This is the end of the line for Project Katana. I've been on and off the project for almost two years now, and I've decided to finally pull the plug once and for all.

It was always a loosely-defined side project for me rather than something I was focused on. I've worked on it pretty intensely for a few weeks here and there, only to forget about it almost completely for months on end. I've never been able to really nail down what I wanted Katana to be, other than "visual novel" and "funny". I have a vague idea of a storyline and a list of random ideas. Tone, theme, characters, and details have been constantly in flux. It's been an interesting experience, and I've had a lot of fun working on it at times, but I don't think Katana will ever be a good, coherent game. There's no solid plan, and even if there was, I don't really have the time or resources to bring it to where it needs to be.

It pains me a bit to do so, but closing the book on Katana gives me some much-needed closure and will let me focus on more fruitful projects, like Ascension III and my upcoming new IP. And while it's over, it's not all for naught. I've learned a lot from this project and it's been really useful to help practice my art skills in particular.

On top of that, I'm passing it on. I've released the source code (also on GitHub) and most of the artwork (also on OpenGameArt), both under fairly permissive licenses. You're free to take it and run with it if you want. If you do something cool with it, let me know.