Hi Good_Soup (Nice name!). About the Emily remark, she's indeed a character that's very much stuck in the past. We've mentioned this before, but for us DK is a game that deliberately explores the complexities of social toxicity. Emily's misogynistic attitude isn't just a character trait; it represents the unfortunate reality that many people still harbor these destructive beliefs. Her presence as the first woman character is intentional - she appears when the MC is trapped in an endless cycle of unhealthy relationships, lacking the confidence to confront these patterns. But (I don't know if you've played the last chapter) as the MC develops self-awareness and courage, more positive relationships naturally begin to emerge, reflecting her internal growth.
When we conceptualized this game, we aimed to critically examine the insidious forms of toxicity that permeate everyday relationships, which directly inspired characters like José and Emily. The narrative arc focuses on breaking destructive cycles and creating healthier spaces for personal development (and yes, there are killers too because it's just too much fun).
Just as pick-me girls exist, pick-me boys exist as well, and we wanted to show all of them. We typically find that games in this genre often feature one stereotype while strangely omitting the other. With Maya, (in the future) we want to portray what a genuinely supportive female friendship looks like, providing a meaningful contrast to the toxic relationships established earlier.
And yes, the killers are portrayed in a positive light from the protagonist's perspective, but that's precisely how the game acknowledges its own surreal nature.
In real life? Scary as fuck. In a videogame? Entertaining.
Thank you so much for playing and your nice comment!
PS. Charles sideplot... eventually!