The Ultimate Feel-Good Game? Our Life: Beginning and Always
Visual novels have a unique way of immersing players in deeply personal stories, but few manage to capture the essence of life itself quite like Our Life: Beginning and Always. Developed by GB Patch Games, this heartfelt game offers players an unparalleled level of customization, allowing them to shape their character’s journey from childhood to adulthood. With its nostalgic setting, meaningful choices, and emotionally rich storytelling, Our Life has resonated with countless fans. In this exclusive interview, we sit down with Katelyn Clark, the lead writer and owner of GB Patch Games, to discuss the inspiration, development, and impact of this beloved visual novel.
Our Life: Beginning and Always Interview
Katelyn: Hello, thank you very much for having me on your podcast, it’s really cool. Like you said, I’m the person who owns GB Patch Games. I started it many years ago, and I’m the one who does most or all of the writing, depending on the project. And I help with the programming, but not all of it.
Katelyn: Our Life: Beginning and Always is a near fully customizable visual novel where you start the game as an 8-year-old child and play through four time periods, called steps, leading up to adulthood at 23. Throughout those time periods, you experience moments, which are disconnected vignettes that are memories of your life at different stages. You make many choices along the way, and none of them are bad. You can do whatever you want.
Katelyn: What I wanted was to come up with a structure and a choice system that facilitated the general idea of growing up in a small town and experiencing life. I felt a very linear story just wouldn’t really lean into that well, so I was trying to create something that fit my original vision.
Katelyn: Yeah, thank you very much. I did grow up in California, like the main characters in the game. I didn’t live right on the coast like they did, but I have memories of taking trips to the coast, seeing towns right next to the beach, and remembering what they were like. It was amazing that you could just walk out the front door, go down the road, and be at the ocean. Those memories stuck with me.
Katelyn: The programming systems for all those crazy choices were not done by me. That was Sabrina and Shana, our programmers. I definitely appreciate having them on board to make my strange ideas actually functional. But in terms of the script, it eventually became kind of obvious where an alteration or reference needed to happen. I didn’t plan ahead which scenes would have references—I just figured it out as I wrote.
Katelyn: Yes, they do. Almost every choice you make influences how Cove develops—whether he’s more reserved or warm, if he leans toward sporty or studious activities. Pretty much everything you do subtly shapes how both you and the main character grow up. But in some cases, all it changes is a couple of lines of dialogue and then nothing else.
Katelyn: That was part of something I conceptualized early on. I’ve written very sassy protagonists in the past. I think that kind of humor is funny. I wanted a range of different options—one for someone shy and nervous, another for a more relaxed approach, and then someone who’s bold and says stuff out of pocket.
Katelyn: Well, I’m very lucky that I’m close with my family. They’re the most important part of my life. I personally like stories with strong family presences, and I wanted to add to that list of games where you can have a very strong family bond.
Katelyn: My mom and dad had a terrible relationship and divorced when I was a kid. That was based on my own life. Unlike Cove, I had many siblings to go through it with me, but I could imagine how much harder it would be if I were alone. That’s why I wanted the divorce in the game to be for the best, and for players not to hate either Cliff or Kyra.
Katelyn: Yeah, I do. The original was XOXO Droplets, which I released in 2017. Our Life added to that world. It’s a setting similar to ours, but with unnatural hair colors and exaggerated personalities. And now, my current project is also set in that same shared universe.
Katelyn: Unfortunately, there are no more expansions planned for Our Life: Beginning and Always with Cove. As much as I love that game, I had to stop writing it and move on. But my current project is Our Life: Now and Forever.
Katelyn: It’s based on autumn instead of summer, and there are two neighbors instead of one. But it has the same concept—you start as a kid, grow into an adult, and shape your story with customization and roleplaying.
Katelyn: Our Life lets you choose exactly how your relationship with the lead develops—whether you’re just friends, have an instant crush, or don’t like each other at all. You decide.
For those interested in experiencing Our Life: Beginning and Always, the game is available for free on Steam and Itch.io. You can also download the game from the game details page here. With its deep customization, heartfelt storytelling, and immersive world, it’s a must-play for visual novel fans. Don’t miss out on this one-of-a-kind journey through life.
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