Viatica
VIATICA is fully released!
An Interactive Fiction set in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic future, with a focus on personal growth, as well as platonic, familial, and romantic bonds.
Your world is a desert, both figuratively and literally. Speech is prohibited, books are outlawed, and any meaningful human interaction is nonexistent. Humans are reduced to the job they do for The City. There are no names; instead, everyone is identified by a number.
You are H-313, a healer.
Create and customize your character: male, female, or non-binary; gay, straight, or bisexual. Become an individual in a world of drones. Learn to speak, express your emotions, define your personality. Dream big, resist tyranny, inspire the masses, and forge a new world. Or not. This is your journey, after all.
There are no point-based choices or outcomes. No choice is wrong—it simply changes the type of person you grow to become.
Cultivate relationships with others, both romantic and platonic. More flirty/confidant romance options are marked with a ❤️, while more oblivious/subconscious options are marked with a 💛. It’s difficult to understand emotions, after all, when you barely understand words. Once you're locked into a route, ❤️ denotes scenes with physical intimacy. You can still further the romance without that.
Romance Options:
B-485, Lion (he/him)
He is a builder, stoic and strong. He is tall and muscular with brown skin and black, coiled hair and beard. At 26 he is the eldest of the group. Later in the story, he chooses the name Lion for himself. He is fierce and protective of those he cares for. But what truly sets him apart from other workers is his ability to speak clearly and articulately. How? More to the point, can he teach you?
F-525, Heron (he/him)
He is a feeder, aloof and placid. He is medium height, with long blonde hair usually tied back in a ponytail and pale blue eyes. He is 22 years old, same as you. Later in the story, he chooses the name Heron for himself. He does not question his role, nor act in any way contrary to what is expected. What passions and tempers will you find when that veneer cracks? More importantly, why does he seem so familiar?
S-622, Ferret (she/her)
She is a sweeper, slender and scrappy. She is medium height, with olive skin, dark brown hair and narrow grey eyes. She is 21 years old. Later in the story, she chooses the name Ferret for herself. She is impulsive, stubborn, and quick to anger. When you first meet her she is very combative, but you eventually see the fearless and inquisitive soul underneath. Could she be a kindred spirit, or perhaps even more?
R-793, Robin (they/them)
They are a burner, lithe and wary. They have ivory skin, curly red hair, and heterochromia: one eye is green, the other brown. They are 20 years old. Later in the story, they choose the name Robin for themself. In a world where roles are based on gender and strict definitions of what a worker is, they have always felt out of place. Their discomfort was made worse by a recent traumatic experience. Can you help them to accept and appreciate the worthy person that they are?
Content Warning: This story is intended for mature audiences. Possibly triggering topics present in the story include blood, violence, death, suicide, rape (mentioned), child abuse, mature language, and sexual content (optional).
About the Author: I am a mom of teens and have a challenging career, both of which demand my time so please bear with me! This IF is a labor of love and will never be monetized. It is adapted from a novella I wrote 25 years ago in college. It is mostly a solo effort except for the invaluable and insightful help of my sister, who is my brainstorming partner, co-writer, and fellow wine guzzler.
Find me on Tumblr to chat, ask questions, or simply teach me how to use the darn thing. https://www.tumblr.com/fir-fireweed
About the Artist: The character illustrations are all commissioned works done by the extremely talented Isabela Zaneti. I am so grateful to her for bringing my characters alive and I encourage you to check out her website!
This story was created using Twine, Chapbook.
Music by Sergii Pavkin and Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay
Photo used in background and banner by Madhu Shesharam on Unsplash
Development log
- Psst, Guess What Published Early?!31 days ago
- Update News37 days ago
- Chapter 11 is Live!71 days ago
- Update News75 days ago
- Bug Fix99 days ago
- Chapter 10 is live! Please don't hate me.Oct 10, 2024
- Update NewsOct 07, 2024
- New Artwork by Isabela ZanetiSep 06, 2024
Comments
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given the themes at play it feels very fitting that there are no words to do viatica justice. I want everyone to experience it.
incredible, incredible work. thank you for making this.
God I love dystopian fiction <333 [SPOILERS]
The author's writing is wonderful, really getting you into these characters, their personalities, and their wants vs needs. The characters within the main cast are very well in-depth enough to have this kind of internal dichotomy. Each character wants something, yet truly needs something else for their personal arch to be fulfilled that they each gain by the end. My main complaint is that a lot of the story felt a little too fast for my liking, but that may be a personal taste thing. I like when these types of stories can linger in moments for a bit, letting you properly soak in the actions and consequences on the world and characters around them. The world building was excellent with how each chapter opened with how this world got to be this way and with how you get to witness how it exists in the present, but I do wish it was a tad slower. So we could feel the inherent tragedy of it. I wish we lingered on Fawn and Bison's deaths just that bit longer, to see how their small rebellion of love impacted the world around them and not simply get these small moments that feel, to me, like a drop in a bucket of the sheer possibility that the author possesses to twist that knife that much harder. I wish we lingered more on how truly impacted Lion is by his friend's death, see his grief and fear of being the prideful leader his name implies him to be due to just how much the status quo infused within him a fear of change. I wish we actually get to see just that little bit of the PC learning how to utilize language and get more fluent. I understand if this could simply be from the limitation of Twine's engine, but it's something that personally bothers me, just a tad. Especially with how other Twine games can do a slower style effectively
All that aside, this is the first work of IF to actually got me to tear up! So congrats on getting me attached to these characters in such a quick amount of time!
Thank you for giving my story a try. The length of the story has nothing to do with the Twine engine and is simply the story I wanted to tell. I understand what you’re saying, but I feel I got the message and emotions across successfully in the amount of words it is, and more would be unnecessary and belabor the point. Could it be longer? Of course. Should it be? I don’t believe so.
Thank you again for taking the time to read and comment!
- bit of a spoiler warning if anyone reading this hasn't finished it -
oh my gosh that was amazing 🥹 the ending made me a little emotional I'm so happy it all worked out in the end, though I wish it could have worked out for fawn and bison. they'd be so proud to see how far everyone got ☹️
I really loved how you wrote everything from the plot to the characters, and the music was a perfect addition 🫶 I'll be excited to see more projects in the future !! I'd also love to read the novella version of this if it ever gets published !! thank you so much for this ❤️ I'm pretty sad to of finished it already but I'll be thinking about this for a while now haha
Thank you so much! Writing chapter 10 was difficult, believe me, but it had to be done. Im glad you enjoyed the ending and music and everything else! The novella is a bit cringe, I’m not sure it will ever see the light of day, lol. 🥴 I’m a better writer than I was 25 years ago, but I’ve also just had a lot more life experiences that influenced this version of Viatica. But I appreciate the thought, thank you!
that's fair enough! I'm not sure I'd like to even look in the general direction of the stuff I wrote when I was younger. 👀
I do understand why the events chapter 10 had to happen as heartbreaking as it was 💔
thank you so much for replying !
NOOOOO ☹️ why oh why couldn't they just leave the two of them alone 😓
how do you save the story progress? i don't see any link/setting?
The game saves automatically to your browser. As long as you don’t switch browsers or devices, or clear your cache, you can pick up where you left off. But there are no saves slots. I built this using Twine Chapbook which unfortunately doesn’t offer a save system
MalifaciousGames recently wrote a minimal JS script for saving to file in chapbook. It even creates inserts for comfort. Maybe you can make use of it.
https://github.com/MalifaciousGames/Mali-s-Scripts/tree/main/chapbook-scripts/sa...
That was amazing!!!! Thank for writing it ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
It was my pleasure to write! Thank you for giving it a chance and reading!
This was so enjoyable! Thanks for making and sharing it 😊
You are quite welcome, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Wow! That was amazing, thank you for writing this. I loved the characters (Heron the most though lol) and the plot so much! I'll definitely do another run-through at some point.
Thank you! It was honestly a joy to write. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it and my boy, Heron. ☺️
oh my gosh!!! robin my baby he deserves all the love! i adore both endings, i really do! they're both perfect in their different ways!
Robin and I both thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed them and their route, as well as the endings!
This is one of the best stories I've ever gotten to experience. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I will treasure your words forever
You are so welcome, thank you for this lovely comment!
AH! just stop, this by far has to be one of the best experience's I've played :0 the story? the MC? the relationships? the characters? the story? 10/10! Also the fact that the music changes in certain chapters or pages to fit the scene which makes it more perfect!
Ah, no, you stop! 🥹 Thank you so much! I had a lot of fun finding music to fit the scenes so I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it!
You've crafted a fascinating world filled with loving and brave people! Thank you for sharing!
Aw, thank YOU for reading it!
I lovee thiss so muchhh <33 and congratulations on the complete release, this is one of my favorite books!! Send my love to Lion<33 love you too author for this amazing masterpiece <33
Thank you, I love hearing that! Lion and I both send our regards! 😂❤️
Holy shit...as my mc might say. This is amazing. I really loved the setup, the world, the story... It reminds me of this book I read at school called "Below the Root" (1975) by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. It had a seemingly utopian world, with darker dystopian backstory and secrets. It was an amazing story and this had the same energy and creativity and thought to it. I also adored all the characters. My heart specially goes to Lion, Heron, and Robin. <3
Hahaha, such vulgar language, as Lion would say 😏
Thank you for your kind words, I’m glad you liked the story and characters! I’ve never heard of the book you mentioned but now I’m curious. I’ll have to go look it up!
I don't normally post comments on games, but I randomly found this game while on tumblr of another IF and someone recommended it. I clicked on the link and genuinely could not put it down! I normally don't read apocalypse stories (cuz they normally depress me hahaha...) but I really loved the characters, story and world. It was such a good read and I'm so glad I found this IF. Congrats on the full release! Such a great read.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story and comment! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I totally get that with dystopian stories. I actually don’t like depressing reads yet I’m all in for the dystopian genre, go figure 😂
Finished this js now and damn, this is legit a masterpiece . Love the story and characters, especially Ferret!!!
Idk if it's just me but I imagined the weasel's face as ambessa from arcane n idk why😭
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it, especially Ferret!
Random funny… you’re the second commenter to mention Arcane in a week (someone down below mentioned Isha) and I JUST finished watching the show with my daughter this past weekend. 😂
Wow
Someone mentioned this IF on Reddit and I decided to check it out. I did not expect such a masterpiece. This is easily one of the best IF I've read.
I just went on a deep dive into Reddit in response to this, lol. 🥴
Thank you for giving my story a try, and for your kind words!
Does anyone know if picking the 💛 option has less of an effect on your LI than the red heart might?
Hello! It does not, it’s simply a way to give you a more custom experience and add flavor text. I’ll be fine-tuning the romance system in my next IF. Thanks for reading!
This was really, really good! Great job! I loved all the characters. I'll be returning to play through it again sometime soon :)
Thank you! I encourage you to try all of the RO routes because they’re each lovely and loving in their own way, but of course I’m biased lol. 😄
Wow, I absolutely LOVED this. I love finding new twine games like this to obsess over! It’s always a treat. I’m a big fan of these types of games. Since I started playing it from beginning to end, I didn’t put it down not once and time just flew by! I love the control we have over the choices, especially with the intimate scenes, which were a treat to behold! I loved Heron and how more of his personality came out (so cute!), but Lion had really captured my heart first play through. ❤️ such a great find!!
Thank you for giving my story a try and for your kind words! I agree with you on both ROs. Heron was a lot of fun to write and explore, and he really grew on me, but Lion will always be the man for me. 😁
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO T-T
I haven't even finished and my day is ruined this is Isha from Arcane all over again
Good Writing tho ;-;
Erm, thank you? I’m assuming this is in response to the infamous chapter 10 😅
Yes lol 😅
MAY CONTAINS SPOILS
Like the person who commented an hour ago @TechVanir I also have never commented on an itch.io project before but after finishing this story, I decided to go gay and I choose Ferret as the romance option I loved the whole story, when I clicked on this I did not know what to expect but this was beyond my expectations I started thinking it was going to be something small but from every little detail to the becoming of H-313 or the Name I decided which was fox, I slowly felt as if I was the character and the story sucked me in the writing is top notch and made every little detail feel so real so human so perfect got me feeling every emotion my body can do this is just great honestly to the maker of this I would love to see more content from you you way of writing you can just feel the effort that went into this the dedication to perfecting every character in the story just all around perfection reminds me of divergence which I loved and this is up there with it (but maybe even better than it)
in the end I decided to leave behind and not revolt because i'm a family person and I took family over everyone, It was so hard because the characters I liked lion, Ferret both wanted to revolt, and I felt so immersed they felt real so It had me torn and I did not want to pick a side it felt so real like I can't describe it i'm doing what the characters in the story feel at the start having things to say but not the words to match it this is go great and I hope you have a great day and thanks for making this wonderful IF Expierince, I am sure ill come back and head down a different path, with a different partner option
Thank you so much! That’s honestly the best compliment, when someone tells me they don’t usually comment but my story inspired them to do so. I can’t say enough how encouraging that is to hear, or how encouraging comments in general are. I’m glad you liked the story and characters, and that you felt so immersed in the story. This really was a labor of love for me, and I’m glad the care was evident.
I do have a new story in the works, but I hope you continue enjoying Viatica!
I've never written a comment on itch.io before but this story was so incredible and touching, I think I have to. Each character feels so alive and earnest in a way I can't properly articulate. It's as though you can feel the fear, hope and desperation within yourself as you step into their world. It feels raw and intrinsically human. Thank you for sharing this story with us, it truly resonated with me.
That is an incredible compliment, thank you for taking the time to read and comment! I’m happy to hear that my story and characters touched you in such a way. That human connection is ultimately what it’s all about. 😁❤️ Thank you, again!
omg this is quickly becoming one of my top 5 ifs😭😭😭 wishing for side stories bcz I'm getting so attached to Lion 😭😭 love him so much 😭😭😭
Many crying emoji bcz yea I'm crying wtf 😭😭😭😭😭 thank you for bringing us such a beautiful story😭😭😭
Hehe, I hope there’s a few happy emojis and moments in between the tears! I’m glad you’re enjoying the story, and Lion. ❤️ Thank you!
holy shit. new favourite if discovered! lion has my whole heart, and i'm just about to play heron's route.
thank you so much for this, author! beautifully written & incredibly soulful. you're very talented!
Thank you so much for your kind words! 🥹 I’m happy you enjoyed it! I think you’ll like Heron’s route. He’s similar to Lion in terms of protectiveness and devotion, but with a playfulness and vulnerability. I have a hard time choosing between the two myself, lol.
Thank you for reading!
just played heron's route and good god was i reminded of how much i adore the childhood-friends-to-lovers trope.
i didn't have the vocabulary to say it earlier (it was almost 4 am when i commented!) but not only was this incredibly well-written, it was a beautiful study of the human psyche. the way you captured emotion, speech, and mannerisms was vibrant and dynamic, and i could truly understand and empathise with what the characters were feeling. this IF was a gorgeous, well-made labour of love, and i don't think it's too much of a reach to call it a bit of a journal in itself. thank you so much for sharing such a masterful story.
so sorry for the long comment, haha. i hope you have a wonderful life. :]
Your long comment is wonderful and I don’t mind it at all! ❤️ I’m glad you liked Heron’s route, I’m a sucker for that trope, too, lol. This story (and entire experience) truly was a labor of love for me, and I’m glad it resonated with you in such a way. Thank you for rereading and for your kind words!
I can't thankyou enough author for telling us this story! It was so beautiful and I hope you have a bright/happy new year
Aww, thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed it and I wish you a wonderful new year, too!
I can't put into words how much I love this but I really do!
Thank you so much.
You are most welcome! 😁
I love every bit of this! While I love all the routes, Robin has my heart ❤️ so well written! I even cried while reading, it just hit so hard and so good
Thank you! Robin was a pleasure to write. They are my first non-binary character so I took a lot of care with them. ❤️ I’m glad you enjoyed it!
NOAAR I MEAN LIKE IT'S BRAVE TO DO IT BUT NOARRRRRRRRRRRRRR (Death of- no spoilers)
That infamous chapter 10 😭
Congratulations on such an amazing game! Loved the story and the characters!
Thank you!
My favorite name is Wren and it was there (cuz animal)!!!! <3
Lol, I love that name, too!
Is there a way to save in the game?
The game saves automatically to your browser. As long as you don’t switch browsers or devices, or clear your cache, you can pick up where you left off. But there are no saves slots. I built this using Twine Chapbook which unfortunately doesn’t offer a save system.
Beautiful game. Loved it. So many feels. The ending was beautiful.
Romanced Lion in my first playthrough <3 Enjoyed the playthrough with my character, Rabbit and him, and the ending so many feels. So good!
Hi Vesper! Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it! And that Lion and Rabbit had their happy ending. ❤️
Was immediately intrigued. Great writing and lovely story, thank you very much for writing it!
You’re welcome, thank you for reading!
peak
😁
This story is so so so so wonderful! Your message behind it hit me so hard tonight, that epilogue had me in literal tears. Your writing is so natural to read and the story felt so organic and heartfelt. Thank you for sharing your work with us!
Thank you so much for this lovely comment! It was a pleasure to write and share it, thank YOU for reading! 🫶🏻
talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, shit on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it. W to everyone WE WON!
Love this.
I asked my son to translate this and he said, and I quote, “I physically cannot translate this but it’s a very good compliment!” 😂
Thank you!
im cryin like a bitch... this was a perfect ending. happy fuckin holidays fr folks T^T
Hahaha, I love your comments! 😂 Happy holidays to you, too!
This was AMAZING! My God, beautiful writing AND a brilliant concept?! All the characters were so well-written, world building absolutely top notch. The thought and effort put into this was really visible. Holy shit, this was BRILLIANT!!! *Chef's kiss*
I was waiting for it to update, and WE GOT IT BEFORE PROMISED!! Amazing work! Loved all the routes (I just can't choose)!
I can't express just how eagerly I wait for the next story you make!!
Eeeek! <—- me squealing like a dolphin 😂
Thank you! This is such a nice compliment, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I can’t wait to share my new story with you! I really appreciate that you liked the world-building, but for this new one I need to stop with the world building and actually write the darn thing, lol.
I've been keeping up with this story for a while and can I just say how privileged I feel to read your writing. Dystopian type stories hold a special place in my heart and this story fueled my love. Thank you so much for writing this! I will be replaying all of the routes and I hope I can write as eloquently and descriptive as you do. BIG FAN! <3
Oh my goodness, thank you! That’s such a wonderful compliment! 🥹 I’ve always been a big fan of dystopian stories, too, so to finally have my own published is an incredible feeling. I’m glad it fueled your love for the genre. Thank you for following along with it!