Note: Post has been updated with the more detailed, up-to-date information about the call.
Hey everyone!
I'm the writer and artist behind The Inverted Spire (https://yozhikisblue.itch.io/the-inverted-spire), a dark fantasy/psychological horror VN where you are one of seven goblin mages sent on a dungeon crawl to redeem yourself before the dystopian state of New Order.
We're currently aiming for a release of Chapters 1 & 2 on November 30th. The game has made considerable progress, and things are coming together on schedule for the moment. However, we could really use more beta readers!
Here's what we need your help with:
Making sure the game's relationship building mechanics are balanced (TIS employs some unusual mechanics that you can read about here and here).
Avoiding incongruencies in character development, where later scenes seem out of character with player choices made throughout the game.
Minimizing grammar and spelling mistakes.
Ensuring the dialogue puzzles (particularly those in Chapter 2) are of reasonable difficulty.
Getting a better idea of how the characters come across to players overall, and incorporating feedback to make sure we communicate their development effectively across branching story paths.
*Please note that if any of this sounds intimidating, at the end of the day we're really just looking for people to try a playthrough and tell us about their experience. Prior knowledge of VNs, game development, the genre, or editing in general is not required. But hearing different player perspectives on character development, the gameplay etc. is still very valuable to us!
The amount of time you would like to invest in trying different routes is entirely up to you (however we do request that you commit to at least one full playthrough!) Similarly, there's no pressure to comb the script for grammar or spelling errors. We simply appreciate them pointed out if you happen to notice one.
Extended Synopsis:
The Inverted Spire is a dark fantasy tale with themes of redemption and self-discovery in a brutal dystopian world.
You play as a mentalist, a mind-reading mage whose citizen score has fallen below the threshold of social acceptability.
Normally, you would spend the rest of your life in the Corrective Camps of the State of New Order, but you have volunteered yourself for an expedition into the Inverted Spire.
The Spire is an unearthly architectural marvel stretching many leagues below ground. It has no known origin, and has been altering the surrounding landscape into an unlivable wasteland.
Your Council has been sending groups of prisoners into the structure for decades with the stated intent of investigating and destroying it. This is the sole opportunity for wards of state to have their crimes forgiven, reputation scores reset, and citizenship fully reinstated. The opening ceremonies of such expeditions have even become a crowd-pleasing public event.
None have ever returned.
But you, and the six others who have been "volunteered" alongside you, are determined to be the first survivors.
Read minds. Form alliances. Break them. Find true companionship. Make true enemies.
Become the person you always wished you could be, or succumb to your darkest urges.
Anything is possible in the uncharted depths of the Spire.
Timeline:
We're looking to beta-test a primarily text-based (with limited GUI/visual assets) version of the game beginning September 30th, and would be looking to receive feedback no later than mid-to-late October so we can make sure to incorporate it in time for the projected release date!
Content Warnings:
The game is intended for a mature audience (18+), and does deal with some heavy subject matter. As a consequence of that, we'll be providing beta readers with detailed content warnings that describe this to the best of our ability prior to diving in (I would be happy to discuss specific concerns with individual readers as well).
To give you a basic overview, themes of resilience and trauma recovery are significant to the narrative overall.
These include: Themes of mental illness. Themes of substance abuse. References to past relational violence and abusive relationship dynamics. Violence experienced directly by the protagonist and other characters in the story. Body Dysmorphia and body horror. Existential horror, particularly as it relates to existing as a political prisoner in an authoritarian state.
What we can offer in return:
Unfortunately, we cannot pay for your efforts at this time (TIS is a passion project currently being developed entirely out-of-pocket on a shoestring budget), but I am an experienced illustrator, editor (including sensitivity reading), and comic creator, and would be happy to provide assistance to other projects as time allows (feel free to ask about specific things you have in mind!)
Any beta readers will of course also be fully credited on the landing page and in-game credits once the Chapter 1 & 2 release is out.
If you're interested in helping out, please don't hesitate to reach out and let us know!
We'll be checking the comments on this post, but you can also message me privately on Twitter or Instagram, where I go by yozhikisblue.
Alternatively, you can send me an email expressing you interest at yozhikisblue@gmail.com