Has this been abandoned?
No, but don't expect anything remotely like fast updates. The developer has a unique concept which includes massive branching and different facial expressions for each branch, even superficially similar ones. The developer also has a demanding full-time job.
As a result, updates are rare and may not necessarily advance the story much depending on the branching-related overhead. Personally, like most people I wouldn't need so much perfectionism around the branching, but apparently that's precisely what motivates the developer and ensures that we get any progress at all. So instead of complaining I am exploring the branching while waiting up to a year for the next update.