This update addresses issues users have been having with Windows 11 combined with new gen GPUs and CPUs as well as DirectX 12 support.

So basically I had to rebuild the entire game in a new engine version as there were a lot of issues with code and graphics that 'new-gen' Windows PCs were choking when running 103. A lot of the errors I discovered were to do with DirectX and code that was being handled badly. But to cut all the nerd talk short, newer machines run differently and have dropped support for a lot of older things. Again I just had to rebuild the whole game in a newer engine on a newer development platform. While this was initially frustrating I saw it as an opportunity to try and improve what I could.

The first and most noticeable change are the graphics which I spent time on improving and creating a cleaner, sharper and more dream-like overall style. You can notice the overall change with the newer release on the right in the picture below, finer edges, shadows, lighting and reflections. Also if you notice Lily's dress isn't folded on the newer picture, running the cloth physics is quite harsh on the video card so I've limited it only to the High and Ultra settings for users that can run it efficiently. If you have any issues with the game running try adjusting the video quality in the settings until it's best for you.

In addition to all that I've added a lot of quality-of-life improvements to the game. Most importantly would be the 'look-at' interaction the player is required to do. This is now shown by most objects jiggling when you look at them, as well as removing any issues of them not working. Also the way timing worked with a lot of it was dependent on frame rate which I've now also removed to improve response. I've also made a few audio improvements with balancing and harshness of certain sequences as well as improving how some of the achievements worked. There's also a bunch of other minor stuff that I've had to change and improve just to get this working on newer hardware.

Almost seven years on, so much has happened and I've learnt and grown so much since releasing 103. Although there's a lot I want to change about this game now I'd like to try and keep things as close to the original as possible, despite any flaws or what it does well. Most of all I hope that this update has fixed a lot of crashing issues and players can just access and experience the original idea.

Thanks for your ongoing support and interest in playing 103. If you have any questions or issues running the game feel free to post in the discussion forum and I'll check it out. ːsteamhappyː

-pretzel