Alone
A downloadable game for Windows and macOS
Description:
Feeling as though the world is against her, Vara just wants to be accepted for who she is. Yet, that's all easier said than done. From getting into heated arguments with her best friend to coming out to her conservative family, will Vara ever be enough for the ones she loves? In this kinetic visual novel, not everything is black-and-white in Vara's world.
Features:
Self-voicing functionality
Black-and-white art
Dramatic, coming-of-age story
Made for the toxic yuri game jam
Content Warnings:
Violence, blood, and death
Animal cruelty
Homophobic language
Suggestive language
Suggestive scenes
Partial nudity
Download
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Comments
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though the art style may seem simple, that is not a flaw of this emotional read. i really felt the frustration in how vara did have others around her, but still felt really alone and dissatisfied because none of them were truly seeing and affirming her. it's really hard when people like leah and vara's parents do care in their own ways, and are trying to be supportive, but still miss the mark so badly.
i felt like your game really conveyed the idea that often it feels like it will take too much work to try and change the minds of people who have been around you for so many years, but those are the ones who can hurt you the most, if left unaddressed. when vara's dad bragged on her for the rabbit she hunted, i really felt the impending pain of the confession. not wanting to lose the support you have, even if it's not enough.
vara saying that she also chose to be alone felt both sad and hopeful to me. the music also went well with these two emotions, i think. thank you for sharing.
Hey, thanks for reading! I appreciate it! Great review as well!
My art is fairly simple, but the nice thing is that it’s readable and understandable to look at.
I’ve done other visuals in black-and-white art, too. The cool thing about this VN in particular is that the characters’ clothing changes from scene to scene, which is something I haven’t done much before in my previous works. I’m really proud about that.
Although the art is original and has been created specifically for this VN, the music isn’t entirely unique to this visual novel either. The music I’ve made in GarageBand, and due to this being a game jam with a limited amount of time by the time I participated in the jam, I decided to reuse and recycle former musical pieces I’ve created for other visual novels I’ve made in the past. They may not mesh well together, but they convey the tone I was trying to go for in each scene.
As for the story as a whole, it’s meant to be bittersweet: bitter in the loss of connection but sweet in the finding of oneself. I tried to make for a sad but uplifting ending.
Furthermore, Vara doesn’t hate Leah. Rather, she hates her bigotry. Ironically, she put up with her friend’s attitude for so long, normalizing that kind of homophobia in their relationship. Yet, the second her parents vocalized their disapproval of her identity, that’s when her whole world and deepest love shattered.
It reinforces her fear of abandonment. Although she’s used to it, even choosing to be alone to protect herself from the hostility of others, that doesn’t make it any less painful when the ones she cares about pulls away from her when she needs them the most.
Thus, it’s a story about self-discovery and confronting one’s fears and learning to be true to oneself.
My only criticism is that the softer side in the relationship between Vara and Leah wasn’t shown, which can make Vara’s decision to become closer to Leah come across out of character or out of the blue.
Yet, Vara smiled at Leah when she saw her, and Vara never pushed her away. Not when she hugged her or got on her nerves.
Sure, she may have removed herself from the situation when she became too fed up with her, but she never ended the friendship or told her to leave.
So, that can suggest her care for Leah, despite all of the toxic flaws in their relationship. After all, this was made for the toxic yuri game jam. With that in mind, I think I accomplished the theme I was trying to present.
In the end, it’s a story about how different kinds of loves can go wrong and sour in many different ways from the toxic views and attitudes we hold inside of us all that shape how we treat others and even ourselves.
absolutely! when i said the art was simple, it was not a criticism, but rather- the simpleness of how it looks should not make anyone think it is not complex or heartfelt (and like you said, it allows the story to be read clearly and directly). i have edited my previous comment to reflect that 🙂
i did notice the clothes changing, that was a nice touch! and yes, i think the ending did seem uplifting ultimately! i was happy vara was able to express her identity, regardless of the aftermath.
i did also see that vara must have cared about leah, in her smile, as you said. and in the jokes and teasing they shared, although it sometimes devolved into fighting. i thought that was a very realistic portrayal, that lots of friendships that start at a young age especially can end up like this. but yes, i agree showing more of the softness between them would have strengthened it even more!
thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, and i hope you enjoyed your time creating for the jam.