Cursed Place
A downloadable game for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android
Down the moor, there's a cursed place. Don't wander there if you cherish your life.
Cursed Place is a Visual Novel made in two parts. The first part was made for the 2022 Amare Jam in the span of the month of April. The second was finished during the month of May 2022.
DISCLAIMER
Do not reupload or redistribute Cursed Place or any of the assets. Streaming the game is only allowed if commentary is added to it.
You've come to the town - a little unnamed thing - in the first train you’ve managed to catch, with naught a plan to follow. In a hurry, you’ve severed all ties with your past, carrying the remnants of your old life in a portable suitcase.
On the station, right where the horse carriages wait for the passengers, you found a note.
"Opaline Manor is looking for aides: maid, servants, pages. Promised good pay, lodging, and weekly leave."
Despite the rumors surrounding the manor, you took the note, and headed down the moor.
- supernatural intrigue,
- dark fantasy, romance,
- customizable protagonist (name, pronouns, background),
- one (1) gender-chooseable brat love interest,
- 4 endings,
- around 20k words (full game), and approximately an hour of playthrough.
Warning: depiction of death, mentions of religion, themes of murder, shape-shifters, blood, self-medicating via alcohol, poisoning, suggestive themes
Rating: 17+
The Devil - Modesta/Modesto Malyar, the mistress/master of the Opaline Manor. A proper heir, it can be said just from one look at [her/him]. Though ‘proper’ isn’t a word that suits the famed Devil. Flashy and larger than life, lover of all things luxurious, Moodesta/Modesto once had the whole world under [her/his] feet. Nowadays, with only the most expensive champagne for [her/his] company, Modesta/Modesto lives as [she/he] drinks: to forget.
[playlist]
The Specter - a stranger with eyes like daggers, clad in an aura of coldness, guarded behind a wall of secrets and silence. The townspeople say that nobody who’s come in contact with the specter lived to share the tale. Others claim that the apparition, though bloodthirsty and sangfroid, is akin to a fae - fickle but not malicious. Whichever is closer to the truth, you should hope to never find out.
The Maid - shy like a mouse, clever like a fox. The oldest daughter of a large family from the nearby village. Being hard-working and responsible doesn’t conflict with her predilection for daydreaming.
The Lady - the owner and Mistress of the Manor in all but name. A minor noble and the dearest friend of the deceased Lady Malyar. Widowed young, with no family of her own, she overseers the Opaline Manor in [Modesto/Modesta]’s place. In her sparse free time, you can find her in the garden, rolling the beads of the rosary between her bony fingers.
Engine: [Ren'Py by Tom Rothamel]
Writing, GUI, coding, art: [PDRRook]
Proofreaders/beta players: [Dom] [ Steph 'Jeneara' M] [victoriel] [Cassiel]
Opening music by [Setuniman]
Sound and ambiance by [TheMovieMacher] [Magmi.Soundtracks]
Fonts, Free for Personal and Commercial Use: [Quickhand] [What's Love? Oshare] [RM Almanack]
Textures: [indieground]
And a huge thank you to Tessy, rolal and tinyBARBARIAN!
Download
Click download now to get access to the following files:
Development log
- Devlog + GUIDEJun 29, 2022
Comments
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Are you a killer escaping the law or something?
Or running away from debt?
...I'm leaning towards killer. But con artist might be possible too... or just generally sociopathic problems....
I like the mc tho. Very... shark-ish.
The options in the options and save menu is a little tricky to hit properly. I think the mouse aim is either off or focuses on a smaller target than the place they're supposed to hit.
The artwork in the CG is wonderful tho.
And Lord Modesto is certainly hot. ^_^
Great first impression too!
....assuming you like a hedonic Slaaneshi. lol
(And that hair is most defiantly -not- strawberry blond.
It's as red as natural hair gets I should think.)
...well... the last part of his first impression may be a bit less stellar. lol
The whole game seem to have a total of SIX save slots ONLY.
Which is FAR to little.
(I don't count autosave or quicksave slots as save slots.
They are far too easy to accidentally overwrite.)
The writing for this game is very good, and paints a good picture of everything, with a bit of a calm and darkly mysterious air to it.
It have the feeling of a darker mystery novel.
Not quite lovecraftian, not quite detective, hard to put your finger on.
I love how pragmatic the mc is.
Far more sensible than most protagonists.
And not faint of heart like some.
You get the feeling she has lived through rough times, and has come out wiser. A matron, not a maid.
I really hope the game plans to pay off those chekov's gun hints that makes you more and more curious about the mc's past.
I wonder if Modesto suspected something about you, or if it's a writer's mistake that he assumed that you could read.
I am iffy about when exactly this story is set, but it doesn't appear to be a time I would have expected a commoner to be able to read.
You CAN choose gender it would seem. But very far into the story.
It would have been better towards the beginning.
(In my opinion. It's simpler to have there in case I change my mind. Especially since it's not a choice I want to waste a save-slot on.)
The story is intriguing and draws you in --despite nothing being obviously special about it.
Whatever it is, is very subtle. Bubbling under the surface.
A mystery I can feel, but can't begin to fully guess at.
Puzzle pieces that may fit one way, or maybe another.
Which is unusual, because I can usually predict these things quite well.
This is the kind of story that tugs at your heartstrings, playing on your emotions, and the suspense keeping you at the edge of your seat.
Any romance in this game is VERY slow-burn.
It's very little too, but it is there.
The ending, on the other hand, was far too abrupt and felt a bit rushed. There could have been a bit more buildup and hints towards it --especially with how slow the rest of the game is.
The pacing for the end is out of sync with the rest of the story.
You also never get to know the mc's mysterious background. Something that is a VERY big flaw, because there is so many hints of it that it feels like a letdown that it never gets explained.
I got ending 4 which was... not bad.... but not great either.
It felt more like a 3/4th's of the story than a real ending.
Nothing was truly resolved. And half the secrets are never revealed.
It felt unfinished.
I am a little unsure if choices actually matters --beyond learning things you wouldn't otherwise.
I can't see any real impact on the story from them at this point anyway.
But I have only checked the alternate route briefly.
The choices are very few tho.
But as strange as it seems, the story actually draws you in so much that you don't notice the lack of more choices.
(And I am usually extremely vocal on the subject of more choices.)
I DO miss a 'skip' button for my second playtrough.
I wanted to see if packing a pistol would have helped the ending, but I'm not sure I want to click a thousand clicks on my mouse to check it. >_>
-
Overall tho...
This is a good game, well worth playing.
If only it fixes the various menu button (save, skip++) problems, and polish the ending a little bit, it would be an exceptionally great game, a professional one even.
And I'd love to see this game on Steam.
Especially if it gets a Skip button so I can try finding all the endings.
CP is short, about 20k words, and it was made for the Amare Jam in about two months, though the actual time spent on the game was shorter due to life obligations. The main idea was to make a project within a set deadline, which was accomplished. That’s also why there are ‘very few’ choices, and only 4 endings.
MC and their past are left up to the player because this is how I prefer things to be, both as a player and as a creator (leftover from being an PRG player I guess). The setting was also left intentionally vague. I do know that some players prefer to have everything set in stone, but there are other games to play besides mine.
Modesto/a does know that MC can read, as they interact with each other daily, and having seen them peruse (with disgust) a book that was traditionally shoved down noble heirs’ throats only confirmed an already pre-made suspicion about what MC’s past might be (not a commoner).
Gender and other such choices are complimentary, they don’t change much in the story save for a few lines, and they are added when they become relevant, not before. The guide for reaching all the endings (with all the game-related choices pointed out) is added in a devlog at the bottom of the page. If you’re playing on PC you can use TAB to skip.
Because of the $100 Steam fee, I don’t see myself uploading my games to Steam, and because of the 30% cut with an additional 20/30% for people from the outside of the USA, it’s very doubtful that I will use the platform at all.
Thanks for playing!
Ah, I see.
Any plans to expand upon it now that the Jam is finished? ^_^
The problem with the mc's past isn't the vagueness, so much as the fact it's being referred to several times.
The mc have feelings and mementos of their past. It crops up here and there again and again.
Like the Chekov's gun concept says; If there's a gun on the wall in act 1, it should be fired in act 3.
It creates an expectation in the reader that it will be revealed --especially with a game that has the atmosphere of mystery.
If the past did not matter, then it shouldn't be hinted at. OR it should be an open choice at the beginning; A.i:
"I ran away because..... a) debt, b) I killed someone c)...." you get my point.
Ah, I see. I must have missed the place where Modesto saw the mc perusing the book. lol
And considering how good your story is, especially if you choose to polish it, that is sad.
I think you might have earned it cost back plenty.
But I will concede that it would help if the game was longer.
(Then again, a game that somehow got good reviews on Steam is a game in which you are a rock.
You cannot move, or pain the rock. You just....sit there. As a rock. That's the whole game. o_O
So my point is; People buy shitty games, and your game is a million times better than a game in which you are a rock.)
Not currently, no, as I have other ongoing projects to wrap up. I do get what you mean, but CP was always intended as a simple jam game, something I did for fun and to challenge myself to make a finished project in a limited timeframe, hence why it’s here raw, imperfect, and free.
OMGGGGG I LOVED IT SO MUCH. Accidentally stumbled upon it while browsing and decided to give it a try and it was SO WORTH IT. I loved your writing and the art style. Lady Modesta is so majestic I need more of her. Give us stray children a continuation please 😔😔😔
Thank you! Glad to hear you enjoyed :D
The initial script was longer, and included a branch for the Devil as well, but it didn’t make the cut (because I ran out of time). I hope to make an expansion to CP one day, as a longer game or something, but I have a few other projects I need to wrap up first, so I can't promise anything. :(
your writing is absolutely amazing, love the somber feeling and the aesthetic of the game!!! also it's great how you can keep the legibility intact even with a more refined speech style :D
Thank you! <3
Thank you so much for this lovely little gem. I can't wait to dig into your other works!
I also wanted to let you know about a couple pronoun inconsistencies I came across during my Modesta playthrough:
Ahhh I messed up the brackets, thank you SO much for letting me know! I re-uploaded the flies with the fixes added.
Thanks for playing, and I hope my other projects will also be to your liking! :D
I absolutely loved it. the writing is amazing. More!
Thank you! :D I have a follow-up planned with The Specter and another character, but I am not sure when I’ll have the time to make it haha, hopefully soon.
DUDE freaking loved this game I want him so bad
Glad to hear it! :D
I don't think I'll ever forget this game. The concept is so beautiful and the writing is out of this world. As a non-binary person, I thank you for the gender-neutral option and I've been so obsessed with the game that I listened to your entire spotify playlist
Thank *you* for playing! <3
This is THE only VN I've ever played (and I played many, trust me) with such beautiful writing. UGH. UGHHHH. I'm a sucker for classic literature and even though english is not my first language, that didn't stop me from appreciating the complex linguistics of the game. UGHHHHH now I'm gonna think about this forever. And check out every other game you ever made. Thank you so much for blessing us with your art!!!
Thank you! :D English is not my first language either, so I often worry about sounding off, but I am glad to hear my preference for classics and slightly ‘old-sounding’ English doesn’t make the script annoying to read!
so I've been replaying and I'm confused. where did mc come from and why the need to work so far out of the way
MC's background is left largely to the player's imagination, as their past has no actual bearing on the plot other than they are forced to keep their head low, hence their choice of occupation.
One of the players further down in the comment section figured out the little hints I left in the game (e.g. MC's reaction to Modesto/a's etiquette book) so if you'd like, you can scroll down and give it a read.
oh I seeee ok makes sense now(the comment did indeed help)
hi! here to report a bug(?) when a talk happens about modesta finding out that mc knows how to play chess, there's a sentence "Since then, Modesta insists you play against him..."
apart from it i reeeeally like this beautiful game; the atmosphere, the language and ofc majestic style of visial aspect, ugh so GOOD
and also when the guards give Modesta the drink: "What did you give him?!"
Hi! You caught a variable bug, thank you so much for letting me know! Both instances are fixed now, and I re-uploaded the game files, too.
I am glad to hear you've enjoyed Cured Place, thanks for playing 🧡
I loved this SO MUCH, Modesto is so charismatic, and the story goes so smoothly 😩 I need more
Happy to hear that! I've planned on adding a second route someday, so hopefully I'll be able to get back to Cursed Place when I have some free time :D
A beautiful game, both art and story. I've enjoyed all the endings. I loved that there's only a subtle difference between Modesto/Modesta. The Extras were all unique and intriguing.
Thank you! 🧡
This was...really good. I got the best ending in my opinion right away...ending 4. Was fun to try the others. I always enjoy a good story about a lovable puppy. ^_~
Thanks for playing!
I don't know why I've put off trying this one. But Rook, you've made yet another masterpiece. Have I mentioned how I really really really love your writing? The words you used were not overly complex yet they invoked this vivid image of what you were going for and leaving some to the readers/players' creative imagination.
I love how you set the ambience of the manor, the village, the forest. And though this is bite-sized, I feel so full after consuming this. I also love the little detail regarding The Spectre. If you ever plan to make another short one like this, I hope I'd get to be one of those who'll be first in line to experience it.
Ah, thank you so much! 🥺 I do have a lot of stray ideas I try to get out of my head by releasing shorter games, so I hope the next project I make will also be to your liking.
Don't worry, I'm one of the people who will anticipate your works. :3
modeste's tboy swag is unparalleled
My god this was such an artistic piece! I love how Modesto/a don't look that much different in-between gender, they are such gender envy. Not only that but the characters that have sprites all look so cool and wonderful, MC themselves are pretty mysterious but I can guess they were a fallen noble and running away from debt collectors (assuming) that's why they don't have proper credentials and keeps their head low. Not only that but I adore the artistic aspect of not only the art but the way the story was being described, it felt like it had the style of old writing (thinking of like Dracula and whatnot, but more modern and shorter). Adore the mystery of it all, and the text for Ending 4 was quite intense in a good way!
Thank you, I am glad to hear you enjoyed yourself! <3
MC, yes, pretty much, though I wanted to leave the details of the background(s) to the player's imagination :D
That's really cool! I'm just glad MC can snark to Modesto/a for all the headaches they've received from them ahahaha
Oh yes, snark is the only weapon they have against that brat :D
Great little visual novel with a spooky feel to it. I enjoyed the story very much.
Thanks for playing! :D
You're such a creative force!! like I've never come across a person that never misses with their work, even the playlists you make are amazing like I genuinely need you to know no one's doing it quite like you are
Thank you so much 🥺🥺🥺
Please make the text larger on Android, I can't read it.
Sure thing! The new apk file has been just uploaded. Let me know if the font is large enough now.
I loved the game and Modesto! My only complaint is that I wish it was longer. I can't wait to play more of your games!
Thank you! :D Ah, I also wish either the jam was a bit longer or that I could write, draw, and code faster, so that I could expand on this project. I'd love to eventually add a second route, though, perhaps during the jam this year if it's allowed.
Whatever you do, I'll be sure to enjoy it!
I'm having a weird glitch. I saw in your devlog you said that it was completely finished, but I can only make it half way through the game and I get the "part 1/2" thing and it won't let me continue. I tried downloading it again and starting a new save, but nothing has worked so far.
That is indeed a weird glitch! I just downloaded the file myself and skipped through the game, and it seems to work just fine on my end. The only thing I can think of, since you both re-downloaded and started a fresh game, is some sort of persistent file issue. I did a bit of googling and found this thread on [Reddit], hopefully that can fix it for you. Sorry I can't be of any help here, as I don't think I've run into that bug before. But I will keep looking into that!
I've played all your games (Perfumare is my favourite-- yet to play the IF version). I loved this game too! I wish it was longer and I'm hoping you're planning on making more IF/VNs with werewolves? I feel like it's few and far between and werewolves are my absolute fav :heart_eyes:
Thanks for making such great games!
Thank you, that’s great to hear! :D Ah, I wish I had more time to expand on it too, but alas, I am glad you enjoyed it nonetheless. So, not with werewolves per se, at least not anytime soon, but my new project will have a coyote shifter (werecoyote?). If that’s something that interests you, then stay tuned! Thanks for playing! <3
Of course! I'm always down to play any of your games :)
Ahhh thank you! :D
It was so goooood! The tension in the ''Dry me'' scene uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
It was my favorite to write as well, thank you! :D
The writing was really good, I found myself clinging to every word while playing. I could only hope for a sequel, i enjoyed it too much :,)
Thank you so much! I originally intended to add a second route, but I ran out of time and scrapped it after all. I am not saying a definite no to a sequel, I had lots of time with this jam, but for now I have another project on my mind, well, two. :D
I can't load my last save. I get this message :(
If you're using an older save, as in made before the new version of the game was updated, then that's the case. Due to the changes in the code, old saves rarely work when used on the new update. But let me know if that's not the case, and I'll see what I can do to fix the issue!
Just played the whole game and ah its so good!!! As it always is when playing one of your games <3 I liked the banter between the two, (SPOILER) MC was so cool and so suave, the tension when MC was dressing Modesto up - ahhh!!
I am glad to hear you enjoyed CP. :D Thanks for playing! <3
very nice :)
Thank you! :D