a love colored blackbird
A downloadable game for Windows, macOS, and Linux
Warning: This game contains topics and allusions to topics which may be sensitive or distressing to some viewers. This includes self-harm, suicide, depression, unhealthy dependencies on others, and unhealthy relationships. Please download and play with caution!
A short kinetic novel about a boy who can't stop dreaming and the blackbird that inhabits said dreams.
Made and finished just in time for Finally Finish Something Game Jam 2022! Since this is a kinetic novel, there are no choices to make. The main story is about 2.5k words and takes around 10mins or less to read through.
This is a prequel of sorts to a story I never finished writing. I had a lot of fun just playing around with things though so I hope you can enjoy it all the same! Thank you for playing!!
Credits:
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It looks really interesting, but how do I use him on Android?I really want to play...
It took me a bit to understand the story, but it was still very enjoyable from the start! I love the poetic storytelling and the heartbreak I got to experience when the game and extra stories started fitting together and the music just adds to it all! Do you by any chance still know the specific names of the songs you used?? Both soundtracks really hit the right spot for me
Thank you!!!! I was really nervous the the poetic style would be out of place so it honestly makes me so happy to know that it made sense and that you were able to enjoy it!
And yes, the two songs are 雨水 (rainwater) and 想いを抱いて (holding thoughts) from ontama-m! should both be under the dark piano tag! they're all really pretty so if you like those you'll prolly love looking through their list!
Thank you so much for the kind words!!! ❤️ I’m happy you enjoyed it! And it’s not a bother at all! I have a habit of not using names when I write so it can be kinda confusing sometimes. His name is Ciel!
That’s okay! You can use Ciel in anything you want! Same goes for any of my characters. If you post something using them online I’d like to be credited, but that’s just so I can see what people make with him! If you have any other questions just let me know and I’ll answer as soon as I can, and I hope you have a nice day too! :)
this game was so good !!
spoilers !!
i read all of the extras (which i usually wouldn´t, since i´m bad at reading but ,,) they were so good. honestly made me really sad and i do wish it had a happier ending, (i just love happy endings help but it´s true that not everything can have one) but the story also made me reflect a bit. thank you for making this story, and even though i´m a bit late playing it, this is probably one of my favorite stories i´ve read in a while !
It really was a pretty sad story to read, so thank you so much for playing it and for all the super kind words!! I kind of realized afterwards that having so much plain text for the extras wasn’t the best idea but I’m glad you were still able to enjoy it!
this was a very intense experience. I really liked the art and the story.
I can relate to the MC's thoughts and feelings very well, which was probably the reason why the story and especially the last short story left me all emotionally upset.
I will read your other stories, too. but maybe another time.
best wishes
Ah, I'm sorry, I hope it didn't upset you too much! Looking back on it, it is a very intense story and it was also a very experimental thing for me to make too so I know it's a lot to digest. I really appreciate hearing your thoughts on it though, so thank you for taking the time to read and enjoy it!!
It was good. At first, I was hooked by the character design xD but the plot itself is interesting. So far, this is the first game I encountered with poetic theme. My friend also enjoyed playing it (๑ÒωÓ๑) 9
Awww, I put a lot of thought into the characters and art so that makes me very happy! Thank you both for playing it!! ❤️
(Edit: Ignore me saying it's confusing. I was just a dumbass and didn't understand it at first. So if you're reading this please give it a read!)
Very sad and poetic. I was and am still confused. But I enjoyed it nonetheless. The art is very pretty. Nice work! :)
Might be spoilers?
At first I thought that the blackbird was a play on the black dog which is what people call depression sometimes. I thought that was interesting! But the more I read it the more I realised that wasn't the case I don't think. I still don't understand it but I saw that there are some side stories you can read to get the full story I guess. But there aren't any pictures to go with them. So I didn't read them, sorry! Some people might be happy to know they exist though.
Thank you so much!!! I’m so glad you liked it even through the confusing bits haha
The side stories are mostly because I really liked those two characters. Totally not required tho! Only for a little context and some of them are kinda cute lol
Spoilers kinda (but honestly please interpret the story however you like!)
Your black dog theory is pretty close actually! I viewed the blackbird as more of a counter to the MC’s depression but a stand in for maladaptive daydreaming. Almost like a comfort object? I thought of it as the MC viewing one kind person as his savior, building up a relationship in his head to help him deal with life even though he knows it’s not real.
Hey! Thanks for the reply. :)
Oh I see! That's nice you included those extra stories.
That's cool! I think I like your idea more than my theory haha. I read it again because I think I forgot it was a dream at some point which is why I got confused. I'm also slow to understand things at times (I'm kind of a dumbass really).
I really like the poetic way you write! I've read your other VN before too and enjoyed it. It makes me want to try writing like that one day. Anyway, after reading it a second time, understanding the blackbird was a dream and with your explanation, I understood it a lot better!
Man, that ending is super sad. I feel for the MC because I understand how he feels. Depression is the worst... :(
Again, great work! I enjoyed it.