The Automaton of Second London
A downloadable Victorian VN for Windows and Linux
This VN is getting turned into a book! Follow the progress and enjoy behind-the-scenes tidbits and early drafts here:
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Arabella Harlow is a governess seeking new employment in the city of Second London one Halloween season. Her paths cross with an eccentric alchemist-inventor, who introduces her to his myriad of creations. One particular automaton is Jack, a humanoid construct with ruby-red eyes and intellect on par with a human's. But Jack cannot speak - not verbally. So Arabella is hired on to teach him how to communicate through alternate methods.
As they grow in their relationship - are they colleagues? are they comrades? are they confidantes? Arabella herself is not quite sure. - a series of tragic, dramatic events culminate in a murder. Secrets lurk in the city of Second London...secrets that may put Arabella's life in danger...
- A Victorian-inspired fantasy visual novel from the creator of Clash: Robot Detective
- Play as Arabella Harlow in this robo-otome
- Build your relationship with Jack - be distant, be friendly, or even become emotionally attached
- Mystery and horror elements fit in with the gloomy Halloween season
- Sketchy sprites against dark backgrounds create an interesting appearance
DEVELOPER'S NOTE: this visual novel was made in a month for a competitive game jam. It is not what one would call the most polished experience and it is most likely not going to receive any updates. I am focusing my efforts on fulfilling a childhood dream by expanding this basic story into a fantasy novel (as seen above). By purchasing this visual novel, you will be helping me by supporting my efforts to write and publish a full-length book! And so, thanks in advance!
Updated | 24 days ago |
Status | Released |
Platforms | Windows, Linux |
Rating | Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars (5 total ratings) |
Author | Drone Garden Studios |
Genre | Visual Novel |
Tags | Fantasy, Halloween, monstrousdesires, Robots, Romance, spooktobervnjam, Steampunk, Victorian |
Purchase
In order to download this Victorian VN you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $1.99 USD. You will get access to the following files:
Development log
- Steam Port Coming Really Soon!52 days ago
- Spooktober Check-In 5: Post Mortem77 days ago
- Spooktober Check-In 4: EVERYBODY'S RUSHIN'84 days ago
- Spooktober Check-in 3: Feature Creepin' In91 days ago
- Spooktober Check-In 2: Got A Good Feeling About This???98 days ago
- Spooktober Check-In 1: Welcome!Sep 01, 2024
Comments
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Ooh, I enjoyed this! โจ I've got a soft spot for Victorian Gothic stories, and this is a charming steampunk-flavored iteration on the genre. I quite like how the character sprites are handled--while incredibly pared-back, it's expressive, stylistically unique, and still perfectly serves to reflect the emotions and actions of the characters. Delightful as Arabella and Jack are, I'm particularly fond of Eyre, whose physical descriptors (impractical, pinpoint feet and hands, the paradox of her limited speech) feel like an especially incisive representation of women's treatment during
(...and before, and after...)the Victorian era.I'm happy with the ending I received, where Eyre now lives happily ever after with Bronte as a self-sufficient (robo)cat-(robo)lady. ๐
Thank you for the kind review!
I'm so glad you like Eyre. She's a character I was so worried would not go over well, but it looks like she went over perfectly.
And if it helps any, she's getting a bigger role in the book version. :-)
This was such a beautiful story of love ๐๐๐
Playing this one made me remember playing Amethyst Heart ๐๐
Thank you so much! Now that you mention it, I can see how Amethyst Hearth snuck in there a little. Mostly it was a spiritual successor to Kalzrak.