Craving for your embrace

Description : Returned from years of captivity and unconsciousness in a sinister academy, you get imprisoned by a tormented love interest—an Executioner. As secrets unravel, a freedom vs. passion conflict threatens your very existence.

total reads

performance metrics

year 2023

Episodes : 74

Studio: Pocket Gem

App: Episode

1.4m

90 %

retention rate

$

3.3m

gems spent

#3

fantasy rank

conversion rate

200 %

#20

overall rank

Game Development Journey

CFYE was my second story, and I approached it with a much more structured development process. I spent six months writing the entire script before even starting the coding phase. To bring the world I had imagined to life, I commissioned a graphic designer to create all of the backgrounds specifically for the game. I also purchased visual effects from a production company and learned how to integrate them into the engine.

Because DanaCode does not allow videos or GIFs to be imported directly, I had to find a workaround. My solution was to convert each video effect into a GIF, then break the GIF down into roughly 60 PNG images. These images were uploaded as overlays and coded sequentially with a delay of 0.04 seconds between frames to recreate a smooth animation effect inside the game. It was a challenging process but ultimately a great technical discovery.

About a year into development—halfway through the story—I began to fully understand the importance of gem choices and the retention metrics available to creators. By actively asking for feedback from readers and analyzing how players interacted with the game, I was able to significantly improve the experience. As a result, Episode 1 retention increased from 34% to 60%, which was a major milestone for me.