Horror visual novels Psychological horror Horror

He Follows

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He waited for you after class every night. Tonight he is not there.

Platforms: PC, Mac
Stores: itch.io
Price: Pay what you want
Rated: 4.7 out of 5 from 26 ratings on itch.io; #25 overall and #13 for voice acting in the Spooktober VN Jam 2024
Length: 40 minutes to 1 hour (maker's estimate)
Players: 1
Controls: Mouse: click to advance text and pick choices, some of them timed
Made by: LyraV
Released: 2024

Get it on itch.io He Follows Returns (the full game, early access, itch.io)Spooktober VN Jam 2024 results

What frightens Kaizer waited for you after class every night and only ever paid you compliments; then one night he is not at his usual spot, and a voice is asking why you are avoiding him. Quick-time choices, sudden sounds, shaking screens, blood and a grinning face in the dark carry a stalking story the maker says came from her own fear in high school.
Content: stalking, mild blood, minor jumpscares, sudden sounds, shaking screen.

He Follows is a short horror visual novel by the solo developer LyraV, made for the Spooktober VN Jam 2024. A classmate who met you after class every night and only ever complimented you is gone one night, and then someone starts following you; quick-time choices lead to five endings and one random one.

About He Follows

He Follows is a horror visual novel written, drawn and programmed by LyraV, a solo developer, for the Spooktober Visual Novel Jam 2024, where it placed 25th overall and 13th for voice acting. It is the jam version of the story, about 6,500 words with more than 20 artworks and voice acting for Kaizer and the professor, and it is a name-your-own-price download for Windows and Mac on itch.io. The maker says it draws on a fear she had to go through in high school.

Every night, he would come up to talk to you after class. At first it was only weird how he would chat and only compliment you; maybe he lacked confidence, maybe you were overthinking it. Then one night he was not waiting at his usual spot. The jam page's log line asks the question the game turns on: who is that walking behind you?

The game is told in dim, grey-black scenes of empty corridors and a lecture hall, with Kaizer's pale face grinning out of the dark and blood on Lia's cheek. Quick-time choices force you to decide fast, and the maker warns of sudden sounds, shaking screens, mild blood and minor jump scares, and calls it not for the faint of heart. There are five endings plus a random one.

LyraV has since released He Follows Returns in early access, a longer follow-up with hide-and-seek and chase play, item puzzles and many paths. This jam version is a complete short story on its own. It suits players who like stalker horror visual novels such as It Gets So Lonely Here or The Stalked.

How to play He Follows

Download He Follows for Windows or Mac from its itch.io page at a price you name, and extract it.
Read the story and click to make choices as Lia.
Answer quick-time choices before the timer runs out.
Play again and choose differently to find all five endings and the random one.
Then try He Follows Returns, the full follow-up, in early access.

Screenshots

Kaizer's pale face grins out of the darkness as he walks closer to Lia

Close-up of Lia with blood on her cheek as Kaizer leans in

Lia and Kaizer side by side in a lecture hall: 'The way he was trying to get closer to me. I should have known.'

A dark doorway at night with Kaizer asking 'Why are you avoiding me?'

Tips

Keep the sound on; Kaizer is voice acted and sudden sounds are part of the scares.
Some choices are timed, so read quickly when the music changes.
Mac users: if the game will not open, right-click it and choose Open, as the maker advises for the follow-up.