Nightglove Institute [ANYxG/B][Stats/Puzzle/Suspense/Dark]

[Archeri]

Facebook : Tumblr : Twitter : Website : Discord




“Nightglove Institute” is the dark story of a shady facility that’s in the business of turning normal teenagers into elite agents and ruthless assassins. Staffed by a team of humanoid robots and employing the use of brainwashing, performance-enhancing drugs, and unorthodox science experiments, it seems the Institute operates by a simple code: “The end justifies the means.“

As a new student at the Institute, your goals are simple, but numerous: Don’t make enemies. Pass your tests. Keep your sanity. Find the truth. Stay alive.

Your fate lies here, in the cold mechanical jaws of the Institute. Will you destroy the facility, or graduate at the top of your class? Escape with your classmates, or condemn them to a gruesome death? Become a hero, or be imprisoned forever?

Best of luck. You seem like such a promising subject.




We wanted Nightglove Institute to feel very customizable to the player, so you'll be able to create your own character of any gender, select their body type and facial features, and start raising their stats to shape them into who you want them to be. Dialogue choices in the game will slowly shape the MC's personality and how they are perceived by the other characters, affecting how much they'll tell you and how much they trust you.

Skills will be used in the game to pass tests and missions (presented in an isometric point-and-click puzzle format) which will affect your grade at the Institute. Let your grades slip too far, and you'll have to be subject to dangerous and unethical scientific experiments as extra credit. Other stats that can affect you are stress levels, any drugs currently in your system, and if you've recently been subject to brainwashing for acting out.

There will be up to 14 main plot endings, and dozens of variations on those based on which characters you've become close with. There are currently six route characters, which the potential for up to six more - all twelve students will be in the final game, but their playable routes will be stretch goals. Other side characters will be a number of the robotic staff that run the facility.

This is a commercial project that we hope to distribute on Steam and other platforms.




Current route characters. Two more on the way!











Alaine: Coming Soon




Social media manager, co-writer: Archeri
Director, programmer, artist, co-writer: valeatory
Co-writer: unstableatom




We'll be using this thread to post progress updates of the game and gauge interest in the project, as well as receive critique. We're looking forward to anything you have to say about our project!

Feel free to leave blank any questions you don't feel like answering, any feedback helps!

1. What about this game would make you want to play it and why?
2. What about this game would make you not want to play it and why?
3. How do you feel about stat-raising and point-and-click elements in VNs?
4. What do you think of the art style?
5. Which character is most interesting to you and why?
6. Which character is least interesting to you and why?
7. Would you support this game on Kickstarter?
8. Do you have any questions or comments for us?

Facebook : Tumblr : Twitter : Website : Discord

[SugarAndCuddles]

Oooo, this looks good~
1. What about this game would make you want to play it and why?
I really enjoy suspense and psychological driven games with intriguing elements to them, so I think I'll have to check this one out!
2. What about this game would make you not want to play it and why?
The thing about large scale stat-raising projects like this is that the writing and plot have to be well done, or else no matter how much effort you put into smaller things you're probably going to end up with a rather repetitive
3. How do you feel about stat-raising and point-and-click elements in VNs?
I generally enjoy it as long as it's not incredibly difficult.
4. What do you think of the art style?
It looks well done and fits the general tone of the game.
5. Which character is most interesting to you and why?
Ellis. Mainly because I have bad anxiety and can't comprehend how horrible it must be to be in that situation. While I say this, I'm an awful person and will probably be laughing at him most of the time.
6. Which character is least interesting to you and why?
I usually reserve judgement on this topic for after I at least play a demo.
7. Would you support this game on Kickstarter?
If there's a demo and I enjoy it, I might.
8. Do you have any questions or comments for us?
Will this game be commercial or free?

[parttimestorier]

1. What about this game would make you want to play it and why?
I initially clicked on the thread because I thought the title sounded cool and I really like VNs with both male and female love interests! And having read the post now, I'm really interested in the dystopian/science fiction elements as well.

2. What about this game would make you not want to play it and why?/3. How do you feel about stat-raising and point-and-click elements in VNs?
My answer to these two is pretty connected. I really like elements of other kinds of gameplay in VNs as long as I feel like they really add to my immersion in the story. However, I've read other VNs where the gameplay wasn't very interesting and didn't seem necessary, and so I ended up just being frustrated about how I had to deal with it to find out what happened next. For stat-raising, I want it to be really clear why I need knowledge of a certain subject to get past some obstacle; I don't want to feel like I'm just being blocked from progressing because I didn't click some button enough times to make some arbitrary number high enough.

4. What do you think of the art style?
I think it looks pretty nice. The hair seems to have more details than the faces, which could look a little strange in some cases, but I don't really know much about art so I might be wrong. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

5. Which character is most interesting to you and why?
I think Ellis sounds cool! I tend to appreciate somewhat weird and awkward characters, and he has fun hair. I'd also like to learn about the other two in the banner you don't have bios for yet!

6. Which character is least interesting to you and why?
Leo, because he sounds like he would be really arrogant. But he could definitely still be interesting if he gets some good character development later on.

7. Would you support this game on Kickstarter?
I do like to support VN kickstarters when I can! But it would depend on the reward tiers and how my finances are doing.

8. Do you have any questions or comments for us?
Is this your team's first VN? Also, good luck!

[Archeri]

Thank you for your replies, they're very helpful! I'm going to reply in two posts because otherwise it looks crazy long.

@SugarAndCuddles

Oooo, this looks good~
1. What about this game would make you want to play it and why?
I really enjoy suspense and psychological driven games with intriguing elements to them, so I think I'll have to check this one out!

Thank yoooouuu! We're so excited that you are interested in it!

2. What about this game would make you not want to play it and why?
The thing about large scale stat-raising projects like this is that the writing and plot have to be well done, or else no matter how much effort you put into smaller things you're probably going to end up with a rather repetitive

This is true and something we are working hard on - all of the classes have descriptions of what you are learning that day, and there will always be opportunities for character events between classes to avoid feeling repetitive. (Though you can also choose not to talk to anyone if you feel like being antisocial for some reason!)

5. Which character is most interesting to you and why?
Ellis. Mainly because I have bad anxiety and can't comprehend how horrible it must be to be in that situation. While I say this, I'm an awful person and will probably be laughing at him most of the time.

I laugh at Ellis a lot. He doesn't get jokes and it cracks me up. (Probably easier since I'm not the one writing him, it would be awkward to laugh at my own jokes)

7. Would you support this game on Kickstarter?
If there's a demo and I enjoy it, I might.

There will be a demo! Eventually. :')

8. Do you have any questions or comments for us?
Will this game be commercial or free?

I can't believe I forgot to put this in the thread, whoops. It will be commercial. Thank you for your responses!!!

[Archeri]

@parttimestorier

1. What about this game would make you want to play it and why?
I initially clicked on the thread because I thought the title sounded cool and I really like VNs with both male and female love interests! And having read the post now, I'm really interested in the dystopian/science fiction elements as well.

I'd like to say that we really appreciate you saying the title sounds cool, because sometimes I overthink it and wonder, "Does this title sound dumb? Did we choose correctly?" Honestly everything about this response makes me smile

2. What about this game would make you not want to play it and why?/3. How do you feel about stat-raising and point-and-click elements in VNs?
My answer to these two is pretty connected. I really like elements of other kinds of gameplay in VNs as long as I feel like they really add to my immersion in the story. However, I've read other VNs where the gameplay wasn't very interesting and didn't seem necessary, and so I ended up just being frustrated about how I had to deal with it to find out what happened next. For stat-raising, I want it to be really clear why I need knowledge of a certain subject to get past some obstacle; I don't want to feel like I'm just being blocked from progressing because I didn't click some button enough times to make some arbitrary number high enough.

Oh yeah, I know what you're saying. We're fans of Long Live The Queen, which was really good about explaining what you learned in class so it made sense when you applied that knowledge later. It's our goal to make something similar in that regard. All of the classes currently have rough drafts in place explaining what you learned during that session, so we are on that track!

4. What do you think of the art style?
I think it looks pretty nice. The hair seems to have more details than the faces, which could look a little strange in some cases, but I don't really know much about art so I might be wrong. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

That's an interesting point on the faces - it's true the hair is very detailed. What cases do you think or have you seen where it might look strange?

5. Which character is most interesting to you and why?
I think Ellis sounds cool! I tend to appreciate somewhat weird and awkward characters, and he has fun hair. I'd also like to learn about the other two in the banner you don't have bios for yet!

I think he will be most player's favorite, which I can say because he's not written by me and because he's the favorite among our friends. He's got the sort of adorable awkwardness that makes people like him easily. The other two are still waiting on art cleanup, and then we will release bios for them, as well as start on the rest of the cast!

6. Which character is least interesting to you and why?
Leo, because he sounds like he would be really arrogant. But he could definitely still be interesting if he gets some good character development later on.

My poor Leo! Not undeserved, though. I suppose he is arrogant, but I will try to do him justice to redeem his arrogance.

8. Do you have any questions or comments for us?
Is this your team's first VN? Also, good luck!

Indeed it is! However, our team lead, valeatory, has a bachelor's in game design and development, and we have been working steadily on this game since last August, so I hope that can be a testament to our dedication! (Her programming skills are why we can so confidently say there will be point-and-click isometric gameplay, etc - all of that heavy programming work is already completed and functions in the game, it just needs polishing and art assets at this point.) Thank you very much for wishing us luck!

[Archeri]

Updated with Solomon's character card!