Frightwood
A downloadable game for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android
Join a group of fairy teens in their attempt to discover a grand treasure - one that can only be earned during the night of Halloween. Explore the mystical forest, and find out if the claims are true, or merely a mischievous trap.
Frightwood is a visual novel created over the course of a month for the Spooktober VN Game Jam 2021. An average playthrough takes around 30-40 minutes.
This story is a spooky prequel to my already existing VN Lovewood (think of it like a Halloween Special episode!). You don't need any pre-knowledge about Lovewood to enjoy this game, but if you're already familiar with the characters, you may get an extra kick out of seeing what Moth, Blossom and Aleth were like as teenagers!
A lot of passion and work went into this game - I hope it comes through <3
Content warnings
This game includes:
- mentions of emotional abuse through a parent
- mild swearing
- some loud noises that could be startling (no actual jumpscares though).
Apart from this, the game aims to be as tame as a Halloween special episode from any 90ies cartoon.
Accessibility
- Measures were taken to make this game accessible to blind players. You can toggle automatic self-voicing at any point by pressing V, or toggle it in the Options menu.
- Audio captions for relevant sounds can be activated in the Options.
- The interface is blue and yellow and should be well-readable with all variants of color blindness.
- Screenshake is enabled by default, but can be turned off in the Options menu.
- A German translation can be activated in the Options. [Eine deutsche Übersetzung kann im Optionenmenü aktiviert werden.]
- Frightwood is optimized as a PC game, but a somewhat simplified Android build is available, recommended for tablets or large phones. There is a known bug in which the app only loads a black screen, which may occur on older phones or Huawei devices.
Credits
Art, Writing, Coding and Translation by Linda R. (LadyIcepaw)
Testing and Android build assistance by Harald R.
Sound effects from Kenney.nl and Zapsplat.com
Screenshake setting by TheoMinute
Created with the Renpy engine (7.3.5 = PC build; 7.4 = Android build)
Please view the game's About menu or credits.txt for full music credits!
Related games:
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Comments
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soooo, does this mean theres going to be a sequel to Lovewood :o
Technically there already is! Not sure if it counts as a sequel, but Invisible Seams is a follow-up storyline set in the same universe as Lovewood. :>
Your game looks really cute! <3
I have a question before I play it: is the protagonist in this game the same as the one in Lovewood, please?
Hi! It is implied that the protagonist in this game is the same as from Lovewood, just younger, however he has a predetermined name in this one - Janus. I don't quite remember if he is ever addressed with male pronouns, but either way the name and pronouns can't be chosen in Frightwood.
Thank you so much for all this info! <3
I love how stuff you wouldn't normally see in horror movies is acknowledged as real fears. It's really insightful!
A very cute game! I'm absolutely amazed by the amount of art in this!
Oh, also! I love Blossom!
This was very cute! I was really impressed with the amount of artwork and it definitely helped to make it feel like a cartoon episode, since things felt very dynamic!
I really enjoyed Aleth's character specifically and the fact their chalkboard has its own textbox background and sound effect. The attention to detail is really lovely :)
(I didn't see the comment I left on the Jam page here, sorry if this is a double post.)
This was really adorable!
I enjoyed playing it a lot. Short and sweet, and providing you with all the feels you could ever ask.
I was happy to see someone taking a similar theme to my own submission in the lessons you as the player learn. I don't want to spoil Fightwood, but I am pleased with how the story was told, and the lessons were taught.
This was a wonderful experience. Though I was left wishing there was more. That is positive and negative. I am very interested in seeing more, but I was also left with saying, "Is that all? Come on. I need more!"
The art style was cute, though I did have difficulty telling who was speaking at some points. That doesn't take too much away from the story. I was able to click back and double-check.
The transitions with effects were very strong. I also enjoyed how interactive the background was.
In closing, Frightwood is a wonderful experience with fantastic art and a carefully crafted story, though a bit short for my tastes.
9/10 (Rated 5 Stars.)
Thank you so much for the feedback! It's really helpful and encouraging to me.
I'll make sure to play All That Ales Yew later this month, and I'll give my thoughts on it when I do! The art already looks incredibly beautiful. <3
Awesome! I'm excited to hear back about that! I think you've created something very special!!
Can you export a Mac version?
Would it be okay if I post an unnotarized Mac build? Since that is the way it comes out of Renpy originally. To make a properly notarized version, I'd need some more time and help from a friend.
Yeah, that's fine. I can still play unnotarized games on my Mac.
Okay, I added the macOS build to the Download section! Enjoy :>
Very polished art and a charming little tale! It really did feel like a Halloween special, and makes me curious about how the characters grow up and are portrayed in Lovewood!
Thank you, I'm so glad that vibe came through!
This game is cute, clever, and heartwarming - the standout feature is the gorgeous art. It's definitely clear that extra care and love was poured into this - especially the near the end. I was surprised and delighted by all the unique illustrations! Definitely made me curious to try Lovewood.
Thank you! <3
Very well written Visual Novel with amazing illustrations. Great work!
Thank you for posting the playthrough! ^^
i have an error trying to install it using the itch app, any solution?
update: i just realized the game isnt available for mac
update 2: well this aged poorly
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COOL VN GAME DEV
Thank you for making a playthrough! (^v^)b
I screamed through this game play !!! I've been recording it as well and been needing to get back to love wood but I was like omg we can do this too and omg my heart. I don't know how many times I actually gasped and was like NoOOO lol I loved it. It took me a second to realize that they was younger compared to love wood I was like wait???? is this baby blossom,moth and aleth ?!?!
Yeees they're all little babies (so like, around 16 to 18 years old) TwT
So glad to hear you found it suspenseful! I'll totally check out your video, I wanna hear your commentary as the story goes along :D
oh gosh this game was so sweet!!!
the characters, the friendship! THE ART! gosh everything was so good!! and fun! I loved it so much!! <333
Now I need to check out Lovewood!
Thank you!! TuT
Have fun with Lovewood if you choose to play it, it's a fair bit longer than this one!
OMG I LOVED YOUR OTHER GAME SO IM SO EXCITED TO PLAY THIS <3
nfknbvfb Thank you!! <3
I hope you don't mind that the protagonist in this one is a bit more set in stone in terms of the name (though they're not referred to with any specific pronouns, I believe). It's a little different from Lovewood in that regard!
I finished it and I loved it . It's so wholesome. I don't mind that they had a default name. I just absolutely adore aleth SOO MUCH AHHH they're my comfort character.