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Estranged Family - Demo

"You are going to die. Find a different way to be alive." Estranged Family is a spin-off story of Friendship Test, set in the same universe and connected to it. In it, you will yourself on a mysterious planet with a found family that has been through many hardships. The family lands must learn how to begin their new lives here, but there is only one problem: you have no idea what's going on, how you got here or how you're supposed to feel. Help the main character, Star, figure out their role in this family, make choices that might improve your relationship with them or maybe completely disappoint them. While this game is its own story, it is heavily adviced to play Friendship Test before you play this one, as it is better to have context on the world-building, themes, lore, story and a few characters to fully appreciate this one. Visual warnings -Interacting with the game with your mouse creates flashing boxes when you click on a character, object or tile. It's adviced to play with your keyboard or controller if you wish to avoid this. -When navigating through the menu or choosing a dialogue, there is a flickering light that highlights which text you are currently positioned in. Should not cause too much trouble, but a warning just in case doesn't hurt. -There is an issue with some sprite animations and text box sprites, as they flicker for a second on occasions. -There is a running option, so it can show some fast movements on the screen. -Numerous scenes include a shakey camera effect. -Some white rooms or glowing star sprites might cause eyestrain for some. A scene where you interact with a piece of clay illuminates the entire room with a red color. Content warnings The game deals with some heavy topics from time to time, warnings will be provided in-game and it's meant to be handled as tactfully as possible, however, viewer discretion is adviced. Here is a list of warnings on the demo: -aphobia -transphobia -ableism -death -eye contact -self harming behaviour -past abuse/animal harm -unreality -cursing -life and death situations -moments of tension -family arguments -sudden noises or cuts to a black screen that could startled some people -characters made of out clay and small claymation segments Longer details as to how these themes are presented in the story are available in the game. You are also able to skip dialogue and fast forward scenes if you hold down the (X) key on your keyboard or hold left click on your mouse. Gameplay This is a very story focused game. There are battles, but they only require you to figure out the right thing to say to the adversary. Story and dialogue choice is the main focus. Length 2 hours, but keep in mind that if read all the dialogue out loud it might take 4 or 5 hours, as it's a game with plenty of dialogue. Music The game includes free-to-use music made by many talented people. None of the music belongs or is created by me. All artists are credited in the credits at the end. Language The only language available is English. English is not my first language, while I believe to have a good level, it might be noticeable sometimes that this was written by someone whose first language isn't English. While the game has been playtested multiple times, it's always possible there can be a couple of typos, as I am only one person (+ a friend of mine who was my playtester) working on this game. Don't be shy to let me know about any typo or error though. Controls -For keyboard: Move around with arrows. “Z” or “Enter” to interact with objects or characters. “X” to open your menu and to fastforward conversations and scenes. -For mouse: Click left to interact with objects or characters. Holding left allows you to fastforward conversations and scenes. Click right to open your menu. -The game also works with controllers! I hope you enjoy the demo! After this release there is going to be a longer hiatus. If you haven't yet, you can play my other two games I've released, Friendship Test and Exe tries to save the holidays! And if you can, support me on Kofi! https://ko-fi.com/mar64