Sanctuary
'The Church Grim wakes, once again, in an abandoned abbey, he has given up on everything...even himself. His world has lost all colour and meaning. But a witch by the name of Alice DoGoode, isn't ready to give up, she's determined to help him through this trying time.'
A small and cosy game which is part of the Folklore series.
- 997 words
- Keyboard Accessible
- Screenreader accessible (press 'v' to activate)
- Fully voice acted
- 2 Endings
This game was made for the O2A2 VN Jam 2024, a micro Visual Novel jam with strict asset limitations and a 1000-word limit.
For the best experience, I'd recommend downloading the game, as some features and effects may not work in the browser version.
Cast
All voiced parts are performed by Stephanie Varens
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Comments
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An endearing little tale. I enjoyed playing. Definitely gave me a lot to think about! :3
Hi! Thank you for playing Sanctuary and leaving a rating too 😊
Just started the game, note for dev: flag “win” build also as Linux (in fact it’s a Windows+Linux distribution, Renpy calls it “pc” although it’s not too clear), and flag osx build for macOS.
I’ll write my full feedback after playing the game on the jam entry page since I’m myself a participant.
THIS WAS SO LOVELY FGDFGDFG ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE
I loved the overall writing style and use of narration, as it really gave it the feeling of a fairytale/fable. Alice's sprite is so cute, and I loved the lace and floral aspects - it really gives her this home-y, countryside vibe. The game is fully voice acted, with the narration VAed as well as the dialogue lines. I REALLY love this effect, as it lends such a nice storybook quality to the game, like a story being told to you. The piano BGM sounds very gentle and slightly melancholic.
===SPOILERS===
One thing that I really like about the dev's games is how you can tell each game has a rich world behind it, even if the game itself is on the shorter side. Here, you get snippets of the Grim's past through the starting choice, and it does a good job of conveying the needed information while hinting at this wider universe. The Grim is an ancient entity, a mythic, exiled from his kingdom to the mortal realm (so it makes sense why he feels so alone/abandoned). As an immortal among mortals, he has grown used to losing the people he loves, and as a result he has given up, lost in despair and abandonment. I like the Church setting, as it reflects the Grim himself - something that is ancient but in a state of complete disrepair.
The Witch is a comforting presence, with her cheerful, caring attitude. She really was the perfect match for someone who was as depressed as the Grim, and the gradual realization that she thinks that she's taking care of an abandoned dog was so cute and funny LOL Over time she slowly brings more color to the Grim's life, tending to his wounds, literally and metaphorically.
I love how they are merely referred to as "The Witch" and "The Grim" up until the end, when they finally bond and refer to each other by their real names - Alice and Gregory. It's such a simple but clever effect to communicate how ther relationship has changed.
And my favorite part was that, in the end, Alice never abandons the Grim. If he chooses to go with her, then they go, but if he chooses to stay, she resolves to stay with him - and either way his grey world fills with color. It's in line with her character and the themes of the game - Alice hasn't given up on him yet, and she'll never give up on him. Even if he's not ready to accept her help, she'll stay by him and provide him with companionship.
Overall this was such a lovely game, fantastic work!!
Thanks so much Chatter, I really appreciated the feedback!
Steph is absolutely fantastic, she has such an incredible range, it was wonderful to work with her on this project!
Harumachi's music is also fabulous! I love how expressive the tracks are.
I wanted to try something different this time, no imminent danger, no intimidating/quirky men. I wanted to focus on a gentle heart-felt story, taking place in an old Abbey - a beautiful and melancholic place. It was a place I visited and I just knew I had to create a novel that was set there!
I also wanted Alice to be really respectful of how different people live their lives, on this occasion, how they process grief and loss. She isn't pushy and she doesn't demand. She is comfortable and secure, happy with who she is and that others are shaped by their experiences, she doesn't want to 'fix' them, she wants to provide...Sanctuary. I think that gentle patient support - close or distant is symbolic in the Folklore world, a place full of old and edgy pushy/oppressive/opinionated characters.
Alice will appear in other titles in the future, providing a ray of gentle kindness wherever she goes.
Thanks again for your wonderful review. :)
Alice's persistence, her selfless, yet respectful kindness, was really endearing to read as a counter-point to the clear grief our Church Grim is still steeped in. The use of color in the narrative and the visual aspect of this game was really strong in my opinion, and the endings! Distinct yet both positive-leaning, left me feeling warm in the end!
Thank you so much for taking the time to play and leave a comment, it's really appreciated. ❤️
Also, I'm glad it warmed your heart. I really enjoyed a change of pace for this entry and exploring a warmer character.
Thanks again 🫶
Absolutely love and appreciate the playthrough as always.
BUT... There is a little clue about who he might be 👀 or who he is linked to at least
OH SNAP WAIT WAIT WAIT I REMEMBER NOW FROM BLOODLINES OH MY STARS
👍👀
sounds like something I would read as a kid, very nostalgic and sweet
Thanks so much for the feedback Rainhet! I'm glad you enjoyed it 👍