friends with dogs
https://mr-thylacine.itch.io/friends-with-dogs
Dogs, death, and a desperate quest for the dearly-departed.
Hayden is kind of an asshole. He also just had his long-term relationship destroyed, and his partner is gone forever... so now he's not only an asshole. He's a bitter, mournful asshole desperate to rebuild a meaningful relationship.
Despite his grief, our protagonist (and charming narrator) won't let any of that show - at least to the outside world. He's just moved away for college, after all, and wants to keep the negativity to a minimum.
You would think that his emotional state would get better with some alone time. Some distance. Some other activity to occupy his mind and get over his loss.
Maybe he'll travel the world. Move away from Earth. Live his own life without the hassle of other people.
And then, for no reason, these girls show up. It's like wherever he goes, they go.
You know... just like dogs.
What is this even about?
• Meet adorable dogs
• Talk about plant-based recipes
• Play Humans vs. Zombies
• Rummage through an estate sale
• Listen to the musings of someone surrounded by death
• Convince everyone you're not a total asshole
• And finally, confront your sins
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IMAGES
CHARACTERS
SAFFRON
You might not care about Saffron, but that's okay - neither does Hayden, our MC! (Well, at first...)
According to Hayden, she's weird, indecisive, and bakes really good cookies!
She's uncertain about a lot of things, though - for instance, if she should make the leap from being a volunteer to a paid employee at the dog shelter! And she doesn't like praise at all, even when she's done exceptional work.
Will Hayden look past her awkwardness and convince her that she's worthy of being paid? Or will his first impression of her blind him to her strengths?
BERYL
Meet Beryl! Energetic, outgoing, and a little chaotic, she's ready to hang out with dogs and people alike - her pack of friends and canines prove it!
Hayden thinks she doesn't really have a conscience, but a bit of eavesdropping at the mall suggests that Beryl isn't as free-spirited as she seems. Will Hayden help give Beryl a nudge in a more hopeful direction, or will he end up leaving her to wander like a stray without purpose?
RUBY
It's not often that someone you've just met hates you for no reason, and Ruby definitely fills that space. Why, though? Hayden hasn't done anything wrong - besides judging people, of course. And Ruby gives him the creeps, staring him down like he's an intruder.
But as they encounter each other more often, Ruby's attitude changes every time. Slowly, they begin to respect each other, and their conversations feel more and more natural - even when they're laced with death-related topics. So what did Hayden do to make Ruby initially hate him so much?
HAYDEN
Ah, yes. Our protagonist.
He spends a lot of time studying for school and observing people from afar - until everyone drags him into their business, forcing him to get involved.
Dogs? Biking? Walking into someone's house and buying all their crap? Sitting in a peppy anime café surrounded by cat maids? What is this? Does he need it to graduate? Will it be on the exam?
All he wanted in life was to go it alone with one simple quest - to search for what he's lost.
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DEVELOPER LOGS
All developer logs are available on the friends with dogs itch.io page. They're usually bi-weekly and feature screenshots, progress for each section (visuals, audio, etc.), some struggles and solutions, and a fluctuating to-do list.
Read the first one here:
https://mr-thylacine.itch.io/friends-wi ... st-22-2020
Read the final one here:
https://mr-thylacine.itch.io/friends-wi ... st-15-2021
See my thread about friends with dogs in the Works in Progress board:
viewtopic.php?f=43&t=62321
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NOTES
I got into visual novels a few years ago and liked the idea of combining art, writing, music, and programming into one project.
fwd was supposed to be a small project, but eventually grew because the story got longer. This was fine because I like writing. I just didn't know the whole thing would take this long, haha! I like working on it, though.
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POCKET CHIBIS BY JOHAN
Check out pocket chibi Hayden! ^.^
viewtopic.php?f=62&t=61750
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a good day ^.^
- M.
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friends with dogs itch.io page
https://mr-thylacine.itch.io/friends-with-dogs
Please enjoy! ^.^
- M.
I'm open to questions, comments, etc.
