oh. oh my god. i love you so much for making this IF and the story, and the characters (especially Lion and Fawn) and i hate you so much for chapter ten i am bawling my eyes out THANK YOU BUT WHY 😭❤️❤️❤️ WHY MUST YOU INFLICT THIS PAIN ON US 😭
I’m sorry! Believe me, I asked myself the very same question when I was inflicting it on myself! 😭
But I’m happy to hear you loved the characters and that you felt such emotion for them. It means that it hit right, as painful as it was. Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment! I appreciate it so much!
Omg i spent the whole day reading this (procrastinating college work lmao) and its sooo good i'm so glad i found it But i'm feeling miserable after chapter 10 tbh. But i love this anyways, i know it's good when i genuinely connect with the characters and cry. I LOVE LION too. (The names are so adorable I love the concept) AND You're such a good writer omg I admire you so much, giving us such a great IF (and for free) while being a mom and a professional? Iconic tbh. That's it, i love this.
My kids want you to know I squealed and broke their eardrums when I read your review 😂
Thank you so much! ❤️ My apologies for chapter 10 but I’m glad to know you connected with the characters and that it hit the way I intended. I promise it gets better!
It’s been a joy writing this and I’m so happy you enjoyed reading it!
so so good! the writing, the characters, the storyline.. mwah so good :) cant wait for more to come and keep up the good work!! and i love my boy Heron.. will always love a good childhood friends to lovers lol
stop i thought all the people commenting about chapter 10 wasn't going to be that serious and then i end up full on crying this is so unfair????? congrats on your story bringing out so many emotions i'm
I need a save button so I can romance every character and also hurt my feelings over and over again with chapter 10! This story is so good and I don't think I'll ever get sick of it!!
The game does save to your browser, but Chapbook doesn’t offer a save function, I’m sorry. I may look into Harlowe or Sugarcube for future IFs. But I hope you will replay it as it’s not terribly long, and I hope you enjoy it many times over! Thank you!
I don't think this review does justice to everything this story made me feel. I love the characters, I love the world-building, I even love that chapter 10 made me cry (I spent a few minutes staring at the screen). I haven't felt so many lasting emotions from a story in a long time. Thank you.
I also really like your writing style, it's accessible (that's how I felt) for a non-native speaker, I usually have trouble getting lost or not understanding parts of texts (especially in English), but that didn't happen while I was reading this. So thank you again.
The game saves directly to your browser as you play, so as long as you don’t clear your cache, you can pick up where you left off. I go into the save system in more detail in one of my dev logs if you’re curious. Thank you!
I love this! I have only played through Lion's route, but the storytelling and worldbuilding is amazing! I did notice an issue where sometimes it won't let me progress through the game. There's no next button or choice I can press to change the page. My working hypothesis is that it depends on the personality choices. I only noticed this error when I chose the more "follower" options or were more skittish/scared (the shy romance choices don't seem to affect it). I'd usually run into this error right after choosing who's route to go down.
Hi! You shouldn’t have a problem, no matter what persona or choices you’re making. Sometimes there’s no word “Next” or choice to make, but the last sentence on the page is in fact the link.
Can you send me a screenshot as an example? And let me know whether you play in light or dark mode. If it’s a matter of the link not being clear, that info will help me troubleshoot and maybe change some fonts. Thank you!
Hello again, jujoebee! Love your name, by the way. 😁
By any chance, did you choose "multiple braids" for your hairstyle? I added that option in the last update and just realized I didn't account for it in earlier chapters, one of which is where you first start Lion's route. In that scene Lion either cradles your head or buries his hand in your hair, and I coded it differently depending on your hairstyle. If you had that hairstyle you wouldn't have been able to progress after that. Cause I'm an idiot, lol. I've accounted for that stat now and it will be fixed in the next update! My apologies!
I have no idea how this IF managed to evade my radar for so long until now. HOW the heck did I miss this masterpiece????
Also, can't help but be reminded of Scout (another Twine IF here on itch.io) tho. This definitely filled that Scout-shaped hole in my heart. So I hearby dub this the unofficial spiritual successor to Scout lol
Aww, thank you! It hasn’t been out long so you’re really not that late. I feel I’m late to the world of IFs myself, lol.
I’ve had several people tell me they found me through Scout. I've read Scout and very much enjoyed it! I’m also very impressed with the author for having put forth that story at a time when the world was going to pot and we all needed something good, and I wish I had discovered her story, and IFs in general, back then.
I cannot forgive myself for only learning of this IF today. I cried very hard due to the latest chapter, to the point that my eyes now feel a bit swollen :') Your writing is very beautiful, and I'm honestly so glad that regardless of who we choose to romance that we are still able to experience sweet moments between the MC and their friends <3
Thank you so much! I only published it a little over 2 months ago, so honestly you’re not really that late! My apologies for the last chapter, I knew it would be a rough one. I’m glad you’re enjoying the interactions; it was important to me that I include meaningful platonic moments, too.
Incredible. I can't believe I didn't know about this IF. It's a uniquely (for an IF) dystopian setting more commonly found in good novels. The writing is amazing!
I wish there was an option for nonbinary mcs to input their sex. I feel like it misses a lot of detail (like whether mc has experienced pregnancy.
Hello, and thank you! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the story!
I hear you. In all honesty, I didn’t know how to include that option in a way that felt immersive and not awkward. This is my first IF, as well as my first time writing non-binary characters. I wasn’t confident in my ability to portray gender nonconforming characters well, and I didn’t want to misrepresent anything. In my next IF I’ll definitely include more options!
o3o is yellow heart friendship and red romance right and amazing story by the way really good <3! nevermind found out it's still flirt option XD just shy my kind of flirting
I LOVE THIS STTORY SO MUCCCCH!! i kind of just KNEW something bad was gonna happen but i didn't think it was BOTH.. Ughhh it makes me so ssaaaaadddd.. Anyways, just wanted to say, I really adore how well written this game is, I usually never even think to click any IF without a save function because it just usually pisses me off but this one was just TOO good.. I had such a hard time choosing on if i should romance lion or robin(chose robin) because they were just both genuinely so interesting, i wish we had poly routes but i still really think the game is just amazinG
Oh also, another thing I've noticed is that, the demo kind of reminds me of 1984 are you perchance.. A George Orwell fan? Oh! Apologies if being compared to someone else is uncomfortable for you, just asking because I love that book too
Thank you so much! I know, I felt horrible writing that scene. 😭 But judging from all the comments it sounds like it hit the way it needed to. I’m glad you gave my story a try despite the save functionality. The story does actually save to your browser as you play, but I completely understand the inconvenience of not having multiple save slots. If I ever write a second IF I may explore the other Twine formats.
And I don’t mind the comparison at all, you’re actually right on the nose! When I wrote the original novella I was a big fan of dystopian fiction (still am, who am I kidding), and I was heavily influenced by 1984, Fahrenheit 451, and Anthem. Hello to a fellow fan!
Very sorry with the late reply, I'm glad you took time to reply to this! I'm actually a big fan of Fahrenheit 451 too, nowadays though it's much less popular in comparison to back then sadly. However I haven't yet read Anthem; I'll put it on my list! In all honesty, I couldn't think how exactly they could ever meet a better end, I think it was very fitting so don't dwell on it much dear. I'm a very picky person yes, but I think the idea of not being able to save and go back to make a different choice too is a very interesting concept, it's just hard to enjoy most the times because in other games I see, you usually miss out on a lot. The only parts of not having the ability to save is that you always have to start right back at the beginning which makes it a bit tough to guide through. If you ever do make another game, I would like that too, but even if it doesn't have a save I'm still playing it because your writing is FIRE. Have you had a lot of experience in the writing field? I haven't felt this immersed in a story in a long time.
P.S apologies if the long barrage of text is overwhelming! Hello to a fellow fan!!:D
Hello again! I don’t mind the lengthy reply, I enjoy conversing with you all! I highly recommend Anthem. It’s a short read, and you’ll definitely see parallels to this, lol.
Thanks for saying you’ll stick with me despite the saves! 🥹 This IF isn’t terribly long, so the inability to have multiple saves isn’t too bad. But any future ideas will probably be longer and more involved, so a different software would be best.
I have 3 decades worth of experience in writing 😅 but not necessarily in fiction like this. I’ve built a career in Marketing, PR and Communications, which has certainly helped. But said career and family kept me busy, and I haven’t written for myself in a very long time. It’s been a joy and a release to return to it, and I can’t express enough how this reception and encouragement has helped! ❤️
Stayed up way too late marathoning Lion's route yesterday (my first!) and just totally marvelling at these lovely characters and trying to understand the mysteries of this world you created and loving every minute of it. Funnily enough, I'm not the type to get emotional over IFs at all but for some reason coming upon Robin playing with the slinky by themselves away from everyone in the semi-dark made me have to stop reading and collect myself, maybe because I've got half a decade on them and was already sorta feeling protective of them from the get go as someone who remembers being that age but who has also made it out to the other side, so to speak. Anyway, you're phenom at endearing your characters to the reader, including non-ROs, big kudos to you! On to the next route I go!
Marathoning Lion is never a bad thing. 😉 I’m so glad you’re enjoying the story and characters! I’m really glad you felt them endearing and relatable, especially on the platonic routes. That scene is one of my favorites! ❤️
And I know exactly what you mean about the age and feeling protective of them. I wrote the original novella at 19 and I couldn’t tell the story as well as I would have liked back then. Now I have a maturity in both my writing and experiences, and despite the fact that I’m now twice their age, I think I can write them better because of that.
I am not filled with an abundance of emotion when reading most things regardless of how much I enjoy them but, reading this made me tear up at times both at the obvious sorrow and at the hope of it all. (You don't know me but that is pretty big and more than once no less, I am impressed) You made something more than an LI delivery device, solid read. I am looking forward to seeing how it unfolds :)
Thank you so much, that is a wonderful compliment! ❤️ I’m glad my story resonated with you, and also that you saw the hope within it. Despite the harshness of The City and the tragedy in chapter 10, Viatica is ultimately about hope and I’m glad it came through like that. Thank you again!
I just wanted to come here and say this IF literally introduced me to the genre of interactive fiction as a whole. I feel like the way you portray Robin's gender is extremely touching - especially in a universe where the concept of gender is so rigid. (even more so than the current world that we live in)
The traumatic experiences with the chamber is not only something that is extremely haunting but is also something I can empathise with Robin over, not only is having you sexual agency revoked horrible but the complicated and dysphoric feeling some non-binary and gender diverse people have makes navigating sexuality even more sensitive.
I absolutely adore Robin, I want to give you all the kudos for creating a non-binary character that feels safe and carefully loved - not only by me but also by you the creator.
Your writing has dug itself into my heart in a way that is so personal and pretty much impossible to accurately describe - which is why it has taken me like 20 days to actually write what I would consider my opinion on your labor of love.
Oh my goodness, thank you so much for this! ❤️ I am so humbled by and grateful for what you wrote!
Robin is the first non-binary character I’ve written and it was very important to me that they were represented well and with care, so it means so much for you to tell me that! My son, who has gone through his own gender identity journey, actually helped me a lot with Robin’s character.
I’m very glad you wrote this, especially after 20 days. Thank you!
recently found this through one of the acc's i follow adding it to their list and i was really lovin' it from the start. lion immediately got me hooked. can't get enough of him. chapter 10 really fucked me up ngl. this is the only IF ive truly cried. like not just tears but actual sobbing. you make the characters feel so alive and easy to connect with. it truly felt like i was right there, experiencing everything.
thank you for this wonderful experience and the rest that will come. stay safe and take care of yourself! 🖤🖤
Thank you for your kind words, that is quite the compliment! I knew chapter 10 would be difficult but I’m glad you felt connected to the characters and that it hit the way it needed to. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment!
I'm not nearly done with the demo, but I will say the way this is written is a breath of fresh air. I have a really hard time reading, both on an attention level and on an actual comprehension level. Sometimes, it gets so bad that I get migraines, but the way this story was formatted made it very easy for me! No risk of tears for the first time in a while, which I'll have to say thank you for!
I would also like to say to anyone reading this that everything I said does not detract from the actual quality of the writing. While it is digestable I think it is also very good at conveying what it needs to convey and very easy to immerse yourself in. Please do not think the writing is dumbed down in any way, it's accessibility does not detract from it's enjoyablity.
Oh weird. Can you tell me where you were when you saw this? And were you playing from a save or starting fresh? I re-uploaded the game a couple days ago so an old save might not work and you may have to restart. I’ll dig into this tonight after work and hopefully get it sorted!
EDIT: I haven't been able to recreate this error. I re-uploaded the game 2 days ago so if you were in progress I think you'll have to restart. You should be able to refresh the page until you get the restart option, or you may have to clear your browser cache. Sorry for the trouble!
Hello again. Try refreshing the page or clearing your cache. I think you got this error because I uploaded the game in the midst of your playthrough. Sorry for the trouble!
heyy so I've played almost all of the games you've recommended on your page and we absolutely have the same taste... i need more 😭😭 they're all so good 😞 please add more games on there if you know any!!
Hello! I’m glad you like my selection and that we have similar taste! 🥰 I just added 2 more, a VN called “Beyond the Mist: Beginnings” and an IF called “Bladeweaver.” There’s also a VN I haven’t tried yet but I’ve been keeping an eye on called “Made Marion” that looks very good; I’ve been waiting for more routes to open before trying/buying it. The writer is very active on tumblr and it’s coming along so should have another route soon!
I should have prefaced this by saying I’m really picky as to what I recommend. I’m hyper critical of my own writing and I do tend to hold others to that same standard, unfair as it may be. I’ve read several IFs on here that are good or decent, but the writing is a little unpolished. Or, and this is a big one, they’re abandoned. I can’t in good conscience recommend an IF that will never be finished. Everything I recommend is either complete or actively being worked on.
That being said, you can be sure that everything on my recommended list is not just good, but excellent, in my humble opinion. 2 thumbs WAY up!
Itch went weird on me while I was trying to reply to the below post, and I think I deleted it by accident. My apologies to whomever that was! You asked about saves so here’s my reply…
The game saves directly to your browser as you play, so as long as you don’t clear your cache, you can pick up where you left off. I go into the save system in more detail in one of my dev logs if you’re curious. Thank you!
Builder had a hard enough time when I learned to swear and use contractions. Wait until my Healer learns slang. "Robin is a total snack, like they have a face card for real. Their rizz, out of this world. I'm lucky to have a partner like them, cause they have major gyatt."
so, i replayed the game and since i dont spoil too much:
you siad "please dont hate me." well i dont hate you, but i hope you are for what you did. ;)
joking aside, i really like your writing style nd the story in total. like someone already said, i found this game in the comments of another one and im glad i did. for me its important that i, as the reader, am able to insert myself into the story, which works wonderful with this one.
a bit spoilery for chapter 10:
one suggestion: my personal thought is that chapter 10 could benefit from a trigger warning. but since i personally dont need any, i dont think i could judge it at all.
i maybe found a bug: in chapter 3 when you reach the circle and prepare to go down, if you choose to ignore the builders hand and bravel venture forth, the next page calls him Lion. the page after that, he is called builder again.
maybe i misremember/missed something, but i dont think that he has intorduced/named himself, right?
another typo: if you decide to share your thoughts about the guard with Heron, in the second passage, one sentence starts with "My being a healer. ..." unless its intentionel, it should be "me".
oh sorry then. english is not my native language so it sounded a little off to me.
anothe rsmall bug: when i finished chapter 9 and click on "continue ith chapter 10" i got an error message with 2 options: return one page or hard reset. i chose the return one page option and then it worked fine.
I found you through scout comments like many others, and am blown away by your work. Utterly heartbroken with this last chapter, a testament to the world youve built and the characters youve crafted
me trying to contain my emotional outbursts so that my family doesn't see me screaming at a black screen of text
ps this whole work is so beautiful, i'm so thankful i did my annual grief visit to the Scout comment section to see this recommended there and thankful to you for writing this :')
Lol, my apologies to your family. Thank you so much! You’re the third person to mention finding me through the Scout comments, I really appreciate you giving my story a try! ❤️
I just finished chapter 10 and you were right -- i am CRYING and i Blame You!
Really, wonderful chapter. "We will not be a lesson for them" and reading the note Bison wrote combined made me start crying like a little baby and the end with a kind of turn around on the usual Robin-MC dynamic with them offering you the comfort and being a kind of stronghold was sooo good i dont know how to describe it. You emotionally devastated me with this one and ill never forgive you. I knew something bad was going to happen but I didnt expect it to hurt so bad!
Hello again, scenecorez! I knew you were dreading chapter 10 so I really appreciate you taking the chance to read it. I accept full blame. I’m glad you liked it, especially Robin’s bit. And I will fully make it up to you in chapter 11, especially if you’re on Robin’s route. My loyal Robinmancers have been waiting patiently for their special moment and it comes next!
"AHAHAHAH IT'S FINEEEE it's not a good story if it doesn't reduce you to an emotional wreck, in a way or another" -my best friend Bonnie
And I absolutely agree with them. The fact that it managed to resonate with us enough to bring out an emotional response means that the story did its job well. In spite of the state I was left in I fully enjoyed it! :D
(In regards to chapter 10) How... How could you do this to me emotionally?! Ferret is who I chose, so now my brain, and heart are absolutely all over the place.
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UPDATE TMR AHHHHHH SO EXCITED (totally haven't been checking the dev logs everyday since C10 dropped hahaha...)
Oh my gosh, this made my morning, thank you! 😍
It's here!
oh. oh my god. i love you so much for making this IF and the story, and the characters (especially Lion and Fawn) and i hate you so much for chapter ten i am bawling my eyes out THANK YOU BUT WHY 😭❤️❤️❤️ WHY MUST YOU INFLICT THIS PAIN ON US 😭
I’m sorry! Believe me, I asked myself the very same question when I was inflicting it on myself! 😭
But I’m happy to hear you loved the characters and that you felt such emotion for them. It means that it hit right, as painful as it was. Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment! I appreciate it so much!
Omg i spent the whole day reading this (procrastinating college work lmao) and its sooo good i'm so glad i found it
But i'm feeling miserable after chapter 10 tbh. But i love this anyways, i know it's good when i genuinely connect with the characters and cry.
I LOVE LION too. (The names are so adorable I love the concept)
AND You're such a good writer omg I admire you so much, giving us such a great IF (and for free) while being a mom and a professional? Iconic tbh.
That's it, i love this.
My kids want you to know I squealed and broke their eardrums when I read your review 😂
Thank you so much! ❤️ My apologies for chapter 10 but I’m glad to know you connected with the characters and that it hit the way I intended. I promise it gets better!
It’s been a joy writing this and I’m so happy you enjoyed reading it!
so so good! the writing, the characters, the storyline.. mwah so good :) cant wait for more to come and keep up the good work!! and i love my boy Heron.. will always love a good childhood friends to lovers lol
Thank you so much, I’m glad you’re enjoying it! I’m a sucker for the childhood friend trope, too!
stop i thought all the people commenting about chapter 10 wasn't going to be that serious and then i end up full on crying this is so unfair????? congrats on your story bringing out so many emotions i'm
Sorry about chapter 10 but I'm glad you're enjoying all the feels! Thank you for giving my story a try!
I need a save button so I can romance every character and also hurt my feelings over and over again with chapter 10! This story is so good and I don't think I'll ever get sick of it!!
The game does save to your browser, but Chapbook doesn’t offer a save function, I’m sorry. I may look into Harlowe or Sugarcube for future IFs. But I hope you will replay it as it’s not terribly long, and I hope you enjoy it many times over! Thank you!
I don't think this review does justice to everything this story made me feel. I love the characters, I love the world-building, I even love that chapter 10 made me cry (I spent a few minutes staring at the screen). I haven't felt so many lasting emotions from a story in a long time. Thank you.
I also really like your writing style, it's accessible (that's how I felt) for a non-native speaker, I usually have trouble getting lost or not understanding parts of texts (especially in English), but that didn't happen while I was reading this. So thank you again.
No, thank YOU! 🫶🏻 This was a lovely comment and I appreciate your words! I’m very glad you found the story accessible.
This story is amazing! I love how you build the world, and the journal snippets.
I was wondering though, if there is anyway to save? I was playing on mobile and can’t seem to find an option to save my progress anywhere
Thank you, I’m glad you’re enjoying it!
The game saves directly to your browser as you play, so as long as you don’t clear your cache, you can pick up where you left off. I go into the save system in more detail in one of my dev logs if you’re curious. Thank you!
https://firfireweed.itch.io/viatica/devlog/790424/a-quick-note-regarding-saves
I love this! I have only played through Lion's route, but the storytelling and worldbuilding is amazing! I did notice an issue where sometimes it won't let me progress through the game. There's no next button or choice I can press to change the page. My working hypothesis is that it depends on the personality choices. I only noticed this error when I chose the more "follower" options or were more skittish/scared (the shy romance choices don't seem to affect it). I'd usually run into this error right after choosing who's route to go down.
Hi! You shouldn’t have a problem, no matter what persona or choices you’re making. Sometimes there’s no word “Next” or choice to make, but the last sentence on the page is in fact the link.
Can you send me a screenshot as an example? And let me know whether you play in light or dark mode. If it’s a matter of the link not being clear, that info will help me troubleshoot and maybe change some fonts. Thank you!
I cleared my cookies and it decided to work! Sorry for the scare! I'm not quite sure what had happened, but deleting cookies fixed it lol
Glad it got sorted! If you happen to find the issue again (hopefully you won’t, lol) please screenshot it for me! Thank you!
Hello again, jujoebee! Love your name, by the way. 😁
By any chance, did you choose "multiple braids" for your hairstyle? I added that option in the last update and just realized I didn't account for it in earlier chapters, one of which is where you first start Lion's route. In that scene Lion either cradles your head or buries his hand in your hair, and I coded it differently depending on your hairstyle. If you had that hairstyle you wouldn't have been able to progress after that. Cause I'm an idiot, lol. I've accounted for that stat now and it will be fixed in the next update! My apologies!
I did!! Glad you were able to figure it out :D
I have no idea how this IF managed to evade my radar for so long until now. HOW the heck did I miss this masterpiece????
Also, can't help but be reminded of Scout (another Twine IF here on itch.io) tho. This definitely filled that Scout-shaped hole in my heart. So I hearby dub this the unofficial spiritual successor to Scout lol
Aww, thank you! It hasn’t been out long so you’re really not that late. I feel I’m late to the world of IFs myself, lol.
I’ve had several people tell me they found me through Scout. I've read Scout and very much enjoyed it! I’m also very impressed with the author for having put forth that story at a time when the world was going to pot and we all needed something good, and I wish I had discovered her story, and IFs in general, back then.
I cannot forgive myself for only learning of this IF today. I cried very hard due to the latest chapter, to the point that my eyes now feel a bit swollen :') Your writing is very beautiful, and I'm honestly so glad that regardless of who we choose to romance that we are still able to experience sweet moments between the MC and their friends <3
Thank you so much! I only published it a little over 2 months ago, so honestly you’re not really that late! My apologies for the last chapter, I knew it would be a rough one. I’m glad you’re enjoying the interactions; it was important to me that I include meaningful platonic moments, too.
Incredible. I can't believe I didn't know about this IF. It's a uniquely (for an IF) dystopian setting more commonly found in good novels. The writing is amazing!
I wish there was an option for nonbinary mcs to input their sex. I feel like it misses a lot of detail (like whether mc has experienced pregnancy.
Hello, and thank you! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the story!
I hear you. In all honesty, I didn’t know how to include that option in a way that felt immersive and not awkward. This is my first IF, as well as my first time writing non-binary characters. I wasn’t confident in my ability to portray gender nonconforming characters well, and I didn’t want to misrepresent anything. In my next IF I’ll definitely include more options!
o3o is yellow heart friendship and red romance right and amazing story by the way really good <3! nevermind found out it's still flirt option XD just shy my kind of flirting
I like the shy flirting, too. 🥰 Glad you got it sorted!
I know that I want vengeance! 👿
✊
I LOVE THIS STTORY SO MUCCCCH!! i kind of just KNEW something bad was gonna happen but i didn't think it was BOTH.. Ughhh it makes me so ssaaaaadddd.. Anyways, just wanted to say, I really adore how well written this game is, I usually never even think to click any IF without a save function because it just usually pisses me off but this one was just TOO good.. I had such a hard time choosing on if i should romance lion or robin(chose robin) because they were just both genuinely so interesting, i wish we had poly routes but i still really think the game is just amazinG
Oh also, another thing I've noticed is that, the demo kind of reminds me of 1984 are you perchance.. A George Orwell fan? Oh! Apologies if being compared to someone else is uncomfortable for you, just asking because I love that book too
Thank you so much! I know, I felt horrible writing that scene. 😭 But judging from all the comments it sounds like it hit the way it needed to. I’m glad you gave my story a try despite the save functionality. The story does actually save to your browser as you play, but I completely understand the inconvenience of not having multiple save slots. If I ever write a second IF I may explore the other Twine formats.
And I don’t mind the comparison at all, you’re actually right on the nose! When I wrote the original novella I was a big fan of dystopian fiction (still am, who am I kidding), and I was heavily influenced by 1984, Fahrenheit 451, and Anthem. Hello to a fellow fan!
Very sorry with the late reply, I'm glad you took time to reply to this! I'm actually a big fan of Fahrenheit 451 too, nowadays though it's much less popular in comparison to back then sadly. However I haven't yet read Anthem; I'll put it on my list! In all honesty, I couldn't think how exactly they could ever meet a better end, I think it was very fitting so don't dwell on it much dear. I'm a very picky person yes, but I think the idea of not being able to save and go back to make a different choice too is a very interesting concept, it's just hard to enjoy most the times because in other games I see, you usually miss out on a lot. The only parts of not having the ability to save is that you always have to start right back at the beginning which makes it a bit tough to guide through. If you ever do make another game, I would like that too, but even if it doesn't have a save I'm still playing it because your writing is FIRE. Have you had a lot of experience in the writing field? I haven't felt this immersed in a story in a long time.
P.S apologies if the long barrage of text is overwhelming! Hello to a fellow fan!!:D
Hello again! I don’t mind the lengthy reply, I enjoy conversing with you all! I highly recommend Anthem. It’s a short read, and you’ll definitely see parallels to this, lol.
Thanks for saying you’ll stick with me despite the saves! 🥹 This IF isn’t terribly long, so the inability to have multiple saves isn’t too bad. But any future ideas will probably be longer and more involved, so a different software would be best.
I have 3 decades worth of experience in writing 😅 but not necessarily in fiction like this. I’ve built a career in Marketing, PR and Communications, which has certainly helped. But said career and family kept me busy, and I haven’t written for myself in a very long time. It’s been a joy and a release to return to it, and I can’t express enough how this reception and encouragement has helped! ❤️
Stayed up way too late marathoning Lion's route yesterday (my first!) and just totally marvelling at these lovely characters and trying to understand the mysteries of this world you created and loving every minute of it. Funnily enough, I'm not the type to get emotional over IFs at all but for some reason coming upon Robin playing with the slinky by themselves away from everyone in the semi-dark made me have to stop reading and collect myself, maybe because I've got half a decade on them and was already sorta feeling protective of them from the get go as someone who remembers being that age but who has also made it out to the other side, so to speak. Anyway, you're phenom at endearing your characters to the reader, including non-ROs, big kudos to you! On to the next route I go!
Marathoning Lion is never a bad thing. 😉 I’m so glad you’re enjoying the story and characters! I’m really glad you felt them endearing and relatable, especially on the platonic routes. That scene is one of my favorites! ❤️
And I know exactly what you mean about the age and feeling protective of them. I wrote the original novella at 19 and I couldn’t tell the story as well as I would have liked back then. Now I have a maturity in both my writing and experiences, and despite the fact that I’m now twice their age, I think I can write them better because of that.
Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the other routes!
I am not filled with an abundance of emotion when reading most things regardless of how much I enjoy them but, reading this made me tear up at times both at the obvious sorrow and at the hope of it all. (You don't know me but that is pretty big and more than once no less, I am impressed) You made something more than an LI delivery device, solid read. I am looking forward to seeing how it unfolds :)
Thank you so much, that is a wonderful compliment! ❤️ I’m glad my story resonated with you, and also that you saw the hope within it. Despite the harshness of The City and the tragedy in chapter 10, Viatica is ultimately about hope and I’m glad it came through like that. Thank you again!
i love your storyyy<33 but whyyyy??? i love bison and fawnnnn, noooooo :'((( i'll be sad in a while :((
I’m sorry, it had to be done! 😭 But I’m glad you liked the characters and the story!
I just wanted to come here and say this IF literally introduced me to the genre of interactive fiction as a whole. I feel like the way you portray Robin's gender is extremely touching - especially in a universe where the concept of gender is so rigid. (even more so than the current world that we live in)
The traumatic experiences with the chamber is not only something that is extremely haunting but is also something I can empathise with Robin over, not only is having you sexual agency revoked horrible but the complicated and dysphoric feeling some non-binary and gender diverse people have makes navigating sexuality even more sensitive.
I absolutely adore Robin, I want to give you all the kudos for creating a non-binary character that feels safe and carefully loved - not only by me but also by you the creator.
Your writing has dug itself into my heart in a way that is so personal and pretty much impossible to accurately describe - which is why it has taken me like 20 days to actually write what I would consider my opinion on your labor of love.
<3 thank you
Oh my goodness, thank you so much for this! ❤️ I am so humbled by and grateful for what you wrote!
Robin is the first non-binary character I’ve written and it was very important to me that they were represented well and with care, so it means so much for you to tell me that! My son, who has gone through his own gender identity journey, actually helped me a lot with Robin’s character.
I’m very glad you wrote this, especially after 20 days. Thank you!
recently found this through one of the acc's i follow adding it to their list and i was really lovin' it from the start. lion immediately got me hooked. can't get enough of him. chapter 10 really fucked me up ngl. this is the only IF ive truly cried. like not just tears but actual sobbing. you make the characters feel so alive and easy to connect with. it truly felt like i was right there, experiencing everything.
thank you for this wonderful experience and the rest that will come. stay safe and take care of yourself! 🖤🖤
Thank you for your kind words, that is quite the compliment! I knew chapter 10 would be difficult but I’m glad you felt connected to the characters and that it hit the way it needed to. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment!
I will, and take care of yourself, too! 🫶🏻
Guys I'm terrified for chapter 10 js judging by the comments brb future me how scary was it 🙏
CLOSEST I HAVE EVER GOTTEN TO ACTUAL TEARS WHILE PLAYS N ITCH IO GAME HOLY SHIT NO WHY DID U HAVE TO DO BISON AND FAWN LIKE THAT 💔
Believe me, it hurt to write it! 😭 But it was necessary. Thank you for giving my story a try, despite your apprehension, lol.
Its fine lol that chapter aside its an amazing game cant wait to continue it :3
I'm not nearly done with the demo, but I will say the way this is written is a breath of fresh air. I have a really hard time reading, both on an attention level and on an actual comprehension level. Sometimes, it gets so bad that I get migraines, but the way this story was formatted made it very easy for me! No risk of tears for the first time in a while, which I'll have to say thank you for!
I would also like to say to anyone reading this that everything I said does not detract from the actual quality of the writing. While it is digestable I think it is also very good at conveying what it needs to convey and very easy to immerse yourself in. Please do not think the writing is dumbed down in any way, it's accessibility does not detract from it's enjoyablity.
I’m very glad to hear that, thank you!
i have been getting the errors for the past 3days now I can't restart or go back🥲
Oh weird. Can you tell me where you were when you saw this? And were you playing from a save or starting fresh? I re-uploaded the game a couple days ago so an old save might not work and you may have to restart. I’ll dig into this tonight after work and hopefully get it sorted!
EDIT: I haven't been able to recreate this error. I re-uploaded the game 2 days ago so if you were in progress I think you'll have to restart. You should be able to refresh the page until you get the restart option, or you may have to clear your browser cache. Sorry for the trouble!
When I was trying to read the new chapter those options came up and nothing is still working I can't restart it
Hello again. Try refreshing the page or clearing your cache. I think you got this error because I uploaded the game in the midst of your playthrough. Sorry for the trouble!
Nothing has changed🥲 but it's alright i love this game so much can't wait for more❤️
heyy so I've played almost all of the games you've recommended on your page and we absolutely have the same taste... i need more 😭😭 they're all so good 😞 please add more games on there if you know any!!
Hello! I’m glad you like my selection and that we have similar taste! 🥰 I just added 2 more, a VN called “Beyond the Mist: Beginnings” and an IF called “Bladeweaver.” There’s also a VN I haven’t tried yet but I’ve been keeping an eye on called “Made Marion” that looks very good; I’ve been waiting for more routes to open before trying/buying it. The writer is very active on tumblr and it’s coming along so should have another route soon!
I should have prefaced this by saying I’m really picky as to what I recommend. I’m hyper critical of my own writing and I do tend to hold others to that same standard, unfair as it may be. I’ve read several IFs on here that are good or decent, but the writing is a little unpolished. Or, and this is a big one, they’re abandoned. I can’t in good conscience recommend an IF that will never be finished. Everything I recommend is either complete or actively being worked on.
That being said, you can be sure that everything on my recommended list is not just good, but excellent, in my humble opinion. 2 thumbs WAY up!
Itch went weird on me while I was trying to reply to the below post, and I think I deleted it by accident. My apologies to whomever that was! You asked about saves so here’s my reply…
The game saves directly to your browser as you play, so as long as you don’t clear your cache, you can pick up where you left off. I go into the save system in more detail in one of my dev logs if you’re curious. Thank you!
Builder had a hard enough time when I learned to swear and use contractions. Wait until my Healer learns slang. "Robin is a total snack, like they have a face card for real. Their rizz, out of this world. I'm lucky to have a partner like them, cause they have major gyatt."
I wrote this and then played the newest chapter. Not sigma dude. No sigma rizzler at all.
Omg, I’m DYING, I’m crying I’m laughing so hard!! 🤣 I had to ask my 17 year old to translate this!
Shit... way to break my heart 💔Don't take me away from Ferret, please.
Amazing work as always, I can't wait to see how they can recover from this. Can't believe there's only two chapters left... 😢
Hi Power! I’m sorry. 😭 And I won’t, I promise! Thanks for always returning! ❤️
so, i replayed the game and since i dont spoil too much:
you siad "please dont hate me." well i dont hate you, but i hope you are for what you did. ;)
joking aside, i really like your writing style nd the story in total. like someone already said, i found this game in the comments of another one and im glad i did. for me its important that i, as the reader, am able to insert myself into the story, which works wonderful with this one.
a bit spoilery for chapter 10:
one suggestion: my personal thought is that chapter 10 could benefit from a trigger warning. but since i personally dont need any, i dont think i could judge it at all.
Thanks for taking a chance and reading my story! I do have the content warnings on the game page which mention the trigger points.
hi everyone.
i maybe found a bug: in chapter 3 when you reach the circle and prepare to go down, if you choose to ignore the builders hand and bravel venture forth, the next page calls him Lion. the page after that, he is called builder again.
maybe i misremember/missed something, but i dont think that he has intorduced/named himself, right?
Oh crud! Thank you for pointing that out! That option was added recently, after I've already gotten used to calling him Lion.
I’ll change and update it, thank you for letting me know!
no problem
another typo: if you decide to share your thoughts about the guard with Heron, in the second passage, one sentence starts with "My being a healer. ..." unless its intentionel, it should be "me".
That is intentional. Both versions are grammatically correct. 😊
oh sorry then. english is not my native language so it sounded a little off to me.
anothe rsmall bug: when i finished chapter 9 and click on "continue ith chapter 10" i got an error message with 2 options: return one page or hard reset. i chose the return one page option and then it worked fine.
I think that error happened because I re-uploaded the story while you were playing it 😅 Should be fine otherwise!
And no worries, I appreciate the feedback, thank you!
I found you through scout comments like many others, and am blown away by your work. Utterly heartbroken with this last chapter, a testament to the world youve built and the characters youve crafted
Thank you so much! Thank you for giving my story a try and for the lovely comment! ❤️
me trying to contain my emotional outbursts so that my family doesn't see me screaming at a black screen of text
ps this whole work is so beautiful, i'm so thankful i did my annual grief visit to the Scout comment section to see this recommended there and thankful to you for writing this :')
Lol, my apologies to your family. Thank you so much! You’re the third person to mention finding me through the Scout comments, I really appreciate you giving my story a try! ❤️
Do you think this is funny, making me sob my way through this chapter?
Nuuuuu 😭😅
It can only get better from here!
I just finished chapter 10 and you were right -- i am CRYING and i Blame You!
Really, wonderful chapter. "We will not be a lesson for them" and reading the note Bison wrote combined made me start crying like a little baby and the end with a kind of turn around on the usual Robin-MC dynamic with them offering you the comfort and being a kind of stronghold was sooo good i dont know how to describe it. You emotionally devastated me with this one and ill never forgive you. I knew something bad was going to happen but I didnt expect it to hurt so bad!
Hello again, scenecorez! I knew you were dreading chapter 10 so I really appreciate you taking the chance to read it. I accept full blame. I’m glad you liked it, especially Robin’s bit. And I will fully make it up to you in chapter 11, especially if you’re on Robin’s route. My loyal Robinmancers have been waiting patiently for their special moment and it comes next!
Sharing is caring and as such,
The utter turmoil and mess that chapter 10 left me in was shared with my best friend 🥰
Devasted me (and now my friend) emotionally to the point of tears ... *chef kiss* amaizing writing 👌
Thank you for sharing my story with your friend! And my humblest apologies to the both of you! 😭
aham *pulls out chat* and I quote
"AHAHAHAH IT'S FINEEEE it's not a good story if it doesn't reduce you to an emotional wreck, in a way or another" -my best friend Bonnie
And I absolutely agree with them. The fact that it managed to resonate with us enough to bring out an emotional response means that the story did its job well. In spite of the state I was left in I fully enjoyed it! :D
Can't wait for the next chapter ☆
OUGH I AM SO UNWELL. FAWN AND BISON PLEASE COME BACK NOOOOOOOOOO (ugly crying as we speak)
I’m sorry, Angel! Know that I’m ugly crying with you. 😭
Chapter 10 may have made me take damage over time, but GOD. It's so devastating but also so good. Please excuse me as I go cry.
Welcome back, Cosmo! I knew it’d be a tough chapter, and I appreciate that you still felt it to be a good one. ❤️
oh okay so its like that huh? its like that? well fine then. 10/10
I love this comment so much! 😅 😂 Sorry, tranquility!
(In regards to chapter 10) How... How could you do this to me emotionally?! Ferret is who I chose, so now my brain, and heart are absolutely all over the place.
I’m sorry! But at least it ended with Ferret, right? I promise the rest will not be such an emotional roller coaster. Thank you for reading!
hey what the fuck (read chapter 10, what)
😅