Hazelnut Latte v0.12.4

You are a travelling businessman with an affinity for coffee. You travel to Jade City for a meeting, but first, check out a local coffee shop called Cafe Estro. Inside, you meet a lovely barista named Hazel. The two have an instant connection, but you can't help but wonder why such a good coffee shop has so few customers.You and Hazel grow close, and you discover that this girl is actually... a femboy?Hazelnut Latte is about helping out a struggling cafe while discovering things about yourself and forming relationships with the boys and girls in Jade City.This game is about feminine boys, transgender boys,  transgender girls and non-binary people. Gender lines will be blurred and crossed in Jade City.

Coffee and Choices:

The magic of Hazelnut Latte lies in its interactive storytelling. Your choices throughout the game shape your relationship with Hazel and the experiences you share. From casual conversations to deep, meaningful exchanges, every interaction matters. What kind of coffee will you order today? Each choice reflects your personality and influences how Hazel perceives you.

Espresso: Strong, bold, and straightforward. Opting for an espresso might hint at your decisive and no-nonsense nature. Will Hazel appreciate your confidence and directness?

Frappe: Sweet, playful, and refreshing. Choosing a frappe could reveal your fun-loving and spontaneous side. Will Hazel enjoy your lighthearted approach to life?

Hazelnut Latte: The café’s special blend. Selecting the Hazelnut Latte might indicate a desire for something unique and meaningful. Will this choice deepen your connection with Hazel?

Features:

Café Atmosphere: Immerse yourself in the cozy ambiance of the café, with the aromatic scent of freshly brewed coffee wafting through the air. The visual novel captures the essence of a charming meeting place where connections are forged over cups of steaming goodness.

Barista Connection: Your encounter with Phil Hazel is the focal point of the story. Engage in lively conversations, explore Phil’s personality, and make choices that will influence the direction of your relationship. The narrative unfolds based on the chemistry between you and the charming barista.

Coffee Choices: Elevate your café experience by making decisions about the type of coffee you prefer. Will you go for the bold simplicity of an espresso, indulge in something sweet like a frappe, or venture into the special realm with a Hazelnut Latte? The choices are yours to savor.

Interactive Narrative: The visual novel offers an interactive narrative where your decisions guide the flow of the story. Each choice you make shapes the dynamics between you and Phil, creating a personalized and engaging experience.

Advantages:

Inclusive Romance: Hazelnut Latte offers players the unique opportunity to engage in inclusive romance with characters who challenge traditional gender norms. Whether you’re interested in femboys, transgender boys, or transgender girls, the game celebrates diverse expressions of love and attraction.

Branching Narratives: The choices you make in this game have a significant impact on the story. Each decision you make will lead to different events and outcomes, allowing for multiple playthroughs and a personalized experience. Discover various storylines and uncover the secrets of Jade City as you navigate through the game.

Cafe Management: In addition to the romantic elements, this game incorporates a cafe management aspect. As a player, you will have the opportunity to help rebuild and manage a struggling cafe. Make important business decisions, hire staff, choose menu items, and create a welcoming atmosphere to attract more customers. Your management skills will directly impact the success and growth of the cafe.

Visual and Written Artistry: With over 100 pieces of art and nearly 40,000 words, Hazelnut Latte offers a visually stunning and well-crafted narrative experience. Immerse yourself in the world of Jade City with beautifully illustrated scenes and engaging storytelling.

Changelog: 

v0.12.0

Dave's scene in Ep 3 is slightly expanded and altered to feature a different outfit.

Hazel's bathroom lewd scene in Ep 4 is now fully animated.

Changelog 0.12.1

Fixed Vera's Sprite in Ep 5 that was broken.

Fixed Future Hazel Sprite that was broken.

Fixed bug in Ep 4 that flipped the dialogue for going to hang out with Dave.

Fixed bug in Ep 5 where the single movie scene didn't show the movie being played.

Fixed some interactable objects to be the correct time of day.

Fixed bug that was causing other interactable objects to disappear when interacting with one.

Fixed bug where not dating Hazel wasn't working.

Fixed bug where, on mobile, the gradient textbox didn't work.

Updated Backer Guided and NSFW options to work.

Changelog 0.12.2

Fixed bug where Boba Palace worker had a sprite missing.

Fixed Backer Guided to work now.

Fixed bug where not dating Hazel wasn't working again.

Fixed bug on mobile where players couldn't name their saves.

Changelog 0.12.3

Fixed bug where Vera lewd scenes in Ep 5 could not be obtained if you had broken up with Hazel.

Fixed bug in Ep 2 where not giving Hazel your jacket and not remembering his major didn't lead to the correct path.

Fixed bugs that caused the wrong clothing to show up in the gallery for Maki and Tay.

Removed locked clothing items from the gallery for outfits not yet in the game.

New Content

Introducing Free Roam.

Explore the map and go to different locations at 3 different times of the day.

Not all areas are available.

Player Money.

The Player now can earn and spend money.

Cafe Rank

Story moments and activities will level up your Cafe Rank.

This will be elaborated on in a future build.

The laptop at the Player's apartment has current rank, money, and the ability to change your name.

New Barista outfit for Vera.

New character - Greg

Greg has been added to Episode 4.

5 New CGs for Episodes 3 - 5 to highlight key moments.

2 New CGs for Episode 6.

Maki is introduced along with the Frappy Star location.

Tay is introduced along with the Boba Palace location.

2 NPCs will work at Frappy Star and Boba Palace when Maki and Tay have days off.

Story Scenes with Hazel and Vera in the fallout of Noto's intrusion in Ep 5.

Story Scene with Greg to establish a new minigame.

Consultation Minigame at Player's home laptop to earn money.

1 New repeatable lewd scene for Hazel.

1 New repeatable lewd scene for Vera, and her 2 scenes from Ep 5 are now repeatable.

1 New lewd scene featuring Dave.

You can now name save files.

FAQs:

When is the next update? Update when?

We usually create a new game version every two to three months. If no release dates have been posted, the next build will not have an exact date.

When will the next free version come out?

v0.11.7 was the last free version with new content. There will be a v0.11.8 in January/February 2025 that will fix bugs, add some new content to earlier episodes, and improve play. But there will be no major content updates available for free anymore.

When will the game be released on Steam?

When we hit v1.0, this will likely take a few years.

Will the game ever go into Early Access?

One day, yes, but there are stipulations first. We will not be doing a Steam Early Access. My publisher and I will discuss it once we get halfway done with the game. So, around Episode 12.

As for Itch.io, Early Access will happen sooner. We must finish Episode 6 and then publish an Alpha of Episode 7 for backers. Then, we will have early access to purchase on Itch, which will be updated for every episode. So, Episode 6, then 7, and so on.

How much will Early Access be?

We are planning on charging $10 to $15. That price will likely rise every couple of episodes as more content is added.

Will the finished game be on mobile?

When we finish the game, you will be able to purchase the Android version from Itch.io. You can also use Steam Remote Play to play your Steam copy on your phone. It will not be an official game on the Play Store.

Can I play the game on my iPhone?

No, Apple only allows authorized apps to be used on their devices, and they don't authorize porn games.

Has this game been abandoned?

No, this is my full-time job.

How many Episodes/Chapters will the game have?

We plan to do 24 Episodes with a post-final build, Episode 25.

How can I play the latest version?

You can only play the newest build from my Patreon or Subscribestar. Nowhere else.

When will the game be translated into my language?

I will translate it once it is closer to full release, which may take years. The game is constantly in flux, and I always go back to previous episodes and refine the dialogue. So, until the game is done, a translation wouldn't make sense.

My screen is splitting the image in half; how do I fix this?

Try this! https://www.renpy.org/doc/html/display_problems.html

Can the player character be a femboy too?

No, the story is written from the perspective of a cis man who gets his horizons broadened. Making the player character trans/gender non-conforming would completely alter the story and how Isaac views every event in the game.

Can I change how the player character looks?

As nice as this would be, the amount of work involved would be massive. It would require a complete rework of the game, redoing every lewd scene and animation to account for every possible combination. It would cost a fortune to start and then upkeep.

What is the bathroom door code?

Hazel tells you a few lines before you need to enter the code. Go back or look at the dialogue history.

Is Dave going to be a romanceable main love interest?

No, he is not.

Will there ever be a hint system for missing scenes?

No, there will not. The game is designed to be replayed and for each playthrough to feel different. Including a hint system goes against what we are trying to do.

Summary:

Hazelnut Latte is a hand-drawn graphic and very, very frank visual project with a well-developed system of choosing actions. So fans of personal participation in the main character's decision-making will be satisfied with what they get in the game. Events unfold in the space of a coffee shop and around it. Where one day the protagonist meets a barista and starts a relationship with him. Well, and then everything depends on the participants themselves. Which path they will take, what they will choose and whom, and also gamers will determine how the story itself will end. Which will have a lot of options for endings.