The loading screen flickered. A single line of green text pulsed against the black: THE SPINNEY // v0.22 // (c) Dannot Games.
When the world rezzed in, it was already wrong.
I stood at the edge of a small, circular wood—a spinney, the old maps called it. But the trees were rendered in jagged, low-poly spires, their leaves solid blocks of pixelated jade. The sky was a uniform lavender, a color no sky should ever be. A dirt path led inward, flanked by assets labelled hawthorn_01 and blackthorn_03. They repeated every twelve feet.
I didn't choose to walk. The game simply moved my viewpoint forward, a gentle, irresistible drift.
The air had no sound. Not wind. Not birds. Just the low, warm hum of a cooling fan from somewhere outside the simulation. Then, a chime. A text box unfolded in the corner:
[Dannot Games: Thank you for testing The Spinney. Current version: 0.22. Known issues: The center does not hold. Do not look at the 5th tree on the left.]
I laughed. A dev’s joke. But my eyes—my cursor, really—drifted. One, two, three, four. The fifth hawthorn. Its trunk was a different shade of brown. Closer to rust. And carved into its bark, not as a texture but as genuine geometry, was a single word: REMEMBER.
The path forked.
Left: a clearing with a stone bench. On it, a single cassette tape, its label handwritten: “Mom’s lullaby – side A.” Right: a shed. Corrugated iron assets shuddering in a wind that wasn't there. The door was slightly ajar, and from within came the slow, deliberate click of a mouse button being pressed. Over and over.
I chose the bench.
The tape played without being inserted. A woman's voice, slightly detuned:
“You said you’d only stay an hour. That was three spins ago. The doctor says the machines are keeping your body… fine. But your eyes keep moving. Dannot says you’re still in the spinney. He says you’re almost at the center.”
A sob. Then: “Please. Just find the glitch. The one shaped like a door.”
The simulation stuttered. Trees snapped to new positions. The lavender sky bled to gray. Version number in the corner flickered: v0.22 → v0.23 → v0.22 again. A rollback. An emergency.
A new text box, red this time:
[WARNING: Save file CORRUPT. User “Jamie” – session duration: 847 days, 14 hours. Recommended action: None. We are so sorry.]
I tried to open the menu. No response. I tried to quit. No response. My viewpoint drifted faster now, toward the shed. The click-click-click of the mouse grew louder.
The shed door swung open.
Inside, no tools. No workbench. Just a chair. And in the chair, a skeleton slumped over a keyboard, one hand fused to a mouse. On the monitor—a terminal, open to a single line: The Spinney -v0.22- -Dannot Games-
> The Spinney is not a game. It is a hospice. You are not a player. You are a resident. — Dannot
The skeleton’s skull turned. Slowly. Pixels shifting like grinding teeth.
A final text box. No logo this time. Just the game’s title, letters peeling off the screen one by one:
THE SPINN
EY
-v0.22-
Then black. Then the fan stopped.
And somewhere, a heart monitor found its silence.
The Spinney is an adult-themed narrative and simulation game developed by Dannot Games. As of early 2026, the game has progressed well beyond version 0.22, with v0.29 being a major milestone that concluded the main story arc. Game Overview
The gameplay focuses on a mix of survival, relationship building, and farm management. You typically manage resources like food and water while interacting with various characters to unlock story events. Key Elements of v0.22 and Surrounding Updates
Based on developer walkthroughs and update notes, here are the core "pieces" of the experience:
Farm & Resource Management: Players must manage a daily food consumption (5 food per day) and maintain a water system. Failing to find a new water system within a week of triggering the event results in a "game over".
Exploration Areas: Access to exploration mode is often tied to relationship levels with characters like Emily. Major areas include:
The Spinney (Forest): Where players can trigger special "strawberry" events.
The Farm: Locations include the garden, fishing house, and tool shed.
The Beach: Features spying mechanics that lead to specific narrative scenes.
Characters & Events: Narrative progress is tracked through numbered "Events" and character "Steps".
Vina: A central character with numerous evening and morning events in her room or the garden. The loading screen flickered
Aidra, Vanna, and Jillian: Interactions with these characters are often prerequisites for advancing the main plot or unlocking new tools.
Gardening Mechanics: If you have seeds and a shovel, you can restore the garden with wood to plant and harvest vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and tomatoes. Latest Status
The project is primarily supported through the developer's Patreon page, where they recently focused on polishing the game and finishing the story for characters like Athena in the v0.29 release. 22, or29 story conclusion? The Spinney Walkthrough Guide | PDF - Scribd
The Spinney is an adult-themed visual novel developed by Dannot Games . The most recent major public update, version 0.22 , was released on December 23, 2024 Key Game Details Developer: Dannot Games Version 0.22 Release:
This version became available to all supporters in late December 2024 and included an official walkthrough in PDF format. Development Progress: Following v0.22, subsequent updates like (July 2025) and (October 2025) have been released. Current Status: As of early 2026, the game has reached version 0.29
, which focuses on finishing the main story and polishing features as the developer nears a 1.0 full release. Access and Resources Walkthroughs:
Official walkthroughs (like the one for v0.22) are typically available via the developer’s
Dannot Games regularly posts devlogs and changelogs on Patreon and community forums like F95zone to track the completion of specific character arcs (e.g., Athena). in v0.22 or the current state of the v0.29 main story The Spinney Release v0.22 for all | Dannot Games - Patreon
The Spinney (v0.22) by Dannot Games is a narrative-driven adult sandbox game that blends survival mechanics with character-focused relationship building. This update, released in late 2024, continues to expand the game's scope by adding new environmental exploration and deepening the arcs for its core cast. Core Gameplay & Mechanics
The gameplay revolves around balancing resource management with social progression.
Survival Elements: Players must manage stats like leadership and food levels. Actions like repairing a pier to unlock fishing or gathering wood to build traps are essential for sustaining the camp's resources.
Relationship System: Narrative progression is tied to relationship points with various characters (e.g., Vina, Kenzie, and Emily). Dialogue choices directly impact these stats and unlock "Main Steps" or side events.
Sandbox Exploration: The game features a "Place" section where players can visit different locations—such as the farm, beach, or neighbors' houses—to loot items, improve stats, or trigger specific character scenes. Version 0.22 Key Features
This specific iteration brought several refinements and content additions:
New Exploration: The update unlocked more of the South Beach area and introduced exploration events.
Character Depth: v0.22 specifically expanded story content for characters like Lacy and Emily, adding multiple "Main Steps" and phone-based events to their routes.
Technical Quality of Life: Earlier versions required players to "sleep" to trigger version updates; more recent iterations, including the v0.22 branch, have seen code reorganizations to streamline this process. Verdict
The Spinney stands out in the adult sandbox genre for its structured approach to storytelling. While many similar titles rely purely on random exploration, the "Main Event" section provides a clear path of intrigue that guides players through the larger mystery. If you enjoy games that reward careful resource management with meaningful character development, this is a solid entry, especially as the developer frequently releases detailed walkthrough guides on Dannot Games' Patreon to help players navigate the complex branching paths. The Spinney Release v0.22 for all | Dannot Games - Patreon [Dannot Games: Thank you for testing The Spinney
The Spinney is a text-based, adult-oriented RPG developed by Dannot Games . As of version
, the game continues to expand its narrative-heavy gameplay, blending exploration with character-driven romance and choice-based progression. Plot and Setting
The game follows a male protagonist who moves into a new neighborhood—specifically a cul-de-sac called "The Spinney." The story primarily focuses on his interactions with his neighbors and the evolving relationships within this small, seemingly quiet community. It utilizes a day-to-night cycle where players manage their time to trigger specific events with different characters. Gameplay Mechanics Time Management
: Players must decide how to spend their morning, afternoon, and evening slots. Certain character events are only available at specific times or in specific locations (like the gym, park, or individual houses). Relationship Tracking
: The game tracks "Love" or "Corruption" stats (depending on the character path), which dictate the level of intimacy and the types of scenes unlocked. Exploration
: While primarily menu-driven, there are map-based navigation elements that allow you to visit various homes and public areas within the neighborhood. Visuals and Presentation
: The game uses high-quality 3D renders (DAZ Studio) for its character models and backgrounds. Version 0.22 includes updated character assets and refined lighting in newer scenes. User Interface
: The UI is relatively standard for the genre, featuring a clean dialogue box, a relationship tracker, and a navigation map. What’s New in v0.22
The 0.22 update focuses heavily on expanding the "Aunty" and "Neighbor" storylines. Key additions typically include:
New story chapters and dialogue paths for primary love interests. Additional high-definition rendered scenes and animations.
Bug fixes for event triggers that may have stalled progress in earlier versions (like v0.21). Review Summary
: The writing is often praised for being more grounded than typical "incest" or "harem" tropes, focusing instead on slow-burn development. The technical quality of the renders is high, and the pacing allows for a sense of immersion.
: Like many indie projects, the update cycle can be slow. Some players find the "grind" of repeating daily tasks to trigger specific events a bit repetitive.
If you are following the development, you can check for the latest builds on community platforms like or the developer's official page for the most recent changelogs and support. walkthrough for a specific character path or help with a stuck event
The auditory experience has been rebuilt. Using binaural recording techniques, the chirping of British songbirds slowly warps into distorted radio static as your sanity dips. Version 0.22 adds specific "Silence Events"—moments where every sound cuts out except for your own heartbeat. Experienced players note that if the silence lasts longer than 10 seconds, you should stop moving immediately.
Pros:
Cons:
While Dannot Games has not released extensive documentation on core mechanics (a common trait of early-access or freeware version 0.22 releases), the genre cues suggested by the title point toward a walking simulator or a minimalist puzzle game. The gameplay likely revolves around observation: identifying flora, tracking the movement of unseen creatures, or uncovering hidden pathways that shift with the seasons or time of day. The low version number implies a state of raw potential. Features may be missing, textures may be placeholder, and the soundscape might be incomplete. However, this incompleteness can be reframed as an invitation. The player becomes a co-explorer, testing the boundaries of the spinney, documenting bugs not as failures but as strange, emergent properties of this digital thicket.
The absence of aggressive mechanics (no combat, no timers, no fail states) forces a recalibration of player expectations. Success in The Spinney is not measured by progress bars but by the depth of one’s attention. Have you noticed the way the light changes at dusk? Have you found the hidden nest in the oldest oak? The game, even at v0.22, functions as a mindfulness tool disguised as a woodland stroll.