With the advancements made during development of "Six Hands," the first three stories in VVitching Hour ("Cradle of Ash," "Static Tongue," and "Marionette Night") will get an art and UI update treatment before I continue with new stories. Here is the update for "Cradle of Ash!"

Gameplay

• Functionality: You can click on the cover art in the title menu to begin a new game. You can click on the cover art while ingame to return to the current game. You can also click on the character portrait in the portrait menu to return to the current game. This function mirrors clicking on the expanded map to return to the current game.
• Functionality: Enhanced map functionality. A map with toggling visibility, located at the bottom of a passage to be nearer to navigational options, replaces the Map button in the top menu. You can use the mouse wheel or pinch to pan and zoom. You can also open the map in a new browser tab or expand the map. Clicking on the expanded map returns you to the current game.
• Feedback: Implemented the visibility of all options in a decision (not in navigational options). Previously, potential decision options that the player had not unlocked did not appear in the list of choices the player could make. Now, any locked option will appear as a placeholder card in the list of choices, indicating prerequisites were not met for the option to be available for selection but that it could potentially be unlocked. In short, this means you can see the maximum number of card options available for a decision, and options you have not unlocked will be partially visible but not selectable.
• Feedback: For a new blank Notes page, added a dash indicator in Notes menu to show that you have no notes until you pick up your first note. This reflects the dash indicators in the Observations, or the new dash indicators in cards (see note above), which are  placeholders until you unlock them and they become readable text.
• Measurements: Expanded scoring system. Added progress bars for graphical feedback. The score will be hidden by default. You can toggle the score in and out of view.
• Measurements: Added titles gauging player progress. Depending on the percentage of items, journal entries, notes, or observations in relation to one another, you are given a certain descriptive title.
• Accessibility: Added option for light and dark mode themes for readability. This can be changed in the title screen and in the game menu.
• Accessibility: Added option for larger font size for readability. This can be changed in the title screen and in the game menu.

Art and Design

• Art - Revised overall art and aesthetics for character art and title art.
• UI  - Added more animation to link and hover actions for stronger user feedback.
• UI - Theme accent color (such as for links) is now blue-grey instead of red.
• UI - Player cards on mobile devices are now on horizontal display, rather than vertically stacked.
• UI - Inverted location/scene names for passage headers: the main title of a passage is now the scene name, rather than the location name; the subtitle is now the location name, rather than the scene name.
• UI - Divided the display of navigational choices into two categories. Previously, navigational choices were divided somewhat arbitrarily. The links are now divided into the following categories:
  • 1) Action - links to do something in the current location, such as searching or talking
  • 2) Navigation - links to move to another area

Text

• Fixed typos.
• Made minor edits.