UNDYING: The Beast

About UNDYING: The Beast

UNDYING: The Beast was written, drawn and programmed by maneki_mushi for the O2A2 2024 Visual Novel Jam, whose rule is one thousand words, one sprite and one background. It was made in Unity and is on itch.io to play in the browser or download for Windows and macOS at a price you name. Players who know the maker's earlier UNDYING game note that it shares its setting.

Your town calls you a witch, but you are a simple, widowed herbalist, used to late-night calls and pleas for discreet help. Tonight someone different is in your dark cabin: a large man, naked and covered in blood, who has been hunted and has come to you for refuge. You can tell he is something other than human.

The whole story is read over one painted night-time interior and one sprite of the stranger, with narration in the second person and music that players describe as trance-like. Small animations, such as his blinking, make the scene feel close. What you decide to do with him leads to one of two endings.

It is a brief, atmospheric piece rather than a game of shocks; many players come away more taken with the stranger than frightened of him. It suits readers who like short, dark supernatural visual novels with strong art and can be finished in a single short sitting.

How to play UNDYING: The Beast

1. Open the itch.io page and press Run game, or download it for Windows or macOS.
2. Choose New Game and click to advance the narration.
3. Read how the stranger came to your door and watch how he behaves.
4. Make your choice about him when the story asks, then replay to see the other ending.

Tips

• It is about 1,000 words; set aside a few minutes and read it in one go.
• Play both endings: the choice changes how the night ends.
• Use the log if you click past a line too quickly.

Questions