Beauty in rot | Rot in beauty
SYNOPSIS
Spoiler
Veins Like Tapeworms is a slow-burn, psychological horror visual novel about disgust, snuffed-out dreams, and the desire to be loved.
When life becomes a monotonous cycle, it's not hard to grasp how someone could be pushed to the brink of violence, all in the name of feeling free. It becomes even more understandable if that person never even began to live, before being shoved out of the nest. With no gentle way out, the only chance to start anew is to snap chains and splatter organs. Putting it that way, it was only a matter of time until Demian gave in. We can't prevent a tragedy, but we can cause their descent.
Even with a slow-burn narrative told in 8 chapters, readers will be begging for more by the time the story is over. With six endings for a player to achieve, the story of Veins Like Tapeworms is heavily dependent on choices made through a playthrough. The way Demian perceives the words and actions of those around them are influenced by the thoughts a player has allowed into their head - a heartwarming conversation in one path can become a harrowing monologue of bloodlust in another.
Every choice a reader can make is a thought running through Demian’s mind at that moment. Will you help them pluck the worms of cruelty from their brain, or indulge in their most violent fantasies?
When life becomes a monotonous cycle, it's not hard to grasp how someone could be pushed to the brink of violence, all in the name of feeling free. It becomes even more understandable if that person never even began to live, before being shoved out of the nest. With no gentle way out, the only chance to start anew is to snap chains and splatter organs. Putting it that way, it was only a matter of time until Demian gave in. We can't prevent a tragedy, but we can cause their descent.
Even with a slow-burn narrative told in 8 chapters, readers will be begging for more by the time the story is over. With six endings for a player to achieve, the story of Veins Like Tapeworms is heavily dependent on choices made through a playthrough. The way Demian perceives the words and actions of those around them are influenced by the thoughts a player has allowed into their head - a heartwarming conversation in one path can become a harrowing monologue of bloodlust in another.
Every choice a reader can make is a thought running through Demian’s mind at that moment. Will you help them pluck the worms of cruelty from their brain, or indulge in their most violent fantasies?
IMAGES/SCREENSHOTS
(Images are compressed a little to fit on RPGMaker Forum standards!)
Spoiler
CHARACTERS
Spoiler
- Demian Zhao: The protagonist of Veins Like Tapeworms. Demian is doing a great job of pretending they're not utterly miserable about their current life, thank you very much. They moved to Kingsfield Beach in hopes of hitting a jackpot at a casino, and now they work as a cleaner in the notorious Restful Night Motel. They seem to hold a lot of resentment towards their family, who disowned them at 18. Currently, Demian plays host to a strange creature that claims itself a god. They've nicknamed it "Slyce," after the music album they never released, Slyce the Deathverse. Though Slyce's morals lean more on the monstrous side, Demian themself may not be so innocent either.
- The Titan of Rot, "Slyce": The deuteragonist of Veins Like Tapeworms. Slyce is a bizarre, shapeless being who cannot live outside of a human host. It claims to have been sealed away for centuries within a place called oblivion, and recently freed itself from the void of nothingness. After bonding with Demian one fateful night, it has been sticking around them and patiently rebuilding itself, with its ultimate goal being a concept it has dubbed "blooming." What blooming entails, however, is just one of many things it is hiding from Demian. Despite the unusual circumstances of the duo's situation, Slyce does seem to care for Demian in its own little way.
- Miriam Garcia: A side character in Veins Like Tapeworms. Miriam works at the Quick Stop Shop; a nearby convenience store that Demian frequents. She has a kindhearted personality, and Demian likes to think they're pretty good friends with her. In their opinion, though, Miriam isn't really that smart or observant. Somewhere along the lines, Miriam developed a crush on Demian. They're trying to figure out the best way to let her down.
SETTING AND/OR WORLD DEVELOPMENT
Spoiler
- Taking place in the fictional city of Kingsfield Beach, Nevada, Veins Like Tapeworms will present a chilling world for readers to immerse themselves in. Kingsfield is a concrete paradise, where dreams die under gaudy casinos and neon signs. Poor little Demian’s already been swallowed whole by the city, but that doesn’t mean they can’t crawl out of its festering underbelly. All they need is a little push.
DOWNLOAD LINK
Now available on Steam, with a free demo to boot!
Demo covers 13,000 words, 2 chapters, 1 ending, and 1 Bonus Scene.