Ren'Py / VN

JPDE2 – Adagio of Darkness [2.1] [JPDE]

August 31, 2025F95

Three years have passed since the day that has come to be known as the Fall of Beacon.

A darkness revealed itself to the world of Remnant. In its wake, it aimed to split her, break the spirit of her people and erase the city of Vale in its entirety. The world broke apart, trust between nations was forever damaged. Many lives were lost… But the spirit endured.

It endured and burned bright like a roaring flame. Even as evil laid his clawed hand on Remnant, her defenders left it singed and crushed. Through actions and defiance, strengthened by unique bonds between individuals of all backgrounds and walks of life. Finding themselves unwillingly at the center of it all and yet, never giving up the fight.

Three years have passed since that fateful day. Remnant, and her people, have been forever changed…

And now darkness encroaches again.

FEATURES

– Experience the world of RWBY through a completely new AU story of grand proportions! Interact with brand new characters and see what old ones have been up to!

– Engage your enemies through the PRESS GROUP battle system! Control elements and turn order carefully!

– Explore Remnant! Quests and secrets may lay behind any corner… And conversation.

– Form a team and fight alongside dozens of characters! But don’t ignore one-on-one down-time…

– Upgrade your Dust Suit! In a world where Dust is becoming increasingly rare, Polendina technology comes in clutch!

– Jam to the OST by OddTillTheEnd, with guest tracks by other artists like Husky by the Geek and Nailik!

Thread Updated: 2025-08-31

Release Date: 2025-08-30

Developer: JPDE | F95Zone – Patreon – Website – Itch – Twitter – Twitter2 – SoundCloud – Discord – Kofi – YouTube – TikTok – Instagram – Spotify

Censored: N/A

Version: 2.1

OS: Windows, Linux, Android, Mac

Language: English

Prequel: JPDE – Sonata of Fire

Genre:

2dcg, mobile game, adventure, combat, fantasy, humor, parody, superpowers, turn based combat, voiced

Installation:

1. Extract and run.

Changelog:

(2025-08-31) 2.1

The second of the BIG updates! BACK TO BACK! 2.0 added a complete overhaul of the exploration and battle systems… 2.1 adds the Dating Sim System!

If you’re a long-time follower of the project, you’ve probably read the post where I explain the workings. If not, there’s the link. As a summary: JPDE2 now has a Dating Sim System which, between story beats, will allow you to build up certain stats by performing specific activities in a number of locations, which you will then use to increase your relationships with a number of characters. This allows you to unlock character-specific aesthetic rewards and points that you can use to buy gameplay-related upgrades! This release doesn’t contain all of the systems yet, but I foresee that by the next one we’ll be done. No more new systems, just more content! With that out of the way, download the new update and enjoy!

IDEAL STARTING POINT FOR THIS RELEASE: the dinner scene where Ruby’s new outfit gets introduced.

(2025-07-04) 2.0

JPDE2 Adagio of Darkness was always supposed to have RPG gameplay.

You can probably tell from the original very clunky attempt at making a dungeon exploration system… And the fact that I needed to have a battle system, no matter how experimental. Well, that has changed. It has changed thanks to the experienced I gained from working on the other projects, and in jams. It has changed thanks to the progress of the Ren’Py engine. It has changed thanks to hindsight, and your feedback. It has finally happened.

A completely revamped JPDE2! No longer a simple visual novel, but a Dungeon Crawler/Visual Novel Hybrid! What has changed, you may ask?

[NEW BATTLE SYSTEM]

Goodbye extremely RNG-based card system, where more than one player got soft-locked during battle because they couldn’t draw the right cards. Now each character has a maximum of five skills, and you will be able to cycle through all members of your party at any given time!

[NEW EXPLORATION SYSTEM]

JPDE2 no longer has an approximation of a Dungeon Crawling system, it has a real Dungeon Crawling system! Explore grid-based environments! Find treasure! Avoid traps! Find your way through hordes of enemies and keep an eye on your inventory and invisible secrets!

[NEW CHARACTER UPGRADE SYSTEM]

Your party’s stats can be upgraded by progressing the story and through experience gained from battle! Customize your party and tackle your challenges however you want!

COMING NEXT…!

[CRAFTING SYSTEM]

Craft new skills and items through materials looted from enemies!

[OPEN WORLD SYSTEM]

Spend the time between Story Events as you please! Go on side-quests, hang out with friends, play minigames!

[RELATIONSHIP SYSTEM]

Unlock new Skills, Quests, recipes and more by upgrading the relationship level with your friends and allies!

And more…! 2.0 contains all the episodes of JPDE2 released so far, revamped through the new systems! Because of this, a new save file is required! Now more than ever, it is crucial that you give us feedback on things like balancing, difficulty, accessibility and so on! Let us know on our Discord Community server or the Community here on Itch! And maybe give us a follow on BlueSky!

Here’s to the next chapter in JPDE2! Welcome back to Remnant, Hunters!

– Meinos Kaen

OLDER

(2025-04-06) Episode 10

It’s finally time…! We’re finally here! Volume 2 of JPDE2: Adagio of Darkness starts now!

Well, it started a month ago for Supporters on Patreon and KoFi, so if you want to see updates earlier, alongside voting on polls and art previews, think about throwing a little support our way. We’ve revamped the tiers very recently, too!

It took a bit longer than I thought to gather all the materials needed to start work on Volume 2 in earnest but I’m glad it did! Because that freed up time to work on other projects, which in turn, taught me a lot of stuff that I can now put in JPDE2! For example, by working on The Hawks of Bruyland I’ve perfected the Dungeon Crawler gameplay I had been working on for YEARS! And it’s not going to be included in both JPDE2 and JPDE1REFRAIN! And speaking of JPDE1REFRAIN, there’s a few minigames that can now be added to JPDE2 thanks to the work on this remaster of JPDE1!

Also, with Volume 2, is the time where we’re going to start adding some extra Gameplay that I’ve been keeping just for myself for a whiiiiile now… 😉 And, of course, the story continues! Be ready to get back to the world of Remnant, because Volume 2 is officially the Vacuo Arc!

– Meinos Kaen

(2024-10-19) Episode 9

The art assets are struggling to catch up to the story.

That’s, in a nutshell, what’s happening with the game. Unlike JPDE1, which was an experimental wild west of a game, where I did whatever I wanted while figuring out how making a game worked, JPDE2 has a clear long-term story. I already know the big players, the big events, the arcs, who and what if not the how.

Unfortunately, though, my team’s artists can only work on so many pieces each month. For example, Chocojax, who does all our amazing sprite work, can only make two sprites per month. If you add in that she’s also a busy artist on Twitch and going to cons, it makes sense. Then of course, there’s the general needs of breaks for vacations, sometimes family emergencies, etc…

The result is that: for the last couple releases JPDE2 has been barely getting the assets it needs in time, and with the next story arc it’s going to be even worse. Just to give you an idea: Team ARSN -Aka, Jaune/Ren/Sierra/Nora- needs to be complete before we go into Menagerie, and we only have half of them. That’s without counting the other characters, like Jacqueline’s Mom and Assam Morlus of the Red Fang, just to name two…

So the choices presented to me are: either compromise the story I want to tell or take breaks in-between Arcs of JPDE2 as we wait for the art assets to build up…

You can probably guess from the [END OF SEASON 1] part which one I chose. But that doesn’t mean we won’t release anything in-between!

It just means that, while JPDE2 builds up strength for the next arc, well… We have a Remaster to work on, don’t we? 😉 The first demo of JPDE1REFRAIN is already out for Supporters!

Also, be sure to check out BABELOMANIA, our original entry for Spooktober VN Jam 2024 over on Itch.io! Leave us a rating if you liked it!

With that said, I hope you enjoy Episode 09! Also, I hope you don’t kill me for that double cliffhanger…

(2024-09-07) Episode 8

IT IS FINALLY TIME! TIME FOR THE BIGGEST RETURN OF ALL…!

But it definitely won’t be like you were expecting it.

It was very clear from the Episode 07 cliffhanger that David and his friends were going to run into the Fire God from JPDE1 in Episode 08. Quite the big player from that game, and it’s been three years, so one can only imagine what he’s been doing since…

I can assure you that whatever you may think, does not come close to what I decided to go with, because I did not know myself this is the direction I was going to take the character in the first game. This is all new… Including the way I decided to re-introduce him.

I can honestly say that, while I have done things that are similar to what you’re about to see in Episode 08 of JPDE2, I have done nothing quite like it in my life. It’s been a great effort on the artists I collaborate with, too.

I came up with the concept and structure, and I wrote the lyrics. OddTillTheEnd made the original composition. Nailik mix/mastered it anew (and was supposed to help with making it vocal but sadly that didn’t come to pass). ArsonicArtz made the line art, and SaDui gave it wonderful colour.

The results are for you to visualize. I’m very proud of what we came up with, I hope you will enjoy it, and I will stop here with the hints. I can’t wait to hear and see your reactions!

If you do it on TikTok, Instagram or Twitter, be sure to tag our official accounts! We have a new team-only Twitter, which will be different from my personal one. Also, let me take the opportunity to welcome Mary to the team as our new Social Media Manager! We met during SMMR of RWBY and she’s amazing, as I’m sure you’ll notice soon.

Let me also remind you that we’ve recently unlocked a new stretch goal: if we reach it, Drengade from Combat Ready Studios will be making 3D Character Models for JPDE2, with the aim of creating animated cutscenes! Also, we’ve started putting JPDE Music Tracks on Streaming Services! We’ve only released a couple tracks so far but we aim to put out a first album of songs from JPDE2 in the fall!

And finally… Team JPDE is taking part in the 2024 edition of the Spooktober VN Jam with an original horror game! Stay tuned for more info because, man… You ain’t seen nothing yet!

– Meinos Kaen

(2024-07-25) Episode 7

JPDE peeps, RWBY fans, I hope you’ve all had time to metabolize what happened in Episode 06 (also the fact that RWBY is now at VizMedia)! Episode 07 won’t go as heavy with the bombshells, as it is mainly a follow-up and set-up episode but do still be wary.

There’s no battles, only conversations, sure, but one particular conversation can lead to places if you turn on the Xtras in the settings menu.

There’s exploration, which leads to interesting lore and reveals… But also, some returns.

Episode 07 sees the return of some old faces from JPDE and RWBY alike and, let me tell you… You’re not prepared for what you’re about to see. I wasn’t myself, when it suddenly occurred to me where I was going to take some of these characters… So, I can’t wait to hear and see your reactions!

If you do it on TikTok, Instagram or Twitter, be sure to tag our official accounts! We now have a new team-only Twitter, which will be different from my personal one. Also, let me take the opportunity to welcome Mary to the team as our new Social Media Manager! We met during SMMR of RWBY and she’s amazing, as I’m sure you’ll notice soon.

Returning to the release, please be sure to use the verUPDATE function in the Scroll Menu before doing anything else if you’re loading an older save file. There are a few fixes for the battle system (status effects should now work as intended) and we now also have A CALENDAR! You can see what time-keeping in my version of Remnant looks like! It’s pretty barren for now but expect regular additions of dates, anniversaries, birthdays and the like!

If after you finish Episode 07 you can’t wait to see that cliffhanger resolved and want more, consider supporting us on Patreon or Ko-fi to get access to Episode 08 on the 24th of July! Every dollar goes to paying the team members and we’ve recently unlocked a new stretch goal: if we reach it, Drengade from Combat Ready Studios will be making 3D Character Models for JPDE2, with the aim of creating animated cutscenes!

And lastly, we’ve started putting JPDE Music Tracks on Streaming Services! We’ve only released a couple tracks so far but we aim to put out a first album of songs from JPDE2 in the fall!

I hope you enjoy this release, and I will see you in August! Have a great summer, everyone!

– Meinos Kaen

(2024-06-04) Episode 6

This is the one. This is the episode that caused me to lose some sleep… Yeah, not Episode 07 which is out now for Patreon and KoFi supporters and I had to make while day job was kicking my ass. This one.

Episode 06 focuses heavily on Ruby Rose and on certain themes which I couldn’t help but go deeper into once I realized what I had been writing… With results that some people may love, some may absolutely hate: a scene in particular may be the most controversial thing I’ve ever written for the RWBY fandom at large as it goes to touch what may be something akin to the soul of the entire series… But it just made sense for the character’s arc so I couldn’t avoid it. Thus, it’s here.

But it also has reason to rejoice, because I found a way so that you don’t need to start a new save file every episode! From no on, you’ll just need to use the verUPDATE function in the Scroll Menu to fix any deprecated code in your older save-file! IF YOU’RE STARTING A NEW SAVE FILE IN EPISODE 06, YOU DON’T NEED TO USE IT!

It also has a few fixes for the Battle System (now status effects shall work as intended) and -drumroll please- WE NOW HAVE A CALENDAR! You heard that right, you can now see what time-keeping in my version of Remnant looks like just by going in a specific submenu… Pretty barren now but expect regular additions!

[WARNING: this only works on new save files starting from Episode 05] [WARNING 2: USE IT ONLY ONCE ON EACH SAVE FILE!]

Please, as always, report any bugs or crashes in the Community Discord Server, as that’s the most immediate way to get in touch with the dev team… And now, enjoy.

(2024-04-29) Episode 5

The Episode 05 QoL Release comes in a very particular period. Rooster Teeth, the parent company of RWBY, is shutting down after twenty-one years.

I have been critical in the past of the company, in the way they handled their properties and workers, and in the writing of the series but: without RoosterTeeth, there’s no RWBY; without RWBY, there’s no JPDE; without JPDE, there’s no current developer me. The company, its creators and creations have been an important part of many people’s lives for more than two decades so all I can say is: thank you, Rooster Teeth. For the good, the bad and the RWBY alike.

That said, Episode 05 brings a slew of improvements! There’s a lot of small fixes everywhere (one in particular at the very beginning of the game when talking to Roman Torchwick, it should FINALLY be fixed) but the most important additions are to the Battle System. Sadly they will necessitate, FOR THE LAST TIME EVER, a New Save File.

For the last time ever because I’ve found a way to apply updates without doing it, but it starts working only from Episode 06 (which is currently out on Patreon and KoFi). Please make sure to report any bugs or crashes on the Community Discord Server…

And with that said: enjoy. Episode 05 goes deep into worldbuilding and… Well, let’s just say I’ve found a creative way of keeping track of your choices from JPDE1 >:).

– Meinos Kaen

(2024-04-02) Episode 4

Hello thar, Meinos Kaen here!

Hope you had a great Easter Weekend and that this Episode 04 QoL release will be the surprise treat inside the chocolate of your RWBY egg 😀

In Episode 03 you got a taste of life in Peak. In Episode 04, you’re going to get a little more and then our heroes are going to get their first assignment! Also, world powers are starting to move…

But not just that! Straight out of Episode 05, which is available right now for higher tier supporters and next week for all supporters, there’s Tutorials for fighting and exploring and there’s a new Battle Screen! This latter one’s modifications are deep enough that a new save file is required (it should be the last ever revamp of this caliber, thank God I caught it so early…).

Nothing further but to let you get to it! Enjoy and, once again, Happy Easter!

P.S.: very very sorry, but we’re back on regular cliffhanger endings

– Meinos Kaen

(2024-02-29) Episode 3

Hello thar, Meinos Kaen here with your regularly scheduled update!

Episode 04 is out for Supporters, which means Episode 03 Quality of Life is now out for the Public! This version contains the same content as the Supporters-first Episode 03 with some QoL improvements from Episode 04!

Story-wise, we’re leaving behind the darkness of Red Cliffs and exploring the Red Shark but, most importantly, PEAK! NEW CONTENT FOR EVERYONE! We’re finally past the stuff you’ve seen in the RPG Maker version! Also, the return of the dreaded cliffhanger… Don’t forget to send your hate in the Discord community. We have a dedicated channel to discuss spoilers with other fans!

Also, the Battle System is revamped! Now you get more information, visuals are updated –both for GUI and animations- and there’s a new mechanic that allows you to convert cards in MP! Want to get rid of unwanted ones for a better hand? Running low on MP? Not anymore!

And finally, we’ve updated the release schedule! Find out when the next updates are coming and for whom!

Enjoy!

– Meinos Kaen

(2024-01-11) Episode 2

Hello and good afternoon from Italy! I hope you had a great holiday season and start of 2024! Also, I hope that you didn’t chomp at the bit too much to get Episode 02! As a reminder, 25$+ Supporters on Patreon and their peers on Ko-Fi get each new release a month early, by accessing exclusive areas on our Community Discord! You also get to influece development with Polls, like deciding what quests and characters get added to the game next!

In Episode 02, we get the conclusion of David’s and Sienna’s great escape from the Red Cliffs Waterway but things won’t go exactly as they did in the RPG Maker version of the game… The new engine and storytelling methods employed better suited another style of pacing and narration, so even veterans from the previous versions of JPDE2 will have something new to look at story-wise!

The biggest additions are systems-wise! Episode 02 features your first taste of a number of new menus and systems, from map exploration to quest logs to bestiaries and more. We’ve taken aboard feedback from many people who played Episode 01 and even added a menu that shall help you understand the new deck-building battle system better! More features and quality-of-life additions are coming in future releases, so stay tuned!

And finally, I have started networking more closely with other talented content creators and fan-game developers in the RWBY community… And I might have convinced people to go along with a crazy idea I have had. You’ll see further details and a first peek at it by the end of January so: join us on Discord and our other Social Media accounts to not miss the announcements!

– Meinos Kaen

(2023-11-29) Episode 1

Hello and good afternoon from Belgium! I hope you had a great Fall so far and I hope that you don’t hate me too much for making you wait this long to get the public release of Episode 01. But the Patreon juice and Ko-Fi must flow! And wow, the support ever since we made the announcement that JPDE1 – Sonata of Fire will go on hiatus without sufficient funding was amazing! Still haven’t reached the necessary amount but it was still a huge increase which took a lot of pressure off me financially. Especially since I got married on the 25th of November! ^^

Anyway, EPISODE 01 of JPDE2! Why episode? Because I decided to structure this game, and the story therein, in a different way compared to JPDE1 – Sonata of Fire. That one took a lot of inspiration from Persona 4, what with being structured over school weeks over the months leading to the original RWBY Volume 3 finale, JPDE2 will be structured more like an Anime than a videogame. Which, uhm, considering that it’s a videogame and it’s based on a pseudo-anime show doesn’t… Really explain much? ANYWAY! You’ll see what I mean when you play this new release!

It features new story, some voice acting, new features and updates to the fighting system, new gameplay systems, and a little something called 98 Mode… What does it do? Try it. ;D Join the Spoilers Discussion in the Community Discord and see you in the next publicly available episode in 2024!

– Meinos Kaen

(2023-10-20) v1.0 – Thread Created

Developer Notes:

Disclaimer – This is not endorsed by Rooster Teeth in any way. Views, opinions, thoughts are all my own. Rooster Teeth and RWBY are trade names or registered trademarks of Rooster Teeth Productions, LLC. © Rooster Teeth Productions, LLC.

This is a freely distributed fan-made game. If you are being charged by anyone anywhere to play JPDE or JPDE2, you’re being scammed. Donations go towards paying the members of the dev team for their efforts.

Content Warning:

Due to some of the Themes and Events depicted in this Fictional Story, it is intended for consumption from a Mature Audience, where Mature stands for: having reached a stage of mental or emotional development characteristic of an adult.

This game contains elements of [NON DEFINITIVE LIST, GAME IN DEVELOPMENT]:

Violence
Death
Suicide Ideation
Trauma
PTSD
Panic Attacks
Racism
Prejudice
Disability

First Drafts (NSFW)

NSFW JPDE2 Side Stories – Itch

The story’s framework takes place after the events of EP09.

With a brand new passport and a chance at finally living life properly, Andrea Damerot arrives in Vale City full of hope and with a sweet recommendation from Amber Talia Valesianis… But an NB can’t survive on just hope and dreams, which is how Andrea finds themselves accepting a job as draft editor for an agency representing a mysterious romance author…

Let fantasy take you places!

Stories voted for by the JPDE2 community, brought to life through the imagination of a mysterious author, which can cover both game canon events and complete flights of fancy!

Control the Sound!

All scenes have sound effects and voice! Control the volume levels of every single part of a story and enjoy it your way!

Unlock some goodies!

Unlock images and concept art for both First Drafts, JPDE2 and the Original JPDE! Take a look behind the curtain!