Thank you for those of you who have checked out "You've Got Tea"! This was an unexpected product in many ways, and I'd love to share a bit of the journey with you.

The origin!

I've been reflecting over this project over the last week, and I find new emotions and things to be thankful for with every day that passes. This story and project started off as a homework assignment of sorts, something to aim for at the end of a weekend bootcamp. Participating in the bootcamp was just as unexpected as producing this story! I attended the first talk from AAPI in Gaming and happened to win one of the raffled spots. There was a bit of troubleshooting that needed to happen for me to secure my spot, and then I even ran into a good friend that weekend!

We learned some basics in game design, narrative design, and Unity, and at the end of the course, we were given the opportunity to create our own visual novels within a week. If I'm honest, I didn't have a whole lot of faith in myself to pull this off. The engine was intimidating, and this style of writing is completely different from my previous experience. But then one night after work, I poked at creating my rough opening scene, then I added visuals, then I added music, and I started wondering what else I could do from here.

It's kind of amazing where curiosity and wonder can lead you. :)

One thing I didn't expect to find when I first stepped foot on this path was a new outlet to explore my immigrant culture. I had so much fun being unapologetically Chinese American with this story, adding in references I don't normally see in popular media. I did my best to honor the beauty of my culture through something I created, and I never expected such a unique media or ability to do so.

The continuing adventures!

I wrote the story in a very tight window and am still thinking of refinements to existing scenes, as well as a reroute of the "I don't know" option at the story's resolution to a brand new scene.

I am also looking to continue the story of Vincent and TeaMC in some seasonal, slice of life episodes, which feature more facets of Chinese American culture such as Chinese holidays and festivals.

I hope that this project and its future spinoffs will bring a little sunshine and happiness to your day. :)