Some news :)

Hello everyone!

I hope you're all doing well and that the transition into the new season has been smooth for you :)

I wanted to take a moment to share some personal updates and thoughts with you. I’m aware that I’m not the most talkative creator out there, but I’m working on improving that :)

This summer has been incredibly demanding on a professional level (we just wrapped up the Olympic and Paralympic Games here in Paris, where my company was heavily involved in that— on top of my usual workload).

It was a huge commitment, and I really needed to take some time off. I was so exhausted that I’ve had no chance to work on the game. In fact, today is the first time I’ve turned on my computer since then. I just didn’t have the time or the mental capacity to give Summer Vacation the attention it deserved.

This led me to question my motivation. Normally, I love working on Summer Vacation, but recently, something has always felt off— time constraints, stress about not being able to work on the next update (I don’t always have the chance to reply to messages right away- sometimes even weeks late, but please know I do keep you all in mind). In just a few weeks, what used to be a joy started feeling like a burden.

That’s why I haven’t worked on the new update yet— I needed to step back. There’s nothing worse than working on the story without the proper energy, as it would result in something that feels cold or lacklustre. Ever since I started Summer Vacation, I’ve done my best to ensure the game has heart and soul. And creating without that spark is extremely difficult, if not impossible.

On top of this, at my current job, there’s talk of me changing positions in the coming months, likely at the beginning of 2025. With the potential move within my company, I’ve been wondering whether I could take a sabbatical, which would allow me to dedicate more time to Summer Vacation and future game projects. I had to do take a serious look at my finances, talk to my bank etc. At the same time, I’ve been considering the potential loss of career opportunities if I take a sabbatical—and of course, the financial cost of one (can't live on good intentions...).

If I focus solely on making games during a sabbatical, Patreon would be my only source of income, and that’s a risk I’d need to manage.

As of now, I haven’t made any decisions— I’m in a bit of a "standby" mode. But here’s what I’ve decided for the next few months: If my company offers me a position that genuinely interests me before February 2025, I’ll take the job and continue working on Summer Vacation alongside it. If nothing that catches my interest comes up, I’ll choose to take a sabbatical and come back to you with a plan for the future — because in that case, I’ll need your support more than ever.

Thinking about the future is complicated. Summer Vacation is undoubtedly the project I’ve enjoyed working on the most. I’ve poured an immense amount of time into it, and it’s the kind of work I’d love to do full-time. But then there’s also the question of job security to consider. I’ve managed to find some peace of mind by making a decision: Will my company offer me a role that gives me the time to work on Summer Vacation in parallel or not? I’ll act accordingly.

I felt it was important to explain this to you and let you know where things stand (and why there have been no images or updates last month). With all these thoughts swirling around, I'm really not in the best mindset for writing or working on the game :) While it may not be my full-time job, I want Summer Vacation - or any future project I have - to remain a passion, something I share with you, and not an additional burden in a world that already imposes too many.

As for Summer Vacation, there won’t be an immediate update. I need to focus on the core elements first, and especially writing the "main" ending, so I have enough material for future updates. If Summer Vacation has taught me one thing, it’s that if I ever work on a second game, I’ll definitely finish the writing before starting development :)

That’s all for now—I think I’ve covered the most important points. It felt important to me to share all of this with you.

Thank you all very much for sticking with me through all this!

-Erwin