Fool Me Once
A downloadable game for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android
Revenge is a dish best served cold, and what’s colder than a literal corpse?
DISCLAIMER
Do not reupload or redistribute Fool Me Once or any of the assets. Streaming the game is allowed for the demo, though only if commentary is added to it.
With your appointment as the royal Summoner, you were to expect glory. Instead, your short career ended with your death. Your achievements and past were buried under the wreckage, somewhere on a plot of barren land called the Crossroads. Death, however, wasn’t your end. It’s only the beginning.
Now, stifled under the thumb of Mastravisch Azvael Ories - the supreme ruler of the Overshadow realm, where ghosts and demons run rampant - you are bound by a life contract - that for an undead means eternal servitude.
Just when you begin to settle into your new life, building some semblance of normalcy, you are betrayed, left to perish. Though weakened, but with a body that finally belongs to you alone, you vow to get revenge on both your almost-destroyer and the damned tyrant that once held your leash.
- a tale of love, trust, betrayal, and revenge,
- dark fantasy, romance,
- customizable protagonist (name, appearance, family relations, pronouns, background),
- five (5) gender-chooseable love interests,
- 5* different endings
- Rating: 17+
- the first 2 chapters (the demo), around 50k words, are free. The full project will be priced at $5
* might be subjected to change
WARNING for dark fantasy setting, dubious morality, blood, gore, graphic violence and depiction of death, on-screen murder, possible cannibalism and minor animal cruelty (demon characters), vomiting, suggestive themes, tyranny. Reader discretion is advised.
LT and locked routes: Picking one RO blocks the others, aside from possible LT: Rez vs Mirren and Lotár vs Malitiōse To romance Saltire, you should remain unattached to anyone in the prologue. Similarly, you need to pick a romantic option with the RO(s) you’re interested in for the game to ‘remember’ your choice. Some romantic choices will be blocked due to your choices i.e.,if you and Mirren have a past, Lotár and Malitiōse will be unavailable during that playthrough, though neither Saltire nor Malitiōse have strictly romantic choices in the prologue.
For the full profiles: check the screenshots, or [this post].
- ☾ The Summoner, MC - [Y/N] [Y/S]
[]chaotic vs []plotting
[]altruistic vs [] self-serving
[]sense of chaos vs []brute force
Species: snake demon
Distinguishing marks: forked tongue, elliptical pupils, piercing on the bridge of nose
Random skill: ballroom dancing
Interests: forbidden knowledge, exploration, chess
Occupation: éminence grise
Alignment: neutral evil
⚔ Mirren ‘Ren’ [indifferent] [steadfast] [patient] [Playlist] [Pinboard]
Species: construct
Distinguishing marks: severe scarring on the left side of face/eye patch
Random skill: cooking
Interests: meditation, transcribing manuscripts, astronomy
Occupation: chancellor (the chief advisor)
Alignment: true neutral
⚔ Rez [brutally honest] [daring] [loyal] [Playlist] [Pinboard]
Species: construct
Distinguishing marks: severe scarring on the right side of face/sewn eye
Random skill: sewing and embroidery
Interests: wrestling, adventures, gambling
Occupation: pursuivant (junior officer of arms)
Alignment: chaotic neutral
♝ Saltire Farros [austere] [earnest] [fair] [Playlist] [Pinboard]
Species: human/ghost
Distinguishing marks: lustrous cobalt eyes (fae-touched)
Random skill: folding complex origami
Interests: weapons, medicine, equestrianism
Occupation: hunter
Alignment: lawful good
✺Malitiōse ‘Mal’ [debonair] [two-faced] [willful] [Playlist] [Pinboard]
Species: shapeshifter (coyote)
Distinguishing marks: fangs, ears and tail
Random skill: can play almost all instruments
Interests: puzzles, deconstructing items, jewelry-making
Occupation: mountebank
Alignment: chaotic evil
Engine: [Ren'Py by Tom Rothamel]
Writing, GUI, coding, art: [PDRRook]
Coding help: [victoriel]
Proofreaders/beta players: [ Steph 'Jeneara' M] [Dom] [Cassiel]
Music by [Dark Fantasy Studio]
Fonts, Free for Personal and Commercial Use: [Caslon Antique] and [Durwent]
Found a bug/error? Send it [here]!
Download
Install instructions
Download the selected file. Open and launch using the .exe icon.
Development log
Comments
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i came for mirren then became so obsessed with rez this man will literally be the death of me
This was so good it actually made me write my first ever comment on itch. Loved the atmosphere (it has a gothic feel to it, my favorite genre), the music, the characters (their personalities are so diverse but I actually managed to love them all! wow!) I actually gaped at the cliffhanger, i'm sooo excited to read more and cannot wait! Will definitely buy it as soon as you release it:) My favorites (as of now) are definitely rez and mal<3 Keep up the good work!!
Why, thank you (fellow gothic enjoyer)! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed FMO and all the
clownscharacters !I just got my paycheck so be prepared because as SOON as this comes out my money is yours!!!!!!!
💛💛💛
Hey author,
I enjoyed you game and will likely buy it once it's finished. But I really have to tell you about an issue I had with the game:
THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS:
When I started out, I got really frustrated that absolutely nothing about the world was explained. There was talk about the Overshadow, essence, ghosts - and it was not explained for a long time what those are. It sometimes felt more like a weird fever dream than a story. I was searching, if it was book two or got an explanation in the menu or it it's maybe an established universe that doesn't need explanation. Everything got explained eventually but much too late in the story. If you were going for "I don't explain anything and the reader should discover it themselves" unfortunately that didn't work out for me. This works best if the MC doesn't know as well, but here the MC has always been part of the world and knows what's going on, just the reader is kept in the dark. I will give you some points about what information would have been nice to have earlier (because I know as the author you know this and may lose focus about how it is for readers that know nothing):
I think a Glossary with explanation of those points would be enough to make the story much clearer. Or maybe in in-game explanation that is not only available with certain choices. Once you know what's going on, it's much easier to enjoy the game.
That said, I enjoyed the characters and played it with 3 different ROs so far. I hope to get more and looking forward for the whole thing.
Hi, player. I just added a glossary to the demo. You can access it at the start of the game or during by clicking on the book icon. Hope that helps!
can't wait for more.
One more chapter to go, and I’ll be ready to deliver!
i thirst for more.........
And I hope to soon be able to quench your thirst. 😊
I'm so in love with the world and characters!! Can't wait to see more <3
Thank you! I hope the rest of the game will also be to your liking :*
first i just want to say that i love your story! i have a question though, the choice to explore the market with Saltire, is that a romantic choice and that's why i've gotten locked out of it or is it just another choice i made that's blocked it?
Glad to hear it! And yes, the choice locks you in Saltire’s route, and it’s unlocked only if you’ve not already picked another RO earlier in game.
okay i was like nooo i want to explore the market! good to know, thank you!
I might expand on some scenes once the main script is written, so I’ll keep that in mind!
I literally love the story so much. It's realistic in terms of how people can be suspicious of one another. It's beautiful storytelling. Love it! ❤️
Thank you!
I miss this...
Me too! Hopefully I’ll be able to write and code more during my break from work. :D
not me seeing rez, going 'oH YEAH that's the one!' and then :') ah ha ha!!!! AHHHHHH AHAHAHAHAH!!!!!! How many chapters will this end up being (cough, how much space is this going to occupy in my brain)??
5 chapters and the epilogues! I am currently in the middle of chapter 4, so I am hoping to have this game wrapped up later this year, though sadly I can’t promise anything.
Thank you for your service 🫡 I appreciate your hard work and I'll be here till it's ready!!
Ohh, this is right up my alley 💛 The story, the charaters and the writing itself. I usually play IF on mute, because the sound distracts me from reading at times, but your BGM choice fits so well I can't possibly turn it off.
Thank you! I play on mute too, haha! :D But I figured that using the sounds/ambiance I like to listen to while I write might be a good (and not so distracting) idea, so I am glad to hear you enjoyed my selection as well.
It's quite endearing how Lotar can be so wholesome and mindful towards an altruistic MC despite being, well… himself. Like they can even be considered as best buddies even if not romanced lol I actually love their dynamic and banter.
But oooof, Malitiose though?! Sweetheart, beloved. I was aiming to do all routes but after that glimpse of his background with MC, I don’t think I could pick anyone else for now 😔🥺 since it makes the route so intriguing, so looking forward for more!
Lotar, my magnificent, totally untrustworthy bastard. I miss you so much :(
I just finished the demo, and I didn't want it to end at all. I had a feeling something was going to happen towards the end, and I was right. I cant wait to read more of it.
romance with Mastravisch when
Not in this un-life, sorry :,(
alright :(
whimpering pathetically until the full game comes out (i am autistic and OBSESSED)
I need more of this amazing game!
i love mal so much but i despise a certain person and I hope they know who they are cough cough
screams
Mal owns my heart and soul. I'd sacrifice the world for him.
Not if Mal does it first 🤭
Such an interesting and unique concept to approach with IF, tysm for taking the time to create this and I am excited to play more.
Thank you so much for playing! 😊
wanted to leave a comment. but saw this game when searching for more IF games and honestly as first I didn't download it when first spotting it, though saved it in my library. though once fallen into a pleasant addiction for IF games, I stumbled upon here once more. I was getting curious and the comment by mshen19 with their spoiler really drove me over to downloading the demo. and I fell in love with the story, the summoner and the cast. there was a bit of confusion when looking at the relations though that was cleared later when seeing color indicating which path I was going down [it really caught me off guard before being distracted by said pretty colors]
I started with Saltire's route which mostly driven by the spoiler comment. and by golly was he such an innocent bean during his route. and then after him I went for Rez next. and dear lord above that man can just sweep me off my feet any day. I don't even care of the betrayal, from what my memory hopefully recalls right, for the memories had with him just hits me right in the heart. first the flower, and then the other memory with his reaction to the summoner being injured? I was confused when getting carried off before realizing the intentions and my heart broke. even with his tough appearance, he, in my eyes, is a soft squishy bean to the summoner when on his path. first gotta just crawl further in to see it.
I went to Mirren next because made sense. and agree with mshen19 about there being more angst when coming to this man. that and I felt so attuned to the summoner's feelings when doing his path [and the memories] and when being fed by him I was mentally flipping a table for the summoner. while I am not the greatest at picturing things mentally due to aphantasia, but the emotions were strong enough to push through to get an idea.
the only routes I have not gone down yet is the snake and coyote route. I am intrigued and likely will go down them eventually.
can't lie felt bit sad with the interactions being feeling few in the first chapter, though the flashbacks for ROs push the sorrow aside with getting me excited for what you may have planned for each route. also slowed my own playthrough as I had to minimize the screen so I could glance back at the character art before melting at the radiating good looks of the cast.
I am looking forward to when the full game comes out whenever it does. I have a feeling I'll give to temptations and crawl over to your patreon if my wallet looks healthy so that I may support you and feed into seeing updates.
Thanks for giving FMO a try! <3
I really enjoy, both writing and reading, stories that are up to interpretation, so I am aware my projects might not be everyone's cup of tea. The first chapter is intended to be more of MC's backstory, with their 'actual' adventure starting from the moment they find themselves in the Void, finally able to make their own choices.
With that being said, once the game is finished, I'll accept suggestions regarding additional scenes/options. I want FMO to be as enjoyable as possible, so I am very open to the idea of expanding it once main script is fully written.
There's no ETA yet, but I am working towards finishing the remaining chapters within half a year. Patreon's help allows me to spend more time developing my games, but I still have a job outside of it, so I can't throw myself fully into the developing process. Maybe in the future I'll be lucky enough to develop games full time. For now, though, I hope the game will be worth the wait. :D
Well after going through the different routes, I certainly have started to enjoy this tea. For I always enjoy a good romance of any sort and will take a peak at your other works when I am able. As I enjoyed FMO and wish to read more of your writing. Looking back at the game, I can certainly begin to see that as it really did bring about a sense of curiosity for both the summoner and also those around them before the void.
Well right now with the demo itself, I found it very enjoyable. Though I won't lie it'll be certainly interesting to see what suggestions are made to add to your lovely story.
That's quite fine, as most important thing that comes first is you along with your health and wellbeing. Besides I find it very worthwhile to wait, that and I got a job myself now so I can understand things being slow. But whening seeing an update in the itch.io feed it both truly thrilling and exciting whether a game demo updates or reaches released. I cannot wait to see when FMO is fully released, and can only imagine it'll be an addictive play to go down each route!
This is an interesting concept. Admittedly I'm not fond of anything super dark and/or involving other wordly horror or demonic things, but I wasn't to give this a shot because I recently played Perfumare and I loved it. I will definitely update as I have gotten farther into he story, but so far I am just enjoying your talent for storytelling!
(Side note: How did you come up with the names of your characters?)
Dark fantasy is my beloved genre, and most, if not all, of my projects revolve around horror and grotesque, so I don't think they'll be your cup of tea haha. Still, thank you for giving FMO a try. :D
(It depends on the character and their role in the story. Sometimes their name has a specific purpose/meaning, like Malitiose's here. Other times, I just find a name or a word I like, and it resonates with the image of the character that I have in mind. For more 'modern' projects, I like to use names from my list. I like to write down all names and surnames I come across that I like, then I pick and choose what fits best for a specific character.)
Writing is still a 10/10 for me. Thank you for your story.
So I played through 4/5 routes and I have almost seen every option on the altruistic side of things, and even though I didn't think I was going to be able to stomach him, Lotar, ?somehow? has given me the softness. But the ultimate squishy here is MAL. ASDFGHJ. Why on earth am I leaning towards the two morally problematic characters? No clue. My two favorite tropes are enemies to lovers (bonus points if they turn soft and putty like with MC; gold star if they find themselves changing for the better whether it's intentional or not) and friends to lovers. So like kinda the vibes I'm picking up on here as far as these two are concerned? Just the feral protection and sweetness for MC that Mal has is... *chef's kiss* therefore I forgive him for being a big ole brat and down right jerk to others.
And while I'd like to strangle Lotar with his dumb ponytail for being a personal vexation and a buttwipe, the scene before getting Notre? T-T Especially because even though brief, I read that part in horror. I am often around family and picturing child harm is low key a mild trigger for me. I can read a death or misfortune but we start bringing small people into the equation and I gotta dip. Even if it's in just the passing by it's a feels bad, I wanna cry/throw up/panic/shut down all at once moment.
Mirren, is an enigma that I really want to start trying to poke at and figure out. Like, uh, sir?
And I think least of all, no matter what Saltire's route brings, Rez will be at the bottom of my list. Point blank. I vibe with the guys whole personality in the flashbacks and at the keep, but absolutely not. Not just no, but HELL NO.
Thank you for reading! :D
I have to admit that Lotar's and Mal's popularity surprised me, haha! They are both extremely fun to write, though.
That said, I usually prefer a smaller number of ROs in my games, because that's easier for me to handle on my own, but in FMO I thought that, given their extreme, at times personalities, it would be best to give the player a wider variety to pick from, so that hopefully everyone can find a route they enjoy. The workload is much heaver because of it, but I hope it'll ultimately be worth it.
DELIGHTFUL
Thank you! 💛
THIS IS SO GOOD AHHHHH
--spoilers below--
(I'm going to refer to all RO with he/him pronouns to decrease confusion when talking about them in concurrence with the protag)
You do such an amazing job at immersion. When the protag was stuck in Mastravisch's castle, I didn't realize the genuine anxiety I felt until they got freed from his oath by falling into the void and meeting Saltire and Mal. While there are more friendly characters in that castle like Rez and her old mentor, the feeling of Mastravisch's persisting oppression stays.
Speaking about Mastravisch, why am I lowkey simping for that tyrant...
I just KNOW Ren's route is going to have hella angst. The way he was getting pissed off from what Rez tells him when you're on Rez's route?? Also the way he kind of forces caretaking by feeding the protag and then wiping her mouth off to the point where he is distracted enough to not answer Mastravisch's summon immediately. I am ready for that delicious angst.
Rez is soooo football player coded (if that makes sense lol) but in the most violent way possible. The relationship between him and his men is so endearing! And when he embroiders a flower for the protag?? My heart melted. Because two of his traits are "brutally honest" and "loyal," I am super curious about why he betrayed the protag. It can't be for Mastravisch, since the tyrant needs the protag's barrier skills and Rez hates that guy anyway.
When Lotár hides the protag's view from the hanged bodies if you have the altruistic trait, whew! He's a suspicious liar but at least he's open about that. DUDE WHEN THE PROTAG PULLS HIS HAIR?? hhholy shit. UGHHH I LOVEEEE
I really enjoy the dynamic between Saltire and Mal! When I peeked at their alignments I thought they wouldn't get along at all, but now they "fight" like siblings LMAO. And speaking about Mal, I didn't think I'd like him so much?? And the history between him and the protag back when they weren't a ghost is HNNNNN no wonder he's so attuned to them! Replaying after knowing this changes so much
Saltire is so kind, which is why I played his route first. He's such a breath of fresh air compared to the guys at the castle. He has the funniest reactions to "unpure" things! And tell me why his oath to the protag sounds like wedding vows. I was twirling my hair and kicking my legs LMAO
In conclusion to my rambling: I am so in love with this story. And isn't even going into the amazing worldbuilding!
Thank you so much for your comment and for making my day, I am super glad to hear that you enjoyed FMO! (And a big thank you for using the spoiler/space lines! 💛)
Why do I like Mal so much, they're so evil? What have you done to me? /j
Well they are evil but very honest about it? And honesty is a very attractive trait, is it not? 😉
I adore this game <3 But I noticed some of the choices are blocked- how do I choose the "romantic" option in the bathtub scene with Malitiose? All of the flirty responses are blocked for Lotar as well. Pls help!!
Thank you! :D To unlock Malitiose’s route, you can’t pick any romantic choices with the other ROs during the first chapter, save for Lotár’s. Similarly, if you want to pursue Lotár, you need to steer clear from Mirren’s and Rez’s heart marked options. Additionally, your alignment changes some of the romantic and non-romantic scenes, though it doesn’t lock you out of any route. Hope it helps!
Excuse me, bathtub scene?👀
Love the game, the writing's amazing! One thing I've noticed is that choosing the "romantic" choice during the bath scene with Malitiose sets his route, but also deletes a huge chunk of his accumulated relationship stat. Is that intentional? Thank you so much.
Thank you! <3 It's a bug, sorry! The stats in chapter 2 are messed up in places, but it doesn't block you from any scenes/choices in the demo, so you're not missing anything content-wise. I'll get the fix done as soon as I can, though!
The stat changes in chapter 2 confuses me. Sometimes, a choice that should raise my high stats lowers them instead, or does nothing at all.
Strange indeed! I'll take a look at the code, thanks for letting me know. :D
Edit: I took a gander at the code and asked for a second option from my editor, who fixed-up my stats, and I have to make it clear that there are (usually flavor choices) that don't raise or lower your stats, and there are choices that will only lower your stats (mostly for romance, but these are rather obvious). If you could detail which stat choice(s) confused you specifically, I'll have a better chance of making sure that the stats are indeed functioning correctly and the result of each choice is clear to the player.
I have also seen same weird behavior specifically from altruistic stat when player has a choice to accept Saltire without an oath or make him swear it. Choice to believe him somehow tanked altruistic stat, if I remember correctly. And later, on choosing Saltire route (to accompany him), it somehow greatly lowered his affection stat.
Yes! Thank you for specifying, that is indeed a bug. I already found the faulty code, and I am in the middle of fixing the issue. Thanks again!
so before the 2.1 update, i was hellbent on Lotár without giving anyone else attention.. that's what i strive for until.. Malitiōse snatched my attention ;-; now i love both Lotár and Malitiōse and strive for BOTH of them now.
it's really funny, when i read about Malitiōse. i thought i was gonna hellbent hate him. but oh boy, i've been proven wrong. oh dear, oh god. how can the author do this to me?! so many thoughts have been thought about. and this vn will have a chokehold on me.
would buy it 100% when i have the money just for the fact that i am curious about both the world and characters and wanted to support the author. thanks so much for creating this, i greatly enjoyed it <3
Can't wait to play the full game!!!!! Love it ;D
Also... ... steam version, plzzzz?
Thank you! :D I am also very excited to share the full game as soon as it's done!
Ah, no, sorry. I am not planning on releasing my games on Steam right now, as they require a registration fee of US$100 for each published game + 30% revenue of said game(s). Aside from that, creating a Steam page and the approval process both take a lot of time and work, unlike here. Itch.io lets me do all that and more for basically no cost on my part, so, as a small solo dev Steam is just not a service I can comfortably afford. :)
Lotar is my favorite character he is hilarious also this game is super fun!!
can't wait to buy the full thing when it comes out <3 all the ROS are amazing
I would die for Lotar omg thank you so much for this chapter. I'm so excited for the final game. The writing is amazing, your word choice is beautiful, and the tension between MC and Lotar is just *chefs kiss*. Please please please keep up the good work! I'm going to go play through the rest of the routes now :)
Oh my, Chapter 2 was insanely good!!!!!!! So well-written (no surprises there, it's always like this with your work), the story is so amazing AND THE FUCKING CHARACTERS...... I LOVE THEM. ALL OF THEM.
Spoilers:
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I was not expecting at all the dynamic that Saltire/Malitiose have. I thought they would totally despise each other but no. Okay, they are far from best friends, but the teasing was so, so good hahahahahahaha The dynamic between Saltire/MC/Malitiose is the best; I love it deeply. And talking about surprises, I don't know why I had it in me that I wouldn't like Malitiose much, and oh boy, HOW WRONG I WAS. I'm down bad for this guy, I swear, and I'm definitely curious about his past with MC. Like very curious.
I like how Chapter 1 and 2 are so different. What I mean is, in Chapter 1, you are surrounded by people that you don't trust at all (I'm looking at you two, Mirren and Lotár), and one of the few that you actually trust DOES THAT. But Chapter 2, okay, you still are with people that you don't trust, but both of them show that they would do anything for you. It's refreshing, really. MC needs a break hahahahhahahahahaha.
My favorite part of Chapter 2 is when MC reminisces about her time with Lotár... that was something else, a very good job!!! Finally (because I know I'm just rambling at this point), it's hard to pick a favorite when all your characters are so well made. Choosing between Mirren, Lotár, and Malitiose is almost impossible for me, but I will say it's Lotár for now. I love that damn snake so much ahahahahaha.
Hope you stay safe and healthy, and I'M SO HYPED AAAAAA! Thank you for this amazing, awesome, perfect work you have here <3
BRO THIS UPDATE WAS SO SCRUMPTIOUS great job author!! The writing was sharp as always, and I can't (but will) wait to see more! I'm obviously biased since I'm down *bad* for Maltiose but I fucking devoured this new chapter IT WAS SOO GOOD
WHY IS THIS SO GOOD OMG I LOVE IT!! also, rez for life les gooo-
Thank you! :D
Mastravisch 🫣
Love the story and the characters ! I have so many questions about them ! I'm gonna replay right now to discover other paths !
Glad to hear it, and I hope the new updates will also be to your liking!