Voeux [Mystery, Supernatural, Dark | PWYW/Free]

[Avior]

Download on itch.io!


Summary:
In a world full of wastelands, you wander out from your home one day and come upon a carnival with towering walls, haunted by stories of Shadows and Spirits, of danger and ruin. Though you are afraid, you feel inexplicably drawn inside because, after all…

You have a wish.


About the Game:
Voeux is a short game about your journey for purpose. The game is written in second person perspective.

This is the project I had been working on before I made That Bitter Taste! It's been a long time coming, so I'm happy to finally release it.


Features:
Seven endings (Four character ends, a short end, and two true ends)
~30,000 words
2.5-4 hours of gameplay


Creatures:
Shadows - Not much is known about these strange beings, and they are feared by humans. They have powers called Effects, which are unique to each Shadow. Though they have conscious thought and personality, they aren't quite human...
Spirits - Even more than the Shadows, the Spirits are strange and feared by humans. They wander about seemingly without purpose, and will use their paralyzing gaze to attack anything they believe is a threat...


Characters:

M - The first Shadow you meet. They seem very concerned about the state of the carnival and how your presence might affect it. They make their home at the observation tower.
Celeste - A cheerful Shadow who likes to be entertained. The only one who truly welcomes you, she seems excited by the change your presence brings. She makes her home at the Ferris wheel.
Abdul - A young, reserved Shadow. He seems convinced your presence is dangerous, and guards his space. He makes his home at the roller coaster.
Adrian - Another young Shadow with a nervous temperament. He is interested in the reason you have come to the carnival. He makes his home at the swings and Funhouse.




Your thoughts and honest, constructive criticism are appreciated!

[ShinyKow]

Hi!^-^
I'm currently playing this game, and it's reaaally awesome! I usually play VN's that are romance-based, so I didn't really know what to expect, and...

i'm playing it at night

i'm spooked ;__;

I started playing without headphones, but as soon as I put them on, I could sense shivers run down my spine. The overall silence makes the atmosphere quite heavy, and I kinda froze in surprise at some point X)
The story and characters are equally as interesting, and it is veery frustrating since I've been stuck for like 20 minutes and I really want to know all the little details! I feel like I'm so close, yet so far...;^;
It really is good in my opinion, and I don't think I have anything negative to say Thank you and congrats for this game!^-^

PS:

I don't really know if this is considered "spoilers", but since it concerns the endings I'll hide it just in case So far I've gotten Abdul's and Adrian's finales along with the one where M (i'm guessing Marcel?^~^) turns us into a Shadow, but I can't seem to find the other endings :/ I don't really like asking for help, but right now I'm kinda desperate, so any clue as to what to do next would make me very glad X)

Thank you in advance if you read this (also sorry for any grammar mistakes ._.), and good luck with your future projects!

[ludeshka]

I've only been able to get one ending

(M turns me into a Shadow!)

so I'm here to ask for a walkthrough, or alt least some clues.

I really like this game, the dark atmosphere. I enjoyed the main character describing ordinary things with unease and dread because they weren't ordinary to them. The writing and theme

(stupid world destroying humans!)

made me think of Baroque, or Silent Hill, games with a style I enjoy.

I'm really, really liking this game, so I ask for help, oh brave developer. ^^

[SeaOtter]

This is quite good. I am not a fan of supernatural themes and contrived settings (an abandoned carnival filled with select characters) but the mystery and atmosphere compensated for that many times over. I have only 'finished' one ending (Abdul catching me) and so far, I feel there is still very much to the game and that I need to replay it extensively. Almost every decision you present to me as a player seems crucial. I do not know if this is the case but because of this sense of importance, there's quite a bit of tension. Not only does a character's answer give me clues to the mystery of the carnival but it also gleans a little bit into who they are as a person/shadow.

I do not feel like I have played enough to comment on the story direction but I can say that the writing is solid. Not too terse, not too long. Not too descriptive, not too dialogue-heavy. Not too course, not too pedantic. The choice of making Acts and of using second-person are interesting. Additionally, there are a variety of themes: darkness/light, wishes/needs, memory/familiarity, reality/acting. I honestly don't know where it's going but I am much a fan. Again, I dislike the supernatural so I'm hoping that this whole plot is just some extended metaphor. I'll find out when I play the rest. ^_^

The art and sound are fantastic in how they complement the atmosphere. The art has a particular style which I find hard to appreciate (it reminds me strongly of google sketchup 3D designs w/ outline effects) but the colouring and orientation are fantastic. That start scene where floodlights fill up the top part of the wall and only the gloomy, minimalist entrance is visible was very intelligent. Even small things like how the ferris wheel was shown (imposing, foreign, apathetic) or how the ticket booth was shown (bare, large, dark opening) give boosts to this already dark place. The sound is spot on. No complaints so far.

Overall, that's all. If I have one true criticism it might be something of a game design choice: I feel no connection to the protagonist. I think this is partially because you are using the second-person narrative and sort of forcing me to "be" this character. It is a little unnatural. But then again, this may be intentional? There is an underlying theme that this is a play/act so maybe later in the story we'll be asked to reflect inwards? When I got to the end of Abdul's route, there was a phrase: "After all, you have a longing". And even now, I do not know whether you are addressing me, the protagonist seeking a wish, or me, the player seeking to understand. I hope I'll see eventually. ^_^

Thank you for the game!

[Avior]

Hi everyone! I just wrote a Finale Guide which explains the mechanics of the game/endings (it also has a straight walkthrough, if you prefer that), so hopefully that will help you to get the remaining endings if you're stuck! You can find it as a separate download on the itch.io page. (And if you need some kind of additional help for some reason, feel free to ask me! )

Hi!^-^
I'm currently playing this game, and it's reaaally awesome! I usually play VN's that are romance-based, so I didn't really know what to expect, and...

i'm playing it at night

i'm spooked ;__;

I started playing without headphones, but as soon as I put them on, I could sense shivers run down my spine. The overall silence makes the atmosphere quite heavy, and I kinda froze in surprise at some point X)
The story and characters are equally as interesting, and it is veery frustrating since I've been stuck for like 20 minutes and I really want to know all the little details! I feel like I'm so close, yet so far...;^;
It really is good in my opinion, and I don't think I have anything negative to say Thank you and congrats for this game!^-^

PS:

I don't really know if this is considered "spoilers", but since it concerns the endings I'll hide it just in case So far I've gotten Abdul's and Adrian's finales along with the one where M (i'm guessing Marcel?^~^) turns us into a Shadow, but I can't seem to find the other endings :/ I don't really like asking for help, but right now I'm kinda desperate, so any clue as to what to do next would make me very glad X)

Thank you in advance if you read this (also sorry for any grammar mistakes ._.), and good luck with your future projects!

Thank you! I'm glad the game is sufficiently creeping you out! (Is that mean? ) I thought that silence really worked for this game, so I went with soundscapes and such so it would have some background sounds/music while still maintaining that sense of silence. (I actually have a lot of trouble picking music for games so I was happy for the chance to do soundscapes instead haha.) Glad to know the end result works!

I hope the guide I posted will help you get the other ends. Please come back and let me know your final thoughts on the game once you finish!

I've only been able to get one ending

(M turns me into a Shadow!)

so I'm here to ask for a walkthrough, or alt least some clues.

I really like this game, the dark atmosphere. I enjoyed the main character describing ordinary things with unease and dread because they weren't ordinary to them. The writing and theme

(stupid world destroying humans!)

made me think of Baroque, or Silent Hill, games with a style I enjoy.

I'm really, really liking this game, so I ask for help, oh brave developer. ^^

Thank you so much! I'm glad you're liking the game so far!! I've played a little bit of Silent Hill, but I haven't played Baroque. I'll probably be checking that out now haha. The guide I posted should help you to get the other ends, but let me know if you need more help! And please let me know the rest of your thoughts on the game as you play/when you finish!

This is quite good. I am not a fan of supernatural themes and contrived settings (an abandoned carnival filled with select characters) but the mystery and atmosphere compensated for that many times over. I have only 'finished' one ending (Abdul catching me) and so far, I feel there is still very much to the game and that I need to replay it extensively. Almost every decision you present to me as a player seems crucial. I do not know if this is the case but because of this sense of importance, there's quite a bit of tension. Not only does a character's answer give me clues to the mystery of the carnival but it also gleans a little bit into who they are as a person/shadow.

I do not feel like I have played enough to comment on the story direction but I can say that the writing is solid. Not too terse, not too long. Not too descriptive, not too dialogue-heavy. Not too course, not too pedantic. The choice of making Acts and of using second-person are interesting. Additionally, there are a variety of themes: darkness/light, wishes/needs, memory/familiarity, reality/acting. I honestly don't know where it's going but I am much a fan. Again, I dislike the supernatural so I'm hoping that this whole plot is just some extended metaphor. I'll find out when I play the rest. ^_^

The art and sound are fantastic in how they complement the atmosphere. The art has a particular style which I find hard to appreciate (it reminds me strongly of google sketchup 3D designs w/ outline effects) but the colouring and orientation are fantastic. That start scene where floodlights fill up the top part of the wall and only the gloomy, minimalist entrance is visible was very intelligent. Even small things like how the ferris wheel was shown (imposing, foreign, apathetic) or how the ticket booth was shown (bare, large, dark opening) give boosts to this already dark place. The sound is spot on. No complaints so far.

Overall, that's all. If I have one true criticism it might be something of a game design choice: I feel no connection to the protagonist. I think this is partially because you are using the second-person narrative and sort of forcing me to "be" this character. It is a little unnatural. But then again, this may be intentional? There is an underlying theme that this is a play/act so maybe later in the story we'll be asked to reflect inwards? When I got to the end of Abdul's route, there was a phrase: "After all, you have a longing". And even now, I do not know whether you are addressing me, the protagonist seeking a wish, or me, the player seeking to understand. I hope I'll see eventually. ^_^

Thank you for the game!

Wow, thank you so so much for the super in-depth comments! I'm so glad that you're enjoying the game so far, even though you don't like supernatural stories. (I wonder what made you decide to play it in the first place, haha.)

I'm not going to respond to all of your comments individually because I'll definitely spoil something, but I'm really interested to hear your thoughts after you finish the game! I hope you'll come back and share them with me.

And yes, they are Sketchup backgrounds (with a lot of post-production). I can't draw at all so I have to rely on my 3D modeling and photoshop skills to make backgrounds and sprites and such. I am trying to learn and practice drawing however, so hopefully someday I'll be able to draw at least the backgrounds!

[Bianchii]

Wow I just finished playing this and it was so good! I love games where I get to know about the world through interaction with other characters, instead of games that have you keeping to yourself most of the time haha, I just have one question?

In M's ending are you turned into a shadow? Is that even possible if the Wanderer is only made of a Spirit and a cutout?

I was rather sad to see Marcel and Celeste go though I understand their reasons but it was a super touching moment ;-;

And oh my, all of the character endings were so creepy like gawd, when I find endings that are like this (people keeping the main character as their plaything) I'm always creeped the f out, I guess I tend to approach games with innocence even when they are explicitly horror/terror xD

Also in most games I just play them once and I'm done with them but this one did a pretty good job at keeping their secrets hidden until the very end, enough to make me want to get all of them to know the full story, and it was SO WORTH IT, needless to say I really loved this game, it was wonderful

Everything was perfect, the sounds, the visuals, the story, they all came together just right and delivered a very enjoyable experience, good job!!!

[ludeshka]

Thank you SO much for the walkthrough, I swear I would have never made it to the true ending without it.
(Several of the choices were big "Noooo!" for me and so I never chose them, locking me out of several endings. I wonder if you would reach bad endings in my games?)
It would be interesting to be your friend to understand how you think, or which stories you enjoy.

As a player, I left the world of the game with quite a bit of questions. I would like a story about The Rest! (I think it's an extremely clever name for a settling after the end of the world)
Thank you so much for sharing this story with us.
I'll be looking forward to your next work.

[Avior]

Wow I just finished playing this and it was so good! I love games where I get to know about the world through interaction with other characters, instead of games that have you keeping to yourself most of the time haha, I just have one question?

In M's ending are you turned into a shadow? Is that even possible if the Wanderer is only made of a Spirit and a cutout?

I was rather sad to see Marcel and Celeste go though I understand their reasons but it was a super touching moment ;-;

And oh my, all of the character endings were so creepy like gawd, when I find endings that are like this (people keeping the main character as their plaything) I'm always creeped the f out, I guess I tend to approach games with innocence even when they are explicitly horror/terror xD

Also in most games I just play them once and I'm done with them but this one did a pretty good job at keeping their secrets hidden until the very end, enough to make me want to get all of them to know the full story, and it was SO WORTH IT, needless to say I really loved this game, it was wonderful

Everything was perfect, the sounds, the visuals, the story, they all came together just right and delivered a very enjoyable experience, good job!!!

Thank you so much!! I'm glad you decided to go for all the endings and enjoyed the whole game!

As for your question; in M's end, they don't turn you into a Shadow (since Wanderer doesn't have one), but they kind of absorb your Spirit into them. Since you're nonmatching (ie not the same person), you don't disappear like you otherwise would in that combination. Might be a bit of a weird ending in comparison to the others, but that's how M forces you to go along with them outside of the carnival so they can wreak havoc, or whatever it is that they do haha.

I love those kinds of bittersweet ends, so I was glad I got to do it with M and Celeste. I also love those creepy endings so that was fun as well. I'm glad both had their intended effect for you!

Thank you SO much for the walkthrough, I swear I would have never made it to the true ending without it.
(Several of the choices were big "Noooo!" for me and so I never chose them, locking me out of several endings. I wonder if you would reach bad endings in my games?)
It would be interesting to be your friend to understand how you think, or which stories you enjoy.

As a player, I left the world of the game with quite a bit of questions. I would like a story about The Rest! (I think it's an extremely clever name for a settling after the end of the world)
Thank you so much for sharing this story with us.
I'll be looking forward to your next work.

I'm glad the walkthrough was helpful! In your opinion, do you think that the true end was too hard to get? I wanted to make it challenging, but for future reference, I want to make sure all the ends for my games are still accessible for people who want to avoid walkthroughs/hints and stuff.

I'm one of those people that will pick every choice over all the playthroughs (unless the choice doesn't seem to affect anything and I'm not interested in the other option or something) so I usually can find most of the endings just by doing that. I'm also very good at getting bad ends on the first playthrough because of being too wishy-washy. Hierofania is definitely on my to-play list, so I'll be sure to let you know how it goes!

I'm interested in what questions you have, if you want to share! It'd probably be fun to write something about The Rest; no idea what would happen but I'm sure those humans would be interested to know about everything that went on! (I'm glad you liked that name too, it seemed to confuse people when I first showed the draft of the beginning of the game haha.) Maybe I'll do some short story epilogues/tie-ins or something for fun.

Thank you again for playing! And feel free to talk to me whenever, I'm always up for making more dev friends!