The World of Rite of Decay: Murder, Plague, and Passion
Otome fans, prepare to step into a world of love, mystery, and decay. In this exclusive interview, Lover’s Lens and Mochi Melody sit down with Skolaztika, the solo developer behind Rite of Decay, to discuss the game’s unique setting, characters, and the inspirations behind its haunting world.
Rite of Decay Developer Interview
Skolaztika: “Hey everyone, I’m Skolaztika, and I’m the writer, programmer, artist, and UI designer and all that of Rite of Decay.”
Skolaztika: “So Rite of Decay is basically a murder mystery. It follows the story of Nastya, who is part of an order of physicians specifically tasked to deal with a highly infective disease called the rot. And she’s tasked with checking out the manor of a nobleman who has a guest who may or may not have died because of this disease. And she may find out that there’s some foul play at hand. And that the residents of the manor may have something to do with, with the death of his guest. And also maybe find love among these supposed murderers.”
Skolaztika: “The main idea behind the game was that I wanted a game where the theme is isolation and identity being fractured due to isolation. And so that initial idea was developed into, okay, there’s a sickness that eats your personal way. And even if you survive, you have no place to be and you have to hide every identifiable part of your body. And basically, you have to be part of this faceless government institution where your only use is that you won’t get infected again. So you don’t even really have a purpose in life. And so that premise then was quite easy to add to it, the desire to seek connection through romance or friendship, and then to navigate personal relationships where everyone wants to hide part of them or find part of them.”
Skolaztika: “I mostly just tried simply taking it slowly. Which might be evident from the demo because there’s not many outwardly romantic things going on yet. But each character, Nastya included, has like these incredibly high walls, so I thought that in order for any relationship to feel natural, every scene has to remove one or two bricks at a time. Unless, of course, something pushes them to operate a little bit more. Like, I don’t know, visions of cannibalistic dreams and things like that.”
Skolaztika: “Her character was mainly influenced by my desire to write a romance where the main character is just this incredibly bitter person. And she does her duty, but it’s the case of, let’s get it over with and go home. She shuts herself away from compassion, she’s awkward about it, and she barely thinks about love. When she does, she doesn’t think she’s actually deserving of it. And I think that feeling of being unlovable is not unique to her. So I wanted to write a story where even an unpleasant person like her can find human connection and love.”
Skolaztika: “As Nastya is this kind of demotivated person, Woden’s main purpose in the overarching story is to get her to actually care about the investigation. His entire character is there to challenge Nastya’s. Woden is idealistic, but that makes him kind of unsure about himself. He was exiled from his city, so he doesn’t have anyone to rely on. But compared to Nastya, he’s doing the right thing, and she’s wrong—and he knows she’s wrong.”
Skolaztika: “Demos is, in a way, a mirror to Woden. Woden is unsure about himself, while Demos is convinced that he is completely right every time. If he has to trample over some boundaries to get what he wants, then it’s fine—he doesn’t really care. Woden is inexperienced with social interaction, while Demos obviously knows how to push people’s buttons. He relies heavily on his sex appeal, and he’s manipulative and unaware of the harm he might be causing—basically a walking red flag. His journey is about learning to actually not be such an awful person, but also, would Nastya accept his apology or his redemption?”
Skolaztika: “I did plan to add a male main character for a very long time, but as the writing developed, I realized that it would be more work than just swapping pronouns. His relationship would change with Lady Faustine and the love interests. So I put it to the side for now. But maybe, maybe not for the moment.”
Skolaztika: “Nothing concrete yet. I want to finish up the story next year, the latest, but of course there’s much work to do still. So, so, nothing complete again.”
Skolaztika: “Only the biggest thank you in the world for being interested and reading the story, and also for having me here.”
That’s all for today’s look into Rite of Decay! If you’re a fan of gothic, atmospheric mysteries with deep character-driven storytelling, this is a title you won’t want to miss. Look forward for more updates on its release, and make sure to check out the demo for a taste of what’s to come! If you want to support Skolaztika consider leaving a review on her ich.io page.
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