Viatica

Oh my gods how is your writing so good? I binged the story all in a single go and I love it so much, it's so wonderful and sweet and emotional, damn you for tugging on my heartstrings like that!

I love all the characters but Robin is so wonderful I absolutely adore them, I need more with these characters please say you'll do a sequel sometime because the setting and characters are just way too good, and I wanna know what becomes of The City and its people after the epilogue!

What the hell?! How dare you make me feel this way for fictional characters?! I'm so mad. This was beautiful and author, you are amazing with words. 10000/10 I love every part of this from the characters, the story to the soundtrack.

i absolutely loved this game omg. 10/10. my only complaint is that i wish there were options to be a trans man/trans woman. there is a nonbinary option which is absolutely wonderful so thats not to say there is no trans representation, but it is a little disheartening to have to choose between either a body that doesnt represent me or a gender that doesnt lol. mainly for the explicit scenes and the mention of what the citizens are forced to go through. really a lovely story though!! the music adds so much to it!! and oh my goodness to see youre the creator of cantata too!! recently finished a playthrough of it and absolutely adored it so this was super exciting :))

Genuinely a masterpiece. 10/10 experience and something I would re-read again. I loved everything about the story - especially how it makes the reader feel!!!

I recently finished reading for the second time and I am going to just say wow. After I saw that it had been updated to include extra content I was more than willing to read through a second time having already enjoyed it so much the first. This time I decided to choose the Robin route, as opposed to Lion as I did the first, and can I just say that I was not disappointed in the slightest. Everything about this is just chefs kiss. From the amazingly written story, to the beautiful art in the background and of the characters before even getting to the story, and even the music just perfectly sets the scene with great ambiance for reading. And can I just say as well Chapter 10, OMG, as a person who often doesn't get attached to characters or emotional about fictional characters I was on the verge of tears for the second time whilst reading it, and that I think shows just how well these characters were written that I was able to get attached enough to them in such a short amount of time that they made me emotional. At some point I definitely plan on reading through the Ferret and Heron routes as well because I just can't get enough of this.

Masterpiece.

I stumbled across the recommendation for this game on reddit earlier today. I decided to give it a shot since it’s the exact genre I usually gravitate towards. I finished this IF in a few hours quite literally, I was hooked and I probably should’ve paced myself but it was just so good. I definitely plan on replaying for other romance routes, since I did the Ferret route. This is the only IF that I’ve ever finished. I even shed a tear during Fawn and Bison’s end. It reminded me deeply of 1984, Fahrenheit 451, The Handmaidens Tale, The Giver, hell even The Hunger Games and so much more. I truly loved this experience. The music was prefect and helped set the mood. Thank you for writing and releasing this. I hope to read more of your work if you ever decide to release another story. 10/10, I have to go recommend this to my friends now! 

i just finished it, and i haven't stopped crying since the deaths until the end. this, people, is a perfect example of why knowledge is powerful! keep reading! keep asking questions! for ignorance is the start of doom! thank you for bringing this story to life, this has been an amazing experience <3

The first IF i ever finished fully- I AM IN LOVEEEEEE! Amazingly written with scenes that break and make my heart. Absolutely beautiful. 
Also Lion is coming home with me.

Ahhhhh! Ferret, it's so good to be reading about you again as well as Keiko! 💜💜Your spirit continues to live on in my Cantata pet, they certainly have the same attitude. 🦦

Thank you for the extended dialogue, Fir! It was so nice to see not only the updated format of the story, but all the characters again after re-reading. Chapter 10 will forever be heartbreaking though 😭.

Congratulations, Fir! I can't believe it's already been a year, I'm glad to have been able to read this since the day of it's release. Will always be a supporter here and there when you need me 💜💜.

Really loved the journal entries at the beginning of the chapters. Idk if this literary device has a name, but it always works really well.

This IF made me cry but also filled me with hope (your choice of BGM was helpful in setting the tone), thank you.

Looking forward to exploring Cantata as it's being developed 🤎

This game is so beautiful imma die ;0; peak story telling 

( when i saw it updated i almost exploded ) 

Slight spoilers but was that a Cantata reference at the end of Ferret’s epilogue??? Because if so that’s hilarious 💀 

Played the update... Safe to say, even more tears shed than last time. Absolutely beautiful story and ethereal music to go with it, viatica has become a comfort game of mine especially with all the stuff happening in the US. You're game gives me hope that one day, I as well will have the freedom to be who I am. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart🥲

OH EM GEE... AN UPDATE!!! I literally love this game sm, ty for all your hard work!!!!

how did you even think to write this story? this is amazing and i'm not even done yet! i love this!

What a wonderful surprise to see an update, i'm eating it up right now mueheh

Beautiful game!

My english is not very good, but i must gush about this IF. 

This IF is such a wonderful story. Parts of it made me stay glued my chair to keep reading while some parts made me take a walk outside to process.  

Such a perfect mix of tragedy, hope and romance. I cant wait to recommend this to my friends.

This story was so, so beautiful. It has deeply moved me in a way not many other stories have, and I'm so grateful you have written it. This is easily one of my favorite IF's on this site so far. Please never stop writing. 

This is quite possibly the only IF that has ever made me cry over a slinky but it did. And I mean that in the best way possible. This whole story is presented so beautifully, with such a haunting presence throughout. I feel so much with each page. By the ending I was crying many happy tears. What a wonderful experience. Thank you, so much, for sharing this.

Reading this novel was one of the best experiences of my life. The relationships you build with your partners feel so genuine, and the story is captivating.

Hi! I love Cantata and I've just started reading this too and oh dear am I already hooked! This is probably a stupid question, but is there a way to save your progress in this game? Or have multiple save files?

Finally finished this today! An absolute gem, that sadly seems to mirror what's been happening lately :')

I started reading this story when it was still a WIP months ago, and I remember putting it on hold when the dreaded chapter 10 came out, because I wasn't mentally ready to face it. 

Now I've finally come back to finish it, and I'm proud to announce that I only cried a little in chapter 10, but what really made me cry was the last option in the epilogue, when I had the option to choose that my MC was expecting Robin's baby 🥺

There is something so beautiful and hopeful about it, especially after all the trauma they both went through in the chamber, that I just couldn't take it and before I knew it I was crying like a baby. For me, it's canonical that when their baby was born, Wren and Robin named them Fawn or Bison in tribute to their friends. 

Now I'm going to replay it to do Ferret's route, but I felt I had to leave this message here to join the chorus of people praising the author, because really, this story was one of the best experiences I've had with IFs to date. Thank you for this beautiful story, author ❤️

I created a damn account just to comment. 

This was wonderful. The world-building, the character development, the humor, the themes, all of them are done masterfully. One of the best on the goddamn site! 

The world-building was excellently done. I am amazed at how much you gave with so few words. Thank you for not just having an info-dump chapter, and spreading it out. The journal entries were fantastic, and really conveyed how good intentions slowly but surely warped into something truly dystopian. I loved how you even brought that up.

I really felt like the characters mattered. I adored each of them, and the deaths of [you know who] shattered me. Phenomenal work. 

The dialogue, especially (albeit surprisingly) the humor, was very well-done. I laughed a lot, and that's really nice during stories such as these. I had such a sense as to the raw emotion from the characters. They truly came alive.

The themes were really the strongest part of this. I had to step back and ponder to myself during the choice to fight or flee. You've really captured the essence in why I love what I call "optimistic dystopian", that is, really really dark, but with hope and ideals to guide the characters.

Lastly, the music... by God the MUSIC! I cannot praise you enough for the choice and placements of it. At first, I thought it'd be distracting, but it very much added to the experience. 

One slight critique is that I'd love to be able to save and load playthroughs, because I got stuck in the 'Character Traits' menu and... yeah.

All-in-all, this was a masterclass in how to do this kind of story, and I adore it. Well done.

P.S. I romanced Ferret, who you did an excellent job with and may I just say that I've only cried once before during a sex scene, and that has now happened twice. So... good job with the smut!

Omg!!! This was beautiful, I went in expecting it to be good due to the comments and I was still blown away. I got so into it I somehow read it all in one night. Never have I laughed and cried so much at an IF before.  Wholeheartedly, I recommend anyone and everyone to read/play this and then do it all again, maybe even a third time for luck. 

Hello!!

Thank you so much for making this game - seriously - it is genuinely one of the best things I've ever had the chance to read/play. I found this after playing Cantata, and it made me feel so many emotions - it is so beautifully written. It takes a lot of skill and patience to write something like this, and it takes a lot to be able to write something that actually moves people.

I played through the entire game in two sittings spanning two days (I got VERY into it LOL, it was hard to stop playing once I started) and enjoyed every second of it. I plan to play through it a few more times to go through the other romance routes, but I will take a bit of a break between then, my heart can only take so much, haha! I romanced Robin on this (my first) playthrough and I adore them. As someone who is also young non-binary person, similar age to Robin, I found I could relate to them immensely, and found some things they said particularly moving (although, the whole game was moving). Having to be put into a box of either "man" or "woman" is very draining - I was born a woman and will sadly always be seen as a woman to some people - especially since I present feminine. While it is hard, people around you truly make a difference - my friends, family, and other queer people around me remind me that I am not alone, and there are so many people like us.

I genuinely cannot overstate how much representation means to so many people, and to have a character who also feels the same way as I do in certain aspects really is comforting. Thank you so much for writing such a wonderful story and deciding to share it with us!!

Do you have a discord/etc for this community? Totally okay if not! I know a lot of people don't know or aren't interested in using platforms like that, and no pressure or anything if there isn't! If you a discord in particular I'd love to join! Or, if you wanted, I know I and multiple other people would love to help you create one! It'd be a lovely way to be able to talk more about the game, share fanart / fanfictions about the series (both this one + Cantana, and other games you have made), and so you can let people know when updates are released and stuff! (I forget to check itch.io a lot LOL) ! No stress if not though, just thought I'd throw the idea out there, haha!

Thank you so much again, I'll be patiently waiting for updates with Cantana!! :D <3

(and sorry for the long comment!!)

This!! This is a masterpiece!! Im fudging bawling right now. Ive read this IF after your Cantata. I really really love your works. ♥️ 

ok, I'd like 4 books an 8 season long show and 2 movies please

I loved this game sm!!! I didn't know I was capable of reading so much in one setting with my fried attention span until now LOL  The story blew me away and I grew so fond of the characters. Heron being my fav! Playing this game hits a little harder now when we take into mind the current political state of the world. Just like in this game, our voices matter and we have the right to fight back against tyrannical forces. Would 100% recommend this game to others!

I started Viatica around a month ago and read up to almost the end of Chapter 11 in basically one sitting (although I did get up a few times lol) and only got round to finishing it today. I've laughed and cried (and I'm about to cry again while writing this) and wished death upon certain characters (and the music box ending made that wish come true :D), and I just have to say that this story, your story, is absolutely phenomenal. Through your writing, I grew so attached to these characters and regret none of my choices (except not talking to Heron more in the earlier chapters when I had the chance lol). Even so, however, I think the lack of ability to save was very fitting (even though the lack of save files wasn't a storytelling choice) because it made every choice more important and it prevented me from exploring every option to find out the answer I liked the best. I love how we were given the clear choice on whether we wanted nsfw content and that the sfw options were so lovely and cute and it didn't feel like we were missing out on the plot (because we weren't!) so I happily enjoyed a predominantly fluffy route with Lion. Character deaths were, without spoilers, impactful. I cried (and am about to cry again just thinking about it) because, just...wow. This is the first text only IF I've played on itch, and it was brilliant that even the way I treated the (technically) side characters had a huge impact (or so I assume, since I've only gotten one ending for now), but it seems to me that every choice holds weight, and I really like that. I am so grateful for the message of hope, even echoed in the journal entries, and it was definitely a message that I personally needed (guess who might actually cry this time) and it is definitely a message the world needs given how messed up things are right now. I just want to say thank you, because this story is a gift that I am glad that I decided to open it up and try it out. I'm definitely going to check out Cantata and the April Fools chapters when I have the time, but I'm still deciding on whether or not I want to try and get another ending, considering how satisfying the ending I just got was. We'll see, I guess. By the way, I also found a few grammatical errors/typos near the end and took some screenshots just in case you wanted to see, but I haven't attached them just in case you don't. Anyways, I want to end again with a thank you. Thank you for sharing this fantastic story with all of us, and thank you for the hope that came with it.

No way to download it? Its only in browser?

I 'FINALLY' somehow stumbled onto this... Oh dear... I have laught, raged, mourned and cried. Everything I love about stories making you FEEL and this was it. I will be replaying it many times, I can tell. Not before the April fool special though XD I need some laughters after those last chapters. Love your work. (Also I had to read without glasses at one point because I was crying too much out of joy in the epilogue)

I’m in emotions , I’M IN TEARS o(〒﹏〒)o.

Such a great and interesting interactive fiction that I read. Heron and Bear are my favorites, such sweethearts. I’ve already gone through three endings, and I think I’ll go through a couple more ✊. Author, thank you so much for this story, I can’t wait for the Cantata to be released in full.

(I’m sorry, English is not my native language, so I wrote it with the help of a translator, I hope I wrote it clearly (つ･･)つ)

Just finished and I have one thing to say to you Fir & Fireweed, I love you 🖤🖤🖤 Jokes aside, I love the story and it was heart breaking what happened to fawn and bison, horrible what happens with the chamber, and im glad its gone. This story was amazing and i plan to play through every character's romance path, robin's was amazing, as we get to navigate their discovery and acceptance of themself and their journey of their fear.

you know, i've never been a fan of dystopias, but this is something else. 

with each page i returned more and more to my childhood. i'm not saying that i've experienced something like this, but about the atmosphere itself. something... dreamlike. something intimate and alive, i would say. this "fantastique" is not hidden here in the magical atmosphere and fiction, respectively, this fantastique of the lines here lies in the hope that you feel while you read, and in the unshakeable faith in the best. you feel the characters, you sympathize with them, you fight and cry shoulder to shoulder with them, you look at this peace from the window with your own eyes, this peace they came to on their own. 

i couldn't stop reading, haha. this short but warm story, and what you, author, have achieved with your word, not everyone can achieve nowadays. 

i'm immensely grateful to you for the rare sense of rightness and peace that you have given me. sorry if my words are not so clear, english is not my native language, but i tried to express my feelings as clearly as possible TT.

if anyone read this comment before going to the story, then i want to tell you that you won't regret it. this is not just fiction. these are pages of hope, this is the story of those in whom this hope has not found its end, those who will continue to pass this hope on to the same burning and passionate souls as themselves.

First time i'm commenting on an IF (out of the tons i've read) but this story deserves it, it's simply a masterpiece. At first I was curious about how an author would spin the tale of how such impossibly strict society had come about, then I got hooked by how strongly the writing can captivate and invoke emotion on the reader. Now at the end of it, I've finally realized the sun is raising and I've spent my entire night reading this, I've cried like a baby and laughed hard, seriously I'm moved beyond words with how amaizing this story is. The bread crumbs given through the journal entries painted such a realistic downward spiral, it made me remember my history lessons about slavery here in Brazil, how very few violent and cruel enforcers were enough to make a lot of people bow in submission, deprived of their own culture and language they lost their identity, will and agency. How this scenario was made realistic, the characters are relatable and unique, and the way their emotions and struggles were delivered, all of it was perfect. Congratulations on writing the best, the most engaging IF. Looking forward to more amaizing stories.<3

(PS: forgive my sleepdeprieved ramblings and bad english, in PT-BR i would say in far less words: Parabéns por escrever essa história foda. Obrigada por compartilhar essa joia conosco.)