usual
Each of these was brought because of something I learned from a previous showcase AND ended up being extremely useful. It felt like all the showcases I did this year culminated in this!
There was still a wait because the demo is about 40-60 minutes long, but since I plan to put this demo on Steam I feel like this is a fair amount of time for a demo you'd play at home. I tried to alleviate this by chatting with folks in line or encouraging them to be part of my remote playtests starting next year - truthfully I think playing at home is the ideal game experience, anyways.
But the fact that I had a line at all, and that people really wanted to play this game, was really great to see! And seeing people progress so much further than last year was so satisfying. To be honest, I felt guilty that I spent most of this year polishing the demo instead of adding lategame content which is what I originally planned. Spending all this time on demo tutorials and user experience would get frustrating because it made me feel like I wasn't progressing as quickly as I wanted, but I had to tell myself it is a different type of progress. After all, if the player can't even get through the demo then what's the point of the rest of the game?
One thing I wish I had done better - for people in line who couldn't play due to the wait, I gave them business cards and told them to join my mailing list for opportunities to play at home. In retrospect I should have just asked for their emails if they were interested to guarantee their addition to the mailing list - I know how easy it is to forget this stuff after the rush of a weekend convention. But other than that, I think the showcase went really great!
Want to keep playing?
As said, I think the ideal experience for Sugarplum Cafe is to play in the comfort of your own home. So if you didn't get a chance to play because of the wait, or you didn't get as far when you did play, next year I'd like to set up remote playtests! We'll set up a voice chat on Discord or Google Meet, you'll share your screen as you play, and I'll take note of any bugs that appear as well as your feedback.
This mailing list will be the first to know when remote playtest opportunities appear, so if you're reading this you're already on the right track. I do have a Patreon where paid members can play a version with more desserts and Ladies than the remote playtest or showcase demo, but I want to stress that I am not financially dependent on Patreon at this time so please only support me there if you want to and have the means to do so! The Patreon is also for my art in general and not just Sugarplum, so expect to see more illustration work and art ramblings as I agonize over what my art style really is.
Lastly, thank you
It's been a year since I first announced Sugarplum Cafe. When I finally revealed this game I'd been working on for years, I lost a good friend the next day, and my job the day after that. And I had my first showcase that weekend! Talk about bad timing (งᐛ )ว
But not only did that showcase at Ursa Major end up being a wonderful distraction, but I also found myself in a community that was just as eager as I was to dress up and get tea and sweets together. I ended up going to multiple EGL meets this year, and even though my EGL wardrobe is very limited - I'm very picky, also tariffs - the community is so welcoming and accommodating.
And I can't not acknowledge the incredible game developers I've met this year as well, thanks to GDC and local showcases. It's funny how I've been able to befriend more people in the industry with my indie game, even though my day job is also in games. The fact that developers behind Among Us and 1000xResist have played my game - I still can't believe it, honestly!
I've also had the opportunity to meet some incredible indie game developers in the Bay Area who have helped me out in valuable ways and also just been awesome friends. I'd love to shout out some upcoming games that you can wishlist on Steam right now!
Puzzle Spy International - A series of word puzzles wrapped in a light-hearted spy adventure. If you like the Professor Layton series or NYT puzzles, this is for you! I love how polished the art is - very retro and fun, and it's a style I would love to see more in indie games. Has a free demo you can play right now!
Beat, Heart, Beat - A rhythm game with a grungy alt-rock soundtrack, like a sidescroller where you have to dodge obstacles to the beat (think Muse Dash if you're familiar). The art reminds me of the witches from Madoka Magica and is very weird, surreal, and just as fun as the music! Has a free demo you can play right now!
Deductopia - I am such a hecking sucker for deduction and logic games. If you like the gameplay of Strange Horticulture and Strange Antiquities, I think this will strike the same chord. I believe this will eventually become a series of small puzzles, but this first chapter is free to play! The developer is also working on Surradia, another deduction game with a free demo available.
Scratchcard Hero - I've shouted out this game before, but I'll do it again. It's a rogueli*e (their words not mine) where you "battle" opponents with scratchcards - a really fun and creative concept! If you have the opportunity to play this demo at local showcases, you should give it a shot!
These are just a fraction of the game devs I've met this year who have been so supportive to me. These games happen to be very much up my alley, but I encourage you to find local game showcases, support local gamedevs, and discover even more games that might match your taste! The MADE in Oakland has a showcase on the first Friday of every month, and your local convention might also have indie game showcases you can check out!
Ending on a sweet note
I love talking about food, so I thought it'd be fun to end each newsletter with a different dessert. What better way to end the year with an afternoon tea?
Finally, I got the chance to get afternoon tea at the Hello Kitty Cafe in San Jose's Valley Fair mall! I adore themed cafes, but many of them look better than they taste. But I remembered that the Hello Kitty Cafe in Las Vegas was pretty good, so I was looking forward to the San Jose experience!
You can order at the Cafe to go anytime, but the Bow Room is only available with a reservation and is cutely decorated with pastel pink, white marble, and gold accents. Clock the Hello Kitty bows on the chairs!
First, I will say the process of reserving seems to be complicated. I didn't book this one but from what I heard it was very hard to talk to a human being before the event. I called the number when I was running late and I'm pretty sure I was talking to an AI assistant the whole time, even though the conversation we had was scarily cohesive.
But as soon as you walk in, the aesthetics are ON POINT. The interior, plateware, and cutlery all have Hello Kitty-inspired designs. Even the beverages come in custom Hello Kitty cups and teapots. And of course, the tiered tea tray set is breathtaking.
The plates, teacups, saucers, and even sugar cubes and butter all have Hello Kitty motifs!
The long-anticipated afternoon tea menu. Top tier had strawberry shortcake, raspberry macarons, and a Hello Kitty petit four. Middle tier - Egg salad cones, apple pie tarts, and classic scones. Bottom tier - Chicken salad croissants, beet hummus pita toasts, and cucumber cream cheese sandwiches. In the foreground was a bonus strawberry tiramisu on the house!
I took a close-up photo of some more cutely decorated items. Clockwise from top left: Hello Kitty petit four (raspberry + almond cake), beet hummus pita with a sakura-shaped radish slice, cucumber sandwich in the shape of Hello Kitty, and a raspberry macaron decorated with a white chocolate Hello Kitty bow.
Just like the Las Vegas location, I'm happy to say the food was pretty good! Because we were there for someone's birthday and they loved that we dressed up for the occasion, the staff gave us small freebies like keychains, stickers, and even bonus strawberry tiramisu.
What really stood out to me though were the tea choices. So many blends I'm not used to seeing at afternoon tea, and a pleasantly surprising amount of options for non-caffeinated teas. The non-caffeinated Blossom Bliss ended my favorite - they didn't say what was in it but just said it was "creamy floral". I would go back just to try more of the teas, although it was very hard to try multiple teas with how much space that tea tray took up!
I'm archiving the Hello Kitty Cafe afternoon tea menu here because contrary to popular belief the internet is not forever. Some of the teas I really liked: Birthday Tea, Blossom Bliss, Honeyed Pear, and shoutout to them having an Apple Tea since it's Hello Kitty's favorite flavor!
The total price ended up being around $90 per person, so you are definitely paying for the Hello Kitty brand, but I'm happy to say the food and experience combined was worth it. Like I said, a lot of themed cafes tend to have mediocre food at those same price points, but the Hello Kitty cafes have been a consistent exception to that rule. It also looks like they have a cheaper evening option where you can sit at the cafe with a dessert and drink of your choice, which I'll have to check out!
Sugarplum Cafe Newsletter Happy New Year! You may notice some small changes to the newsletter and email titles - it's a good time to switch things up, right? In this month's newsletter we'll cover the following: Introducing the composer (newsletter exclusive!) Playtesting is delayed, but for a good reason I promise Click here to read past newsletters! Click here to follow my socials! Composer Announcement As those of you who have played the demo know, there is currently no music in the game....
Sugarplum Cafe Updates Sorry for missing October - my IRL life has been stretched pretty thin between work, family, and friend stuff, so I didn't really have much to share related to Sugarplum. But now I do! Next month, Sugarplum Cafe is returning to Ursa Major! Ursa Major is a J-Fashion convention in Japantown SF, specializing in "lolita fashion" - think the frilliest, poofiest, laciest dresses imaginable. One of their many events is a Game Lounge and that's where the Sugarplum Cafe demo...
Sugarplum Cafe Updates In this month's newsletter we'll cover the following: Trying something new at the Rodo showcase A sneak peek at a new illustration An amazing opportunity from another indie game Click here to read past newsletters! Click here to follow my socials! Trying something new This month I showcased at the inaugural Rodo Playtesting Event in Fremont, and got to try some new tactics following my insights from the past few showcases! In my last post, I wrote about the struggles of...
