GOLDEN HOUR - development progress
August 14, 2026It’s time for another GOLDEN HOUR development update, and this time we’ve reached a pretty important milestone.
We can finally say that the work on all static images is complete. Every single one has been prepared. What’s important is that this was actually the second full pass over the visuals. This time, our goal wasn’t simply to make every image look better. We put much more emphasis on preserving the original facial features, identity, and character of each person as closely as possible.
Every image goes through a very complex machine-assisted processing pipeline, but one of our highest priorities throughout this second pass was consistency. In some cases, we deliberately sacrificed a bit of the final visual impact, additional detail, or more dramatic lighting if we felt that those improvements were changing the original character too much.
And we didn’t simply process thousands of images and call it a day. Every single image was manually reviewed by us. Whenever we noticed something that didn’t look right, didn’t feel consistent enough, or moved too far away from the original, we corrected it. It was an enormous amount of additional work, but we believe it was absolutely necessary to achieve the level of quality we want for GOLDEN HOUR.
We listened to your feedback
There’s another important part of this process. After listening carefully to your feedback, we decided to detune some of the images where the skin had gained too much artificial detail. In certain cases, those details could make a character look older or simply different from the person you remembered from the original game. That wasn’t what we wanted.
Because of this, we recreated all dialogue images and their corresponding animations from scratch once again.
Our rule became very simple: Preserving the uniqueness of the face and the original character of the image comes first. Everything else comes second. Additional details, lighting, skin texture and other visual enhancements should improve what was already there, not redefine it.
This philosophy became increasingly important to us as our work on GOLDEN HOUR progressed.
Animations are next
We’re still working on the animations. There are around 40 of them that are proving to be a particularly tough nut to crack, as they don’t cooperate very well with our new rendering pipeline. We’re currently looking for the best workaround to handle these problematic cases and get them completed as soon as possible.
The next major step is the final verification of all animations in the game.
We’ll go through them again and judge them using the same standards we now apply to the static images. If an animation doesn’t meet those standards, we won’t hesitate to redo it. Simple as that.
We’ve already invested an enormous amount of work into this project, so there’s no point in accepting something that we know could be better.
What GOLDEN HOUR taught us
We’ve learned a hell of a lot while working on GOLDEN HOUR. From a technical perspective, we’re already light-years ahead of where we were when we started this project. We’ve significantly expanded our workflow, improved our techniques, learned much more about the tools we’re using, and developed skills that will be absolutely invaluable for our future projects.
And you can see those improvements directly in GOLDEN HOUR. There are moments where familiar scenes, presented again through completely new visuals, can genuinely take your breath away. Seeing something you already know transformed and visually retold in this way can make a surprisingly huge difference. Some of these scenes look absolutely fucking incredible.
But perhaps the most important lesson came from you. Your feedback, including the criticism, became one of the driving forces behind many of the improvements we made. It pushed us to explore aspects of our tools that we probably wouldn’t have explored otherwise. It made us refine our techniques, rethink certain decisions, and shift our priorities from simply pursuing the biggest possible visual improvement toward finding the right balance between quality, consistency, and respect for the original artwork.
So I genuinely want to thank you for that criticism. It helped us make GOLDEN HOUR better. And I believe the changes we’ve made as a result will help us create something that can win over even some of the players who were initially skeptical about the visual direction we wanted to take.
We’re not trying to replace the identity of AMERICAN SUNSET - we’re trying to preserve it, while showing you just how much more we can do with it today. And we’re getting very, very close.
NEXT WEEK: SOUTHWESTERN SEXCAPADES
One more thing. Next week, we’ll finally show you new images and animations from SOUTHWESTERN SEXCAPADES. And there’s going to be a lot to talk about. Trust me on this one. It looks absolutely insane.
Looking good. I love waiting for these updates each week. Feels like I am waiting for the next episode of my favorite tv show. Really hoping this comes out soon. Like 1 week or 2 weeks soon. It will give me another reason to replay through the game again.
Are you going through the entire LWT with all the expansions in American Sunset and making these enhancements? That’s crazy amount of work. Are there any changes to the UI of the map etc? Personally, I think LWT is your best game on Steam.
Yes, we’re changing everything. From the core content of the original game all the way to the latest expansions, including Lisa the Temptress and Tracy’s Infidelity.
Is it a lot? Hell yeah!
We’re talking about roughly 370 animations, and we need to render two variants of each, plus around 200 brand-new cumshot animations, 85 dialogue animations, and approximately 4,500 static images.
So yeah, things are pretty damn busy around here right now! Fortunately, everything is going smoothly, and if we keep up the current pace, we’re planning to have the entire process completed before the end of this month.
It’s a massive undertaking, but seeing the game being transformed piece by piece makes it absolutely worth it.
In terms of UI – we plan only very subtle changes.
With all these enhancements, we plan to make LWT better than ever!
Hopefully Steam approves the new changes. I am not really sure on Steam’s rules on realistic AI games. I do like the realistic look but also, I still want to feel I am playing a game instead of watching Pornhub lol.
There’s nothing to approve here. It’s still computer-generated artwork, just with a much more realistic style than before, while remaining faithful to the spirit of the original creation.
You’ll most likely be fine in that regard since you already have content on Steam but I know of a dev that had their game rejected because it was too realistic. The graphics were all AI generated using a Stable Diffusion model that is far less realistic than what you’re doing, possibly even less so than your current games.
You don’t understand what we’re actually doing here. Our visuals are not AI-generated from scratch. We use DAZ 3D to create and render our own 3D characters and scenes, and then use AI tools to enhance those previously rendered visuals.
That’s a very important distinction. We’re not rendering those pictures from scratch using AI, nor are we using AI to modify or repurpose the likenesses of real people. Our source material consists of our own computer-generated 3D renders.
So the real concern here, using AI to manipulate images of actual people and incorporating their likenesses into a game, simply doesn’t apply to what we’re doing.
I understand. I only mentioned how the other dev’s images were generated to address the realism point raised by FreshRevenge. Unfortunately since the payment processors got involved there, Steam’s approval process seems to have become even more arbitrary.
Good news on the skin textures.. realism is fine but for 3d the best part is the fantasy of it all. Anyway hope this goes well so work on serena can once again continue 🙂
In the discussion of last week’s blog you mentioned looking at an option to preserve the legacy content for those that prefer the current art style. Does that apply to LWT as well?
Yes, of course. We’ll keep a separate build of LWT: AMERICAN SUNSET on Steam with the current/original visual style, so players who prefer it will still have that option.
However, the content from SOUTHWESTERN SEXCAPADES will only be available with the enhanced visuals, matching the visual style and quality of the GOLDEN HOUR version. More about it next week.
I’ll admit the changes you’re making are an improvement, but I still prefer the current style. 🙂 Thanks again for making the option to keep the original available.
Everyone has the right to their own personal taste, and I fully respect that. I’m glad to hear that you feel we’ve moved the project in a direction that you’re more willing to accept.
Hello Leonizer,
As one of the critics of the new design vision when it was first announced, I have to say that your team’s hard work and acceptance of our criticism has really paid off. Although I will still be a proponent of keeping visuals more video gamey than going too close to picture perfect real life, I have to say you’ve done a much better job at keep the characters looks intact.
Thanks again for listening to constructive criticism, its all we can ask for.
This update probably needs to come out soon.. sns Southwest before November…. launching Southwest in nov early would be fine.. but lets be honest.. post nov19 gta6 so probably no other releases this year lol
Hey leonizer,
Here’s an idea for SOUTHWESTERN SEXCAPADES from Tracy’s perspective, below. I guess it would be better to change perspectives sometimes, letting Tracy be the one who progresses the story. So, in this case if Justin has low points with her, one day:
Tracy receives a message on her phone from a friend inviting her to a girls’ night at the club. At the same time she receives a package as a gift from the same friend, all wrapped up in a lavish box. Inside is a remote controlled vibrator and a letter daring her to wear it when she comes to the club but the remote is not present. After some thought she accepts the invite. She puts on her best dress and lingerie, black pantyhose and dark mascara. Whilst not forgetting about wearing the present she got and heads for the club.
When the barman approaches the vibrator suddenly turns on. Tracy is completely surprised but enthuziasmated by the circumstances. The sensations building up makes her speech inconsequential and hard to understand. Her friend steps in to help her out of this predicament ordering a drink of her own intent for Tracy. Soon after sipping in the drinks, they head to the dance floor. As the ladies start dancing 2 guys join in and the vibrator turns on again. As they’re dancing, the vibrator’s speed goes up and down making Tracy twitch her hips in sudden movements. The guy moves closer, letting her rub her ass on his manhood. Tracy tries to look like everything is ok, even though she’s barely able to hold her cries of pleasure in check. As she’s going week in her knees and her legs starts shacking the guy puts a hand on her belly and moves as close as he can on Tracy. She can feel his erect cock touch her butt cheeks making her even more horny. Realizing she’s moments from reaching a climax she excuses herself to go to the bathroom. Her friend instantly turns down the speed and approaches her to whisper to use cabin X, as that will offer her the best relief.
As soon as she’s in the cabin she sits on the toilet, lowers her panties and pantyhose a little, removes the vibrator and starts masturbating. Just as she’s about to climax her friend walks in on her ruining her much awaited orgasm. The friend comments on Tracy’s soaked pussy being happy that she went to the bathroom the moment she did or she would’ve caused a mess on the dance floor. As Tracy is about to reply, her friend swoops in with a kiss. Their tongues start swirling around builidng up sensation. The friend lowers her hand down to Tracy’s pussy and starts twitching her clitoris and then fingering her, all while still ravaging her mouth. Tracy unable to take the assault any longer, squirts. Just as her friend was about to taste Tracy’s fluids by giving her a cunnilingus, suddenly a lid opens up on the wall and a fully erect dick pops out of it.
Both girls begin to lick and make their moves on the shaft at the same time. Their tongues start going up and down while covering the shaft in their saliva while also touching each other making them both kiss and suck at the same time. Soon from the opposite wall another dick pops in, Tracy goes to take care of that one. As the space is quite cramped in there both girls are forced to press their assess together while working the dicks, as if they’re battling each other. Soon the guy on Tracy’s end cums on her face. Meanwhile, her friend lets the dick on her end penetrate her. She pushes her hips back and forth on the dick while kissing with Tracy. Soon another dick pops out on Tracy’s end, a bbc this time. She eagerly goes to work on it. This time, the whole bathroom can hear the noises she makes while sucking and chocking on that dick, full of passion and eagerness to get his nut.
The guy on her friend’s side gives the friend a creampie. Tracy’s friend seeing how aroused Tracy is decides to give her a hand, she kneels behind Tracy, puts a hand on her head and starts pushing her deeper. Tracy does not object even a bit concentrating completely on driving the man on the other side to climax. [If Tracy scored enough lewd points before] Her friend thinks Tracy is not working hard enough so she decides to take the remote vibrator Tracy dropped near the toilet seat and put it back in her pussy, while pulling Tracy’s panties and pantyhose back up to fully seal the vibrator in. Then Her friend leans in on Tracy’s ear and whispers to leave everything to her control as she start the vibrator and pushes Tracy’s head deeper on the dick. This time her friend is more violent pushing Tracy further down and faster making sure she’s really working that dick all out. Tracy’s mascara starts running, she has tears running down her cheeks from the heavy chocking, all while enjoying the way everything goes, inside her mind. As the guy is about to cum making a knock on the wall, her friend turns up to max the speed and pushes Tracy’s head all the way while holding her down there until every last drop is released. Tracy chocks heavily almost passing out, while reaching a very strong orgasm at the same time making a puddle underneath her. The cum flowing in her throat is so much that it overflows her mouth spilling down on her tits and her pantyhose. When the guy is all done up and her friend finally lets go of her head she spills some of the cum on the floor while coughing heavily.
As soon as Tracy got back to her senses by drawing some breath. Her friend, goes in for a kiss, in order to get a taste of Tracy’s hard earned prize (while there’s some left in her mouth), catching Tracy off by surprise. They spend some time kissing and twitching their tongues together while making muffling sounds. Just as they’re done swallowing all sperm left, her friend asks Tracy to help her get cleaned up pointing to her clit that was filled not so long ago with a stranger’s load. She sits on the toilet with her legs spread whilst Tracy proceeds with the cleanup. As her friend is near climax she drives Tracy closer with one hand [If Tracy scored enough lewd points] Her friend will also film how Tracy’s licking the cum out of her pussy, to which Tracy will not object. Soon her friend reaches climax releasing everything on Tracy’s face.
Thank you to listening to feedback and toning back a bit, these images are so much better. I think it’s better to err on the side of subtlety, and you’ve definitely done that and it looks great.
You mentioned individually checking all the images,and I think its important because with AI you really can’t have a one size fits all, different images, environments, characters, will benefit from different prompting and settings.
Really looking forward to it guys, thanks so much for your hard work.
You say you listen to feedback. I appreciate that. Could it mean our choices going to have consequences?
Can ya’ll bring back Eleanor on this game she would be perfect to fit in this world…..