The Aching Maw
A downloadable game for Windows and macOS
“There is nothing here except me and the corpse that whispers play pretend.”
In a moment, you are born.
Students run through the halls, blissfully unaware. Only the corpse near your feet knows the truth.
As you explore the room and fight your aching hunger...
A Stranger pushes into the room.
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This game was originally made for the O2A2 VN Jam 2024, a micro Visual Novel jam with strict asset limitations and a 1000 word limit.
Heir to an empty peerage title, bankrupt estate, and tarnished legacy.
The Stranger (he/him) is a failed inductee into the prestigious University's Science Scholars Society. Intensely covetous of not just the Painter's love, body, and soul, but also his academic genius, wealth, and family name.
An obsessed man walking, entirely unaware of the fate that awaits him when he opens the Painter's door."
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"I love when you’re like this… when you need me."
The Painter
This story follows the perspective of The "Painter" (he/him).
An accident born of mysterious circumstances, he has tasked himself with the burden of becoming who he was meant to be. He has clothing, shelter, but no food.
But he will see to it that his needs are met one way or another.
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"I must wear this new self well to satiate an ache in my underbelly."
- 1000 words and 3 endings (approx 20 minute playthrough)
- One male love interest
- An MC who gives a whole new meaning to the term, "starving artist"
- Originally composed soundtrack by Gisula
- Beautifully illustrated graphics by Saffeine
- Voice acting for The Stranger
The Aching Maw contains mature themes, and as such, player discretion is advised. The game contains the following:
- Toxic power dynamics
- Bone crunching sounds
- Cannibalism
- Character death
- Murder
- Body horror
| Son M - Narrative design, writing, editing | ["Is this technically vore?] | Website | Twitter |
| Dani Dee - Narrative design, writing, editing | [Likes it when dark academia gets real dark.] | Website | Twitter |
| Saffeine - Art, GUI, Coding | ["So I can render everything right?" - Last words.] | Twitter | Itch |
| Gisula - Composer, Sound Design | [Hongry] | Website | Twitter |
| Helloyinny - VA Director, Casting | ["I tell people to scream louder."] | Twitch | Twitter | Itch |
| Bukubukuchagama - Coding | [Didn't know what was happening even when putting the game together.] | Twitch | Itch |
| Siyokoy - QA | ["The PMS sniped me"] | Twitter | Itch |
| ENVI - Voice of The Stranger | ["Yinny told me to whimper, not scream."] | Twitter | Twitch |
Download
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Comments
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Before I play, do we play as a boy or as a girl, or is it a gender neutral MC? (PLS LET ME KNOW)
I really enjoyed this game!! I was wondering, how do we get to the third ending?
If I remember correctly, you just need to reply "should it be?" when the stranger mentions your bed isn't made.
All my props, this was so well crafted! Special shoutout to the audio- I shuddered at every crack of bone, and the music really brought home the sheer chaos of the climax (I got to take a bite).
this was so fab!! i came here having finished the deceptively therapeutic turned v chilling and intriguing 'lycoris last words' (which i enjoyed immensely), and just like lycoris the art and energy of this is so immaculate. the UI is gorgeous and i love love love the style and detail of the room+body (handcuffs, roses, bite marks i see you). the music also rlly elevates the energy, i literally stopped several times just to give it a proper listen to.
i was rlly invested in the narrative too and ended up noting down all the choices i made so i could explore all the different dialogue options and possible endings, from the sweeter and more tender choices to the harsher ones, there's this very cloying and claustrophobic sense of doom thats really well done? the more you play the more you realise that its a very enclosed circle of death. i do find it interesting that sometimes when i chose meaner (?) choices, the stranger 'wins'. interesting to ponder whether its bc he noticed smth amiss or if it was out of some fit of rage. (i ended up going thru the whole thing a,,,,,, lot of times LOL). either way excuse this rambley mess of a comment!! im def going to go hunt (haha) down more games done by the ppl involved in this!! (already planned my next stop to be dicentria<3)
AHH!! Ohmygodness thank you for checking out Lycoris, Aching Maw and Dicentra! I always love when people leave long comments, it always makes all of our hard work feel seen! We really appreciate it <3
I really like the background, art style, and voice acting of this game!!! I really enjoy the process of playing the game, but I feel like the content is a bit lacking (is this already all?), and I'm still unsatisfied No matter how you fight, the ending is always to eat the opponent or be killed by the opponent (I would be extremely grateful if you could provide a guide). I'm sorry that I didn't quite understand what this content was about when I first started playing (my problem!! Because English is not my native language, it looks a bit difficult), but I still like it very much. Thank you for bringing me the gaming experience, and I hope to play more such great games! (I personally like horror elements, gothic style, and having meta would be even better, although I usually play otome)btw So is there really a guide for me to refer to?lol
Oh my, it was a very intense game!
First of all, I ADORE the artistic direction! The GUI is GORGEOUS, the background too, and the overall reddish, blood-like tone matched the game very well. And yet, yet, we have this stranger, all in blue, like an anomaly, not realising he's entering a space which isn't his.
The story was very dramatic, and yet straight to the point: so rather than surprise, the main quality here is the execution, and I have to say it was done masterfully. The horror felt gradual as we saw the stranger entangling himself more and more in the painter's room, reproaching him for things that will eventually doom him. It felt like the etymological tragedy: the goat's chant, the animal being put on a show of which everyone but it knows the fatal issue.
The voice acting too was very great, and goodness, the sound design, both the use of the flipping page sound effect and the music, was stellar! Finally, the implementation of the point-and-click portion was a very good introduction to the story and to let us know the fatality of this story (just like how at the start of Greek tragedies, a god would go on stage to predict the whole plot).
Congrats to the whole team on a very great piece!
I absolutely love when ppl get into the nitty gritty of why they like a game omg thank you so much for your comment and for playing!!!
loved zooming around the room to get all the gorey details of the story, and the art style was beautiful!
Thank you so much! We're super happy you loved it. Thank you for playing!
The Aching Maw? More like my aching jaw. On the floor. Because this game is just!!! DROP DEAD GORGEOUS! The thematic red atmosphere and ticket-UI (the UI!! I'm obsessed!!!) helps draw you in towards the show, that is, the back-and-forth between the stranger and the painter. The camera movements and direction are really impressive, the sound design is really well done, and the music is just *chefs kiss*.
Props to the team, thank you for engrossing me in such a rich world!
(ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･ﾟ
RAHHHH THANK YOU FOR PLAYING CRIPTICBITE!!! I'm so glad you enjoyed our game <3
Thank you so much for playing our game and thank you for the very kind words! I loved your entry as well and cannot get Shavil out of my noggin!
The art is so nice, and the story really succeeded in giving me that uneasy feeling!
Thank you for playing!!
Thank you! Saffeine really popped off with the art and did incredibly! Thank you for playing!
The TENSION and YEARNING in this was incredible. I loved every aspect of it from the story to the sound to the art. Thank you for this meal <3
I'M GLAD YOU ENJOYED THE GAME <3
AA! This means a lot! I've been such a huge fan of your games and art direction and worldbuilding skills! Thank you for playing and for the incredibly kind words!
AHH I'm honoured to hear that!! ;__;