Reality Layer Zero

Devlog

• Patch Notes #4 | 10/12/2025
  October 12, 2025 by Act-Novel

  2

  #reality layer zero, #patch notes

  In summary: Expanded accessible interiors and NPC interactions, primarily in First Layer areas. Added tooltips to main menu to reduce confusion in how to continue onto the Second Layer. Patch Notes fo... Continue reading

  
• v0.4 Release
  September 19, 2025 by Act-Novel

  5

  #reality layer zero

  Watch the release trailer here. It's good, do it! Version 0.4 of Reality Layer Zero is now available. This update constitutes a major revision to virtually all content present in earlier builds of Rea... Continue reading

  
• v0.4 Release Date Announcement
  September 12, 2025 by Act-Novel

  1

  #reality layer zero

  Reality Layer Zero Version 0.4, which contains updates to character portraits, graphical fidelity, script improvements, stability, a new debate mode, gameplay balance adjustments, and so many other th... Continue reading

  
• Development Notes #12 | One More Thing...
  August 28, 2025 by Act-Novel

  7

  #Development Notes, #Reality Layer Zero

  Hello, this is Garrett Thompson, sole member of Act-Novel. Wow! Where did the last three months go? You’ll recall from last entry, I claimed that the v0.4 update would be coming out soon… Barring... Continue reading

  
• Development Notes #11 | Background School
  May 18, 2025 by Act-Novel

  7

  #reality layer zero, #development notes

  Hello, this is Garrett Thompson, sole member of Act-Novel. Many of you may be wondering about the status of Reality Layer Zero Version 0.4, the character art update that I first introduced a while ago... Continue reading

  
• Development Notes #10 | New Year, New Art
  January 01, 2025 by Act-Novel

  3

  #reality layer zero, #development notes

  Hello, this is Garrett Thompson, sole member of Act-Novel. I've been pretty quiet about the state of the project around here for a little bit too long, so I'm writing this update to rectify that probl... Continue reading

  
• Development Notes #9 | What's Coming Up Next
  August 09, 2024 by Act-Novel

  6

  #reality layer zero, #development notes

  Hello, this is Garrett Thompson, sole member of Act-Novel. It's been a little over two months since the Second Layer update came out, so it's due time for an update regarding what's coming up next for... Continue reading

  
• Patch Notes #3 | 06/09/2024
  June 09, 2024 by Act-Novel

  3

  #reality layer zero, #patch notes

  In summary: Adjustment to reload logic to prevent "falling through the floor" in certain save positions, fixes for minor "odd" bugs. Patch Notes for Version 0.3.2.1 (06/09/2024 Update) - Adjusted scen... Continue reading

  
• Music from the Second Layer is now available on YouTube
  June 03, 2024 by Act-Novel

  1

  #reality layer zero, #soundtrack

  Also available in playlist form ! All of the new music tracks from the second layer have now been uploaded to YouTube for your listening convenience (10 tracks total). Last time I promised that the so... Continue reading

  
• Reality Layer Zero Second Layer Update is Now Available
  June 01, 2024 by Act-Novel

  6

  #reality layer zero, #release

  The second part of Reality Layer Zero (version 0.3.2) is now available on itch.io and Steam ! (Please note that for the time, I will be leaving the previous version (v0.1.6) up on the itch.io page. Th... Continue reading

  
• Development Notes #8 | Second Layer Release Date
  May 26, 2024 by Act-Novel

  1

  #development notes, #reality layer zero

  06/01/24 - "Second Layer" Release Hello, this is Garrett Thompson, sole member of Act-Novel. In the last Development Notes entry , I mentioned that the second layer was in "beta", implying that a rele... Continue reading

  
• Development Notes #7 | Second Layer Beta, Gameplay Improvements
  April 10, 2024 by Act-Novel

  2

  #development notes, #reality layer zero

  Hello, this is Garrett Thompson, sole member of Act-Novel. It's been "radio silence" from me about the Second Layer since late last year, so I'm going to open this Development Notes entry with this un... Continue reading

  
• Development Notes #6 | A Mostly-Boring Progress Report
  November 01, 2023 by Act-Novel

  4

  #development notes, #reality layer zero

  Hello, this is Garrett Thompson, sole member of Act-Novel. It's been a few months since the last Development Notes entry, and since we're currently right in the heart of the period where I previously... Continue reading

  
• Development Notes #5 | Midpoint on the Second Layer
  July 31, 2023 by Act-Novel

  2

  #Reality Layer Zero, #Development Notes, #Second Layer

  Hello, this is Garrett Thompson, sole member of Act-Novel. It's been a little while since the last Development Notes entry, but rest assured I've been hard at work on Reality Layer Zero's second act--... Continue reading

  
• Development Notes #4 | Technical Blind-Spots and What the Game Maker Profiler Doesn't Tell You
  March 28, 2023 by Act-Novel

  1

  #development notes

  Hello, this is Garrett Thompson, sole member of Act-Novel. In the last Development Notes entry , I wrote a bit at the end about a potential VRAM bottleneck discovered by a friend of mine attempting to... Continue reading

  
• Patch Notes #2 | 03/28/2023
  March 28, 2023 by Act-Novel

  2

  #patch notes

  In Summary: VRAM-usage optimization, more options for lower-end PC's, massive reduction in download size, and some QoL improvements. Patch Notes for Version 3 (03/28/2023 Update) - Optimized shadow ma... Continue reading

  
• Reality Layer Zero First Layer "Demo" is now available on Steam
  March 22, 2023 by Act-Novel

  4

  #steam version

  As promised, the Steam version of the itch.io release has now been made available. It's equivalent to version 2 of the itch.io release, which contains the changes and improvements mentioned in Patch N... Continue reading

  
• Development Notes #3 | First Layer, Two Weeks Later
  March 14, 2023 by Act-Novel

  5

  #development notes

  Hello, this is Garrett Thompson, sole member of Act-Novel. At this time of writing, it has been two weeks since Version 1 of Reality Layer Zero was uploaded to itch.io. I think now is a good time to g... Continue reading

  
• Reality Layer Zero OST is now up on YouTube
  March 12, 2023 by Act-Novel

  3

  #soundtrack

  You can now listen to the entire "first disc" of the Reality Layer Zero soundtrack on YouTube . It's over an hour of original game music! I've embedded a small sampling of some of my favorites in this... Continue reading

  
• Patch Notes #1 | 03/10/2023
  March 10, 2023 by Act-Novel

  2

  #patch notes

  In summary: A fix for several crashes in the deck editor, as well as some QOL improvements. Patch notes for Version 2 (03/10/2023 Update) - Resolved the Paulby crash in the deck editor. (Many thanks f... Continue reading

  
• Development Notes #2 | First Layer Release!
  February 14, 2023 by Act-Novel

  3

  #development notes

  02/28/23 - "First Layer" Release on itch.io Hello, again. This is Garrett Thompson, sole member of Act-Novel. As promised in the previous Development Notes entry , I've been hard at work finishing the... Continue reading

  
• Development Notes #1 | Reality Layer Zero
  August 17, 2022 by Act-Novel

  1

  #notes

  Hello. This is Garrett Thompson, sole member of Act-Novel. It’s been a little over two months since Reality Layer Zero was officially announced. I’d like to take a moment now to write more at-leng... Continue reading