Rob Colton

Bara Jam 2021

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 17:20:27 -0500

I helped to co-host Bara Jam 2021 this year and we had a nice turnout with 23 submissions, the largest number yet! Check out the other Bara Jam 2021 games on Itch!

My submission this year was Human Cargo: Whodunit?!

Based on the Human Cargo visual novel, Human Cargo: Whodunit?! is a mystery puzzle game in the style of Clue/Cluedo.

Choose a character, gather clues, and solve the murder!

You can play Human Cargo: Whodunit?! on the Web here, or download an offline version for your platform from Itch.io for free.

New Visual Novel Announcement

Sun, 23 Aug 2020 17:53:39 -0400

With the 1.0 release of Human Cargo pending, it’s finally time to preview what’s coming next…

https://www.patreon.com/posts/40750727

An American Lamb In Europe

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 23:20:19 -0500

An American Lamb In Europe has been re-published!

It is now available on Amazon for purchase once again. It is also available as a Kindle Unlimited selection, allowing you to read it “free” with your subscription.

(NOTE: If you own the original edition, there aren’t any changes in this edition.)

Jamie Anderson knows you need to look before you leap, but he forgets it often enough to land in trouble. When his brother and only remaining family member disappears, he doesn’t think twice about quitting his job as a dental hygienist to travel to the Czech Republic to search for him.

Rescued by the sexy, mysterious Tomas in a small city near the German border, Jamie enlists his help in locating Rudy. Soon Jamie realizes the man knows more than he’s sharing. When Jamie demands Tomas tell him the truth, Tomas reveals he’s a vampire. Horrified the man he’s fantasized about is a monster, Jamie struggles with the fact he still needs Tomas’s help to find Rudy.

Jamie never expects their search will land him in the middle of a vampire turf war.

Human Cargo 0.96 Now Available

Fri, 21 Feb 2020 17:20:33 -0500

Human Cargo Version 0.96 is now available!

This update adds a new CG during the Kol route. And with this version, all of the soundtrack music is complete!

What’s New

Kol Initiates a Ritual - final CG artwork
Soundtrack - final music for Border Station Theme
Soundtrack - final music for Phestur’s Theme
Gallery - Fix Interior Diagram CG not unlocking
Misc bug fixes

If you’re interested in testing an iOS release for iPad/iPhone, it’s available to Patreon subscribers. (Note that the iOS release has the Censored option permanently enabled, so the CGs and sprites with nudity are not present in the game and censored images appear in their place.)

DSP Update

Thu, 20 Feb 2020 11:26:57 -0500

The rights for my Dreamspinner novellas “The Ranch Foreman” and “An American Lamb in Europe” have been returned to me. They will be unavailable for a bit while I decide what to do with them….

Rogue Now Available!

Sat, 23 Nov 2019 01:53:34 -0500

My Bara Jam 2019 submission Rogue is now available to download!

It’s a short and sweet point-and-click adventure game in the classic LucasArts style. Help Rollie solve the mystery of the rogue… and maybe catch himself a man in the meantime!

Download it for free at: https://robcolton.itch.io/rogue

Human Cargo 0.90 Now Available

Wed, 16 Oct 2019 21:54:54 -0400

Human Cargo Version 0.90 is now available!

Doc’s story is now complete, and now available to download on Itch.io!

In addition to being able to romance Doc, this update features two new CG events: a second CG for Zed and Yoshi, and a new Nasir and Yoshi CG. (The Nasir/Yoshi CG has two different versions depending on if you choose the “kink” route or not.)

There are two new alternate endings, where Yoshi could meet an untimely demise.

Also available is a new Heat Rating preference. You can set it to Explicit or Censored. Currently, the Censored option will display alternate graphics for CGs that don’t display nudity. Sprites will no longer be naked or erect and will display with their underwear on instead. The next update will also censor some of the more explicit text.

Finally, starting with 0.90, the Mac version is now distributed in a notarized dmg compatible with Mac OS Catalina (10.15).

What’s New

Doc’s route complete!
Zed and Yoshi #2 - final CG artwork
Nasir and Yoshi #1 - final CG artwork plus variant
Pirate Raider Corridor - final background art
Added two alternate endings
Added Heat Rating (Explicit/Censored) to Preferences
Added censored artwork variations for CGs and Sprites
Mac version now compatible with Mac OS Catalina
Misc bug fixes

Download now on Itch.io!

Human Cargo 30K Giveaway

Sun, 22 Sep 2019 11:50:41 -0400

This past week Human Cargo hit a big milestone. The game has been downloaded over 30,000 times now. I’m amazed and humbled by the success, and I thank all of you for giving the visual novel a try.

Human Cargo is set in the same universe as the Galactic Conspiracies books, so the visual novel and the books compliment each other very well. I think fans of one will enjoy the other as well.

To celebrate the occasion, let’s do a raffle!

The grand prize is the trilogy of paperback books for the Galactic Conspiracies series (The Degan Incident, The Cassini Mission, The Degan Paradox), plus a Human Cargo swag pack, which includes a sticker sheet, two coasters, and a pin.

The second place prize will be the ebook version of the Galactic Conspiracies books plus the swag pack. I’ll be giving away two of these.

Also, I have five swag packs I’ll be giving away.

The raffle is through RaffleCopter. It starts on Sept 23 2019 and will run for a week. See the Raffle widget for ways of entering. Good luck and thank you all so much!

You can download Human Cargo for free at Itch.io!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Human Cargo 0.85 Available

Sun, 08 Sep 2019 22:29:43 -0400

Human Cargo Version 0.85 is now available!

This update features a lot of new background artwork and a couple of new cut scenes. We also have a new CG artwork for Zed and Yoshi’s final scene, in addition to a second CG artwork for Razix and Yoshi’s love scene.

I’ve also expanded Kol’s storyline, mostly chapter 6, but also chapter 5 and 10.

What’s New

Expanded Kol’s storyline, particularly in Chapters 5, 6, 10
Soundtrack - final music for Doc’s Theme
Razix and Yoshi #2 - final CG artwork
Zed and Yoshi #1 - final CG artwork
Barakai exterior - final CG artwork
Barakai interior - final CG artwork
Barakai/Pirate Encounter - final CG artwork
Cargo Container - background variant without bed
Yoshi - Added new sprite variations
Kol - Added new sprite variations
Fixed issue with Menu closing on rollback
Fixed issue with Nasir being too “heavy-handed”
Misc bug fixes

Download it for free at Itch.io!

Human Cargo Sticker Art

Sun, 25 Aug 2019 22:59:34 -0400

Mark “Briar” Thorne (@BriarsThorne) created a sticker pack based on Human Cargo’s Barakai freighter crew. He did an awesome job of capturing their personalities in the small images. And they’re super cute to boot!

The latest version of Human Cargo is available to download on Itch.io.

If you’re interested in helping fund development, consider becoming a patron at Patreon. All contributions will go into developing the visual novel: paying for graphics, music, and other things I am unable to create myself.

Human Cargo 0.80 Now Available

Sat, 27 Jul 2019 00:36:48 -0400

Human Cargo Version 0.80 is now available!

In addition to the new redesigned user interface, the major feature in this update is you’re now able to pursue Nasir. We also have new CG artwork for the final Kol and Razix scenes.

What’s New!

Nasir’s route complete!
User Interface redesign by Hijiri
Kol and Yoshi #1 - final CG artwork
Razix and Yoshi #1 - final CG artwork
Zed’s Quarters - final background art
Razix’s Quarters - final background art
Nasir’s Quarters - final background art
Doc’s Quarters - final background art
Cygnus Colony Market - final background art
Soundtrack - demo music for Doc’s Theme
Misc bug fixes

Download the latest version for free at Itch.io.

Human Cargo GUI Update

Fri, 05 Jul 2019 23:35:15 -0400

I’ve been working with artist and game developer Hijiri on the graphical user interface for Human Cargo. His current work in progress Where the White Doves Rest has an amazing look and feel, and I was excited to see what he could do for my game.

The new GUI will debut with the game’s next update, but you can see a sneak peek on my Patreon page (available to all):

https://www.patreon.com/posts/27958955

If you’re interested in helping fund development, consider becoming a patron at Patreon. All contributions will go into developing the visual novel: paying for graphics, music, and other things I am unable to create myself.

The Buckle

Fri, 05 Jul 2019 23:17:33 -0400

One ditching and one rescue later, Hayden discovers the use of a telephone isn’t the only offer that’s on the table…

“The Buckle” was originally part of the Stranded anthology from Wayward Ink Publishing, and was also available as a standalone short. After Wayward Ink went under, the rights reverted back to me and I wasn’t sure what to do with it. I’ve decided to go ahead and post it for free on GA.

(Fans of Noah’s New Plan might recognize the setting as well as the character Rex.)

Read for free at GayAuthors.org

Human Cargo 0.70 Available!

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 00:42:10 -0400

The major feature in this new update is you’re now able to pursue Zed. In addition to several new backgrounds, this update also includes the final version of Doc’s sprite, so all of the characters are now complete.

What’s New!

Zed’s route complete!
Doc - Updated final sprite
Mess Hall - final background art
Interior Corridor - final background art
Cargo Container Interior - final background art
Security Office - final background art
Soundtrack - final music for Razix’s Theme
Soundtrack - demo music for Zed’s Theme
New Logo courtesy of Hijiri
Misc bug fixes

You can download the update from Itch.io!

Human Cargo 0.65 available!

Tue, 05 Feb 2019 22:19:14 -0500

Human Cargo version 0.65 is now available!

This release features final artwork for several backgrounds, as well as the final version of Zed’s sprite artwork. A Linux build is also available for the first time.

What’s New!

Bridge - final background art
Observation Deck - final background art with animation
Locker Room - final background art with animation
Border Station docking port - final background art
Interior Door - final background art
Zed - Updated final sprite
Soundtrack - final music for Trading Post Theme
Misc bug fixes

The next release is all about Zed. Look for Zed’s route to be playable later this month.

You can download the update from Itch.io!

Human Cargo v0.55 available

Fri, 07 Dec 2018 20:00:46 -0500

The first update for Human Cargo is now live!

Version 0.55 is a minor update, focusing on fixing some spelling and dialog errors. It also includes some new art assets and expanding the presence of the Wixanite character in the prologue, complete with a new sprite for our alien Union officer. Also new is a release for Android!

Thanks for the great feedback so far!

What’s New!
• Chapter 9 - added a new CG artwork
• Expanded Wixanite presence in the Prologue
• Trading Post - final background art
• Wixanite - final sprite
• Soundtrack - final music for Kol’s Theme
• Nasir - Updated work in progress sprite
• Add changelog.txt file and About page tab
• Misc. spelling and expression fixes

You can download the update from Itch.io!

Human Cargo Public Demo Available Now!

Thu, 29 Nov 2018 11:01:43 -0500

The first public demo of Human Cargo is now available to download!!

The demo features a complete route for one character, Kol, captain of the cargo freighter. Final sprites are in game for Yoshi, Kol, Razix, and the NPC side characters. A preview of Nasir’s sprite is also in game.

Look for Doc and Zed to appear in future updates. Backgrounds are also in progress and will be added with regular updates.

Two music tracks are complete: Cargo Freighter Theme and Pirate Raiders Theme. Kol’s Theme is the next track to be finished.

I would love to hear any feedback you might have!

Download now at itch.io!

Human Cargo First Preview!

Tue, 30 Oct 2018 23:19:13 -0400

This is my first preview post showing the progress of my new visual novel, Human Cargo.

Human Cargo is part of BARA JAM 2018, and the first playable demo should be available by the end of November. BARA JAM is a 1 month long game jam, between November 1st - 30th, dedicated to creating male-relationship focused games that feature the bara influence.

Kol T'Kari is captain of the cargo freighter that is the main setting of Human Cargo. He’s one of the five crew members who are potential romantic interests for our main player character, Yoshi.

He is Katarran, an aggressive warrior species, from a war-torn inner rim world. After leaving the military, he bought a freighter and left Katarra and war behind.

Here’s his preliminary bio page from the crew gallery…

Here’s an in-game screenshot of Kol in the ship’s cargo bay, when Kol discovers Yoshi hiding…

The cargo bay art is still in progress. Designer kjkjmulo is the background artist and is doing a fantastic job so far.

Kol’s artwork was designed by Jacky Black, who likewise is doing a great job capturing the look and feel I’m going for. He is currently working on the next character, Razix. Stay tuned for a preview of our freighter pilot!

If you’re interested in helping fund development, consider becoming a patron on Patreon. All contributions will go into developing the visual novel: paying for graphics, music, and other things I am unable to create myself.

A Long Overdue Update

Thu, 25 Oct 2018 23:37:15 -0400

Hello everybody!

It’s been a while since I’ve updated and it’s about time I started posting again. I haven’t released anything new in a while. I had to take some time off for health and personal reasons. I’m much better now, but I’ve found it really hard to get back into writing again.

As a different creative outlet, I’m trying my hand at creating a visual novel. I’ll be posting more about this on a regular basis.

In the meantime, I’ve posted the short story The Buckle on GayAuthors.org. It was originally part of the Stranded anthology from Wayward Ink Publishing, and was also available as a standalone short. After Wayward Ink went under, the rights reverted back to me and I wasn’t sure what to do with it. I’ve decided to go ahead and post it for free on GA.

(Fans of Noah’s New Plan might recognize the setting as well as the character Rex.)

In addition to the game I’m working, I do have another short or two coming soon.

Thanks for reading! And thanks for sticking with me!

All Romance eBooks and iBooks

Sat, 07 Jan 2017 00:33:06 -0500

Due to the shut down of All Romance Ebooks, the books I self-published there have been removed from the Apple iBooks store. I am in the process of re-submitting the books with my own publishing account and they should hopefully appear on the iBooks Store within a day or so.

If anyone missed the window to download purchased copies of any of my books from ARE before they shut down, please send me an email and I will work with you to get you a copy.

I am also looking into setting up a store on Payhip, so look for more information soon.