Anomie [Mystery, Psychological, Dystopia](Kickstarter live!)

[LeafCascade]

Kickstarter link can be found right here!

Introduction

Hi there. I go by the name of LeafCascade - mainly on reddit's visualnovel sub (/r/visualnovels). Today, I'm here to show off a demo of a game that my team and I have been working on during the last couple of months. After about 60 full-length titles under my belt, translated and untranslated alike, I am making my own VN.

This is merely a demo. It is rough around the edges at times. I have, however, put a great deal of effort into this, and so have a few of my friends. Not releasing it didn’t feel like an option, though. Here is a list of things I know it is lacking/issues (mostly due to engine limitations - probably going to have to migrate the project elsewhere):

- Backlog
- A proper title screen and menu
- Settings
- Preemptive line breaking
- Skipping sometimes makes the engine turn BGs dark
- One of my beta testers couldn’t get the game running at all (no fix at the moment)

About the work that has been done so far

I wrote the majority of the demo scenario in a bit over a month around this winter after mapping out major future plot points. Since then, we've also spent around a month polishing the text and rewriting segments we weren’t happy with. A huge shout out to insanityissexy for helping me out with a whole slew of things (without compensation, I might add) - you’re the best, and the text in particular simply wouldn’t be what it is without you. I’d also like to thank my artist Veera (DulcetDove) for getting involved in the project on such short notice - the dedication you’ve shown to me and our project truly warms my heart. I could go on thanking people, but I’m afraid this text would end up far too long: Daniel, Gustav, Majk, Isak - you all know who you are and what you’ve done for me.

About the game itself

Anomie is a major and recurring theme in this visual novel. The term anomie signifies a breakdown in the norms, values, and culture of a group or society. With influence from some of my favorite visual novels (Sharin no Kuni, Umineko no Naku Koro ni, Harumade Kururu/Natsukumo Yururu, Forest, Cross Channel) I'm confident I can bring something worth reading to the table.

This demo should be around an hour long, and it shows off the setting and the characters to a degree. Mostly though, it demonstrates my idea of what makes a VN interesting. Vague, I know, but I really would prefer if you just gave it a read! Though, if you beg me, maybe I'll write up some kind of summary...

I can't wait to actually get started on the real thing, or well, I hope I even get the chance to. I'll make this fun. For us all!

Conclusion

Lastly, as with most indie projects: I need your help. As I stated earlier, this is more or less a one time effort, should everything go as planned. If you do give the demo a try, kindly do me a huge favor and fill out the form at the end.

Thank you for reading both this wall of text and the demo itself. No matter what you think about it - let us know. We can take it, and we fully welcome it, too. Regardless of which side of the spectrum you end up on, truthfully, I’m just happy you used some of your free time to give our demo a try. I'll be answering all and any questions in the comments.

Collection of links!

Demo

- Demo download (Windows)
- Demo playable in browser

Twitter

- Toneye Media’s
- LeafCascade’s
- Veera’s

Miscellaneous

- LeafCascade’s SoundCloud
- Isak Björn Hedlund’s SoundCloud
- Majk’s SoundCloud
- Veera’s DeviantArt

-LeafCascade

[LeafCascade]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/to ... sual-novel

Our Kickstarter is finally live. It's been a rough couple of months, so I hope you can check it out!

[gekiganwing]

Reading your Kickstarter page, it appears that Anomie is a story about people being forced into an alternate society. My questions so far include...

1. There is apparently a protagonist named Quentin. Who is this person? Does this individual have a defined personality? If not, does the reader define Quentin's personality through choices or complex gameplay?
2. What specific goals do the characters want to achieve?
3. Do one or more antagonists exist in the story?
4. If not, what's keeping the characters from achieving their goals?
5. Is the setting meant to resemble a specific place? For instance, would it be accurate to call it "a possible future Stockholm"?
6. Your descriptions and art so far seem to indicate a serious, perhaps downbeat tone. Are you aiming for a specific tone?
7. How many paths and endings do you plan to create?
8. Do you intend to sell Anomie as an indie VN?
9. If this is a commercial project, then how will you find an audience ready and willing to purchase it?
10. If your story was reviewed by an organization such as PEGI or the Swedish Media Council, what sort of content rating would they give it?

... I go by the name of LeafCascade - mainly on reddit's visualnovel sub (/r/visualnovels) ... With influence from some of my favorite visual novels (Sharin no Kuni, Umineko no Naku Koro ni, Harumade Kururu/Natsukumo Yururu, Forest, Cross Channel) I'm confident I can bring something worth reading to the table.

I check that sub-Reddit for news every day or two, and sometimes post there. A personal (and off-topic) confession...

I haven't read any of the stories that you mentioned. Nor have I read many well-regarded OJVLNs. Keep in mind that I read and enjoyed a number of 1990s - 2000s officially translated titles such as Season of the Sakura, Critical Point, and Edelweiss. Then I decided to step back and focus on mobile and console VNs.

[LeafCascade]

Reading your Kickstarter page, it appears that Anomie is a story about people being forced into an alternate society. My questions so far include...

1. There is apparently a protagonist named Quentin. Who is this person? Does this individual have a defined personality? If not, does the reader define Quentin's personality through choices or complex gameplay?
2. What specific goals do the characters want to achieve?
3. Do one or more antagonists exist in the story?
4. If not, what's keeping the characters from achieving their goals?
5. Is the setting meant to resemble a specific place? For instance, would it be accurate to call it "a possible future Stockholm"?
6. Your descriptions and art so far seem to indicate a serious, perhaps downbeat tone. Are you aiming for a specific tone?
7. How many paths and endings do you plan to create?
8. Do you intend to sell Anomie as an indie VN?
9. If this is a commercial project, then how will you find an audience ready and willing to purchase it?
10. If your story was reviewed by an organization such as PEGI or the Swedish Media Council, what sort of content rating would they give it?

Those are some huge question, gekiganwing! I have to say, I'm a bit reluctant to share too much information about the game, but I'll do my best. Here goes:

1. There is apparently a protagonist named Quentin. Who is this person? Does this individual have a defined personality? If not, does the reader define Quentin's personality through choices or complex gameplay?

Quentin definitely has a defined personality. His odd quirks and tendencies shine through in his monologues. He's a young adult who is not happy with what society has become, yet is careful about the forced changes being made to it, reluctant to embrace it all at once. The reader has no control over his personality - in that sense, he's just another character.

2. What specific goals do the characters want to achieve?

Like everyone else, in a broader sense, I imagine they want happiness. Their definition of the concept differ though, which will become evident as the story progresses.

3. Do one or more antagonists exist in the story?

In a sense.

4. If not, what's keeping the characters from achieving their goals?

I don't want to go into this one too much, but partly themselves. The setting will surely prove to be an obstacle for some as well...

5. Is the setting meant to resemble a specific place? For instance, would it be accurate to call it "a possible future Stockholm"?

No. Anomie is set in a fictional world with little resemblance to real life places.

6. Your descriptions and art so far seem to indicate a serious, perhaps downbeat tone. Are you aiming for a specific tone?

Anomie is well-rounded in that sense, but yes, it is rather dark at its core. I'm not afraid to explore all facets of the spectrum, though. In fact, I plan to.

7. How many paths and endings do you plan to create?

One true ending is set in stone. Alternate routes are up for discussion depending on the direction the Kickstarter takes.

8. Do you intend to sell Anomie as an indie VN?

Yes. I think it's an indie VN by definition, no? I might be wrong though.

9. If this is a commercial project, then how will you find an audience ready and willing to purchase it?

I plan on looking into Steam Greenlight if the Kickstarter looks likely to succeed.

10. If your story was reviewed by an organization such as PEGI or the Swedish Media Council, what sort of content rating would they give it?

Anomie would most likely be rated 18+.

I haven't read any of the stories that you mentioned. Nor have I read many well-regarded OJVLNs. Keep in mind that I read and enjoyed a number of 1990s - 2000s officially translated titles such as Season of the Sakura, Critical Point, and Edelweiss. Then I decided to step back and focus on mobile and console VNs.

That's too bad! They're great visual novels. Had you read them you'd have a better idea of what to expect from Anomie.

Thanks for showing interest!

[psy_wombats]

Ah hey, I believe I remember you from one of those abortive lets-make-a-vn-jp projects. Hope your current project pans out, your sound work's pretty good. Will try out your demo later tonight.

[LeafCascade]

Ah hey, I believe I remember you from one of those abortive lets-make-a-vn-jp projects. Hope your current project pans out, your sound work's pretty good. Will try out your demo later tonight.

That'd be me. Cool to see your name again.

Thank you!

[psy_wombats]

Hey, so I finished the demo, not too shabby! Very, very narration heavy though, especially the prologue. I like the atmosphere but the lack of dialogue/characters does make it very hard to read large sections in one go.

You should fix up your twitter link though, seems to be a 404.