Dev update - Character art completed!

Under the desert sun development update from JAY Games:

We're 3 months out from the launch date for Under the desert sun™ and are excited to announce that the character art for the game has been completed! This means we're one step closer to finalizing the proofs for printing for our dual-launch on Itch.io and our website on May 31! We want to give a HUGE thank you to Celestine Nox and Dale Ziemianski for their fantastic art that brings the Turkic-inspired world of A Qán adventure™ (the universe of Under the desert sun) to life! We hope you enjoy this "class portrait" of the entire NPC crew - Which one is your favorite?

Celestine led the development for the Main 5, the "Key" NPCs that every Meddah (Game Manager) and Player should know just a little bit about because they are central to the overarching storyline of the game. These NPCs will either help, hinder, or sit back and watch the events of the game regardless of which path Players choose to follow. The Main 5 are on the bottom row of the class portrait, from left to right:

• Rustam, Proprietor of The Emporium (a super important spot in the story!)
• Nurasyl, Assistant Port Master (his potential support can make or break your adventure!)
• Bünyamin of Divşen (if you can pry him from his favorite tavern, he may be able to help you out in a pinch!)
• Yıldır of Haşen (he basically runs Kazgar... for better or worse)
• Marya, Chief Priest of the Cult of Ikita (a heavyweight in Kazgar and Taraz with a penchant for drama)

Dale led the development for the General NPCs (those in the background) and our Enemy NPCs! Meddah will be able to use the General NPCs to fill out the world of their game with three different options to choose from for each people group, the Tarazi and the Qán. They are located on the second and third rows of the class portrait, from left to right:

• 2nd row:
  • NPC Tarazi 2
  • NPC Tarazi 3
  • NPC Qán 1
  • NPC Qán 2
• 3rd row:
  • NPC Tarazi 1
  • NPC Priest
  • NPC Qán 3

Enemy NPCs are specific to each of the story directions that Players can choose from in Under the desert sun - there are actually 5 of them... We'll just note that 3 are in the fourth and fifth rows in the class portrait... you'll have to wait until the game is released to learn more about them!

Celestine and Dale both own the IP for their art and are participating in profit-sharing for all game sales/publications and paid-play experiences. At JAY Games, we believe in fairly compensating artists for their individual work and are committed to never using AI - as part of this commitment, all artists receive shared profits from sales of the game, paid-play experiences, and any other publications that feature their art. We believe that this collaborative partnership helps build the best immersive world for Players to experience our stories - and separates us from other game development companies.

May 31 is just over the horizon - and we'll keep you updated here on Itch.io with all the latest news as we finalize proofs, start the printing process, and showcase just what you can expect when you purchase either the digital edition here on Itch.io or one of the physical editions on our website (US/Canadian customers only at launch)! Be sure to stay subscribed to our Itch.io page for all the latest and be sure to follow us on Instagram/Bluesky to be kept up-to-date on all the latest Under the desert sun and JAY Games content!

About JAY Games:

JAY Games™ - Just As Yourself Games - is a game development company based in Chicago, Illinois that is committed to a safe, inclusive Play environment where anyone, regardless of experience, can enjoy a story Just As Yourself™. Players come with their imagination and bring just a playbook, a d6, and a d20. The Meddah, the game master, brings probability and rich storytelling without railroading Players with tactical combat rules or conceptual items. The rule of cool reigns supreme - but Players' safety is paramount, even if it violates the rule of cool. JAY Games's inaugural release, Under the desert sun™, is expected in Spring 2025 and is currently completing playtests on StartPlaying.Games. Inquiries can be directed to inquire@jay-games.com.