About Shale Hill Secrets
You discover a hacking tool that lets you spy on your classmates' private data while working a forgettable tech job at Shale Hill University. What starts as voyeurism spirals into something darker: your friends are hiding life-threatening secrets, and someone on an encrypted message board is arranging a murder. The game splits your attention between investigating a conspiracy that may reach the university's top levels and pursuing romantic relationships with the people you're surveilling. Like College Kings 2, Episode 1, it uses a university setting and character-driven narrative, though Shale Hill leans harder into mystery and moral ambiguity.
The story unfolds across 17 chapters with over 30 hours of content. Each of the eight romanceable characters has her own subplot tied to the larger mystery, so your choices ripple between the personal and the conspiratorial. The game is built in Ren'Py with 3D art, animations, and hundreds of character images to depict the branching outcomes of your decisions. You can pursue one character exclusively, juggle multiple relationships, or use your surveillance power more ruthlessly.
Shale Hill Secrets reached version 1.0 in May 2025 and is complete. It is available for macOS and Android in English. The game contains adult themes and content; it suits players comfortable with moral grey areas and who want narrative weight alongside romance options.
Developer's description
Gain the power to peer into people’s hidden lives. Plunge into the secrets beneath Shale Hill University. Unravel a conspiracy, fall in love, or use your power to seduce your classmates in this visual novel by Love-Joint. In this story-focused mature visual novel by Love-Joint, you suddenly gain the power to peer into people’s hidden lives. Enjoy beautiful 3D art, while plunging into the secrets beneath Shale Hill University.
17 complete chapters!
More than 30 hours of gameplay!
+5700 CGs!
+220 animations!
You’re an extraordinary guy doing an ordinary job: working at the tech help desk for a small university, when you discover a mysterious application that allows you to peer into your classmate’s private data. In an evening you go from thankless drudgery to running the panopticon.
While you debate the ethics of taking someone’s pictures using military-grade hacking software, you soon realize there’s bigger things at work. It seems every friend you have is hiding something life or death important. And then you discover a secret message board where someone is trying to hire a hitman.
Does this go straight to the top? Only you’re in the position to find out and save your friends at the same time.
Mystery, intrigue, and girls to romance and seduce are waiting for you in Shale Hill Secrets. Come with us and play the first four episodes of the game while the full version is still in development.
Your Love Life
While unraveling what is going on in Shale Hill, you’ll interact with girls that have their own mysteries.
Your friendship with them will grow and may even evolve into something else. It’s up to you: dedicate yourself to one person or be the player and spread the love around. It’s your choice.
The people of Shale Hill
Leah
You have a special relationship with Leah, who has been supportive of you your entire life. Gentle on the outside, but unflinching and spirited within, she is a stubborn journalism student who will do anything to reveal to the world the dark truth of Shale Hill.
Sam
You and Sam came from opposite ends of your old school’s pecking order, and now, by a twist of fate, your best friend. Your quirky, distractible friend seems uncharacteristically melancholy. What is going on?
Emily
Objectivity and a total focus on success are the main characteristics of Emily. She isn’t afraid to make tough decisions, even if this means messing up her relationships with other people. You’d know. You’re her ex.
Valerie
Valerie, Student Council President in college as well as your old high school, still considers you her protege even after you gave it all up. She seems to have a great deal of faith in you, though you can never tell whether she’s joking or flirting.
Haley
Blue hair that shows an adorable defiance. That’s Haley, a lovely bartender who has dreams way bigger than being behind a counter for the rest of her life. She has a good ear for others’ problems but no taste for sharing her own.
Maggie
Maggie prefers dealing with animals to people, but over time, she has come to trust you. Now, this pretty redhead will need to deal with a past that has left her nervous and silent.
Lidia
The impeccable and refined owner of the campus café, Lidia is a well travelled connoisseur of everything that can be roasted and brewed. But in her travels, she’s brought problems back with her.
Alexis
As Shale Hill’s resident mean girl, Alexis takes her popularity for granted, but she’s not as simple as she seems. Alexis also considers herself an entrepreneur and seems undeterred that her business of choice is highly unethical.
Linus
Your colleague and workmate, Linus can be both a comrade and an annoying smug asshole, usually both at the same time. He’s an unrepentant geek and much more comfortable in the tech world than you are.
Dante
Dante is the ultimate paradoxical Bohemian. A weird mix of party freak and dependable role model, he’s a hard man to describe, and you don’t really know him unless you meet him. He dispenses cocktails and wisdom with equal flare, and has his ear to the ground in Shale Hill’s party scene.
Toasterman
Homeless man or superhero? The answer depends on whether you ask him or anyone else. One thing is for sure, he does have detective instincts that you don’t have. It’s wise to listen to what he has to say.
Version History
v0.18.9b Latest
v0.18.9b
N/A
v0.18.8
Just like in the previous epilogues, you'll get to explore an extended ending for our hero. This time you chose a different path and, even though you experienced some romances throughout Shale Hill Secrets, you decided not to end up with any of the girls. Well, does that mean a dull and lonely life? Not if your friend Dante has anything to say about it.
v0.18.7b
N/A
v0.18.7
Hey everyone, how's it going?
We're excited to announce that the third chapter of the epilogues is now available for download for all our Gold+ Patrons on Windows, macOS, and Android.
Just like in the previous epilogues, you'll get to explore the extended endings for another two of our leading ladies - and in this one, two of the most wanted ones: the alternative route with Valerie and the future life you'll get with Leah.
"But hey, didn't you guys say it was going to be three endings per epilogue?" Yep, and the third and different ending of this episode is not coming today. It needed a final polish and we prefer to do it and deliver a great gaming experience than delivering something we are not happy with. But don't worry, it comes next week - we'll keep you posted!
Leah
Leah, that fire to seek the truth, justice, will never go out. Thus, your life alongside her will be intense - and with already known enemies. Characters from the past will return to be part of this story and... well, the fight continues!
Alternative ending with Valerie
If you chose to take command of the Fraternity and decided that, alongside Valerie, you will pursue the path of power at any cost, get ready. If the political path is set, it may be that a very important person will make you have to deviate from your perfect plan to solve some "problems".
The "other" epilogue
Surprise! What do you think it is?
v0.18.4b
Bugfix.
v0.18.4
The developer did not publish a changelog for this version.
v0.18.3
In this second release, you'll get to explore the extended endings for another three of our leading ladies. Just like in the first Epilogue, this isn't just about a steamy scene; it's a mini storyline that brings more fun and depth to each conclusion. So, who will you end up with this time?
Lidia
You and Lidia have taken over managing the café at Shale Hill University. Life is calm and routine, but maybe that's not enough for you, especially after everything that happened.
However, this calm is short-lived. A ghost from the past will soon return to disrupt your lives, and our MC's past experiences will be crucial in overcoming these new challenges.
Sam
In the alternate ending where you end up with Sam, your political side takes center stage once more. You've won the election and become student council president, finishing your term with a perfect track record.
After graduation, as you step into adulthood, you believe that your future doesn’t lie in politics. But fate has a way of bringing things back into our lives, and it just might push you back in that direction.
Valerie
Valerie ended the last chapter of Shale Hill Secrets behind bars. After everything that happened in the game, one of our story’s pivotal characters didn’t make it out unscathed. But our protagonist’s love for her still beats strong.
In this ending, you'll wait for her release, and once she's free, she’ll have to rediscover what life is like on the outside. Valerie will face new challenges, and she'll need you by her side to overcome them.
Bonus Scene
And, along with these three amazing stories, this release also includes a bonus scene (click here to go to the post). In this exclusive, playable scene for Platinum+ Patrons, you'll have a chance to experience a little adventure with young Kiara for the first time.
And she’s not alone. With an unlikely friend by her side, Kiara will prove that she has plenty to offer our MC—and that sometimes, a college dorm room can host a private party with three guests… Enjoy!
v0.18.2
Platinum Bonus Scene: Sandra - The Party
v0.18.0
Hey everyone, how's it going?
In this initial release, you’ll get to explore the extended endings of three of our leading ladies. And get ready, because we’ve made sure to bring you more detailed endings with a little extra storyline than just a few “special scenes”.
With Maggie, as you might expect, the adventure revolves around her troubled family. New events are set to unfold, and our girl will need to muster the strength to balance the challenges of her new career with her family drama.
Haley, on the other hand, is on the rise. Her singing career seems to have taken off, but the tough industry might make things a bit more complicated. Nothing a trip down memory lane and a dose of love can’t fix.
Lastly, you’ll also have the chance to continue with Emily. Here, a new company, focused on leveraging all the expertise of our MC and his friends, promises to shake things up in Shale Hill. Familiar challenges will reappear, but you’ll work together to finally get your happy ending.
Bonus Scene!
In this update, we’re also bringing the playable version of the July bonus scene for our Platinum+ Patrons. As we mentioned earlier, in this scene, you'll find a "different" path, let's say, leading to one of the key events at the game's end.
If you recall Episode 16, we had quite the adventure at the movie theater... Now, how about getting to experience an "alternative" version of that scene? Trust me, it's going to be a steamy one!
We hope you enjoy it! More to come soon!
v0.17.1
Platinum Gallery Scene:
Genevieve, Valerie's lackey, is taken to Leah's room to perform a strip search. After all that happened, one cannot trust the intentions of such a character, right? Well, Leah doesn't find any bugs on her, but the young woman has another weapon up her sleeve.
v0.17.0
And there were many surprises. As he dove headfirst into an investigation, he gradually realized there was a pattern of bizarre events around him. Friends experienced strange interventions in their lives, attempts were made to ruin their futures, teachers displayed odd behavior, and people went missing.
Well, the MC isn't an FBI agent or anything like that, but he had special help to dig deeper into this web of lies, schemes, and manipulation. The deeper you go, the wormhole seems endless. Just seems, because it's time to face the puppet master, the person controlling the whole scheme, and once and for all, determine what your future will be.
Is this the end?
This is the final episode of Shale Hill Secrets. It's been an incredible journey, but we believe a good story needs a beginning, middle, and end. However, we also know that stories have branches, and that's why the Shale Hill universe doesn't end here.
Three projects that extend the world surrounding this story are already in production. Initially, there will be two epilogues, showing a small continuation for the different possible endings of the game.
Additionally, another project, a larger one, is also in development. This one will bring a slightly different gameplay and will present to you a story that happened a few years before Shale Hill Secrets. Stay tuned for more news in the following months!
v0.16.4
Instant access to all episodes of Shale Hill Secrets released so far (16 episodes). More than 25 hours of gameplay!;
Instant access to new game releases;
Download and play all episodes of Streaming For Love;
More than 30 playable bonus scenes, with a new one released every month*;
All CGs of Shale Hill Secrets in 4k resolution*;
Full access to our posts and news;
Full access to our previous games, including epilogues, cheats, and bonus scenes packs.
Full access to new games, parallel projects, and more!
v0.16.3
N/A
v0.16.2
New monthly platinum bonus scene.
v0.16.1
Adds monthly platinum bonus scene.
v0.16.0
N/A
v0.15.3
N/A
v0.15.2
N/A
v0.15.1
N/A
v0.15.0
The developer did not publish a changelog for this version.
Episode 15 added
The developer did not publish a changelog for this version.
v0.14.2
bugfixes and adds the Platinum Gallery Scene for November
v0.14.1
Platinum gallery scenes added
v0.14.0
The developer did not publish a changelog for this version.
Episode 14 added
The developer did not publish a changelog for this version.
v0.13.2
Bug Fix
v0.13.0
The developer did not publish a changelog for this version.
Episode 13 added
The developer did not publish a changelog for this version.
v0.12.1 + v0.12.2
Gallery fix + Bug Fix
v0.12
The developer did not publish a changelog for this version.
Episode 12 added
The developer did not publish a changelog for this version.
v0.11.1
The developer did not publish a changelog for this version.
Episode 11
The developer did not publish a changelog for this version.
v0.10.4
The developer did not publish a changelog for this version.
Episode 7 unlocked
The developer did not publish a changelog for this version.
v0.10.2
N/A
Older Changelog: Link
v0.6.2
Fixed a bug with saves being stored in the wrong episode folder
v0.6.1
Fixed some missing files errors
v0.6.0
Initial release for episode 6
v0.5.3
April 2022 Platinum bonus scene added
Graphics' scaling method has been improved. Text looks crispier and nicer overall
Performance tweaks for the Log screen
Patreon's auth code improvements
v0.5.2
Typos fixes
Ep4 continuity fixes
March 2022 Platinum Bonus Scene added
Minor tweaks
v0.5.1
Typos fixes
Fixed a bug preventing Gallery scenes not being unlocked
v0.5.0
Initial release for episode 5
v0.4.8b
Added February 2022 Platinum Bonus Scene
Some minor GUI tweaks.
v0.4.8
Fixed a bug preventing Gallery scenes not being properly unlocked in some circumstances
v0.4.7
Fixed a bug that could cause a random (and silent) crash on some systems.
Some minor GUI tweaks.
v0.4.6
Added October 2021 Platinum Bonus Scenes
v0.4.5 (Beta)
Initial release with the Gallery and Platinum Bonus scenes screen.
v0.4.1
Fixed a mistake with some assets missing.
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