Bound By Volithine Demo
A downloadable game for Windows
Welcome to Irlia, a land full of creatures of all shapes and sizes, and where a mysterious but dangerous substance called Volithine spreads beyond the shadows.
What is Volithine? No one knows where it came from, nor how long it has existed in Irlia. But one thing is certain: Volithine is deadly. Almost anyone who contacts Volithine is mutated into a hideous monster, or turned into a lifeless husk.
However, somewhere in Irlia is a small group of mercenaries who have all been infected by Volithine, but have retained some level of humanity.
You play as Daren, the latest recruit in this guild of misfits. Form bonds with the guild members, learn more about the wicked substance that shaped their lives, and stand up to a horrifying evil that plans to spread Volithine far beyond the reaches of your guild’s headquarters. Above all, your time in the guild will bring you closer to the most aloof member of the group: Sparrow, a quiet fox with a haunted past, who may hold the key to it all…
This is a narrative-driven visual novel featuring ironclad character bonds, thrilling action, and important choices that lead to multiple endings. Navigate a story where hurt and comfort, love and trauma, and moments of levity define Daren’s path forward. Will your choices unite the guild and save the world, or will you remain bound by the dismal future that was forced upon you?
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Install instructions
Thank you for downloading!! To play the game, please click "BbV.exe," as that is the game's main executable. The "game" folder contains most of the demo's assets, as well as a CREDITS doc if you'd like to know who helped to work on this game. Please DO NOT tamper with the source files, you might make the demo unplayable!
Development log
- First Live Version Released!!98 days ago
Comments
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A bit late to the party here, but I'm glad I got around to it eventually. I really liked this!
Not sure on how to really organize my thoughts here but I guess I'll start with...
Pacing and structure:
Like the VN in general, mostly good with a few comments that I'll have later. I like the slow burn, at least for the first act, and taking our time getting to know the gang. I especially like the way volathine itself is handled in the narrative. I think a lot of writers would be tempted to do an exposition dump at the beginning of the story giving more detail about what the central conflict point is, but I like that we're left in the dark for most of the story so far with scant details being added as we go. I'm almost more interested in figuring out what volathine actually is and where it comes from than I am in the actual characters, and I don't mean that as a bad thing. It's not always easy to handle lore in such an interesting way.
With that said, sometimes I think the pacing can drag a little at times. There is a lot of relative mundanity between the first action scene and the next real "plot" point, which I would consider the library, and while I absolutely enjoy the downtime, I think something important to consider is...
Flat vs. developed characters:
Right now, the only characters that appear to have an arc in the story are Daren and Sparrow. Now, I'd never want to insinuate that someone like Lilith is a flat character, since she, I mean, you know, clearly she has... that is, she...
...nevermind.
Jokes aside, there is an actual narrative foundation there for Lilith that could be accessed later, but Shamy is basically already self-actualized and End (and I am choosing my words very carefully here since that appears to be well, you) does not have a ton of narrative depth at this point. Probably less than any of the main cast. Tower is also there, but Tower is this weird situation where he's gotten way less screen time than anyone else and I'm still not really sure what his deal is at all.
To try to get my rambling tail back on point, there is absolutely nothing wrong with having flat characters - most stories need those characters to make the dynamic ones shine. But it feels like we're spending a LOT of time with Shamy and End and I'm wondering if some of this could be cut to focus more on...
Sparrow:
To clarify, I don't think we necessarily need more Sparrow scenes in the first act. I think what's there is fine, but right now the act feels kind of lopsided, where Sparrow is the first party member introduced, then basically disappears for half the demo, and then the second half of the demo is almost entirely about her. I think by managing the screen time (not even necessarily amount of scenes, but maybe even just the length of them) of other characters that shift might not feel as extreme. Not something I'd spend a ton of time adjusting now, just something to keep in mind as you develop your style.
With that said, sometimes the development between Daren and Sparrow can still feel a bit rushed or convenient. Like, Sparrow doesn't talk to anyone about anything but Daren happens to come across a comic book he likes in the library, happens to use that as a conversation starter with Sparrow, and then she immediately has a totally socially engaged conversation about shipping? Or Sparrow wanting to go do her own thing during steak night but Daren saying "okay but what if you didn't though" and she changes her mind immediately?
I'm not saying Sparrow's characterization is bad. I like her a lot, much more than I thought I would at the beginning of the story, but some of these interactions just feel way too easy and not necessarily "earned" for someone who's reportedly so impossible to break down.
I do really like the bits of character hidden throughout the early stages though, like Sparrow's knowledge of the draconic language and the implication that she might have been the one that left the comic book there in the library. I just think that conversation is a bit convenient since Daren wouldn't have any way of knowing that.
I think one of my biggest questions about the future of the VN is whether Daren x Sparrow is set in stone. She's certainly the feature of the store page, the promotional material, etc., and the end message "I wonder how Daren's relationship with Sparrow and the rest of the guild" seems to suggest that as well. It might be personal taste, but...
Lilith:
Lilith kinda feels like the better ship to me. Her chemistry with Daren feels much more natural, and this kinda feels like one of those situations where someone pines after their crush but really the best friend character was the one that was right for them all along.
As I mentioned before, there's a lot there to play with for her character with her being spread too thin with trying to be a primary source of income, manufacture all the potions and such for the gang, be (up until this point) the only emotional outlet for Sparrow, and just generally be like the actual main contributor in keeping the guild afloat.
The fact that she's already comfortable in her own fur seems like it would make it easier for her to be emotionally available whereas Sparrow's issues seem like they'd take much longer to get to that point. The little cuddle session right at the end of the demo felt kind of out of nowhere for me. Like I did not think we were at that stage yet.
I have full confidence that you'll be able to develop the Sparrow romance regardless if that's where we're going, but just wanted to throw that out there.
Miscellaneous musings:
I have absolutely no issues with having different artists do CGs for the game, but if possible I think it might help to encourage folks to stay "on-model" with the base sprites. Like for example, Sparrow is generally depicted as having a sort of slim, toned, athletic build, but then you have images like "cs forest return" where she is straight up voluptuous. And like, don't get me wrong, I drooled a little bit, but it's kinda like watching a TV show where there's just a completely different actress playing a character in one scene, and it can be a bit jarring when you've been picturing a character one way for the last 30 minutes and then you see something very different.
That transformation sequence in the research lab was absolutely killer though. Especially with the downtime between action scenes, just throwing the reader back into the body horror like that was really impactful and I absolutely loved it.
I don't have much to say about the writing style itself, other than I think you're very good. No typos or awkwardness, and even the references and such were subtle and didn't feel forced or cringey.
I know I had a fair bit of constructive criticism here, but definitely treat it as just that - constructive. I really, really liked this and would really, really like to see this completed whenever you're ready to roll it out :)
Thank you so much for this comment!! This means more to me than I can possible describe. I've been in desperate need for good constructive criticism for this project.
I have tried to write off and on for years, but this is one of the first times I've tried to write a proper romance, and I can see how Sparrow's relationship with Daren may come off a bit oddly. It seems that people unanimously agree that Lilith is the better match, so to me this reads as "improve Sparrow as much as possible." I am very glad that people like Lilith so much though, she and Shamy are probably my favorites to write.
I created the project knowing Shamy was a pretty flat character, but End was a last-minute addition because I felt like I needed a sixth character that filled a specific role (specifically his talk with Daren about Lilith's condition; I couldn't think of another character in the cast that would give that talk). I never thought about how flat he was compared to the others, but I would like to improve his character if I can. I have considered removing him from the story completely, since without that one scene he doesn't do much in the story, but currently he shares a connection with a character that appears in the second act, so I may need to keep him around for that reason. Maybe I can replace some of his appearances with Tower, maybe I can give him a better arch (he's meant to have a bigger role later, but not for a while). Still a lot of details to mull over...
I agree that the first few days are a bit slow since there isn't any major story beats taking place, but I'm hoping to improve it over time. I'm currently planning out the scenes for the second act, and by doing so I'm hoping to work backwards and adjust and improve the scenes in the first act as well.
The art contributions from others have been great, although I have often wondered about adjusting many of them for the final version, to make them more "on model" like you described. I definitely feel like some of them, while good, are a bit uh... distracting. I'm really glad you liked the transformation at the end, though!
Thanks again for your feedback and your kind words. Someday I'd like to try and recruit a proper team to help me write the best story I possibly can, and get some artists that can help contribute as well. I'm glad that there are minimal grammatical errors in the story at least, but I know there's a lot to improve upon and feedback like this is an excellent motivator.
Yeah, of course, always happy when my unsolicited essays disguised as itch comments end up being helpful! To follow up on a couple points:
Sparrow vs. Lilith, Round 2:
"[Lilith] and Shamy are probably my favorites to write" - this is telling, understandable, and I think you may be surprised as to how often this happens. By that I mean Lilith and Shamy being your favorites to write and not Daren and Sparrow. I'm sure there's a name for the phenomenon that I'm not aware of, but often you run into a situation where the primary protagonists are so intertwined with the central plot that the side characters are allowed to breathe more and become more interesting.
I think part of the issue here as well is that we don't learn much about Sparrow as a person other than "asocial" and "pretty" until the very end of the demo, and some of her dynamic with Daren might shine through more clearly in the second act now that more of her character is on the table. This is also especially true if a reader doesn't press the conversation in the library and doesn't help her walk home after the lab. If Darren x Sparrow is a lock, I'm not sure some of these actions can be optional unless they lead to bad endings since there are, to this point, not enough meaningful interactions between the pair to realistically get to the current state if you lose one.
What I would focus on going forward is: what about Daren and Sparrow excites you? You decided to write a whole book about them, so what is it about them that makes you really interested in telling their story? The more you can show this dynamic in each of these characters, the more compelling they'll be, and maybe you'll get some of those people jumping ships from Lilith to Sparrow soon.
On the Matter of End:
No no no don't cut End, that's not what I was saying. I think having him in there is fine, every good band needs a guy who makes the sandwiches. My point was just more of a matter of balance - End has approximately as many meaningful interactions with Daren in the first act as Sparrow does, and if one of the main like two purposes of the story is for Daren to get his snuggle on with Sparrow that might be sub-optimal.
If by Lilith's condition you mean her being spread too thin, I think that absolutely could have been delivered by Tower, just in a way that's less emotional and empathetic and more, like, academic. Something like "Mm. I have noticed that since the beginning of Lilith's assignment with [fennec whose name I can't remember] she has become 14% less productive in her other tasks. I am concerned that we may need to reevaluate our resource allocation." Like, you can show that he notices and cares in his own way.
I think going forward maybe trying to replace some of End's appearances with Tower is a good idea. Based on what you said in your reply, I wonder if you're putting End into too many scenes to kind of justify his existence, and I think you can afford to have him take a backseat more often.
Other things:
Forgot to mention this before, but minor gripe: when Tower's sprite is mirrored it switches what arm is mechanical. I am not a visual artist and I don't know how easy that is to fix.
I'm always happy to be a sounding board for story and character ideas, but to reiterate I still think you've got a really solid foundation here :)
This cinematic masterpiece was all apart of the plan.
And so was the aura farming master, Sparrow.
I'm glad you liked it, thank you!!
I want a Shamy route, she's just so cute!
I'd love to include her in more scenes, she's one of the most fun charas to write and draw! Thanks for your comment!
Thanks so much for you comment!! Yes, I've been told it's quite long for a demo lo. But I'm thrilled that you and your friends like Sparrow!! I hope to draw her more very soon as I work on the final version.
It's an interesting story demo so far.
Thanks so much for your comment! Have you finished the demo already? I am curious about some of your choices.