Death & Faeology: Romance, Mystery, and an Unforgettable World
The story behind Death & Faeology is just as fascinating as the game itself. What started as a creative outlet during a game jam has since evolved into something much bigger, driven by passion, ambition, and a love for storytelling. Developer Mushroomallow and their team have worked tirelessly to bring this dark academia-inspired mystery to life, creating a world where faeology is studied like a science, and every choice feels like stepping deeper into a web of secrets. But behind the immersive world and compelling characters is a team of dedicated creators overcoming the challenges of indie development, and pouring their hearts into a game that dares to be different.
Journey Through the Article
Background and Origins
Mushroomallow: The original team was formed during the Valentine VN Jam 2021. At the time, I was craving a creative outlet to cope with the stress of the pandemic. I asked a writer friend to collaborate on a visual novel with me, and with the help of two other members, our debut visual novel, EDDA Cafe, was released.
Mushroomallow has come a long way since then. While the original team has disbanded, my passion for game and visual novel development remains strong and continues to fuel my drive to create more games under this banner.
That said, game development is both challenging and expensive. Finding and securing funding for a project is always a struggle, and as an indie studio owner, I often feel my skills are lacking. I used to work solely on art and visuals, but as my responsibilities have grown, I’ve found it necessary to learn about leadership, management, marketing, and more.
However, I know I’m not alone in this struggle, and learning those new things is fun especially if you’re doing it together. The game dev community is incredibly welcoming and supportive, and I’m grateful to always have people to turn to for help, advice, and encouragement.
Game Inspiration and Development
ilyilaice: When I joined the team, there was already this wonderful concept, cast of characters, and initial outline in place, provided by B.L. McDarragh. I began by fleshing out the outline and planning the endings. Because this is intended as the prologue to a longer story, we had to strike a balance between capturing the darkness and the gravitas expected of a murder mystery and ensuring that the status quo would not be irreversibly shaken.
Overall, it was an interesting learning experience for me since this was the first time I’ve attempted co-writing a visual novel and coding for the Unity game engine as opposed to the Ren’Py VN engine. My favorite character to write was probably Theodore since I enjoy playing around with grumpy, abrasive types that generate lots of opportunities for juicy conflict.
ilyilaice: As a relatively new study, the scientific community is split between skeptics and believers. There are some who fall somewhere between the two extremes — in a sense, they perceive faeology the same way many today view folklore or astrology.
ilyilaice: I think the two characters are similar in a lot of ways, including in their sense of humor, work ethic, and drive. Their differences, while fewer, are the types that can potentially amount to dealbreakers. Will they ever be able to coexist, whether in the workplace or in a setting more intimate, without wanting to strangle each other? You’ll have to wait and see!
ilyilaice: There are routes planned for Minerva, the faeologist’s assistant, and Ruthie, the faeologist’s childhood friend, who was mentioned in Oscar’s letter. (Secretly, I’m shipping Theodore and Minerva. Alas, not all dreams can come true.)
Mushroomallow: That’s a wonderful idea! I might incorporate it into the later part of the story. The main inspiration for the fae creatures in Death & Faeology is the otherworldly taxidermy art of Cedric Laquieze. It’s absolutely fascinating how he rearranges parts from various insects into these humanoid figures while preserving the beauty and uniqueness of the insects. For Oz specifically, I also received various references from the B.L. McDarragh. Initially, I planned to give Oz a fully insect-like face, but I decided that, as a higher fae, it would be more fitting for them to have a more elegant and human-like appearance in their design.
Mushroomallow: The main inspiration for the mechanic comes from the wonderful puzzle game Strange Horticulture, particularly the interactive investigation element where players use various tools to examine mysterious objects in their possession. I’ve always had a soft spot for mechanics like this because they add a sense of immersion to the game. I also tried to design the investigation mechanic to complement the player’s role as a faeologist with a forensic background. I can’t reveal too much yet, but the investigation will become more engaging as the story progresses. It’s quite a challenge, but I’ll do my best to make it as satisfying as possible!
Community and Feedback
ilyilaice: I make a habit of expecting the worst so my expectations are always exceeded. I write for the void, for the brick wall. But if my writing makes even one person in the world feel less alone, then mission accomplished!
Mushroomallow: Quoted from someone on Itchio: “This secret Oscar is hiding is whatever makes his chicken so finger-lickin’ good.” Never in the entire development of Death & Faeology did I imagine associating the mysterious silver-fox character with the friendly fried-chicken maker grandpa — and now it haunts me to this day XDD.
On a more serious note, I understand that many elements in Death & Faeology fall into the niche side, from the dark academia aesthetic to the older, more mature love interests. As a result, the game might not have the biggest audience pool, but similar to what ilyilaice said: if the game resonates with even just one person out there, then mission accomplished!
Future Plans and Development:
Mushroomallow: The major plot for the full game actually has already been laid out by B.L. McDarragh. I know from the start that I wanted to have both male and female love interest in this game (and they all need to be hot), so I created two characters for each gender: Theo the Detective (M), Oscar the Patron (M), Minerva the Assistant (F), and lastly, Ruthie the Childhood Friend (F), who has yet to make her entrance.
Players can look forward to encountering and identifying more fae creatures in the full game and possibly some degree of exploration. I’ve also been considering adding spicy scenes as a reward (since this is an adult romance, after all), BUT nothing is set in stone yet. Please look forward to more updates in the future!
ilyilaice: I feel so honored to have been a part of the Death & Faeology team for the prologue! I’m also the writer for Orca Martian Games, if you feel so inclined to check out my team’s previous projects. I wrote the otome games Loveless on Lockdown and Dabbling in Drama. Since the first visual novel I ever played was RE: Alistair++ by sakevisual, I’ll always have this affinity for otome games, especially of the indie variety.
Mushroomallow: I’m wholeheartedly grateful for each and every support we received this past month, and for Otome.com team for reaching out and giving us the opportunity to be featured in their platform! Now that I’m in the middle of my 30s, I crave that complex adult romance story in visual novel format, something that I noticed is very hard to find today. I hope Death & Faeology could fill that narrow gap and be loved by the older people in the community.
Please wishlist Death & Faeology on Steam and give us a follow on one of our social media below to keep yourself updated on any news about Death & Faeology!
Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3369020/Death__Faeology/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mushroomallow.bsky.social
X: https://x.com/mushroomallow
And before we go, the developers of Death & Faeology have shared an exclusive sneak peek with us! Mushroomallow was kind enough to provide some behind-the-scenes sketches, giving us a glimpse into the creative process. While they humbly apologize for the “messy” sketches, we think they’re nothing short of fascinating! Even more exciting, the upcoming Steam demo will feature brand-new CG art, enhanced character designs, and overall gameplay improvements. We can’t wait to see how it all comes together!
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