My Best Friend (Updated 07/08/21)

crab · 2019-01-27T06:18:24.580Z

Very unique and interesting concept. The MC is so cute and lovable I absolutely adore them!

Some feedback i’d give is that the writing tends to get a little robotic at times, especially in scenes with a lot of dialogue. I think it’d be nice to make it flow better and use transition words rather than monotone sentences. But it could be intentional idk

E_RedMark · 2019-01-27T08:08:14.016Z

Awwwww let us return Tabby to her mommy or my life will never be the same!

Lifezin · 2019-01-27T08:30:43.515Z

Got me hooked with this cute and fluffy story.

Carson_Lindsey · 2019-01-27T19:54:05.084Z

Can I play the whole thing?

122B · 2019-02-23T17:55:19.753Z

@crab, @E_RedMark,

Thanks for your feedback! It was very helpful.

@Lifezin,

Great:) I hope you like the new chapter.

Update (23/02/19):

Added Chapter 4 to the demo. It’s the darkest chapter yet, and the first part of the climax.
Hopefully made the writing less robotic.
Included a scene where Tabby and Mrs June are reunited.
Added a new choice to Chapter 3 (If you don’t pick up the brownies, Woof will eat one and have to go to the vet. Then you won’t see him again until Chapter 6.)
Added some instances where letting emotions get too low can influence things too (for example, you can’t run from Joe with no Fear, you can’t be angry at Miss Honey with no Anger, etc.)

Still looking for testers, so if you’d like to play more, please let me know.

PLAYTEST (16/06/19)

Flinx · 2019-02-26T18:58:14.958Z

122B:

that

Hey! I loved the demo that you posted and I would like to play the complete version, if you want me to do so of course. I have a question: Is MC going to grow up? Or all the story is gonna be with her/him at 6 years old? I also want to add that I read a comment that said dialogues are a bit robotic and that’s true. Otherwise, this story is great so far! Can’t wait for the release <3

honey_milk · 2019-03-11T10:14:31.538Z

hi, your demo was really fun & interesting and i wonder if i can try out the full version?

Victoria_Princess_An · 2019-03-11T13:30:26.057Z

OK give it to me straight author!, is Charlie an imaginary friend?!!???!

Sel_Lee · 2019-03-19T02:57:26.580Z

This was adorable. I’m very interested in how the story will end. I’d love to test out the final chapters.

Eric_knight · 2019-03-19T03:55:04.540Z

I think this is an adorable and very heart warming story … a story where we return our mind to the age of innocence, however i think it needs some works to turn it into a “choice games”, else even though it is a wonderful story , i feel that readers out there are going to complain about it …

about the romance , i agree that without romance … it might feel a bit of “lacking” in this “soul searching” story, however… it doesn’t necessary need to be a romance out of passion , or a romance where we can have girlfriend / boyfriend who going to promise a marriage when we grow up … what i am thinking is, a sort of “innocence” romance where 2 characters ( MC and the chosen RO) that will drawn to each other and start to care for each other , a kindle childhood romance where these 2 persons start to imagine whether they could stay attach to one another via their heart connection when growing up…

Ummm… i think Emma is a good choice of romance for me , i am still not sure about the nature of Charlie, my guess is “He” is a ghost / spirit or an imaginary friend, but i am setting my mind with him being a ghost… well i love ghost friend anyway… so in the case of romantic development, i am thinking of Emma or another RO start to drawn to us and begin to join our “adventure”, then they feel a bit strange about our behaviour and the existence of Charlie, so the ROs quietly play along with us while trying to understand who is charlie and why MC is behaving as such … the romantic conversation could be Emma/RO trying to give is encouragement and hope by telling us she / he will stay right by our side no matter what happen and we shouldn’t feel afraid and alone …

In the end, assuming we know the nature of Charlie and assuming he is leaving … for example, Charlie is like Cassie of @JimD’s zombie Exodus , and he feels that it is time for him to leave and bid us stay strong after he left… Emma or the RO could embrace us at this time and ask us not to cry or be sad , because Emma / RO will still be there for us and we can count on the RO to walk to our future hand-in-hand … I would think such “romantic” occasion is a good hybrid of romance/friendship for MC and a chosen RO, as a way to be able to “love” by someone , either as friend or companion in the future …

Eric_knight · 2019-03-19T08:36:33.958Z

122B:

Thanks! I’m glad you liked it.

That is a truly wonderful writing that remind me of those wonderful childhood days :-)

122B:

Do you think it needs more stats, or more choices?

122B:

Do you think it needs more stats, or more choices?

Hmmm… personally i think the story is not stats related , or was it ? it certainly didn’t feel that way :-) I meant, if we would apply stats in your game, there need a purpose or task of doing that right ? else implementing stats seem pointless … Hmmm, perhaps some scenes about whether we manage to invite Emma to a field trip or adventure with a persuasion or charisma check, or perhaps we would “guess” the identity or purpose of Charlie via wisdom check ? maybe even some check on skill that allow us to bake a wonderful cakes I would guess there are lots of works to be done if you plan to implement all these stats related scenes / tasks, but i feel that it will truly make the story more intriguing and more replaybility , as each different scene may unlock a different story or outcome, like manage to bake a wonderful cake to Emma or the old lady may uncover some of their story … or a successful wisdom check could uncover a locket of charlie that bring us more light into this character

122B:

or more choices?

the choices need to be related with the stats i think, hence more choice could be a good idea… for example, i could choose to bake a cake for Emma that require certain skill check , or i could choose to read some history books or wander into the woods , that with a wisdom check, could uncover something about Charlie ?

122B:

what made you think Charlie was a ghost?

Oh… because the encounter was faintly resembling 2 of the stories i had read not long ago, one was "connected hearts " , a visual novel about the ghostly childhood friend Alice visiting the protagonist via dream and they embark on a wonderful journey that finally re-discover the protagonist’s lost memory of sadness , in the end Alice states that she manifest a teenage image of herself to meet the protagonist to match with his age ( thus protagonist couldn’t recognise her because they were only small kids when Alice perish in a fire )…
the 2nd was Zombie Exodus, where the encounter with Cassie reveal that MC used to be sad and alone when small, hence Cassie the ghost took pity of MC , she play with MC and at the same time gave MC’s strength and encouragement to continue the life until one day, MC grows up , live independently and finally forget about Cassie … until in the zombie apocalypse , when MC was in danger again …Cassie appear again to help my MC… she also hints that she always look after MC and the sister, but because MC forget about her , she didn’t want to reveal herself unless MC was in danger

Well… with the mysteries surrounding Charlie who is someone between dream and reality , i suspect he could be a ghost rather than an imaginary friend

122B:

I think Emma will be a RO (of sorts)

That will be awesome !! :-) I believe Emma is not the usual nice little girl who live as your neighbour, she could be @aequa 's Lilith resemblance , someone who is fierce , strong will but could be a loyal childhood “crush” if we manage to make her “like” us … and she could make the interaction with MC memorable the way Lilith in Curse of the Spirit made me rooting for her in that childhood story with her :-)

122B:

I like these ideas! Great feedback.

Thanks for the compliment , i truly wish to help you make this project a success because it is such a unique and warm hearted story that i am looking forward into playing it :-)

122B · 2019-05-05T20:38:38.897Z

Update (05/05/19):

You can now stay in the village, instead of going to Faray in Chapter 4. Hang out with Mrs June, the Watsons, Billy and Fred, Woof or just Charlie; it’s like a whole new chapter.
There’s a new character (the MC’s own age) if you go to the park in Faray. His name is Dunk.

I’ll release Chapter 5 once it’s ready, but if you’d like to try it now, please let me know. Chapter 6 will probably stay private though.

Any feedback is great, even just liking someone else’s post, or voting on a poll. Even if you dislike the game, I’d love to hear from you. Thanks!

PLAYTEST (16/06/19)

E_RedMark · 2019-05-06T12:14:57.370Z

Summary

She looks from me to Nelly Basket, then opens it with a weary sigh.

Meow

“Tabby?” says Millie, gaping.

Tabby purrs and climbs into her arms.

“Tabby!”

She laughs with disbelieving joy, hugging the tabby cat. After a while, me and Charlie sneak away.

http://dxe5lcrjpy7emwfo.zippykid.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/tumblr_inline_nq4prkyBpj1t26qoy_500.gif

122B · 2019-05-27T18:56:45.589Z

Update (27/05/19):

Chapter 5! Or less optimistically: sigh Chapter 5…
You can (sort of) ask out Emma in this chapter, and meet Dunk again. Whether she says yes is down to chance, but your chances are higher if the MC’s emotions are stable and they’re a boy.
Added a favourite character poll above. Also, most of the game is there now, so it felt wrong to keep calling it a demo.

Update (16/06/19):

Scrapped the intro as per @poison_mara’s suggestion. The name and gender choices are better placed now. This has also meant changing Chapter 5’s stage scene.
Added more foreshadowing to Chapters 1 and 2, and working on showing the MC’s mental state more. Improving characterisation. Also working on making choices matter more, especially in the early chapters.
Added yet another poll above. Hopefully it will help me gauge the game’s weakest points?
This is only a small update, but the next one should be big.

The writing itself is nearly done, but the whole game still needs a lot of work (still needs to actually be made into a game). Feedback is always welcome, and I still need testers for Chapter 6, if you’re interested.

But thank you for posting, voting on the polls and trying out the game:)

@Arcangelo, thanks, I’m glad you like it! Those bugs should be fixed now.

Edit: Found this song recently. It’s so reminiscient of the MC that I was tempted to include it in Chapter 4, but it felt too on the nose.

PLAYTEST (16/06/19)

Arcangelo · 2019-06-17T22:25:23.535Z

Really loving the story!

Some bugs I found

Screenshot_20190616-0101511080×2160 181 KB

Screenshot_20190616-0059101080×2160 223 KB

Screenshot_20190617-0126341080×2160 238 KB

HeliosTheAll-Seeing · 2019-06-20T13:44:39.167Z

Loved it . if charlie becomes a romance option can we change his gender?

122B · 2019-06-20T16:12:57.786Z

HeliosTheAll-Seeing:

Loved it .

Thanks!

HeliosTheAll-Seeing:

if charlie becomes a romance option can we change his gender?

I think so, if he did become a RO, but do people still want that after Chapter 5? He could be the MC’s dead brother.

HeliosTheAll-Seeing · 2019-06-20T16:25:44.482Z

Oh dang i forgot about that, in my opinion no because that’s kinda (really) gross. Emma would be great

anon57188313 · 2019-06-20T17:08:21.636Z

I do…? B-b-because could be means Charlie still has 50% chance not the MC’s dead brother, r-right?

LikeGames · 2019-06-21T15:04:56.005Z

Oooohhhh, that was so great. I couldn’t stop myself until I finished it. I really really really like the narration of the mc thought, it’s so fun to be in the head of the child! It’s actually making me want to write with that style writing of point of view and character, like writing whatever it comes to your mind and be quirky.

Anyway, I noticed that these child kind of thoughts become fewer later on, so I take that it’s a way to say that they are maturing?

Also, I was confused at the bear thing, was that like, a manifestation of the mc fear?