Dawntide
A downloadable game for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android
The current release features Chapter One of all routes, as well as Chapter Two of Ranzo & Griff's. Chapter Two releases for all other routes will be coming soon.
This game features a soft-route-selection approach. The route is chosen during Chapter 1 at the Wheelhouse, with the option to switch routes to a character who appears shortly after.
For progress information, follow the project at @DawntideVN on twitter.
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Riley's spent his whole life in Porthwarren. He flows with a steady pace, drifting from one part-time-job to the next. As certain as the tide rolls in and out, Riley's resigned to the ebb and flow of this routine.
He's grown up with a good group of friends, but time and circumstance has brought distance between them. Ranzo works abroad on cargo ships, Billy studies north of the County, Sal has made herself busy with freelance work and Joe's settled into his cloistered museum job. Like the old boats that sway in the harbour, memories of the group's better times are moored loosely, and risk drifting off for good.
Walking familiar paths around the town, Riley is reminded of somebody he clung to like a rock in stormy waters. Someone outside the group. Someone he'd loved. Though after ten years apart, memories of him are painted in fading watercolour.
As cool Spring air breathes life onto the land, the town prepares for it's yearly folk festival. With Billy on break from university and Ranzo catching a ship to port, it's the perfect time for a reunion. However, with this year's festival marking a special occasion, it may draw in more visitors than anticipated.
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Donations are apprecciated and will assist in the continued development of the project, but are not required to play.
This story uses strong language and makes reference to topics such as alcohol, sex & drug use. It is intended for 18+ audiences.
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Development log
- Quality-of-life updateApr 07, 2024
Comments
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the art goes craazy i already love this vn more than anything yo!!!!!!!!!! must read!!!!!! how is this not popular?!?!?
This is probably the best VN in terms of atmosphere and art. I especially like the music, I listen to OST all the time.
Overall, one of the best VNs at the moment.
(Griff is the best btw lol)
Spoiler!
So... you have three shadows in the form of the MC, that I'm guessing are his internal narration or his inner voices when he thinks about something, like his reactions
One has the pose of his mother (the one where he puts his hands on his chest), another of his father (looking at the camera with rays coming from the back), and the third is the artist side of him
so... what ARE the first two? the mother pose is his sentimental side? and his father pose is his pragmatic side?
Edit: I forgot about this one but there's a fourth that looks like Riley looking up with a moon on his back, I'm not even sure what this one is either, his impulsive side?.
why does riley see the figures of both eliza, his archnemesis, and graham, his recent fuckbuddy, in the glass in one of the screenshots? do they hold the same net significance to him? should i kill myself?
good job!
I really thought that griff Will be a shity person like Griffith, but after doing his route it changes everything, i like him now
A wonderful visual novel
The pretty and clean art style, the sweet characters, the writing which I've had to go through translator in hand as it's quite complex for someone not born into such a distinctive English port setting (or English speaking either), and the music... don't get me started about that.
I truly can't wait to experience more of this
Huge thanks to the developers, this deserves huge support! <3
OH MY GOD. literally never played an fvn before, never knew that was a genre lol, but this is the most beautiful, artisitic, damn near tear-drawingly relatable thing i've ever played. its great, made me laugh so far, made me almost cry so far and i'm not even finished yet, aaaamaaaazing work!! :D
So fucking captivating. Got me invested right off the bat through it's setting and just how raw it felt, written from true experience. I feel like I'm interacting with something too personal even. When a creative shows their soul like this how can I look away. The banter between the friends flows so naturally. The creative and sound design are just stunning. The love put into the project seeps through my screen and manifests into virtual hands that have me in a headlock.
I'm from a small balkan port town yet I feel like I'm back at home waiting for things to go south and ugly w a fake smile enjoying the few things left to. This is a love letter to all queer young adults left feeling lost and stranded. Who's home suffocates instead of nurture.
ALSO CAN WE APPRECIATE THE COLORFUL VOCAB???? This is such a fun read in all aspects. Can't wait to follow the journey of the dev
Gods this is a good VN. I didn't expect to run into something so familliarly British over here, but it uses the setting, mood and music so bloody well.
Griff, you beautiful beautiful man. Very excited for future updates!
Griff sure is pretty as the sunset, isn't he
So far, it's a 10/10 VN for me. Keep it up!
This vn made my eyes cry uncontrollably this is the best vn I ever read or play I hope in the future that chapter 3 would be release I will look forward to play or reading this vn <33
it's wild how a game so loud about where it's from can still feel like home to someone from across the pond. i'm also early-mid-twenties with a loose grasp on my mind and stuck in a town that's as stuck as i am. except in rust belt indiana we just have corn instead of the ocean. more and more i feel like games like this bring me comfort in that i am becoming more and more like the troubled main characters of them. i don't know if that's fully a good thing. but it makes me feel... maybe not "happy", but something good. maybe "safe". or some kind of hopefulness. not the wide-eyed kind, somewhat jaded but not to the point of being domineered by cynicism. i dunno, i'm rambling at this point. video game good it is good video game and i enjoyed the video game and it is also gay and i like being gay
and also the art is fucking gorgeous like jesus fuck y'all i am mad at how stunning every little bit is
i'm not even finished playing and i want to leave a comment to say that i love this game and i can't wait to see it completed. it has already made me teary-eyed a few times. the music adds so much, it's perfect -- i grabbed my headphones midway through the heart-to-heart talk with joe to experience it. i see myself in sal a lot and it's making me have realizations about myself. thank you for making this! i really want to see how joe's route goes : )
I love the music so bad!Can we get a music room pleace?
Is there a Sal route planned for the future or just Griff, Joe, Billy, and Ranzo?
The Sal route is tied in with the Griff route, but splits off later in the story. This is why she has most of the screen time in his second chapter.
I haven't felt the way I feel playing this game since I played night in the woods over 2 years ago. This is easily THE best visual novel I have ever played in my entire life.
This was incredible, I absolutely loved it. It made me nostalgic for things I have never even experienced. Everything about it has been a 10/10 the narrative, the characters (especially the scruffiest boy), the art, the music.
Thank you, for creating this. It is exquisite and I can't wait to experience more.
Cool, this game has never been so meaningful for a long time.Looking forward to the next chapter very much.
this is so dysco elysium it's amazing
Amazing game man
the song that plays in Ranzo's route, you gotta release a full version of it!!
Awesome visual novel. I think you nailed that feeling of uncertainness but comfort you were going for.
*—And you are too young to be making these decisions about yourself.
—Decisions?*
WARNING! ACHTUNG! LONGREAD!
This scene is remarkable for me. I think everybody is familiar with unasked, merciless, needless trial of your very existence, carried out by self-righteous people, sometimes even closest, just because you are being you. There were no decisions made, you didn't do anything wrong, still you're judged by people as if you were a criminal.
Toxic cocktail of embarassment, weakness and a complete understanding of injustice that is happening, is running through your vains. You even start to sense guilty, as if all of their accusations were truth. Willing to fight back, not able to prove your innocence.
This maddening situation and following sensations made me, non-queer person, feel direct connection with Riley.
In my opinion, it says a lot how impactful and touching this beautiful novel can be.
Speaking about beauty of Dawntide, it's the most artistycally expressive and authenticly created stories I've ever seen. It looks and sounds exactly how port town should sound and look . And more importantly, the art-direction of this game is doing an amazing job at depicting Riley's worldview and perseption. He is an artist. And that is how we should see the world through his eyes.
Generally, I feel like everything is made on purpose in this novel. No word is thrown to be thrown. And words that are used are very strong. You are intrigued with interesting dialect of the group of friends, with their naturalness (they actually speak like real people!), with this "something" beneath the curtains everybody in this game has to offer. Intrigued from the start till' the end.
9/10 Absolutely wonderful story.
P.S. Sorry for poor English not very suitable for depiction of such a loveliness. It's not my mother language and haven't practiced it a lot. :)
This vn's artistry is comparable to that of Disco Elysium
Thank you so much for your work, your art already is something truly special, and I can't wait to see how you add further to it.
As far as art and overall presentation, this has got to be one the best vns out there. What a vibe.
huge thanks for the qol tweaks! cant wait for more story content soon :] you deserve all the support in the world for this project
This game is great, from the art style to the music
I really hope the development keeps going and going because I liked every single part of it <3
This game is just fantastic. i've never had such a good time playing a visual novel, and playing it while i was feeling down made it even better in some way.
thanks for making this, the storyline, the way the characters are written, the artwork and the music are really great.
i love Griff and Sal !! <3
Going through Ranzo's Chapter 2 story has been a great experience, and Griff's route was even more amazing to me. Excellent work on everything so far! I especially love the music you created; they are absolute masterpieces, no exaggeration.
By the way, I found out there might be some minor bugs in the script:
*SPOILERS*
- Chapter 1 -
If Riley chose to hang out with someone in Wheelhouse on the first day, then when meeting with Griff later by the end of the day, there are options asking if Riley is going to stick with his choice or change his plans.
For example, if promised Ranzo to visit his mum, then the options will be:
Choosing "Stick with Ranzo" is fine, but if you choose "Change Plans," some repetitive conversation will happen twice.
Here is the dialogue history:
...
Riley: Ahh... Ranzo just got back and I promised I'd do some things with him, but maybe I could move something-
Griff: Hey, don't go cancelling any plans for the likes of me! I'm here 'til after the festival.
Riley (inner voice): He doesn't want to arrange anything.
"Change Plans"
Riley: It's really okay! It was a last-minute plan anyway.
Griff: Well, if it's no problem...
Griff: How about we do tomorrow by the harbour at ten?
Riley (inner voice): I would love that more than anything.
Riley: I'd like that.
Griff: It's set, then!
Riley: I'm free tomorrow. I've got the whole week off work, actually.
Griff: Lots of time to catch up, then! How's 10 sound, by the harbour?
Riley (inner voice): I would love that more than anything.
Riley: I'd like that.
Griff: It's set, then!
Riley: Do you mind if I grab your number?
...
- Chapter 2 -
In Griff‘s route, in the dialogue history during the flashback that Riley experienced at Sal's parents' house, the names of Dad and Mum were reversed, which means that what dad said was marked as what mum said, and vice versa.
This problem only occurs in dialogue history, not during normal gameplay.
I believe there might need some attention.
Again, thanks to Choob and all other contributors to Dawntide, for bringing such a wonderful VN to the world. Wish you best of luck with the next updates!
Thanks for spotting these. I'm aiming to release a bug fix update this weekend so I'll include these on the list.
ranzo mmmmmmmm oough
I have nothing but praise for this VN, despite being this early on development it's already earned it's spot as my favourite, I've been recommending it to everyone when I first finished it.
The art, music and writing are phenomenal, I deeply relate to Riley as a character which is super refreshing in the FVN world.
Keep up the amazing work!!!
I have nothing to say about this VN other than the highest praises, this is truly amazing. I love Griff so much, I have cried over this man already multiple times and reread his scenes even more times. His theme alone is just...perfect. It captures so much emotion that goes beyond words and I just need him so badly. The rest of the VN is great! Music, especially, I think, gets used so intentionally here and is to a degree that you just don't see as consistently in other VNs. Not to mention the art, sprites/their alterations and CGs alike are so impactful to getting the feeling behind everything.
*SPOILERS*
One thing I was curious about though, does route select sorta occur twice depending on who you hang out with after day one? I think it was said before that it wouldn't but when you go onto Griff route/hang out with no one and are free for Griff in the morning, it seems like you have no actual choice to make whereas hanging out with Ranzo gives you a choice between him and Griff. Will hanging out with Billy/Joe also leave you with only Billy/Joe + Griff as choices or is that just a temporary thing that'll change once their routes get updated?
Vague spoilers for current Chapter 2 content:
Chapter 2 was originally going to have a choice to switch between any route at the pub. This was done so players didn't feel "locked in" through one decision. While this was a "fair" way to plot out a multiple-choice game, it didn't make for a very interesting or relevant way to tell this one.
The choice has since changed so that after spending a day with Joe, Billy or Ranzo, you can choose to switch to Griff. If you choose Griff on day 1, you're set on that path.
A lot of the planned "hybrid routes" didn't have a lot of payoff on their own and left a lot of established plot hooks hanging. With others needing to be re-established in the next chapter, it felt messy and unfulfilling. However, as an outsider to the group, Griff can explore those setups from a different perspective.
Griff's route being a lock-in (with a choice to switch to it from others) is also a way to show Riley's infatuation with him. Though it's a choice-based game, the player is still only in control of someone with their own wants and biases.
Simple summary: picking Griff's route means you're on Griff's route. You can switch to him from any other route in the second chapter, with some differences based on who you picked first.
I really love this vn, the storyline, the music, especially the artsyle. They're so unique. I love that the artstyle differs depending on the mood. Love it
This is truly the best VN I have seen in a long time. So unique, the music, story and artstyle is amazing. Can't wait for updates!
Hi, since there hasn't been any ost release so far (iirc you're planning a vol 1 once chapter 2 is done), how do you feel about people uploading some ripped tracks on YouTube with proper attribution?
Let me know what's your stance on it and I'd be happy to oblige! (It's your work after all).
I'll have to think on this one. I know people want a place to listen to what's currently available, but I'd also like the time to make versions of the tracks that are less rough-around-the edges.
No worries! Wouldn't want you to rush out something that you aren't happy with just to meet a specific demand. I think more enthusiastic readers can go look for them in the game files for their personal use already.
I feel like going out for a drink with an old friends that I haven't seen in a long time.
love everything about this VN.
Thank you for all your hard works.
Thank you, i loved this new bit of story, and i really want to see where Griff and Riley go from here, still loving the music and im really hoping for extended versions :3c
explodes and dies from peak