#garden of bones if

[crownofefflorescence]

You, a mortal, awaken in an unfamiliar land of heat and sand, staring into the unfeeling mask of a spindly stranger who claims to rule the deathless kin of the air.

Beholden to an unremembered promise to assassinate their disgraced twin sibling, bound for an eldritch garden hidden somewhere in the arid plains, and compelled by an enchantment you do not understand, certain choices are beyond your control...

...yet even so, the power of life and death is forever fated to slip through immortal fingers. It lies within your hands, and yours alone. Many questions plague you, but only one can you answer.

What will you do with it?

GARDEN OF BONES is a 17+ interactive work-in-progress with an emphasis on relationships, and includes some content that may be triggering; complete warnings will be included within the game and updated if necessary.

CHARACTERS

The Younger (M/F)

Weary of being disregarded and mocked for their aspirations, the Younger has their golden eyes set on not only their realm... but yours as well. Yet they need their disapproving sibling and crowned ruler out of the way, for good, and only a mortal can kill an immortal. Will you be their weapon?

The Elder (M/F)

A banished king haunts a garden removed from the flow of time; they had not considered that their beloved twin would stab them in the back... and now they are doomed to rise and fall by your hand. How far will you take this lie?

The Mortal (N/A)

A forgetful assassin, sent to dirty your hands on behalf of an immortal ruler from another realm. Cling to the past with bitterness or longing, or abandon it all if you wish. Forge a path built on vengeance or mercy. What will you sacrifice?

Note: as the siblings are identical twins, both ROs must be set together, so you will have the opportunity to play the game with immortal sisters or immortal brothers as your romantic options and potential allies.

FEATURES

CURRENT FEATURES

⮞ fey-adjacent immortal folk ⮞ 2 M/F selectable romance options (one of them is very ill-advised) ⮞ 45 minute playtime ⮞ customize your appearance ⮞ shape your personality ⮞ flirt (or don't) ⮞ decisions

PLANNED FEATURES

⮞ a curse (may or may not be discovered) ⮞ bones (quite a lot of them) ⮞ angst ⮞ finished romantic route ⮞ finished platonic route ⮞ more creepiness ⮞ riddles ⮞ revenge

Everything here is subject to change.

LINKS

DEMO (TBA) | ITCH.IO | RO INTROS

Current word count: 50,000.

I find friendships to be equally as captivating and fulfilling as romantic affection (and also fully support your right to antagonism and arson if desired) so expect me to do my best to ensure that each route is as lovingly detailed as possible!

There is a plan and intent to release the demo soon. Thanks for your interest and I hope to craft a most distressing and positively delightful journey for you.

Ask me anything!

~ Effie

[cinnamon-flame]

Hello I am back with more Viva Piñata doodles! Turns out if you think enough about fluffy piñatas you can force your way through art block (at least for a while)

The typical Viva Piñata experience, I love you Pretztail but why are you like this I drew so many Pretztail as a "do over" of my first Viva Piñata drawing from 2018

that's when it all started

[grimfolks]

bees' counterattack 🐝

[jellolegos]

Everything’s growing in our garden, you don’t have to know that it’s haunted

-

Print store :)

[hippolotamus]

Having Thoughts™️ about Buck & Tommy having a pride garden flag. To represent them but also to let others know they’re accepted. Like a big queer beacon. This leads to them taking in a queer teenage kid who was kicked out of the house.

Tommy wasn’t sure he ever saw himself having kids but this is different. He reminds Tommy a lot of himself at that age. Angry, full of confusing and conflicting feelings, needing someone who understood him.

Tommy wants to protect him and helps facilitate conversations with his parents. Even though every time ends in Tommy wanting to punch a wall. Unsurprisingly, the parents don’t budge. Not the aunts, uncles, or grandparents either. No one seems to want to claim this kid. It breaks Tommy and Evan’s hearts.

They keep fighting for him. Evan takes him around the firehouse, Tommy takes him up in the bird sometimes. He accompanies them to every cookout at Bobby and Athena’s.

It shouldn’t surprise Tommy the night the words slip out of his mouth. They’re both in bed, reading before sleep when it escapes.

“We should just adopt him already.”

Evan snaps his Kindle case shut and turns cautiously. Tommy prepares for a litany of reasons why not even though he’s sure Evan has already been working up to the same conversation. A soft grin slowly spreads across his husband’s lips.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

[doc0bill]

no cause the idea of Zoya telling Genya about the garden... them burying a flower together for David...

don't mind me, going to sob in the corner

(also which flower would they choose please share your thoughts)

[crownofefflorescence]

🥀 Demo Update + Tattoos

Today, I...

corrected some flavour text for bald MCs

finally finished the first tiny branching path

resumed coding the last scene of chapter 1 hooray!

GOT ALL THE CUSTOM TATTOOS SET UP

To keep things simple for myself, I've finally picked 3-4 designs that I think you'll enjoy, and to the people who would prefer to leave it ambiguous or up to your own headcanon, I hope you'll be happy with the level of ambiguity you can choose!

It really isn't going to come up a whole lot but I still think it's well-worth it, just to have that customization option.

Especially since, as mentioned before, the twins might be a bit...

(⚆ ₋ ⚆)

...about it. Whether they'll be discreet in their interest is for you, me, and them to figure out as the story progresses, lol.

Although I should add that all the MCs are terrifying special to U and Z in some unique way, and the extra helping of side-eye toward mortal tattoos would not be out of any malice! U already shelters a staggering amount of malice within their corporeal form - they hate everything with enough destructive force to level a small town if unleashed - but this has nothing to do with tattoos.

Hope you enjoyed this small update...

Back to work!

~ Effie

[xxautumnivyxx]

I can take you to a multiverse worth of paradises.

[guillempaints]

TW: ANOREXIA ALLEGORY

click for better quality

Another design for the bone rose, ive got this as an A5 print :))

This part of this episode resonated so much with me

[crownofefflorescence]

🥀 Demo Update: WOO!

Got some early feedback on the unfinished demo: they actually lol'd at a few dialogue options (despite the somewhat serious tone) which is always a good sign in my opinion. Time to get that to-do list finished!

I'm hype to share Garden of Bones 1.0.0 with you! Don't be fooled - a lot has changed since the alpha version that only my lovely playtesters will ever get to see.

It's about 10x times longer now as well.

Probably because there are some really subtle variations tbh: since this is my first IF I'm really not sure how valuable some of the choices are? So I've been trying different things.

Expecting to learn as I go what's important and what isn't for player immersion, but fingers crossed that every experience will feel a bit different, even in the prologue and first chapter. Definitely need to clean up a few of these 198356918 variables, ahem...

I'll cross that bridge never when necessary.

Thanks for reading and also for following this dev blog!

All 400 of you.

Send help I was not prepared for that.

Had to post a quick update because I can finally see the vision coming together after multiple bouts of illness and unexpected delays, and this has me in a truly fantastic mood!

~ Effie

[nionom-art]

Lemme just draw the same couple of Lego people over and over again

[meffez]

let me just say I did NOT expect booth to shove a gun in that guy’s mouth for putting a hit out on brennan.

[crownofefflorescence]

🥀 Not-A-Demo-Update + Excerpt

This isn't so much of an update as it is just me saying that all goals are still in place and work continues on Garden of Bones! Took a few days off for my health (and it helped a lot).

Although I must admit, the closer we get to a finished demo, the more concerned I am by the looming thought that not a single person who plays it will enjoy it. 😂 Somehow the 1% chance that 0% of players will have a positive experience is enough to summon imposter syndrome - OH WELL.

Truly hype to be finished soon so I can start refining the code, drafting new chapters, and taking your feedback into consideration if you're in a sharing mood!

Working on the last scene today: between an unexpectedly smitten MC and U, I'm not really sure who is more awkward, but I guarantee only one of you is aware of it - no prizes for guessing correctly.

Choice: Quick, think of something disarming to say. "It's... very hot, here."

$U was subtly turning toward the window, but all movement stills: though you can't see $hisher eyes, the aura reads as a slow blink. "We are in a desert."

You fight hard to keep a flush of embarrassment from rising to your cheeks, which only makes you blush hotter. "Yes... I knew that."

Good luck recovering from that one, MC.

Fortunately U won't bat an eye.

Alright, that's all I've got for you...

For now.

~ Effie