Hey bros,

Our brand-new live-action premium title Inner Scales 1: Choice is now live on the Steam store! If you’re interested, head over to add it to your wishlist.

As usual, I’d like to share the story and feelings behind this project with you all.

First, huge thanks to every cast and crew member who worked on this film—especially our amazing actresses, whose professionalism was outstanding. It’s been such a pleasure collaborating with these highly respected performers.

After wrapping filming, my biggest takeaway is: these are truly the fan-favorite characters chosen by you, the FMV game community. Seeing them in action is even better than hearing about them.

As an official who loves writing these long notes, I just have to gush about how much I adore each performer.

(Ordered by their wrap date)

The first day of shooting is always the hardest and slowest. We had to set up lighting for every scene, make constant adjustments, and get the whole crew in sync. Normally, we never finish the first day’s scenes on time. But luckily, our first day was with Ms. Chen Man—every performance was perfect and smooth. She’s also incredibly gentle; I don’t think any man could help but like her.

Ms. Guo worked so hard. We filmed in Hengdian, and she drove all the way from Shanghai to be there, then rushed back right after wrapping. Shooting went extremely late that day—she had to get up at 6 a.m. for makeup and kept going until the next morning. The most impressive part: no matter how late it got, once she stepped in front of the camera, she was full of energy and nailed every take. On a personal, non-official note: she’s exactly my ideal type. With the rescue choices in this game, I don’t think any guy could leave someone like her in danger.

Our mascot, the beloved icon of the 《Back》studio—need I say more? All of Wen Jun’s scenes were shot at night, starting around 11 p.m. and going until the next morning. It was exhausting. If you notice any moments where she seems tired, please be understanding. In the escape scenes, she had to fall over and over again; it was hard to watch. She even hit her head a few times by accident. Personally, I’m definitely saving Wen Jun in my playthrough. Hope you’ll support our mascot too.

Ms. Tang’s performance was a wonderful surprise. In her previous FMV work, she gave off a strong, confident “queen” vibe. But in our game, her portrayal of a fragile, helpless character was so moving it made every guy want to rush to protect her. Just imagining not saving her (speaking only for myself) makes me feel guilty.

How can someone be so sweet, cool, and kind all at once? Our set had a very calm dog named Dengdeng (yes, that’s his name, not a filler word). When Ms. Xiang knelt down to play with him during makeup, it was such a beautiful, healing moment. Her confidence and coolness are obvious the second she stands up—truly one of a kind.

Ms. Yan Ran… I just have to say… she’s absolutely stunning. I consider myself outgoing, but I got shy just looking at her. I couldn’t look away even if I tried. I wasn’t a fan before this project, but after working together, I became one instantly. One more time: she’s incredible.

Ms. Shen has a unique, elegant intelligence. If I had to sum her up in one phrase: Elegance is timeless. Maybe because we’re both from Shanghai, I felt an instant connection. With her perfect glasses style, she embodies “intellectual beauty” completely.

Full disclosure upfront: working with Ms. Wang brought me three big surprises.

Surprise 1: She’s extremely tall. I’m 178cm, and I wore 8cm inner lifts because I heard she was tall… but I was still shorter. Her proportions and long legs are amazing. On day one, Ms. Chen Man even warned me: wait till you see her—you’ll know what real grace is. She’s breathtaking.

Surprise 2: She’s incredibly straightforward. I’d heard some rumors before, but after meeting and talking with her, I know she’s the kind of person who hates lying and speaks her mind. I have a friend just like her—blunt, honest, and easy to like. I relate to her a lot; I’m also honest, even if it offends people, including some in the industry. I can’t change that.

Surprise 3: Her acting is fantastic. As the last to wrap, she was super efficient. I hope we can keep working together long-term. (Only downside: hard on the photographers—she joked that cameras kept shifting from eye level to upward shots.) Another joke: when I said I wanted long-term cooperation, she told me to stop “drawing cakes” (empty promises). She’s had too many of those. But I never make empty promises. Unless I can’t afford her someday, I want to keep collaborating.

Of course, I also owe a huge thank you to the entire crew. The actors finished when their scenes wrapped, but our team worked nonstop throughout the entire Labor Day holiday. In the first three days alone, we logged over 60 hours of work. Honestly, I was there the whole time, but I crashed after the first two days and showed up late on day three. That’s why we keep working with this crew—their dedication is unmatched. Just like I’ve seen the unwavering support and patience from you, the FMV players and our official group members. I want to keep getting better with you all, growing and creating together.

Now, let’s talk about why we made Inner Scales 1: Choice.

I like to call this genre a premium fan-service title—and “premium” has three layers:

1. From watching feedback in our group and stream chats, I know you love seeing familiar, favorite actors in more projects. So I did everything I could to bring these performers together for this game. It’s our way of giving back to you. For example, so many fans love our mascot Wen Jun, so we keep casting her in our projects whenever possible—even though it raises costs a lot. Your wishes come first.

2. Most FMV fans enjoy attractive casts (to put it gently, great physiques)—and who doesn’t? I love watching beautiful women too. This game is a treat for you (and for me), full of eye-catching moments. (Trolls who say otherwise can be ignored; no product pleases everyone.)

3. It’s also a “reward” for us as developers. This focus lets us use our limited resources efficiently to make a better product and earn steady income. Take the Back series: Behind 1 worked because it only focused on scaring people. But Behind 2 tried to be scary and deep, which stretched us too thin. Great stories take time and money to polish—something bigger studios can afford. I can’t, because we have to survive. I won’t say more, or people will call me poor-mouthing.

I’ve seen how people treat each other: when a food delivery rider cut me off on an e-bike, I felt bad for them—they’re probably rushing to not be late. But the guy behind me screamed curses. That’s the difference between people. Most are kind, but some are just angry or mean-spirited. I ignore them. As a developer, I welcome all honest feedback—even calling our games bad. I rate my own work low too; I’m objective. I don’t brag, sugarcoat, or blame others—we just aren’t big enough yet.

Every announcement I’ve written since our first title in 2024 is my real thoughts. I like sharing. FMV is a small niche, and letting you see behind the scenes matters. Even if you weren’t there to film, my words let you experience it too. Years from now, when you don’t play FMV games anymore, you’ll still have these shared memories. That’s all these long notes are about.

Back to the game: Inner Scales 1: Choice will announce its release date after approval. I estimate June–July, but please wait for the official notice. We’ll also launch a crowdfunding campaign soon, offering limited merchandise as a thank-you. Keep an eye out if you’re interested.

A quick self-promotion: besides Inner Scales 1: Choice, Survivor’s Notes may join a late-June demo event, Female Warrior is in active development, and Inner Scales 2 is planned. All of this is to fund Back4 sooner. The first three games taught us: with a small budget, we can’t make a long, high-quality horror FMV.

Finally, what I said two years ago with our first FMV still holds: we’re in FMV for the long run. We aren’t a big company, so we can’t compete on budget.

• To those who want polished scripts: I’m sorry. Good writers and their time are expensive—we can’t afford it right now.

• To those who want better UI: I’m sorry. After My Promise to the Future, our art team went from 3.5 people to 2.5, and our artist left. We just don’t have the resources.

All we can do is our best within our limits, and keep trying new things—fighting games, AI art styles, whatever. But we will never use AI for story-driven live-action interactive dramas. AI can’t replace real people, and it can’t love fans like real actors can.

One last plug for our mascot’s amazing hand-signed autographs (your rescue choices in this game will directly affect Inner Scales 2!).

Thank you so much for reading this long note. Over two years together—it’s great to have you here.

(Disclaimer: All opinions are my personal views only.)