Sweet Soothe Spa - VN Dev Dairy #1 (Patreon)

It's time for the first development update on the VN project, Sweet Soothe Spa!
While I don't have a lot visually to show just yet, it's shaping up rather nicely, and I wish to show off a bit of the progress so far! 

The Synopsis

You play a custom-named male rookie at the M.C.I (Monster & Cryptids Intelligence), who’s just returned from a four-day-long stakeout, down in the Louisiana bayou.
Back at home base, you’re thoroughly worn down and in need of serious recouperation.
Your two bosses, Professor Rose and Doctor Rufescent, suggest that you spend a weekend at Sweet Soothe Spa, a monster-ran health spa in Texas, and before you know it, you’re in the Lone Star State for a weekend of hopefully relaxation. (Among other things.)
While at Sweet Soothe Spa, you'll encounter the monster girls who work and provide services at the Spa, as well as interact with other Spa patrons as well.

A few screenshot previews

(Please Note: everything in these screenshots is a work in progress, and some may contain placeholder assets that won't be in the final game!)

Part of the intro, where Doctor Rufescent and Professor Rose find you exhausted at your desk. (With some small cameos on said desk.)

Meeting Sugar for the first time in her massage parlor. (The background is a placeholder, and won't be in the final game.)

The exterior of the spa itself, where you arrive shortly after the intro.

The Power of Friendship

One of the main features in the VN is Friendship Points for each of the encounterable monster girls in the game.
Appearing on-screen as a visually unique bar for each character, choosing certain actions or dialogue options will increase your Friendship Points by a certain amount, eventually leading to junctures where, depending on your total amount of points, you can choose new options or engage in more saucy things, like sexual encounters.

The Scope and Release Format

At present, I'm planning for the game to have a total of four spa workers for you to interact with by the end of development, starting with Sugar in the first playable build.
As well as the main spa workers, there will also be a few smaller encounters with other patrons at the spa between services, and like the main gals, these also have conditional story paths depending on what you choose.

Down the line, I'd like to commission some voice actresses to provide audio snippets for each character to give them some extra life.
Not fully voiced dialogue, mind you, but just small sound bites to add to certain moments. (Like Sugar giggling or saying 'howdy' etc etc)

The game will be released to $5 Patron's by the build, with each build arriving as I finish adding a new main spa worker.
Once all the characters are added and the game is finished, I'll be putting the game on Itch.io for free, with an option to pay for the game if people wish to.

In Conclusion

That's it for the update, this VN has proved to be the most challenging thing I've ever taken on, but it's also so much fun as well, and I can't wait to keep working on it.
I hope you all look forward to future Dev Diaries, and the first playable build down the line!