A downloadable game for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android

Download NowName your own price

               


The complete story contains:

Click to reveal [SPOILERS!]

  • Swearing 
  • Manipulation
  • Sex/Sexuality
  • Pregnancy
  • Miscarriage
  • Revenge (by murder)
  • Abuse / Trauma
  • Blood
  • Execution / Genocide
  • Human / Religious Sacrifices


Under The False Sky is targeted for more mature audiences. Due to its heavy subjects we advise you to be 18+ years old to read this novel.

Reader's discretion is advised.


This world has only one rule: kill or be killed. Only the strong should live on, while the weak should be discarded. 

But who can truly determine who deserves one fate over another? 

To protect themselves from savage beasts, humanity lives within mobile cities called the Arks. However, these creatures are not the only ones to be wary of, as people vie for power and control not only to ensure their survival against these beasts but also to dominate over their fellow humans.



[heca;tomb] is a prequel to the Under The False Sky Series, taking place prior to mankind being forced to seek shelter within the Arks.–Which is why the story can be considered a standalone." 

A group of scientists travel to a remote region to investigate a series of strange disasters, only to accidentally fall into the secret of a secluded, enigmatic tribe. Now, they must spend their lives in the village, or face death.

As they are slowly growing accustomed to their new life, one of the young researchers finds himself overcome by emotions foreign to him–finds himself captured by...her
However, as the tribe's mysteries continue to unravel, it becomes clear that their secrets are much darker than he could have ever imagined.

But are they the monsters... or is he? 

This is the story of how a romance crumbles, and mankind along with it.






The Research Group

The Villagers




The Outlaw

JAD DEMO FEATURES

  • 18k words of story | 1-2 hours of reading time
  • kinetic story line with set characters & changing POVs
  • original soundtrack composed by Eric Jeffrey Tan
  • partial voice acting directed by Bree Frankel
  • dynamic movement of sprites & surroundings
  • no expression & outfit variations

FULL RELEASE FEATURES

  • estimate 50k-60k words of story | 6-7 hours of reading time
  • kinetic story line with set characters & changing POVs
  • original soundtrack composed by Eric Jeffrey Tan
  • [potential full voice acting]
  • dynamic movement of sprites & surroundings
  • clothes & expression variations for the character sprites
  • CG artwork

A story in which romance's fate is tragedy.

  • Elduator | Director / Creative Lead / Writer / Sprite Artist / BG Artist / GUI Artist / Programmer / Audio Editor

(coming soon ™️, aka tomorrow)

StatusIn development
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Linux, Android
Rating
Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars
(4 total ratings)
Authorelduator
GenreVisual Novel
TagsAmare, Anime, Erotic, josei, Kinetic Novel, LGBT, NSFW, Otome, Romance
Average sessionAbout an hour

Download

Download NowName your own price

Click download now to get access to the following files:

DEMO-hecatomb-ANDROID 292 MB
JADJam-DEMO-hecatomb-WINDOWS 253 MB
JADJam-DEMO-hecatomb-MAC 261 MB
JADJam-DEMO-hecatomb-LINUX 244 MB

Development log

Comments

Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.

(-2)

Cmiiw from the summary, is the gender of MC male? Or we can choose it?

(+3)(-1)

There is no character customisation— as shown in the „Fate‘s Lovers“ section, the main characters are Asherah (female) and Joseph (male).

(+2)(-1)

This was a VERY intriguing demo (thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to contribute!!)

The writing is very well done (note that I might be biased because I did edit for the game LOL). In particular, the use of simile and metaphor makes the prose very vibrant. However, I think that the greatest strength is how smoothly and naturally characterization and information about the relationships between characters are woven into the dialogue. There is basically no fluff or wasted text - each line serves to either further the plot, the characters, or both. 

The art is lovely, with sharp and clean lines and lovely shading on the skin and hair. In particular, I love how distinctive the character designs are. From their fashion choices, expressions, and body language, you can really tell a lot about all of them - from the bubbly and carefree Candace with her candy-colored hair and loose print clothes, to Rachel with her tightly knotted bun and military attire. The backgrounds are edited very well, with vibrant colors. The cave background is especially beautiful, with a dark and haunting composition. And, it goes without saying, but the GUI is lovely and clean, with really nice animations that make it feel all the more satisfying to use. 

The animations are absolutely top notch - some of the best that I've seen in a visual novel, honestly. They're incredibly dynamic, adding a lot of visual intrigue to even the more calm scenes, and there is a LOT of detail put into them (as there were movements practically every line). In particular, I loved how much depth they added to the scene, particularly when one character was standing in the front and another was standing in the back, slightly blurred. It's a simple effect, but one that requires time and effort to implement, and it makes the scene look so much more three dimensional. I also really loved the use of the little pop-in heads for when a person speaks but isn't directly visible - it reminded me a lot of games such as Virtue's Last Reward, and I loved the effect there too LOL. Overall the game was choreographed BEAUTIFULLY while juggling a rather gigantic cast, which is really difficult for this medium. 

The music is lovely and very atmospheric, and it really sets the mood in each scene; I especially love the track that plays during Joseph and Asherah's interaction in the cell - it's really lovely and tender. (The unlockable music box is a VERY nice touch.) The VAs all did a fantastic job as well, and their performances really serve to bring the characters to life. 

===SPOILERS===

The opening scene is an EXCELLENT way to start off the game - starting off with where Joseph ends up, and working backwards, hinting at the tragedy to come. 

The story has a lot of characters to introduce in this demo, and it does a seamless job of introducing each one, as well as their relationships and dynamics with one another. From the start, it's clear that Joseph is a bit of an outsider who struggles with connections and looks down on the other members of the group. Yet, he never seems unhappy with this - rather, he seems to look down on the people around him, preferring his own company, except for his sister, Hila, and his best friend, Malachi. His instant connection to the naive village girl, Asherah, is both heartwarming and a bit unnerving. 

Asherah is characterized primarily by her kind and gentle nature, but it's also clear that she is also curious and open-minded. I enjoyed seeing her come into her own (at least a bit) as she confronts her father - and her father encourages her. That dynamic of theirs was one of my favorites from the demo, as I REALLY wasn't expecting it. On the other hand, Su'en, Asherah's caring but overprotective childhood friend, immediately shuts Asherah down - reminding her of her duties to their village, and making her world that much smaller. 

The other characters, especially the POV ones, are also quite interesting to explore. Candace struggles to feel acknowledged by her much-older lover, who she has been enthralled with since she was a student. As a result, she can be foolhardy and headstrong in her attempts to prove herself, rushing into things that she's not ready for. Hila, who is normally so cold and collected, is unexpectedly warm towards Candace, betraying her affection for her (though, at the same time, she's oddly untrusting of her brother). Malachi is caring toward Joseph, but he also looks down on his friend (not seeming to notice that Joseph's unsocial nature is by choice). His feelings towards Rachel are a bit mysterious, compounded by the mercenary's own insecurities. Rachel was actually by far my favorite from the demo - despite her rough exterior, she's conscientious and observant of others. It seems that she's the only one who notices Joseph's peculiarities, other than his sister, and she's also the only one to reach out to Phineas when he's feeling low, despite being the one who knows him the least. She's guarded and untrusting because she's so secretly vulnerable. She believes that there's no way Malachi could truly care for her, but still longs for his affection. I was also very pleasantly surprised by Phineas - who, despite his timid nature, also seems to be the only one who really gauges the seriousness of the situation, with a greater resilience than the others give him credit for. 

While you can't be sure where the plot will go based on the demo, it lays quite a few intriguing plot threads. Joseph's blossoming relationship with Asherah, the secrets of the crystal, the reasons for the village's secrecy - and how this will all end up with the man lying in the bed of tubes, responsible for the deaths of thousands of people. Overall, this was a fantastic demo, and I'm looking forward to playing (and beta-ing) the full version!