Dark Parts
A downloadable game for Windows, macOS, and Linux
You’ve been afraid of the dark since childhood, but now the night terrors are back in full force. To make matters worse, you've had random power outages and strange notes slipped under your door.
With your mental health teetering on the edge, who will you turn to? Your best friend who’s always eager to help? The quiet stranger who oddly puts you at ease? Or will you face the darkness alone?
A game about existential dread, overcoming our fears (or not), and the people who love (or hurt) us through it all.
-ACT 1 & 2 OUT NOW: Updates to be released in separate acts.
-ORIGINAL ART & MUSIC
-HORRIFIC & HEARTWARMING: A blend of existential and psychological horror with slice of life elements for an experience that may be creepy, comfy, or both.
-PLAYER-INSERT: Choose name & pronouns
-2 MAIN RELATIONSHIPS: With the potential for platonic, romantic, or...something else?
-CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: Shape the player’s character development and that of others. Who you become may affect who they become.
-IMPACTFUL CHOICES: Attain or miss content, build or break relationships, gain or lose grip on reality. Actions not only have consequences, but will be remembered, and may affect how the story is experienced.
-MULTIPLE ENDINGS: 3 endings currently available, with plans for 10 total.
ART/STORY/DESIGN: Memo
MUSIC: Thinking Music
SOUND FX: Pixabay
BACKGROUNDS: created with stock images from Pexels
-Please do not re-upload, redistribute, or resell this game, including created assets, artwork, and music. Game files are only available on this page.
-Game streams are welcome and appreciated!
-If you'd like, please consider leaving a rating and/or sharing feedback to let me know what you think and help improve the game!
* RATE THIS GAME! *
Copyright 2025-2026 Memo
Download
Install instructions
Please delete the old files and start a new game to avoid errors and ensure the content is up to date.
*Updated game files will ONLY ever be posted on this page.
Development log
- 2.1 Update: Bug/Error Fixes29 days ago
- Dark Parts Act 2 Released!36 days ago
- Dark Parts Act 1 Out Now!Oct 26, 2025
Comments
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I am about to finish checking both routes and I am amazed.
I firstly did Benji's route, since it's easier to get.
At first he seems really manipulative and dependant, but I am not sure if he's purposely manipulative, I mean, he could be saying all of this without actually being aware of the impact of his words. But at the same time he makes harsh comments, which he claims that are just out of pure honesty, that could make one feel worse, leading into feeling like you need Benji in order to continue. This is what he wants, clearly, but I am not sure if he's fully aware of how egoistic he can be, since he always talks as if he is an "empath", it's more like a fake empathy.
The situations with him can be really nice, but he gets stressed easily over your actions, as if his whole life depended on YOU.
I was honsetly glad when the M/C told him to go to therapy, it's sad that he inmediately turned it down because he claims to be "self aware".
Then there's Ellis' route, and probably my favourite. I prefer his route because he's not too... needy? I mean, he is a whole creep, but his ways are nicer, somewhat. He's less intrusive.
At first I assumed that his way of speaking was due him teaching himself how to "socialize" or to be more humane, if this makes sense. As if he's not really sure of what to say, he's just trying to say something as to fit in, to seem normal. But then, when going for a walk with him,
I realized it's because of his father.It still feels as if he's not fully aware of himself, as if he doesn't understand that he's a human too, or well, how society and humanity itself works.I JUST FINISHED HIS ROUTE, I LIED, HE'S AS INVASIVE.
Both characters are interesting, I still want to know what else is yet to come.
But my beloved is the M/C. I really enjoy said character's personal story and the replies, although their decisions can be changed by the player, I just adore their ways. This is probably one of the best M/C's I've seen. I am so thankful of how they're written.
If they were an interest I would go for them and it probably wouldn't work out, but I'd still appreciate them.
(My apologies for the grammar mistakes, English isn't my thing)
okay okay i cannot possibly put into words how much i love ellis; from his beautiful design (the contrast of his monochrome-ish palette is so tasty) to how eloquent his dialogue is scripted, i am completely smitten aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
overall fabulous game so far with an overarching sense of dread and impending doom, the attention to detail is wonderful and i appreciate the delicacy and frankness used to address the themes of mental health/suicide/self harm, both poetic and realistic as someone with adjacent struggles
10/10 i'm screaming frothing at the mouth waiting for more, thank you so much for your hard work memo <3
I love ELLIS!! I see a lot of people saying they love Benji but I had to show Ellis some love. But I don't know if that's because they know something I don't, I haven't gotten all of the endings.
Yay! Thank you for showing Ellis some love! Only 3 endings are currently available right now (2 main route, and 1 stranger route), so you're probably not missing anything, but please let me know if you ever have any questions. Thank you SO much for playing and the kind words, btw :)
Love the bleak atmosphere you've created with the visuals. MC is written quite realistically, and both routes are scary/disturbing in their own way, especially some of the guys' reactions.
Thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoyed the visuals/atmosphere as well as the mc! I wrote the first two acts to be slow-building and more subtle (aside from a few select scenes) in terms of horror, so I'm glad it still comes across as scary. Thanks again for playing!
im absolutely in love with your game. do you have any social medias i can follow you from? i hope this doesnt come off as weird
Hi, thank you so much, and I'm honored you want to follow along! Other than itchio, my only other online presence at the moment is Reddit (u/take-a-memo). It doesn't come off as weird, at all! Thank you for asking :)
thank you lots! id also like to ask, im kind of struggling to get the memories route and the stranger route endings (the only one ive gotten so far is the same as it ever was ending), will you have a guide one day or hints as to how to get them? sorry if im being too pestering!
You're not being pestering at all, happy to help! I'm still writing the endings, so if a guide were made, it'd be best to wait until the game's finished to avoid any confusion. Since the story is still ongoing, there aren't many endings yet! So far, you can only get three: two for main route, and one for Stranger (which is the one you already got).
Hope that helps! Please don't hesitate if you have any other questions :)
thank you so much for your reply! i cant wait until the game is fully completed, im absolutely in love with your work.
I literally didn't have an account before but this game was so amazing that I made one just to leave this comment. Like idek where to start everything is just so beautifully made. The mc resonates with me so very much from their sense of humor to their deeper issues to all the avoidant attachment bullshit, and I can tell a lot of care was put into handling their struggles.
Benji is... a disgusting creature but I'm obsessed with him. Explorations of codependency in media are some of my favorite things, so he definitely scratches that itch. There's just something about a weird and messy friendship with so much history behind it, and freaked romantic tension that never gets addressed bubbling beneath.
I appreciate how despite his desire for more control in mc's life it's still kinda hard to be intimidated by because he's just so pathetic? (and I LOVE a pathetic man) Like it's all driven by his desperation to stay in our life and painfully obvious yearning. Just his flippant disregard of even attempting to sound healthy or well adjusted says it all. I mean the man literally confessed that he would do anything, be anyone, if we so desired. Like boundaries? What the fuck are those??? Just intense and clingy all around, to the point that it's a known problem that effects all his relationships. He is catnip to me specifically and there is no rehab in sight.
The "I miss you" text message scene stuck out to me in particular. The way the music starts when you choose to feed into behavior that is decidedly wrong. Like it's signifying a point of no return or something, cementing the same old pattern that they've both been unable to tear themselves from. It makes me feel a lot more when it's not the explicitly romantic route. Because what do you mean that you miss a friend so much you cant sleep and you're counting the hours until you can see them again...like omg shut the fuck up. I could yap about him for ever and ever but in short I want to know everything about him, and I want to see him worse, and I want him to ugly cry.
And I know I spent like way too much time talking about that other asshole but Ellis is so very near and dear to my heart. There's something so endearing about his everything. The way he speaks and that whole gothic Victorian thing he's got going on is so sweet. Everything about him is so tragic and whimsical, I am enthralled and mystified by this strange man and his misunderstanding of social conventions. The weddings tomorrow and you're invited!
I love that despite the red flags literally everywhere that there's still a weird innocence and chaste sincerity to him. He just wants real connection and after everything he's been through it's extremely difficult not to empathize with him. He has so much to give that it scares most people off. I was almost surprised by the escalation in his more negative endings but then I thought about it for like a couple more seconds and no yeah that checks out.
If Benji is a dog waiting by the front door, Ellis is a stray cat out in the rain. Crossing my fingers for polyamory ending (I know my greed is sickening) but I think they might just end up killing each other? In all seriousness this is not just my favorite visual novel but like my favorite thing right now. I was devastated when I finished the game because I knew I'd have to wait a while for more. (I am capable of patience please take all the time you need) it's been on my mind since I finished playing it. I swear there needs to be more fanart and stuff, I might need to be the change I want to see in the world. If someone was trying to trap me, under the box being propped up by a stick would be this game.
Firstly, thank you SO much. Reading this felt like a warm hug.
So, so grateful that the protag resonates. I wanted to write a protag and characters who were complex and flawed. There’s no message or moral of the story. Just an exploration of human relationships and what they’re capable of. For better or worse. Oh, who am I kidding. It's for worse or worse. This is a horror story.
Honestly, I wrote Benji thinking people would hate him. He feels the most loved when people cling to and need him, so that's how he shows his love (and wishes protag would show it that way, too). He’s horrible for sure, but like you said, that yearning desperation is weirdly refreshing in a world that feels detached and indifferent. I think that’s why these dynamics get explored in fiction and scratch that itch so well.
Protag and Benji are avoidant and anxious, respectively. They are oil and water, but they also have their own guilt and trauma that binds them. Benji’s trying to be the friend he believes he should’ve been. Protag is trying to be the person they think they should be. These things conflict constantly, and I think it could become a love/hate dynamic (if it isn’t already).
Ellis reads a lot of old books, so the way he talks and behaves is informed by them. He was a sheltered kid, so books were his window to the world. I’d say his parents were pretty old-fashioned and eclectic as well. Despite his stoic countenance, he has big emotions that he doesn’t know how to express, so they kinda explode. Not as much now, but it still happens, as you saw at the end of Act 2. Thank you for inviting me to the wedding, btw! Wouldn’t miss it for the world!
Love your visual of Benji as the dog and Ellis as the stray cat. Spot on in so many ways! I have a rough outline of the endings, but there's one that may involve all three, though I can’t say more than that. While developing the characters, I actually had a thought that Benji and Ellis would probably be pretty compatible. I could see Ellis’s desire to preserve/protect being received well by Benji. I think Ellis would be more open to polyamory than our super jealous/possessive Benji, though.
You seem to have a good understanding of these characters! I honestly love when people have their own theories and head canons, so please always feel free to share or ask questions! I will never tire of them, honest. And I think it’s probably every developer’s dream when fanart and fanfics get made. There’s already some amazing fanart of Benji and Ellis out there that I still cannot believe exists. But yes, if you ever create something, please feel free to share (only if you’re comfortable, that is). I would LOVE IT!
I'm so glad that you didn't mind the long ass comment. It didn't occur to me until after commenting that it was in fact a whole wall of text to get through. I just had so many thoughts because again, this game is like one of the most interesting things I've seen in a while. I love seeing all the bits of context and information you leave in the comments. It's nice to know a bit more about the characters and your thought process behind certain things.
I know I touched on the MC's characterization before but I forgot to mention that I really appreciate the option of agency that's given. They don't have to be passive and just let shit happen to them with no pushback. There are opportunities to pull away or stand up to Benji and Ellis. (how well they take that is... besides the point) But I think that's part of the reason that the mc feels so grounded and not like a cardboard cut out.
Also I had a few questions, which I totally get if you can't answer because of spoilers. First off, what the fuck is wrong with Benjamin? I get that what happened in high school was definitely extremely traumatizing, but like that guy is intense even considering that. (his reaction to MC's self harm comes to mind) I guess I was just wondering if there were any other factors that inform his outlook/needs and how he goes about relationships, specifically his relationship with MC. And has their relationship always been unhealthy or was it that incident that sparked it? The both of them reference "how it was before". MC talks about how much she used to lean on him and how after college she decided to stop. I’m curious about what that time was like for them and what made MC want to change? And last question I promise, just out of morbid curiosity, what is Benji’s ideal situation when it comes to the MC?
Sorry if that was one too many questions. I am just endlessly curious about them. I’m sure you can tell but Benji specifically makes me feel many different emotions and none of them should be possible to feel at the same time! I’ve already done a bit of fanart and I’d love to share but I just need to work up the nerve. (reddit scares me lol)
I LOVE walls of text, so no worries there. And as you can see, I’m prone to writing them myself.
Glad you like mc’s agency! This game is essentially a character study, so I wanted choices that build (or even regress) character. We’re human, change our minds, or have lapses in judgment, so I also wanted to give chances to take things back, too.
Now, onto your questions! I plan to continue weaving bits of backstory, but happy to expand here as well. Benji became a parentified child early on, taking care of the house and mom's emotional needs (his first codependent relationship). This doesn't mean his behavior is excused by family trauma (we should still hold him accountable), but he’s definitely repeating patterns.
I’d say Benji’s always been a caretaker in mc's life, but in smaller, subtler ways. Mc was his consistent source of attention, so there was likely some possessiveness. But after what happened, his guilt/fear exacerbated his tendencies. Mc was in and out of depression, so they didn’t have energy to stop him from taking the reins…might’ve even felt like a relief. Eventually, mc realized it wasn’t actually helping, and started to feel less like a person and more like a stove that needed constant checking.
Lastly, I think Benji’s ideal situation can shift depending on his development, but ultimately, he wants to be mc’s one and only. Platonic, romantic, doesn’t matter, as long as they need him and ONLY him. He would burn the world down for mc, but he also wants that in return. He’s not at the world-burning desperation yet, so right now, he just wants old mc back. But if continually pushed, who knows?
Hope that answers your questions! And please don’t worry, I enjoy these discussions so much! Also, I totally understand, most social media stuff scares me, too.
I rushed here fresh off the heels of Ellis's route (haven't done Benji's but must because I already can't get enough of this game) to say how fun this was to experience! From the writing to the art to the characters it was so well done and a true pleasure to play.
Maybe its unfair to say this having not played Benji's route yet, buuuut, I wish to wrap Ellis is a Merino wool blanket, hand him a cup of freshly brewed tea (however he likes it) and place him gently in my pocket with as many Radcliffe books as I can find. Has he committed crimes? Not sure. But do I care if he has? Absolutely not. He is (metaphorically) mine now and I will cherish him.
Thank you for making this and sharing it! I am really excited for whenever Act 3 is ready. But take your time and have fun doing it, please! I can wait as long as it takes and will be here the second it drops, whenever that may be. Thank you again and have a lovely 'every measure of time'!
(Postscript: using my VN-protag-insert, Winter, for this one turned out to be fitting.)
Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed all the elements and that they came together for a fun experience. That's really all that matters to me in the end.
Hehe, and I'm sure Ellis would love to hang out in your pocket, especially if it contained all of his favorite things (and most importantly, because it's YOUR pocket).
I'm so excited to get started on Act 3, and I truly appreciate your thoughtful encouragement! I'll definitely remember to have fun and try not to rush the process.
P.S. Winter is a great name, and I'll bet Ellis thinks so as well. Maybe I'll add a fun little easter egg for it in the next update :)
WOW!! This game was so good! It was definitely worth it to wait for the update. OMG and the argument between Ellis and Benji had me dying i swear (Benji lowk cooked Ellis😭)
Anyway I absolutely loved this. Its hard to explain but it had a nice balance. The routes were so much fun. I certainly will be awaiting more, thank you!
Hi! Thank you for playing! Haha, and yes, Benji definitely won that round. Poor Ellis T_T
I'm so glad the game felt balanced and that you had fun! Hope you continue to enjoy future updates :)
OMG. I'm so obsessed. It's amazing!! I love it!!!
Thank you!!! That means the world to me!
I never would've guessed this is your first game. It's incredibly well done. Your art style is so unique and charming!
I enjoyed both routes but, personally--Benji's got me whipped. My people-pleasing ass didn't stand a chance
Wow, thank you so much! That's such a relief to hear, because I'm constantly picking it apart in my brain.
The protag was written as a recovering people pleaser, amongst other things, and unfortunately, Benji knows that. But hey, he knows best, and it's "for your own good," right?
Thanks again for playing and for the kind words :)
I can't believe I'm JUST now finding this game! I've only played one route so far which was with Benji (I'm a sucker for childhood friends to lovers). Can I just say WOW?? I love him so much. He's so incredibly kind, caring, and honest. I loved reading all of those sweet memories and details about their relationship. The art and background music flowed beautifully and felt immersive. I also really love how the game was so raw and honest about mental health. The inner monologues felt so real and similar to how I felt when I was struggling. The writing is incredibly powerful. It really moved me and I greatly appreciate how the dev represented depression and other challenging mental health issues. I really enjoyed playing this. I'm excited for future updates! <3
Thank you, Raine! It means a lot when people take chances on lesser known games as there’s already tons of amazing ones out there! I’m so happy you like Benji!
I’m also grateful you found the mental health issues honest and relatable. This is so important to me, especially when writing about experiences that are often invalidated in real life.
Anyway, thanks again for playing and sharing your thoughts! Hope you continue to enjoy the game :)
The writing is genuinely incredible… I keep on going back just so I can reread every choice, every scene and just know everything about the characters. I’m eagerly awaiting Act 3!
Thank you so much, developer!
Ellis is the sweetest sweetheart to ever exist btw. He’s as comforting as a cup of tea on a wintery night, and maybe a tiny bit sus but whatever - we’re ignoring the red flags because I’m delusional and very down bad :)
… I wonder if Ellis would understand what down bad means haha
Hi Sandwich (great name btw)! Thank you so much for the kind words about the writing! Expression through the written word brings me so much joy :)
I feel like we don't always get to choose our comfort characters. They kind of just...speak to us? So I'm honored that Ellis speaks to you in that way, and I think he'd be very happy to be compared to a cup of tea on a winter's night. Two of his favorite things!
He's good at inference, but he still might ask you to confirm what "down bad" meant, lol!
THE UPDATE WAS SO WORTH THE WAIT! I got the email this morning but only just got around to playing and seriously this is a great progression. I've only tried Benji's route so far but my god is this an awesome progression.
As much as I like the romantic pathway with him, I can't help but enjoy how you explored his clinginess via the friendship pathway. Act 2 for Benji felt like an awesome mix of uneasy and charming, his romantic pathway has so much sincerity and his friendship path were great at showing the more uneasy sides to him (the shower bit in this path especially worked to show his default overbearingness in the player's life).
I have the same compliment before, that being how you characterise the player - I ADORE getting to play the perspective of a genuinely moldable character rather than the same forgiving and naieve MC. The way you allow the player to stand up for themselves and challenge Benji was such a relief. Going forward I hope you're able to explore the darker side of Benji's psyche within his route, I adored seeing the subtle peeks into his unhealthy behavior (i.e. him isolating the player by disregarding the cops as a reasonable source of support)
Hopefully we get to see his inner creeper come through, especially in his platonic pathway. Awesome update, counting the days for Act 3, keep up the awesome writing, was awesome to chat last update (plus the new sprites and music were awesome) :)
P.S. Just noticed a bug in Ellis' route, when you call him during day one and think to yourself how unaffected he sounds, the player's name is written above as if it's spoken dialogue. Just an FYI, I haven't seen anything else similar
Hey, Scarscarow, good to see you again!!! I’m still walking on clouds from your beautiful fanart, and stare at it when I need a pick-me-up!
Knowing how much you liked Benji, it means SO much you still approve! Writing him is tough since he’s been protag’s friend for so long, he’d have to get really desperate to go full mask off. For example, doing mostly pushing back/pulling away will lead to more aggressive interactions towards end of Act 2. I’ve been slow-burning it for now, but Act 3 will have more mask-off moments if the player goes that route. It’s possible to have a fluffy playthrough where protag never realizes...the TRUE horror, in my opinion!
So glad you enjoy the player! Their development is central to the story. Endings will be determined by Benji, Ellis, AND protag's trajectory, which includes staying the same, too.
THANK YOU for pointing out that error! It helps so much to have other eyes! Feel free to let me know if you find others. I’ll compile a list and fix them all at once in the near future, that way I can put out a revised update instead of flooding you all with multiple ones.
Thank you again for coming back to play, and you always have such fantastic feedback! I’m always down for a chat, so if you ever have any more thoughts/questions, you know where to find me :D
Aaaagh I'm so happy to hear that!! Seeing all the new reviews you got is so awesome. Told the original group I played Act 1 with about the update and they're hyped to try it too, seeing this game grow in real time is the best part. Hope things keep up, the work you're doing is seriously impressive - plus I'm not sure if I love shitty Benji or sweet Ellis more now, I'm just excited to see how you balance scary and cute.
I think someone else mentioned it forever ago but as this game grows larger it may be worth looking into a discord group or something, could be a streamlined way of spotting the rare bug. Whatever you do going forward I just know this project will go far
Oh, I see Ellis is growing on you, eh? Shitty Benji vs Sweet Ellis is kinda funny!
Discord makes me nervous as I don't know much about it, and I wouldn't wanna do a bad job. I've heard about devs/artists getting destroyed due to stuff that occurred in their discords and honestly, that kinda scares me. But I'll look into it for sure.
That’s fair, do whatever fits for you because it’s definitely working. If you did ever pursue it I’m sure people would be more than happy to help you out, otherwise just know that this game just keeps getting better and better!! So hyped to see where it goes
this update was sooo good! I love how you write, this is one of my fav VN's right now!! canno't wait for more ^-^ <3
Ahh, I'm so happy you liked it! Thanks for playing and showing your support!!
Oh I love Benji sooo much <3 You’ve really fed my hunger for friends to lovers. It’s my fav trope. And your art is amazring!! I love the lighting changes all the sprites get - it’s very immersive.
Thank you so much! I also love the friends to lovers trope, it's such a classic. I spent so much time on the art, and kept thinking, "is anyone even gonna care?" so your feedback means a lot, thank you again! Hope you continue to enjoy the game :)
Two yanderes. TWO. Oh I was blessed with this game 🤤
Will they fight each other because of jealousy?I really enjoyed this game. The sprites are beautiful and the lighting is incredible in both routes! They have completely different atmospheres, but both have that cozy, even mysterious feeling. I can't wait for the next update!
Haha, YES! Thank you for noticing! I tried my best to give them distinct feels: warm vs cold, but comforting in their own ways. Thank you so, so much for playing and for the kind words. It's always scary to put your art out into the world, and I'm so incredibly grateful for the encouragement <3
I LOVE ITTT, PLEASE CONTINUE!!! THE CHARACTERS ARE VERY WELL WRITTEN AND I'M SO INTRIGUED BY HOW WE WILL NAVIGATE MC'S DEPRESSION
Hi! I will most definitely continue, and I'm working on it as we speak! Thank you so much for this feedback and for supporting small indie devs/games <3
I really loved playing through this VN! I thought the story so far is really interesting, and I'm really excited to learn more as it progresses. Same thing goes for the characters including the MC, they're all intriguing, compelling, and realistic (I'm the Benji #1 fan fr jsjsjsj). I've already replayed this a few times just to see where different dialogue options lead which has been super fun! Very wonderful game, truly ^_^!!
I'm so happy you enjoyed the story and characters! Thank you for taking the time to play. I will pass on the message to Benji, he will be thrilled to have a fan, haha. Thank you again, and I hope you continue to enjoy the next acts!
loved this! excited to see more
Thank you! Currently working on the next act and can't wait to share it with you all :)
Woahh, the writing is so good and I'm very excited to get to know more about all of them in the future.
Thank you developer for creating and sharing this game! :)
Some minor spoilers
I found it so funny how Ellis had a pet spider, it’s definitely befitting of his vibe lmao
I'm so glad you think so! Thank you so much for playing and commenting, it means so much! Hehe, and I'm glad you liked some of the small details in the story, too ;)
I thoroughly enjoyed this game! Very well done!
First of all I found this game to have a pleasantly realistic portrayal of the mc’s mental health and relationships! Aspects like the awkwardness between mc and their longtime friend, tendency to self-isolate, hiding feelings due to not wanting to burden others and their struggle between independence and relying on others all felt realistic and understandable. I had a very easy time stepping into the mc’s shoes and the dialogue and banter was also very natural and well-written, making it quite immersive. There were a variety of choices which I found to be quite different from one another, so that was really nice as well.
Benji is so sweet, I’m a sucker for guys like him who are wonderfully overbearing, protective and caring. A very warm presence, he’s someone who’s easy to trust and rely on. :) The push and pull between him and mc really drives the story for me, and makes me wonder how their relationship will evolve in the future. I’m not sure what to think of the stranger just yet. He has a cute blush sprite though! His mannerisms do a good job of enticing you to want to know more about him.
I find the sound effects, backgrounds and graphics throughout to be nice and high-quality, I feel they add a lot to the game’s atmosphere. This game has a really unique, clean and consistent style which is very cool. There are small animations from time to time which are well done too!
I’m thoroughly impressed and hooked! I’m very curious about what’s coming next and when more aspects of horror and obsession will reveal themselves. I’m very much looking forward to more and I’ll definitely be keeping up with this game. In terms of whether to release the game in full or in parts, my personal vote goes to parts. I’m too eager to know what’s going on!
Just in case of potential spoilers, I’m putting some comments below!
Possible spoilers?
I just want to make note of the manipulative behavior I see in Benji, like him lying about having an emergency and guilt tripping the mc into meeting him. I enjoy that side of him as well, it really makes one wonder what else he’s willing to do! (Especially with the yandere tag!) Also wanted to mention one of my favorite lines from him is probably when he said “I want to be in this position, mc. How many times do I have to tell you that?” it was so sweet and reassuring I did swoon haha.
I truly appreciate this in-depth and thoughtful feedback, thank you so much! The writing is such an important aspect for immersive gaming for me, so I wanted to give it my all. I also wanted to give the player as much autonomy as possible in shaping the story and characters, so I’m so happy you enjoyed that.
Haha, I’m sure Benji would be thrilled to hear people think he is sweet. I was a little worried people might be annoyed or turned off by his clingy nature, so I'm glad you enjoyed his character! I really wanted to explore a deeper, complicated dynamic with him and the player. He’s your best friend, but there’s a lot of layers to that, and it is by no means a perfect relationship even on a wholesome run. As for the stranger, depending on your choices, you may or may not get his route. I wasn’t sure if it would be too difficult, so let me know if it is. If you do unlock him, there’s a chance for a little more interaction and backstory!
It seems a lot of people are wanting updates in parts, so that will be the route I’ll likely go in! I feel so energized and motivated by all of your lovely feedback, so thank you again! I’m currently working on Act 2, which will start exploring more darker aspects of the story if the player chooses to go that route. Very excited to share that with you all as soon as it’s completed :)
love this so far, the writing and art are amazing <3 wishing you the best with the rest of the vn !!
Thank you so much! I'll do my best to continue to deliver!
I really don't know who to trust yet lol, great game!!
Haha, I don't blame you! Thanks for playing!
Love the atmosphere! Especially great at 4am lol.
Thank you! I did a lot of late night/early morning coding, so that's perfect ;)
Man am I glad you linked this game to me on Reddit because I'm obsessed. I'm so excited to see where this game goes, a lot of up-and-coming VNs fall into the cycle of really painful writing, but this one stands out.
Both main characters are really interesting, and the degree of player choice is so refreshing. Do you have a planned timeline of development/any shareable ideas for the future of this game?
Thank you so much for playing, you have no idea how much that means to me! I’m so happy you liked the characters, but also, if you hated them, that'd be valid, too! I didn’t want them to be just romantic interests, but characters that made you reflect on/question relational dynamics. Also, I saw your feedback on a line, and I’m always open to improvements, if you’re open to sharing!
As for timeline, I honestly had no idea if people were going to like this game. If I upload in increments, the updates will be sooner, but uploading the finished game is an option, too. I’m hoping to get more feedback on this, so if you have thoughts, feel free.
Current plans are: 5 acts per route with 10 possible endings total. Even though each route focuses on a certain character, both will be featured. I’m currently deciding if player can switch routes at some point depending on choices they make. If you have any other questions or are curious about something specific, let me know!
I tried look for the line I was confused about and can't find it, so chances are I was just too tired to be able to read properly upon first playthrough. I think it'll be very exciting to see how far you go with these characters in regards to both the more slice-of-lifey aspect and the horror side of the game. I think maybe an Act-by-Act upload would be good since you can pace yourself easier that way, I'm just loving what you've done, it's perfectly matched what I hoped to find.
Is there anyway I and others can support this game? The only thing I really know is just sharing the word
No worries! And thanks for the tip; maybe I'll try uploading in parts and see how that goes! In terms of supporting the game, you've already done so much, and I'm super grateful. Playing, rating, and leaving feedback helps so much! But yes, if you have the time and willingness, spreading word about the game would also help with visibility (and hopefully getting indexed on this site, heh).
Thank you so much again, and I hope you enjoy the next installment!
This game seems like a lot of fun! I look forward to playing it! I love how you did your backgrounds, was that in photoshop?
Thank you so much! Yes, I used stock images in Photoshop to create the effect and color them.