The demo is 2500 words long (around 7 minutes of material).
We'd like to shoutout Youngha Hwang for programming the demo via the Ren'Py engine, and putting truckloads of work into custom functionalities!
Here's the rundown: you play as Alison Hart, a fresh-out-of-college journalism graduate who is desperate for a job. In fact, you're so desperate that you're willing to apply for an infamous (yet successful) online tabloid that specializes in "supernatural events"—though, really, it's just a collection of tinfoil hat conspiracies.
So, when you're assigned to investigate six people who are rumored carry the Spirits of the Zodiacs—whatever that means—you're not worried. After all, the whole idea is just sheer nonsense. Right?
A light and fluffy adventure ensues in which you:
- Are almost crushed by a chandelier.
- Find yourself in a burning house.
- Witness an execution.
- And somewhere along the lines, you start to think that journalism is a lot more complicated than you expected.
Zodiac•Axis is a commercial visual novel game that will be developed in Ren'Py and released for Mac, PC, and Linux. It is a fusion of suspense, romance, and supernatural fiction with a splash of psychological horror. With a thoroughly developed worldlore, it mixes a contemporary environment with whimsical Asian fantasy.
- Romance five guys! (Not simultaneously.)
- Pick from an array of choices. Feign insanity, write a cheesy love song, and assimilate with cardboard boxes.
- Choices shape Alison’s skillset and allow her to stay alive. Er, that is to say, write good articles.
- Experience a narrative begins with humor and intrigue, then evolves into heartwarming depth.