CANIDAE is a short, horror visual novel about a gang of friends in animal masks on Halloween going out to set off fireworks and drink with their friends.

It was developed as a solo project in a month to submit for the Spooktober deadline. I created it as I wanted to experiment with using a different engine and to make my design skillset more diverse, especially in terms of interactive narrative and UI/UX. I used a mixed-media aesthetic with a strong dither effect to give it a unique look and atmosphere.

Technologies used:

• Ren’Py: Chosen Game Engine
• Python: Scripting Language
• Adobe Photoshop: Art Assets
• Adobe Illustrator: Additional UI Assets
• Audacity: Music and Sound
• Github: Back-ups

I feel I achieved a lot with this project, as it taught me the skills I needed to iterate on a game and have a completed, finished product within a strict timeframe. I sought out feedback with each draft, so I had to learn to receive a wide range of responses and implement fixes. The most challenging part of the jam was learning Ren’Py while working on everything else, but I feel branching out into different software was very beneficial and it has made me want to experiment with more engines and techniques in the future.

It received an honourable mention from the judges during the jam award show. An updated version was accepted into the Indiepocalypse monthly zine, and is available for purchase in the 61st issue.