The Monster in the Woods
You are a child living in the woods with your guardian.
Recently, your older sibling passed away. Your guardian claims a monster in the woods killed them.
And she says it will come after you next.
Content Warning: Child Abuse, Verbal Abuse, Mention of PTSD and C-PTSD
(If you find there is more content that should be warned about, please let me know. Thank you!)
This game was made in two weeks for the Nonbinary Game Jam 2019.
There are THREE endings.
Credits are in the title screen of the game.
Update v1.1.2
Fixed credits, fixed door glitch
Download
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Comments
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Hello, I played the game and loved it a lot! As a nonbinary person this resonated SO much and I'd be really excited to see any future games continuing this story. I wish the protagonist and the monster sibling could be happy together!
I've noticed other people also got the glitch of the game crashing in an infinite loop from pressing the cancel button. I figured out how to fix it in my playthrough! It's something in the portraitless save menu script messing up and it crashes the game cos it's looking for a portrait file (even though it doesn't need it). Just putting any file in the faces folder and naming it Actor1.png makes it all work again. (Even a blank file or a random meme lol!)
Hope that can help!
Oh lord, that makes sense. I really need to fix that; thank you for looking into that bug! :') I'm pretty sure that's from when I was experimenting with adding portraits.
And thank you so much for your kind words! It's been a while since I worked on this, but I think that's been the most prominent feedback I've gotten - giving them a happy ending - and that really strikes a chord with me every time I see it. I've been wanting to work on a more polished version of this game, and comments like yours continue to inspire me to do so. Thank you again, please continue to look forward to the next installment! <3
I absolutely will!! The game really struck a chord with me because of my own experiences with transness, and a similarly abusive mum. It was honestly EXACTLY what I needed when I played this, it's gonna stick in my memory forever! I'd be overjoyed to see more! And I'm happy I could help!
Thanks for such a kind reply!
where do you find the walnuts & mushrooms? (edit - found them!)
This was very deep. The mood was great, and the simple grey color pallet really helped it. Always nice to see fun RPG maker game. I've made a couple games with it myself, but I only have one on itch at the time of writing this. I felt just the right amount of scary, to where I want to continue, but also not seeing everything coming.
I love the a lot about this game, especially the theme and ideas! The introduction of the thing in the woods was excellent. I especially loved how the monster blended in with the trees and was so surprised when they got me the first them, and then I started noticing them everywhere after that. It has a really good amount of wtf is going on, this is kind of spooky but nothing really to run away from yet...? I'm slightly afraid but not terrified? The dark and moody grayscale and the music lends a eerie atmosphere that fits very well. However, I think after that the tricking could have been more subtle: I really liked how at first the mother seems just kind of off, asking the child to pick vegetables right after she supposedly nearly got killed by the monster, ordering her around, and the fear about the monster in the woods, but "I would hate for you to meet the same fate as your sister" is very unsubtly rubbing-hands-evilly-together evil that I felt it ruined the twist where you hide from her, the actual monster.
I only got two of the endings, but I agree with another comment in saying that I wish there was an ending with the girl and monster together. Both of the ones I got involved the girl getting adopted and growing up and dealing with trauma in very literal terms and therapy which contrasted a lot to the strange and dreamlike atmosphere of the game. I didn't really enjoy the tonal shift or the endings that much. Also, replaying the game to get them was a pain because it was slow and the choices necessitated restarting, which stopped me from getting the third ending.
I enjoyed the nonbinary sibling and how the girl could recognize their gender, while their mother could not, and the implications of just what that could mean for their death. The different use of pronouns between them was well done.
I also think the endings could be improved if they had been split up differently. IMO giving the player choice to walk during the scene where the monster is menacing the guardian would work really well, as you could decide for yourself whether to turn away and go into the forest or go in to stop. I also think that the split between not wanting to see your guardian die and wanting to get away from the guardian could be better if it wasn't so distinct... not wanting to move away from the woods and the monster isn't a mutually exclusive feeling from not wanting the mother to be killed in front of you. But I guess if both those endings are about re-entering society and growing up it doesn't make much of a difference overall, in the end.
I don't know why I haven't responded to this yet, but I really appreciate this response! The feedback is incredibly helpful. I'm working on creating a more fleshed out version of this story, so thank you so much for taking the time to leave this comment, friend. <3
I wonder, why does this have the LGBT tag? Nothing against the game, really, just wondering.
No worries! I made this game for the Nonbinary Game Jam, and the protagonist's sibling is nonbinary. I also intended to expand more on those elements, but ended up running out of time. I do intend to have that more explicitly stated and explored when I make the next version of this game. Sorry for the confusion!
Aaaah, I get it now, well I have high hopes for the future version, keep up the work!
Thank you! ^-^
wow, this is fantastic! just the right amount of spooky and it left me curious about the monster and the child/sibling's connections. i loved all 3 endings! <3
Aw, thank you! I'm really glad you enjoyed it! =)
i loved this game
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. =)
I really enjoyed this game! I'm very interested in the story, I would love to know more about the sibling and the monster. Maybe even a happy ending where the monster and the girl get to stay together?
Lovely game, you did a fantastic job!! <3
Thank you so much! I'm actually working on expanding the game and recreating it in Game Maker Studio 2. I was hoping to have it done by this Samhain (Halloween), but it's taking more time and energy than I expected. ^^; But I want to make sure the next version has everything I wasn't able to put in this one, so you'll definitely see more story and character development when that comes out!
this was such a cool game! deff weird to play out where i live (closer to the wooded area) so it was very chilling! but i loved it! please keep up the good work! xD
Haha, thank you! It was actually inspired by where I lived growing up, so I totally get that feeling, lol. I'm glad you enjoyed it all the same! ^-^
Throughly enjoyed playing this game. Harrowing experiences and quite emotional. Brilliant concept and wonderfully implemented. Thank you for putting together this amazing game.
aaahhh thank you so much for the kind words ;v; im very glad you enjoyed it!
Chilling. I enjoyed this very much.
hold up how does this game know my name man also this game is just beyond creppy but very enjoyable good job man
Spoooooky....
Hehe, thank you so much, I'm very glad you enjoyed it! ^-^
No problem I liked it you should make it longer the campaign like if you want to get advanced maybe add like a storyline for each of the 3 endings
That's a good idea, thank you! I am working on extending the story, so keep an eye out for that. c:
Also do you work alone on this project or with a team and you used RPG Maker MV to. Make this game cause I’ve been thinking about getting that but I’ve never used it before and I want to develop a game that involves no coding I want to become a game developer want to do that for a career
I did this on my own, but I used music from Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). I also followed some sprite making tutorials from HeartBeast on YouTube and edited RPGMaker MV's premade assets. I think RPGMaker MV is a great tool for beginners - like me! It can help prevent overwhelm that might come with starting a game from scratch, that way you can build up to it. c:
I accidentally pressed 'x' and then I was stuck in a menu loop where I couldn't get out of, so had to restart the game, other than that, I think the game's great!! I love how the monster looks exactly like the other trees so every time I get into a new area I immediately start searching for a big and lumpy tree :)
Keep up the good work uwu
Oh, dang! I didn't know that was a thing. I'm working on an extended version of the game and I'm hoping to either thoroughly debug it myself or to be able to hire someone to help me out. I'm not as great as working through the technical complications as I am with design and such, so hopefully I can find some help in that respect. I'm really glad you like the tree aspect of the monster! That was one of my favorite parts to work on and will definitely carry through to the next version of this game. Thank you so much for the information and the polite comment, it means so much to me! ^-^
The game froze up a few times and I had to refresh the website, but other than that, this game is very nice, and I love the relationship between the girl and the monster.
Oof, I'm sorry it's been giving you technical trouble! I'm working on an extended version and I'm hoping to debug more thoroughly myself, or to be able to hire someone to help me out with it. Thank you so much for the comment and information, I really appreciate it!
This covers my favorite trope. Monster and child friendship. That is all. :D
But I now want to make a fanfic sequel where the monster and the kid meet again and maybe the kid's adopted family lets the monster become a part of the family? Is that oki?
Also wait is the monster male or female? And is the child a boy or a girl?
Oh my god, this is so cute and I am so honored. ;o; Thank you! I am more than okay with that! Please let me know when you've written it, I'd love to read it.
The Monster doesn't have a gender, they just go by they/them. The child is a young girl and goes by she/her. c: I'll be happy to answer any other questions as well. Thank you so much for this very kind comment!
Yw! X3
Also prepare for more questions. Srry.
Say um what time does this game take place? I originally thought it was in the middle ages or something, but then the girl mentioned the police in the end and I got confused. And I started thinking about the girl and her adopted siblings trying to take the monster to school like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joCQDkVGAvY
Also do the monster or the girl have any names? Or is it up to the player?
No worries! My responses may be a bit sporadic, though.
The game takes place in contemporary/modern times, or at least leading up to 2020. Maybe 2019, or thereabout, but it's not necessarily significant. Ma'am keeps them in the woods to disorient them and make them feel detached from the outside world, so it makes sense that the time period wouldn't be super clear, apologies for the confusion, though.
I have names for them now, but at the time of making this version of the game, I hadn't come up with any. I was kind of rushing for the game jam, so there's a lot of loose ends I want to clear up when I'm done making the extended version. c: I do want to leave this version more open ended to kind of be its own story with its own conclusions to be drawn, and the "extended" one I'm working on will be something separate from this, but with much of the same vibe and story.
Wait you are making another game with a child and a monster guardian?
I'm planning on revising and extending this story to have more detail and gameplay. I also have other game ideas with monsters and emotional turmoil because that's kind of the groove I find myself in, lol
I absolutely loved this! It´s such an interesting story
Really wish there was an ending with the monster tho, keep it up with the good job <3
Thank you so much! I'm really happy you enjoyed it. ^-^ I've been getting a lot of positive feedback recently, so I plan to start working on an extended narrative for this game. Thank you for the comment!
for a monster it sure is friendly. good story even if it is short, good atmosphere, nice colors everything just mixes so well
Thank you very much! I've been getting a lot of comments and requests to extend the story lately, so I think I'll be working on that soon. =) Thank you for the kind comment!
Ahh, thank you so much, I'm so happy you enjoyed it!
Lovely game! Short but very atmospheric. I loved the colour scheme and music in particular. Great work
Thank you so much! The color scheme is kind of an interesting result from having a limited time and wanted to try to convey certain feelings with a small color palette, so I'm glad it worked well! Also, forever props to Kevin MacLeod for the music that I've used for pretty much all of my creative projects. You can find more of his music over at incompetech.com!
is the monster her sister's spirit or is it just my imagination?
i really liked the game and would love if you made a a bigger version of it
I wanted to kind of leave it up to interpretation, but my personal interpretation is that it's her sibling's spirit, yeah.
Thank you so much for your kind words! I honestly wasn't expecting it to be enjoyed as much as it has been, so I do plan on working on a larger version of the game. =) I'll update everyone as that progresses. I sincerely appreciate the encouragement! <3
really....lowe..it....its..kinda..short...:(..i..wanted...to...know..the..full...story
Oh, wow! Thank you! :D I've had a few people express interest in a longer story, so it's definitely something I'll be considering moving forward. I really appreciate your comment and video! ^-^
I really enjoyed this! I love everything about the monster - the art, the sound effects, the way the dialogue is shown. And I like the subtle touch of the child using their sibling's pronouns. :,)
I was also a little confused about the beginning - I thought maybe the monster had taken the child away from the house when their sibling was in danger? But then it seemed like that had happened much earlier.
Ah, thank you so much! I really enjoyed making the monster. I think it was my favorite part about the game, hehe. And I'm really happy that you noticed that! It's actually something I personally deal with - I'm the eldest of 6 siblings, and while three of them know about my pronouns, one of them corrects themselves and our other family members when it comes up. I know it's scary for them, and I've told them not to worry about it too much, but they are very insistent and it's just a really sweet and subtle gesture that I wanted to add to this game.
I appreciate the feedback about the beginning! The sibling had recently passed away, and my thinking was that the monster was watching from a distance without wanting to interact directly at the risk of scaring the child. This was one of the tactics they tried to implement, kind of trying to encourage her to leave and not go back home. But the child didn't completely understand, so she kept going back. I've been thinking about how I could make that kind of thing more clear, or at least less confusing, while avoiding using too much dialogue or being too on the nose about it. I do want there to be some mystery and things left up to interpretation, but I also don't want it to be /too/ confusing. It's definitely a balance I'll have to work on going forward.
Thank you again for your comment, I really appreciate the kind words and criticism. It really means a lot to me. =)
i really liked (among other things) the use of different text sizes & styles btwn characters and situations, on top of the strength of the script i thought it effectively conveyed a lot. skillfully written the whole way through
Thank you very much! I used Yanfly's MessageCore plug in to manipulate the text, and it ended up being a lot of fun. Thank you for your review and kind words, I really appreciate it!
I love the atmosphere of this game! The trees, the smoky overlay, and the sound design in particular really sell the mood.
I wanted to ask -- in that beginning sequence where you go through the same three screens twice, first with the monster and then without, I'm not super clear what's happening. Is one of them meant to be a dream?
Ah, that seems to be something I didn't make terribly clear, but I'm not sure if that's a negative thing in this context. In the beginning, the monster had taken the child from the house hoping to kind of..."persuade" her to run away, or at least get her away from Ma'am. The child wakes up confused, tries to get home, but is stopped by the monster who brings her back out again, trying to keep her away. I wanted to cause a little bit of confusion, doubt, and concern about the nature and intent of the monster since, when they caught you, they didn't kill you.
I have been told that it's a little more confusing than I thought it would be, and I definitely appreciate the criticism. If/When I revisit this, I might try to find a better way to convey that.
Also, thank you very much for your review! I really appreciate the insight and constructive criticism, and I'm very glad you enjoyed the game. =)
Awesome short game, amazing work.
I like the atmosphere feel to the art and monochrome tone.
I would very much love to see an extended version of this game in the future.
Oh, man, thank you so much! That really means a lot to me. Since it was for a game jam, there was a bit of a time crunch so I ended up with an ending cut a little shorter than I had in mind. But I definitely have an interest in working on it further. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement, it is very much appreciated. =)
No problem. If you ever further develop it I would love to play it . XD
a gift for story telling! well done.
Thank you very much! ^-^
I played this game as part of a little itch.io horror compilation. Out of the four it was by far the best one, and even without comparison, I think this is a pretty sweet short game!
Oh my gosh, thank you so much! :'D I'm really glad you enjoyed it!