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; _ ; thank you so much for your kind words, it means a lot! I really like adding silly stuff for NPCs to say in quick little games like these aaa

I've updated the game since this post, I hope you're able to play the most recent version ><; sorry for the trouble!

It still rains inside the old man's castle...thing, and I wasn't sure how to progress from there (browser version).

 The dialogue felt very blunt and without much emotion without punctuation. 

The idea is interesting, in that we get to play as both a dev and Reid.

I'm sure with more time available, you could flesh out some stuff nicely. Pretty cute game though!

I had no idea there were even shops to get to on the world map, if thats what you meant! I knew enemies could provide the dropped currency (hopefully, I didnt try myself).

If not, then like I mentioned, there would be nothing to spend it on if we can't backtrack to the village.

 But otherwise, I did think it was a unique experience, especially the beginning! It set up high stakes for the player to make the right choice (I ended up walking right into an enemy and was knocked out, going a way I knew I wasn't supposed to, just to satisfy curiosity haha, it was exciting.)

I do appreciate the effort that went into making everything look nice with the added effects visually (I really liked the blacksmith in the village hehe)

I think this has the makings of something really cool if you decide to ever expand on this idea :> 

I was accidentally forced into choosing an ending prematurely: after entering the village, I followed Kasey into the north building, and there was no option to back out. I was able to reload thanks to the auto save feature, so that was nice (: The intro was really stressful, I think in a good way, however I will say that the effect around some corners made it difficult to tell whether something was an npc or not. 

Definitely made me feel like every second counted, haha! also, you can just run away from every enemy (on the world map), at a pretty high chance to escape rate... also, it was very difficult to find out how to advance while on the world map, as I tried to interact several times with the area, only to find out I had to step on a specific tile to advance. It felt quite short, but the visual assets and tweaks looked nice. 

Ultimately, I felt a bit disappointed that there wasn't a way to buy any items before leaving the main village, as you can't (from what I've seen) backtrack (and you start with 0 G) . Also, with the fact that you can sort of speedrun the game to the end by running away from all enemies. 

I also wouldn't mind if you'd like :> Mine's quite short haha

Wow, this was really heartbreaking! At first it of course sounded sad, but as the days progressed, it felt more and more somber... especially Lily ; _ ; I honestly feel like, if I played this on a bad day, I'd probably be crying about it;; 

This really fit the theme, for sure! Bittersweet..... Also, I liked the inclusion of different era sprites (biased, i love FES)

aw, thank you so much! This really means a lot, especially since flavortext/extra dialogue is my favorite part of gamemaking haha. Much appreciated :>

You know what time it is: NEW CHEVIE GAME WAHOO!! I really really loved this one! The colors, the theme...it was super cool to see all the branching effects take action. Like the entire setup of making different teas was so cool to see in an RPG Maker game!! As for the game/story itself: SPOILERS????

 I really liked this overarching sense of foreboding before you really get into it. We go in knowing we're playing a dark/horror esque type game, and not aware just how bad or scary things are about to get. The segments in the woods before "collecting", made me really anxious. I kept thinking something was about to pop out, or if we backtracked, something unexpected might happen.

I really love the foreshadowing of everything to come by noticing the "interesting" items around Lillian's wagon. At first, you might think maybe these herbal medicines might include unconventional things... and then It Happens(tm). 

At first, the whole idea of Lillian actually being someone who's 'at the wrong place at the wrong time', but we get a glimpse of what really was going on after we learn where she's from and it's past tragedies...whether it was truthful or not. Actually, that's something I really loved about this: how unreliable of a narrator Lillian even was. 

She's coy but stoic enough, and speaks casually enough or confidently that you wouldn't really think to assume the worst of her. I really like when she lied about being visited earlier, too, in the later half of the game. One might think that was some kind of error, but no, she's just (: biding and waiting.

I think in this way, she's like a spider or another type of animal or creature that does What She Does(tm), or like a pitcher plant or venus fly trap. I wonder if there was inspiration for that in the plant motifs? There's tons of unanswered things about who Lillian even is. How did she get this way? Was she someone else entirely before she got into The Collecting? Did she pop into existence as this THING? Another way of looking at it could be people's perspective on weeds:

They usually suffocate and kill other plants around them to be able to get the best possible opportunity to grow and thrive, especially vine like weeds. Some really hate them, considering them ugly, a "flaw" in an otherwise "perfect" lawn. But then, they also have their role in nature, right? 

Some of their flowers, weeds that is, are very vibrant and beautiful (re: dandelion or morning glory or even #shoutout blackberry shrubs).

Carnivorous plants are also really cool in this sense. Did you know venus flytraps usually sprout their flower far, far away from their "mouth" parts? they don't want to be able to "eat" their pollinators. I wonder if we can look at Lillian in the same light, like some being that feeds off of others in some shape or form...but still needs humans in general to thrive.

If she's not human, what exactly is she? If she IS "human", what exactly lead to this kind of behavior? All this went through my head while figuring out more about her, or therelackof.

And of course, I loved all the different characters! Everyone had different quirks and uniqueness about them, and they felt very fleshed out despite the short time we had with them.

Something in particular I also enjoyed was the idea of no one knowing what's going on. Being in an 'old time setting', we don't have the luxuries of cameras, phones or anything besides intuition and rumors. Pretty much an almost lawless land, these times. Back when you didn't have to be too clean, could get your hands dirty with mulch or a freshly dug grave and no one would even know it was you.

I think that's another horrifying factor: no one will ever know. Not for sure, at least, that it was Lillian or that she could be able to do ...well, anything! Near the end, we see a mob of people, ready to question or maybe even kill Lillian. Like, another factor that goes along side of "you used to get away with anything", in terms of say, burning someone at the stake because she showed a bit of ankle idk.

Lots and lots of tense and heavy atmosphere, and with so much beautiful background images and character art...I just love seeing it so much!! I've yapped to you about that separately but I wanted to make sure to mention it here again (:

If Lillian keeps going, I hope she'll become some huge, powerful being or creature that can have a big garden. Yeah, she'll be #evil about it but idk abt you guys but I support women ^w^

Anyway, even though Lillian was ultimately not what she seemed, I think I really love her as a character and maybe possibly metaphor. Oooh looks x way but behaves y way, that sort of thing. I love it. I LOVE IT!! Part of me also wonders how she'd be in the world of Invasive Species (#goatedgame)... 

'Nother banger from you, Chevie!!!!!!111

haha that's alright!! i've been lurking in the discord for a few years, so I'm aware of all the cool new stuff that's been made available, and Im really excited to play more, (especially the conclusion of RH!) and that sucks about the pricing situation on itchio's part, but I'm glad to know it was just a hiccup though! Happy to help!! :>

hi why is this game now almost $1000? I'm glad I already own it on steam, but I was wondering if this was some sort of gag or something.

LOVED IT!!! I love all the colorful pieces of furniture and the oppressive feeling looming overhead... like you can just tell something's Not Quite Right(tm). I love the BellaDonna motif throughout and I love how every thing you do counts towards a specific end, but it's not difficult to try for all of them which I appreciate! 

SPOILERS!!11

It's a short experience but I really enjoyed it, and could feel myself getting tense being around this "Donna" person.

Maybe if she were a bit more of a charming person (which she tried at first!), she'd be more trusting to "Bella", but if what she's saying is true, that we've just routinely "lost our memories", then I can also understand the frustration of having to go through the same song and dance again and again... 

But there's always this paranoia, especially with the flowers everywhere, the gas mask, the boarded up windows...it's hard to tell just what's going on out there, and I'd be worried too, but I think personally, I'd feel like a trapped rat and would want to claw my way out!! "Bella" KEEP ON RUNNING I BELIEVE IN YOU!!!

Another lovely BroodyGaming game if I do say so myself (:

thank you so much! ❤️ 

Wao thank you so much for the kind words abt...well everything, haha! Chevie did awesome at the level design, and I was so happy to work together with her on such a heartbreaking game j _ j 

capturing the mind of a child who clearly isn't able to communicate their feelings very well was a major point we wanted to tackle, in particular, checking again and again due to a feeling of: "maybe I didn't check the right way? Maybe if I look again, I'll see that they're home? Maybe I'll see why they're not there?" And so forth. 

thank you so much for your compliments, I'm shy about my art in particular ahaha but Chevie knocked it out of the park with her adding emotions for Poppy as a way for her to communicate without outwardly doing so, yet still convey to the audience how she's feeling. 

I always love reading your detailed notes on things, it makes it feel like our planning and depth that went into making the game feel more worthwhile like "yaay, someone noticed!" 

I hope Poppy and her father can learn to come to terms with everything and heal together in the future...

Thank you again so much :>

thank you so much!  (:

wow, thank you so much for such another heartfelt and detailed comment! Or commentary, rather!

I feel you and some others are really able to dissect and Understand the complexity of what it meant for var as a person and how he represented himself in a way all the way up on the mountains- 

Purposefully isolating himself in a way to protect himself from harsh judgment and abuse, and so he decided to barricade himself up on the mountains, covering himself in a metaphorical spiked shell like a porcupine or some such (re: the hedgehogs dilemma, wherein, though he wishes to truly be known and seen, he ultimately ends up hurting himself or those around him. Even if that were only the case with his father or how Var was made to perceive his life.)

I love the notion that Bora is not only his visual "opposite" but the person in his life he never knew he needed. Someone who would openly poke and pry and not be bothered- the "thorns" or "spikes" aren't there, or were never there to begin with. Var never had an opportunity to know before the events of the game.

Bora, I feel, was meant to be sort of a shining light- a "too good to be true" type of situation. Because, for all Var knew, thered be no one around who would dare or bother to figure him out. No one around to try, seeing that he made sure "no one" would be able to- event though, in his heart, Var wanted more than anything to be accepted. To be seen, heard and loved. 

I wanted Bora to be the one thing Var always wanted or needed. Maybe I'm a hopeless romantic in that; I like to believe there's "someone for everyone". That, despite all our flaws and experiences, there's someone out there, in the near vastness of humanity ever changing, or something- that there's someone who would love and cherish another. Or I believe people deserve to be cherished.

And to have it all ripped away, immediately after finding resolve, Var blames himself for even daring to believe for a second that he could obtain said happiness. When, it was never on purpose. It was an accident. And accidents, mistakes, happen. Regret and pain are a part of love, too, in a way- and I like to imagine Var just...didn't get to really feel what that all meant or how to accept it all till the very end. Maybe.

In my heart, I want to believe these two meet again. Some world, some universe or "after", that he'd get another chance- he'd get to see Bora again and tell him from the start what he meant to him, what he was able to learn about and cherish Bora- and I think Bora would openly accept him. Bora and Var are fleeting moments, like a bubble in icy weather or frost or a breath in the snow. A "blink and you'll miss it" moment in Var (and probably the world's) life. 

Thank you so much, and the music made me want to cry when applying it to the character of Var- I want to do more with these characters. I want to give them substance beyond a game that focused on the bad or major mistake(s) that occur, even if in some way, that may reduce the original "impact" of the narrative-

 ultimately, I love my characters, and I like to treat them as a dollhouse of sorts- they can be anything, or do anything, in a way, because I'm the one who holds the strings or conducts them in a play or scenario- a show; in that, I'm especially grateful that people could enjoy or feel some strong way about this particular story. ...

Basically; I want to do more for them. With them, *for* them. Because I think they deserve it. 

Or maybe I'm just a big baby and want to give character alternate universes or "what if" situations whenever I get attached, haha

❤️ 

cHEVIE..... I'm glad this one ended in a way that was hopeful, at least ; _ ; I'm still sad ofc about the poor woman lost in the snow, alone but it's nice to know that they were both "found" and maybe "at peace".

Parts of the game were definitely scary, esp the thing chasing the player! I wanted to note, though, that at one point, if you're being chased by it, you can't backtrack to the first area (unless that was intentional?) So when running from it, it gives you the text about how you should find a stick/more sticks first. I felt it was a bit funny in the moment, like "hey, i know you're being chased by The Entity, but dont forget those sticks!" 

Part of the flower(?) is visible behind the icicle, which I'm unsure was also intentional or not, but seeing it there, obscured by the icicle, I thought I had to touch or collect it for some reason? Maybe it just stood out to me and i was surprised that it was just for visuals haha

The art was beautiful ofc, and I loved just how freezing cold everything felt! I could feel my fingertips and chest get cold just thinking about wading around with that big heavy, wet dress in the freezing cold auuuugh i'd freeze for sure! You're very talented, using all these original assets/drawings for your games! It's always a real treat to see, and this game was no exception ^w^

A part of me also thinks "i sure hope people dont think the protag. was the one who k*lled someone, out there with all those bones ; _ ;" Either way, people let this be a lesson not to lean too far on rickety railings over a rushing river 😭😭

I also want to say, I'm so, so sorry about your loss. Fuck cancer indeed, and my condolences ):

This one was so sad ; _ ;

SPOILERS FOR PPL WHO HAVEN'T PLAYED YET:

 I kind of wish we got to see what the "creature" was, in the end. I was really shocked when I saw Gregory had left the way he did...after knowing they they were trapped and probably wouldn't live much longer after their food ran out, it was only a matter of time, I guess. Of starvation or going mad from being cooped up so long.

Very short, yes, but I feel there might've been more that could've been added. Or maybe, I mostly felt like some story elements were lacking- I would've loved to get to know Gregory more as a character, and Thomas as well. I think he was pretty harsh about Gregory, but at the same time, I can understand his frustrations.

Maybe they'll be able to reconcile or talk it out more in the afterlife 😭😭

This game was really beautiful to me! I felt like I could relate to Clara in a lot of ways, mentally and unfortunately, in other areas as well. I think her character was written very well, very real and like her conversations with Addie (especially through text messages!) felt organic.

I loved all the different art and the differences in the characters as they aged! The story itself was so sad- I felt frustrated at one point, unsure if what may have happened at the party was indeed what I assumed but...its an unfortunate truth in many spaces, especially in college parties ): 

Part of me feels, with how real Addie's character is written, that maybe she would be both mortified but stuck- the way she still tried to reach out and be close with Clara, since they were kids, meant a lot to her. I think for myself, I felt relatable to Clara in that; how could a soft-spoken person like herself even begin to explain just ...all of it.

And the character of Josh was well- I liked that, even though it was awkward and stifling feeling for Clara; he still made an effort to be mindful of her boundaries when needed (beyond things he just couldn't reasonably be able to tell without reading her mind.) I liked that he wasn't a brutish, dude-bro type guy- though the explanation of the expedition makes sense that he'd be the type of person who wouldn't be that way to begin with, but still.

I really liked how chatty and friendly Addie was to Clara when they met as children...it made what happened between them feel even more bittersweet )': I think Clara did the right thing, though...for herself. Even though it hurts. I wouldn't begin to know how to breach that kind of conversation with a former close friend- I think I'd be too broken to even want to attempt.

 Moving on and cutting people out, even though they meant so much for so long, can be an awful, awful feeling....but mirroring what they said at the sort of beginning, that if they were around one another a lot from the get go, might have made things more strenuous. Maybe that's what ended up happening anyway, even though Clara was trying to open up, if not for a bit of herself, then for Addie. It's hard being the more introverted friend to a social butterfly. Which is probably why I thought their friendship was so sweet... that Addie cared so much for Clara, that she reached out and let herself into her "space" often.

And then it ended up feeling like a cycle- I'm not sure if I'm making much sense, but I feel like it's all incredibly painfully metaphorical, after The Incident and Addie still coming by (not knowing, of course).

As for the gameplay; I really really enjoyed the mechanic of the light/heat source getting dimmer as you travel- the arms/enclosed feeling was very eerie and I felt my heart race as the hands got closer and closer with the timer running out! I thought the crane game was really cool to add, too! I know some people have a hard time with stories that jump around in time to piece together a bigger picture, but I for one love them a ton. It feels more impactful that way- like a bigger explanation to why things are the way they are, like burning a candle at both ends  to meet in the middle aaa

The music at the ending was particularly beautiful, and the times we see the aurora felt good as both a serious/beauty of the world type moment- like despite the shit that happens, the world can still create something pretty. I think it was also a powerful representation during Clara's "confrontation" of the creature; knowing what it "was" more or less.

I'm glad Clara could find some kind of closure, despite it all. At least, I hope she could ): Maybe things will be different when enough time has passed? Or maybe she can at least still be someone who can be happy in life, sometime. I hope ;  _ ;

Very powerfully written; i really enjoyed this game!! We hate Wes in this house

wow, thank you so much for such a detailed description of my little entry! I'm sorry about the visual bugs especially, I was very rushed but that was my own fault. I knew the idea(s) I wanted to explore and try and make into a coherent entry with using my own assets and didn't get to polish it as much as I'd have liked aaa

Apologies for the spelling and such;; as for Var and his father's situation, I feel like he was so desperate for a feeling of acceptance that he wanted to use it as a beacon or a "see? Someone else can care about me and not make me feel bad.", more leaning into his own, self appointed "tantrum" or "childishness".

In all honesty, I didn't intentionally make Bora as ambiguous in relation to avian dimorphism, but that's really cool that it ended up being read that way- maybe a subconscious decision? Still-

I think I have a hard time making stories that balance both a type of "mythical" or "unexplainable phenomena" along with "but that wouldn't happen irl  right?" Like I take it all too seriously and when exploring possible factors of supernatural cases (in the instance of say, monsters or what Bora was or represented) occur, it can be confusing or hard to grasp, as a story element, even for me while writing it. 

I love hearing everyone's interpretation of it all, it makes me feel as if I've succeeded in making a story with some kind of meat to it, even though it ended in such a way. 

In my mind, I feel if I were the one who seemingly found "happiness" in someone else for the first time, only to have it more or less be ripped out of my hands, and especially after having a mental confrontation like Var did with his father...I feel I'd also fall apart. I couldn't see a possibility of Var *not* feeling complete despair- like he had a taste of acceptance and love and it left as soon as it came. Maybe like snow melting, in a way. 

Bittersweet in that, he was able to feel that warmth he'd always needed, but then it left so easily- it felt, to Var, like a cruel joke. Like he, in his mind, felt that "maybe my dad was right or cursed me.", like he never had much confidence and when he had a taste of it, he knew he'd want to be spoiled in that feeling- too fast, maybe. 

I really loved these characters myself, and I'd like to draw them together sometime too- maybe Var, in some world or some universe, can be as happy as he felt in those few days just a bit longer.

Thank you again so much for your thoughts! I love hearing everyone's different interpretations! This was very pleasant to wake up to, and helpful for creating further, I feel :> 

Ohhh this was such a treat of a game- I love the idea of a BAD END sequel! Very unique idea you don't see very often! :> One thing I forgot to mention in my last comment on the Purge/prequel; I think it's really fun of you to include a bonus folder for when people are done with the game(s)! (The password ref was really funny, if not heartbreaking for poor hank 😭

I really like all the extra details for the character movements like when holding items like the knife, bowl etc, as well as different head movements- it makes it all feel a lot more immersive and less "he just stands there...MENACINGLY" The body horror was suuuper creepy and well done, bravo for making me go "EYUGH OH NO!"

The references to other creators' games was another fun touch, but I will say, there was so much text during the tv scene, that I found it hard to focus without an accompanying image/character art- it was a whole lot of sitting and waiting for the tv show to end/be able to continue with the story- though I know some of it was necessary to remind/tell the audience about what lead to what.

I'm also impressed with the usage of another save slot to achieve a different ending- it feels meta, like we can see what Hank would really do in situations if he had everything laid out properly/time to take a breath and think.

I think I'd also snap and look for any means to "bring my son back" if he went the way he did in this scenario )': Poor Hank...good thing this game isn't canon aaa

Either way! Nice tie in for the main game, and definitely spooky!!

Woah this was really cool! I've only seen the first Purge film, but I think that's enough to understand where all this is coming from, inspiration wise. I love how much Hank cares for his son, especially with how hesitant he was to commit crimes to be able to keep him safe. I was shocked at the bad ending- I felt so bad waaa but also, I jumped hard when the bad guys knocked Hank out right when he came home- really good scare haha

I like everyone's expressions, it was a nice touch to have Hank "look" in the direction of the wrench, for example. I also really liked the different sound effects for the flooring, something I use in my own games often (:

One thing I'll say though, is it felt a bit lacking in music, though I know it's mostly used in tense/important situations. At times it just felt a bit empty, but I did appreciate all the people running around and the yelling/screaming/things on fire- really paints the picture of a purge going on, haha! This was really cool, nice entry!!

This was pretty cute! I was a little bummed at how it ended abruptly right before we got to see Varem's performance. I feel like this was a big buildup to something really great, though! I'd love to see it more fleshed out or to see how the story continues beyond what we see in this game (:

I will say, some parts of the text took me out of immersion a bit, mostly due to some grammatical errors and my personal thoughts about using the  typing/writing style of "Yeah" as "yea"- it makes the writing feel somewhat amateurish, if that makes sense? But not a big issue! That, and the absence of punctuation threw me off a bit as well. 

Another thing; without the usual arrow at the bottom (or other indicator in the default System/Menu settings), it was hard to tell when a character was done talking or if the sequence/scene was going to continue without key input (basically, i sat there after a character was done talking with their talk window still open bc I wasn't sure if it was going to clear itself haha)

I liked the artwork, but some parts were a bit dark- I wasn't sure what I was looking at in certain points, but I think that's forgivable due to them being in a cave-like system. Also, I feel this would've benefited from having maybe more CG/character graphics during the sitting and chatting scene with the tomatoes- it felt a bit empty in my mind, but I did enjoy the casual conversation. I also liked how Varem was obviously still mourning the loss of his parents, but was steeled in that he knew he had to continue for their sake- very nice! I also liked how his hair is just everywhere and how he eats rocks, hahah what a silly little guy (:

Thanks for sharing! <3

Woooaahhh this was insane in how creative and scary it was??? I, too was surprised by the rtp at first, and then I was shocked at the sudden turn of visual events!! I got scared so often, I jumped a few times when I got "caught", haha!

SPOILERS BELOW IF U HAVEN'T PLAYED!

I lovelovelove the idea of a cult coming together to try and summon a demon through a video game- especially so with the retro gameplay and soundfonts- I really felt like I was playing an old DOS game! Each time the game would change, I was on the edge of my seat thinking 'oh man something's going to jump out at meee' 

One tiny thing I'd say was how the flashing part in the end made things sort of difficult to see till the very last moment (for me, anyway), but I was so relieved when I was able to get the code in the end ;w;/ The glitchy colors and effects were a great touch with this all being a whole "computer game", especially those from the 80s with it's limited colors and play-style.

Super unique gameplay, super scary "enemies", everything was very spooky indeed!! I also liked how the "devs" talked to eachother with notes within the game. I felt so bad for Ashley ; _ ; but I hope everyone can be at ease with the "happy"(?) ending! I still cant believe this was made with MV- fantastic presentation!! Thanks for sharing this cool entry!!!