Bara Boarders [BxB, Bara, Bara Jam, Light, Short, OUT NOW!]

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illuminate001
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Bara Boarders [BxB, Bara, Bara Jam, Light, Short, OUT NOW!]

#1 Post by illuminate001 »

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Hi everyone! "Bara Boarders" is my own WIP submission to BARAJAM! If you haven't seen the thread and would like to join our game jam, please checkout the LSF thread and/or join up here.

Bara Boarders is a short and cute VN that takes place on an idyllic beach in Hawaii. You are a newbie surfer, whose been out on the waves enough times, but is aching to finally catch a wave and stay up on your board for the first time. You're determined that today will be the day!

Thing is, you're going to run into distractions, other handsome surfers - will they hinder or can they help you on your quest in paradise today?

Bara Boarders features a game mechanic I've never tried before. At any point, you can click a "Phone Number" button on the HUD, essentially asking a guy for his phone number. If he's feeling you, he'll exchange numbers with you, but getting it is all about understanding the flow of conversation, social/emotional intelligence, timing and let's face it...luck! (Like in real life)


And now, meet the guys!


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QUESTIONS

1) Do you already know which surfer you'll most likely aim for? Why? :wink:

2) Do you have an idea on how the Phone-Number mechanic could be made more interesting or how it could be expanded upon?

3) Would your goal be to play the VN and make choices as you would in real life? Or would you make choices aimed at optimally ending up with one of the guys?

Let me know here, and if you'd like a peek at more games being developed for BARA JAM, please visit and/or follow the Tumblr. Mahalo!
Last edited by illuminate001 on Sun Nov 11, 2018 2:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Bara Boarders [BxB, Bara, Bara Jam, Light, Short, WIP]

#2 Post by bobconway »

Yesss this looks amazing

1) Do you already know which surfer you'll most likely aim for? Why? :wink:
Jesse, because I want to crack his shell and get to know his, uh... personality :wink:
Also maybe he'll be willing to serve me something stiff.
...drink-wise.

2) Do you have an idea on how the Phone-Number mechanic could be made more interesting or how it could be expanded upon?
I like the idea that you have more control over when a given path "ends" rather than having to play to a specific point when you admit your feelings for each other.

3) Would your goal be to play the VN and make choices as you would in real life? Or would you make choices aimed at optimally ending up with one of the guys?
I don't surf, so probably the latter.
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Re: Bara Boarders [BxB, Bara, Bara Jam, Light, Short, WIP]

#3 Post by parttimestorier »

The art style for this looks so unique and fun! I think I would probably go for Cliff first because I'm not very athletic myself, so I think I'd relate most to the least competent surfer. He also looks really cute!

To sort of answer your second question, I have mixed feelings about the phone number mechanic idea. As another developer, I'm definitely really interested in how you're organizing all the variables that affect it, and how much it impacts the story. But as a player I sometimes find things like that kind of overwhelming. I always try to 100% VNs if I can, so I'm happiest when after a playthrough or two I can pretty clearly tell which choices affect what and figure out how to do that. Mechanics that are more complex than just "this choice leads to this branch and/or gives you more affection points" can make that much harder to do and get a little frustrating. But I still think it's a cool idea and I'll look forward to seeing how it turns out!

And for your last question, I usually go into my first playthrough just picking the options that feel more like what I would do or say, but then replay it trying out the different options and going for all the endings.
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Re: Bara Boarders [BxB, Bara, Bara Jam, Light, Short, WIP]

#4 Post by Scribbles »

omg that art style, it really suits the surfer vibe I think lol

1) Do you already know which surfer you'll most likely aim for? Why? :wink:
Nikau, unfortunately he seems to be my type LOL

2) Do you have an idea on how the Phone-Number mechanic could be made more interesting or how it could be expanded upon?
I think this is an interesting mechanic especially if it has a point- what happens once you have the phone number? does it progress the story? lock in the romance options? unlock special events? it's a really cool idea


3) Would your goal be to play the VN and make choices as you would in real life? Or would you make choices aimed at optimally ending up with one of the guys?

i play blind- trying to rp a bit initially- after that I always try to play in a way that unlocks all the endings or just the ones I want lol
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Re: Bara Boarders [BxB, Bara, Bara Jam, Light, Short, WIP]

#5 Post by Zelan »

Man oh man, I've been curious what your project for bara jam would be! Awesome to finally see it!

1) Do you already know which surfer you'll most likely aim for? Why?: Probably Cliff, for the same reasons as parttimestorier. The other two are a little intimidating for someone like me who spends virtually no time outside.

2) Do you have an idea on how the Phone-Number mechanic could be made more interesting or how it could be expanded upon?: Interesting game mechanics are cool to me, but I've never actually tried to design one myself, so I don't have any brilliant ideas for you. Sorry!

3) Would your goal be to play the VN and make choices as you would in real life? Or would you make choices aimed at optimally ending up with one of the guys?: Usually on my first run-through of a game, I play as "myself," or at least as the choices that make the most sense for the character that I'm playing as. However, a lot of times I end up giving this up if it seems clear that these answers are leading me down the wrong track (or if I just really want a particular character's ending, haha). Either way, every playthrough after my first one is always in an attempt to get particular endings, since I usually try to 100% VNs.

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Re: Bara Boarders [BxB, Bara, Bara Jam, Light, Short, WIP]

#6 Post by ParrotWatcher »

illuminate001 wrote: Mon Oct 15, 2018 12:19 pm 1) Do you already know which surfer you'll most likely aim for? Why? :wink:
Well, Cliff seems very sweet, but Nikau looks gorgeous... so you see my dilemma. :?
illuminate001 wrote: Mon Oct 15, 2018 12:19 pm 2) Do you have an idea on how the Phone-Number mechanic could be made more interesting or how it could be expanded upon?
Would you be penalised for asking too soon? Because while that would make sense, I can see it making the game rather harder than it needs to be.
illuminate001 wrote: Mon Oct 15, 2018 12:19 pm 3) Would your goal be to play the VN and make choices as you would in real life? Or would you make choices aimed at optimally ending up with one of the guys?
You mean people play these things and don't try to get with one of the guys?! :shock:

Anyway, good luck with the game! :D
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Re: Bara Boarders [BxB, Bara, Bara Jam, Light, Short, WIP]

#7 Post by GhostGnome »

1) Do you already know which surfer you'll most likely aim for? Why?
Nikau, he looks to be the perfect surfer jock.

2) Do you have an idea on how the Phone-Number mechanic could be made more interesting or how it could be expanded upon?
i think its too soon to ask this, a video that demonstrates how the mechanic currently works would give me something more to build on.

3) Would your goal be to play the VN and make choices as you would in real life? Or would you make choices aimed at optimally ending up with one of the guys?
how about a blend of both ideas? Bara content, humor and fantasy with a bit of real life choices to tie it together.

Also will there be any NSFW content?, i would love to see more of Nikau :wink:

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Re: Bara Boarders [BxB, Bara, Bara Jam, Light, Short, WIP]

#8 Post by illuminate001 »

Hey everyone, sorry for the late reply...running BaraJam while working on my own VN and general life stuff has been taking up all my time. However, I do promise to always check up on this and answer ASAP. I'll also be putting up more screenshots and preview stuff as they become available. So look out for those. :lol:

@BobConway: Booobbb!!! Yes, I know that Jesse is your favorite. You'd think that writing someone who doesn't speak would be super easy, but it's actually kinda tricky! Also, thanks so much for helping me out with the "Phone Number" mechanic. I couldn't have solved that without your help. :wink:

@Parttimestorier: Yeah the mechanic is something I wanted to try out, just to push different gameplay design stuff just for fun. I'm thinking of putting more unique and unusual mechanics in the VN's I create going forward. Not for the sake of it, but if it feels right for that VN and if it'll increase my knowledge then I'm totally down. Hopefully it'll work out and that ppl will like the one in Bara Boarders!

@Scribbles: It's ok, Nikau is honestly my fav too lol. Aesthetically but also I think his route is going to be the most interesting and challenging one. The art style is inspired by the Saturday Morning cartoons I grew up with, and the characters I had crushes on lol. Like The Tick, Johnny Bravo and Jorgen Von Strangle lol

@Zelan: If I'm honest, that's how I'd like ppl to play, to do what they would do/say IRL. At least for their first playthrough. I think it'll actually, in a weird way, help ppl as to when they need to be bolder, when they're trying too hard and other things related to breaking down that first barrier and getting someone's contact info.

@ParrotWatcher: Omg I totally see your dilemma, Cliff is a sweetheart but Nikau is just...hot. And not of course that looks are everything, but like I said in his character card, he can't be that bad if he's saving people. Yes, you would definitely be penalized for asking too soon. :) Like irl, if you just come up to someone and out of the blue ask for their number (unless you're drop dead gorgeous) most likely they'll look at you kinda sideways. And you've forever blown your chance. lol. So in Bara Boarders, you have to be able to read how the convo is going and find the right opening.
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Re: Bara Boarders [BxB, Bara, Bara Jam, Light, Short, WIP]

#9 Post by illuminate001 »

Hi everyone,

Today's preview will be something kinda light and purely for fun! Here's some sketches and concept stuff I did really quickly while I was figuring out the look for Bara Boarders' love interests.


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As you can see, I usually have a pretty good idea in my head of how characters will turn out, so a quick doodle is all I need to confirm things. Although, my original plan was to give Cliff some "Pop-Eye" forearms lol. As a nod to one of the first classic strong-man cartoon characters of all time. In the end, I found it didn't suit Cliff as well as I thought it would in my head. :lol:
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Re: Bara Boarders [BxB, Bara, Bara Jam, Light, Short, WIP]

#10 Post by illuminate001 »

Bara Boarders is complete and out now on itch!: https://soulsoftea.itch.io/baraboarders

I’m really happy that despite being so busy with hosting the first ever Bara Jam (2018), I was still able to participate and do my part in increasing the amount of English Bara Game content out there!

Oh, and did I mention it’s 100% free?! So go give it a shot and let us know what you thought on the comments section of the BB Download page, or right here!

Support Bara and Bara Jam so that we can get more of the kind of games we love <3

(I've gone and updated the main post to include some screenshots from in game. Mahalo!)
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Re: Bara Boarders [BxB, Bara, Bara Jam, Light, Short, OUT NOW!]

#11 Post by bobconway »

Ahhh this game is adorable and well done, and I'm impressed that it's finished already.

I like how the phone number mechanic ended up working, although I wonder if disabling rollback once you trigger it would make sense? (Might just end up being overly frustrating for players though.)
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Re: Bara Boarders [BxB, Bara, Bara Jam, Light, Short, OUT NOW!]

#12 Post by illuminate001 »

Haha I had actually considered disabling it on rollback so that ppl couldnt keep checking their answers after making a selection, but then I was reminded of TWDSE (Which I enjoyed!) but was so punishing.

I decided to just keep it light, accessible, fun and easy.
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