friends with dogs [relationships][slice of life][coming of age][redemption][dogs]

A place for game announcements, and for people to discuss games being made.
Forum rules
Please read the sticky before creating a new topic. Linking to Kickstarter/Crowdfunded games requires a demo. Updates to Patreon-backed games may be posted once every 2 months. Adult content should not be posted in this forum.
Post Reply
Message
Author
Doefeather
Newbie
Posts: 10
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2020 6:13 pm
itch: mr-thylacine
Contact:

friends with dogs [relationships][slice of life][coming of age][redemption][dogs]

#1 Post by Doefeather »

fwd_menu_screen.jpg

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

- - - - -

IMAGES

dev2_a.jpg
dev2_b.jpg
dev2_c.jpg
dev2_d.jpg
dev2_e.jpg
- - - - -

CHARACTERS

promo_saf_wText.png

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?

promo_beryltwo_text.png

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?

promo_ruby_text.png

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?

promo_hayden_text.png

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.

- - - - -

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 13th one here:
https://mr-thylacine.itch.io/friends-wi ... une-6-2021

- - - - -

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.

For me, there's no hard deadline - I just want to see this project to completion! But with the shrinking list of tasks to do, I think it'll be released by early autumn 2021.

The game will be free. It'll be a few hours long. There are choices for entertainment's sake - they will not affect the one ending.

I post a developer log usually bi-weekly, since it's the best way for me to ensure that I'm doing actual work on this.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a good day ^.^

- M.

- - - - -

friends with dogs itch.io page
https://mr-thylacine.itch.io/friends-with-dogs

I'm open to questions, comments, etc. :)
Last edited by Doefeather on Wed Jun 23, 2021 2:01 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Johan
Regular
Posts: 76
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:58 pm
Organization: DMEOW
itch: dmeow
Location: Perú
Discord: Johan#7444
Contact:

Re: friends with dogs [relationships][slice of life][coming of age][redemption][dogs]

#2 Post by Johan »

Oooh! This sounds interesting!! I was hoping to play a Demo but I see there isn't one yet, boo :c
Btw, this phrase "You know... just like dogs" err... that can be interpreted in a VERY wrong way, since the protagonist is talking about the main girls ^^;;;
I'm not sure if that's the reaction you wanted :o

Also, if you need some help with graphics (characters, chibis or logos), I may be able to help. For free :3
Depending on how much free time I have xD, but I can help!

Keep it up! :3
dmeow !
Check my silly blog!

◤ And I saw the stars ★ falling down... ◢
Check the game!! IT'S OUT!!!
.

Doefeather
Newbie
Posts: 10
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2020 6:13 pm
itch: mr-thylacine
Contact:

Re: friends with dogs [relationships][slice of life][coming of age][redemption][dogs]

#3 Post by Doefeather »

Johan wrote: Sat Jun 12, 2021 1:34 am Oooh! This sounds interesting!! I was hoping to play a Demo but I see there isn't one yet, boo :c
Aw, thanks Johan! ^^

After some thought, I'm thinking of having a super short demo just to make sure people on different OS's can actually download and play the game without problems.
Johan wrote: Sat Jun 12, 2021 1:34 am Btw, this phrase "You know... just like dogs" err... that can be interpreted in a VERY wrong way, since the protagonist is talking about the main girls ^^;;;
I'm not sure if that's the reaction you wanted :o
Arrrgggggh! I didn't even think of interpreting it that way! xD Thanks for catching that! Now that you say it, I might just leave it like that intentionally since it fits Hayden's personality... at least for part of the game :D
Johan wrote: Sat Jun 12, 2021 1:34 am Also, if you need some help with graphics (characters, chibis or logos), I may be able to help. For free :3
Depending on how much free time I have xD, but I can help!
Thank you for the offer! You have a super cute style and I love the pocket chibi you did! I might consider it. What can I do with your work, and where can I put them (itchio page, game, etc)? Where can I credit you? And, are you sure you want to do it for free?
Johan wrote: Sat Jun 12, 2021 1:34 am Keep it up! :3
Ty! ^__^

User avatar
Johan
Regular
Posts: 76
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:58 pm
Organization: DMEOW
itch: dmeow
Location: Perú
Discord: Johan#7444
Contact:

Re: friends with dogs [relationships][slice of life][coming of age][redemption][dogs]

#4 Post by Johan »

Thank you for the offer! You have a super cute style and I love the pocket chibi you did! I might consider it. What can I do with your work, and where can I put them (itchio page, game, etc)? Where can I credit you? And, are you sure you want to do it for free?
I sent you a PM (private message!).
^^
dmeow !
Check my silly blog!

◤ And I saw the stars ★ falling down... ◢
Check the game!! IT'S OUT!!!
.

Doefeather
Newbie
Posts: 10
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2020 6:13 pm
itch: mr-thylacine
Contact:

Re: friends with dogs [relationships][slice of life][coming of age][redemption][dogs]

#5 Post by Doefeather »

Hey everyone - I posted devlog 14 on the itchio page. I'm now entering the awkward stage where the remaining tasks don't really have priority over each other, except for the part where I need to make some type of demo to make sure things work properly when fwd is downloaded.

Here is devlog 14:
https://mr-thylacine.itch.io/friends-wi ... ne-20-2021

Hope you're doing well. :D

- M.


Doefeather
Newbie
Posts: 10
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2020 6:13 pm
itch: mr-thylacine
Contact:

Re: friends with dogs [relationships][slice of life][coming of age][redemption][dogs]

#7 Post by Doefeather »

Hey everyone. DEMO IS UP! Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. The full game is basically all done. This is a super short demo to make sure everything runs smoothly when uploading to itchio.

Download here:
https://mr-thylacine.itch.io/friends-with-dogs

Questions for you:

1 - Did you run into any problems while downloading or playing the demo? Please include what version you downloaded (Windows, Mac, or Linux).
2 - Were you able to view the 3 credits PDFs?
3 - Would you consider playing the full version of friends with dogs?
4 - What did you like about the demo?
5 - What did you dislike about the demo?
6 - What can I do to improve future games?
7 - What can I do to improve future demos?

User avatar
Johan
Regular
Posts: 76
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:58 pm
Organization: DMEOW
itch: dmeow
Location: Perú
Discord: Johan#7444
Contact:

Re: friends with dogs [relationships][slice of life][coming of age][redemption][dogs]

#8 Post by Johan »

Hello! I played the DEMO! :D

1 - Did you run into any problems while downloading or playing the demo? Please include what version you downloaded (Windows, Mac, or Linux).
Fortunately, nop! I had no problem! ^^ I downloaded the Windows version.

2 - Were you able to view the 3 credits PDFs?
Yes, and they are BEAUTIFULLY DONE.

3 - Would you consider playing the full version of friends with dogs?
YES. I'M WORRIED ABOUT HAYDEN'S FUTURE NOW. THE DEMO LEFT ME LIKE O_O
4 - What did you like about the demo?
I have to admit the ending just left me wanting MORE. I'm also curious how did Saffron knew where he lives!! D:
I also liked the sound effects and music as well ^^!

5 - What did you dislike about the demo?
Too short maybe? xD And that I couldn't get to see the other girls :c Also, I disliked how Hayden treated Saffron when she got rlly nervous >:v, but I think that's the point? xD As a side note, I chose "the cookies were poisoned!" xD
6 - What can I do to improve future games?
Maybe you can implement a new custom Game User Interface (GUI)? Although it's not necessay! But it would be a nice touch ^^

7 - What can I do to improve future demos?
Mmmm... Maybe it was too short? xD But I think it's enough just to test if it works! I had no problems playing it btw! :D
dmeow !
Check my silly blog!

◤ And I saw the stars ★ falling down... ◢
Check the game!! IT'S OUT!!!
.

Doefeather
Newbie
Posts: 10
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2020 6:13 pm
itch: mr-thylacine
Contact:

Re: friends with dogs [relationships][slice of life][coming of age][redemption][dogs]

#9 Post by Doefeather »

TwT Thank you Johan!!

1 - Yay!
2 - :D Glad to hear it!
3 - Muahaha >:D
4 - Excellent and ty! ^.^
You'll find out eventually! ;D
5 -
xD Haha. It is a little bit out of character for Hayden, but I thought it was amusing so I kept it.
6 - Agree, a custom GUI would be nice for future games! It was on my wishlist for fwd, but it was also low priority compared to everything else!

Also - check out Johan's pocket chibi of Hayden! They did an amazing job capturing his personality! They also had excellent communication with consistent check-ins. I recommend them! ^.^

PocketChibiH_email.png

Doefeather
Newbie
Posts: 10
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2020 6:13 pm
itch: mr-thylacine
Contact:

Re: friends with dogs [relationships][slice of life][coming of age][redemption][dogs]

#10 Post by Doefeather »

Hey everyone! Devlog 17 is out. The past few weeks were about transferring the assets that are actually used in the game into the final version, and leaving out unused graphics, audio, etc. Also decreasing the game's gargantuan file size by converting WAV files into MP3s and trimming audio length.

Now I'm doing a (hopefully) final read-through to make sure all files and stuff show up as intended.

Devlog 17 is here:
https://mr-thylacine.itch.io/friends-wi ... ust-8-2021

Doefeather
Newbie
Posts: 10
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2020 6:13 pm
itch: mr-thylacine
Contact:

Re: friends with dogs [relationships][slice of life][coming of age][redemption][dogs]

#11 Post by Doefeather »

Hey everyone! friends with dogs is now complete and ready to play! After many years of on-and-off work, it's finally done. T_T

Download it now on itch.io:
https://mr-thylacine.itch.io/friends-with-dogs

See the final dev log here:
https://mr-thylacine.itch.io/friends-wi ... st-15-2021

See the thread on the Completed Games board:
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=62929

Let me know if there are any errors or anything.

I'm open to comments, feedback, questions, etc. ^.^

Happy reading!

- M.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users