[WIP] The Butcher’s Son

Hosted Games Works In Progress
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A dark medieval interactive novel where bloodlines are lies, loyalty is tested, and survival is earned.

STATUS: ALPHA DEMO AROUND 10K WORDS (25k on Patreon build)

This game is still in a very early stage of development. Only Chapter 1 is playable, and much of the content is still being expanded.

I’m releasing this early version to get feedback, build a community, and grow support for the world I’ve been building for months.

If you like morally grey choices, deep lore, and brutal medieval settings, this might be your thing.

:open_book: THE STORY SO FAR:

You are the bastard child of a hidden bloodline a “mutant” cursed from birth and spared from death by the man who was ordered to kill you: the state executioner.

Years later, you find yourself chained in a dungeon, marked for death, yet still breathing and hunted.

But your blood carries a truth the world isn’t ready for.

This is your chance to forge your legend or die forgotten.

CURRENT FEATURES IN ALPHA DEMO:

:white_check_mark: Full character creation: gender, name, scars, body, warpaint, tattoos
:white_check_mark: Origin paths with different intros (Ashlands, Rockwood, Love Isles, Stormlands, Clay Kingdom, Middle Lands)
:white_check_mark: Branching prison escape with stealth or combat
:white_check_mark: Recruitable character: Varran
:white_check_mark: Choices that affect stats, opinions, trauma, and outcomes
:white_check_mark: Over 25 tracked stats and traits
:white_check_mark: Lore Codex system (unlocks as you explore)
:white_check_mark: Difficulty Modes: Normal, Hardcore, Iron Writ (no stats!)
:white_check_mark: Companion opinion + recruitment system
:white_check_mark: Romance system started (not yet fully implemented)

:fire: PLANNED FEATURES (:white_check_mark: = complete | ☐ = planned):

  • [:white_check_mark:] Multiple origins with unique backstories
  • [:white_check_mark:] Free-roam segments (camp/city/etc)
  • [:white_check_mark:] Codex unlock system (view lore mid-game)
  • [:white_check_mark:] Custom difficulty settings
  • [☐] XP, skill tree, and leveling system
  • [☐] Full romance paths (slow burn and dangerous flings)
  • [☐] Create and name your own guild or faction
  • [☐] Customizable guild base, followers, political influence
  • [☐] Multiple companions with quests, betrayal potential, and romance
  • [☐] Multiple endings based on your legacy
  • [☐] World map and travel system
  • [☐] Trade, thievery, and espionage mechanics
  • [☐] Weekly content drops & lore expansion

:globe_showing_europe_africa: EXPLORE A MASSIVE WORLD:

This isn’t just a dark fantasy story. It’s a whole living world, already mapped out with major regions and political tension:

  • Crown Isle — the main continent, home to the Clay Kingdom, Rockwood, Love Isles, Ashlands, and more
  • The Northern Continent — war-driven, inspired by Norse and Slavic cultures
  • Tamoa — a mythic jungle island full of beasts, cults, and death
  • Doran, Blokia, Strasia, Sanguine Point, Valcazar — and more

:camera: I’ve created a visual lorebook on Google Docs (in progress) with art and region breakdowns:
:backhand_index_pointing_right: [The World of Crown Isle — Codex of Realms - Google Docs) (WIP: very little written lore so far, mostly art placeholders)

:heart: ROMANCE OPTIONS:

All characters are romanceable regardless of gender.

Some companions may betray you, fall for you, or leave you based on your actions.
Romance is slow burn or volatile, based on trust, choices, and loyalty, not “pick a route” style.

:money_with_wings: SUPPORT & FOLLOW DEVELOPMENT:

I’m releasing weekly updates as I expand the story and mechanics.

:backhand_index_pointing_right: Support the game on Patreon — See dev logs, early releases, lore entries, and help guide future updates.
Every dollar goes back into writing, editing and world building

:speech_balloon: FEEDBACK WELCOME!

I want your input bugs, pacing, story, or ideas you want to see.
Feel free to leave feedback below, or DM me if you’re interested in contributing lore, testing, or art..

To play the demo, go here: CoGDemos

100 Likes
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Seems really interesting will definitely be following it with interest so far really good

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Get this error when trying to dodge in the arena or when blocking with shield

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Looks fun! What’s the planned story/goal/plot? We’re obviously going to explore the world and create the guild, but is there anything more specific you can share?

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For some reason I can’t advance beyond the part where the noble offers you to work for him, just when you decide whether or not to accept his offer, the page just keeps loading without ever going to the next one, I don’t know if it’s because that’s the end of the demo or if it’s a bug, there’s also a bug in the part where you fight that gladiator, if you choose to fight with a shield and then want to use that shield to block his blow it shows an error, my phone won’t let me upload a screenshot but someone else already reported that same error

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Thank you! Yes, the game will definitely take you through world exploration and guild-building, but there’s a deeper underlying story: you’re uncovering the truth of your bloodline, navigating a dangerous political landscape, and trying to survive as a hidden mutant in a world that fears your kind. Expect heavy character relationships, moral choices, faction reputations, and branching paths where even small decisions can ripple later. I’ll reveal more in future devlogs!

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Thank you so much for this report! The noble scene issue is because the current public demo ends right at that choice it’s not a bug, but the cut-off point for now. As for the gladiator fight, the shield block bug, is super helpful info. I’ll prioritize fixing that in the next update. Really appreciate you flagging it!

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Thank you for catching this! That label error in the arena scene when dodging or blocking with a shield is on my fix list now. A patch will be coming soon so you won’t get stuck at that point. Please keep the bug reports coming they help a ton!

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Thank you!

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Im interested in this. Its to many errors on choices so ill wait for the next update. Im curious as to why grey eyes are rare and what does our eye shape mean? Are they slit like cat eyes? Thats what im hoping for. Will there be more rare eye colors like yellow, violet, and red? Cant wait for more

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First of all, it’s very interesting so far! My only complaint is that it feels like a single chapter made up of events that are worth at least 2 chapters. Like, suddenly we’re in prison, then suddenly we’re friends with Varron, and now we’re being sent to the work house, but no now we’re going to work for this guy. I’d recommend either fleshing out these events or skipping to where the story really gets started and explaining what happened as it becomes important.

Typos/Mistakes:

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I’m playing as a girl, but sometimes the text doesn’t recognize that.

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There are multiple places where the bold or italics command isn’t working.

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This keeps loading without continuing. Maybe this is the end of the demo, or maybe something’s wrong with the code.

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So far so good, can’t wait for further update but is the arena error supposed to happen?

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You’re right, there are currently quite a few bugs and errors, but I’m working hard on the next update to clean those up, improve stability, and expand the story.

As for the grey eyes: they are a rare mark of mutants, specifically those whose bloodlines can be traced back to Rockwood. In this world, grey eyes are not just a colour, they are seen as a symbol of being “cursed,” feared, or marked by something otherworldly.

Regarding eye shape: no, the player’s eyes are not slit like a cat’s by default, but that’s an awesome image and you’ll be happy to know that I’m planning to introduce a unique race in Tamoa later in the game that will have slit, cat-like eyes, tying into the island’s darker, more mystical elements.

There will also be more rare eye colors introduced as the story grows, I have plans for characters (and possibly the player) with yellow, violet, and even red eyes, depending on paths taken and lore unlocked.

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Thank you so much for the thoughtful feedback, I really appreciate it!

You’re absolutely right that the pacing in Chapter 1 moves very fast right now. My goal was to push the plot forward quickly, but I completely agree that it could benefit from more space to breathe between events (like the prison, meeting Varron, etc.). I’m planning to come back and re-edit Chapter 1 to flesh out those scenes, slow things down, and give the transitions more weight so it doesn’t feel like jumping from one event to the next.

As for the typos you mentioned:
The female player character pronoun errors are something I’m fixing right now.
The bold and italics formatting issues are also on my list to clean up in the next update.
And yes the point where the story stops right now is the end of the current demo, not a bug or error.

Thank you again for playing and leaving such helpful notes! It really helps shape where I take things next.

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Thanks so much! Yes, the arena error was a bug, I made a quick and simple fix, so it should be working fine now

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Don’t know if that’s intended, as in it beeing an unfinished path, but in the first scene(Clay Kingdom) when we are about to get butchered, if we there choose to pray, there comes an error message. Otherwise i already really like what we can see. Also currently it is a bit unpractical what we need to do to see the stats of our character.

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This seems really interesting! Will there be any option to romance Varran, or will he just stay as a companion/friend?

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Thanks so much for the feedback! I’m planning to release a big patch soon that will clean up all errors, including the one you hit when choosing to pray. I’ll also work on improving the stats page to make it more practical and user-friendly. Within the next 2 to 3 days I will release this patch which fixes all the known bugs and visual issues, and also includes content from chapter 2, as well as new characters. Really appreciate you taking the time to give feedback, it helps a lot!

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Thanks so much! Yes, all characters in the game are romanceable! Every single character that will be introduced can be pursued depending on your choices. Chapter 2 is already exploring romance paths with Varran, as well as setting up a new romance option with a character who hasn’t been introduced yet.

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A fascinating start!

1 Like