
chiaroscuro
A downloadable game for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android
chiaroscuro:
kee·aa·ruh·skyur·ow (from Italian chiaro, “light,” and scuro, “dark”)
A technique employed in the visual arts to represent light and shadow as they define three-dimensional objects. - Encyclopaedia Britannica
An American artist travels to Rome, desperate to find a way out of the gray fog permeating her thoughts. Two mysterious creatures, one dark and one light, appear as if out of thin air, hungry and begging for sustenance.
A canvas stands empty, waiting to be filled.
What will you do?
chiaroscuro is a low-fantasy interactive novella written and developed by Kim Berkley. Created in Twine, this text-based IF game relies on your imagination as well as Perce's to tell a story about art, self-expression, and most of all, self-acceptance.
- Step into the shoes of a wandering artist and explore the Eternal City to find inspiration—and perhaps even your muse.
- Choose the company you keep and the path you will ultimately follow.
- Experience up to five unique endings, including a secret "true" ending.
- At just 30,000 (ish) words total, a full playthrough of this bite-sized narrative can reasonably be completed in a single sitting.
It is 100% free to play, but feel free to leave a tip if you like. Every little bit helps. :)
Status | In development |
Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android |
Rating | Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars (3 total ratings) |
Author | Kim Berkley |
Genre | Interactive Fiction |
Made with | Twine |
Tags | Casual, Fantasy, Mental Health, Multiple Endings, Narrative, rome, Short, Singleplayer, Text based, Twine |
Average session | About an hour |
Languages | English |
Inputs | Mouse, Smartphone |
Download
Click download now to get access to the following files:
Development log
- Devlog #9: One Month Later—A PostmortemFeb 09, 2022
- Devlog #8: The Stories Behind the Colors of 'chiaroscuro'Feb 03, 2022
- Devlog #7: Behind the Scenes—A Taste of the Flavors of RomeJan 27, 2022
- Devlog #6: Behind the Scenes—A Virtual Tour of Perce's RomeJan 20, 2022
- Devlog #5: chiaroscuro is LIVE!Jan 13, 2022
- Devlog #4: chiaroscuro is coming SOONJan 06, 2022
- Devlog #3: Beta Testing Complete; Release Date SetOct 31, 2021
- Devlog #2: Beta Testers Wanted!Sep 22, 2021
Comments
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Thank you for sending me this game. I actually did enjoy it. I got the Gray ending, which wasn't surprising based on my choices. The best text-based game I've played yet.
Wonderful, thank you so much! The gray ending is definitely the easiest to get, haha. (It's also by far the shortest route, and shows you the least of the story, so I'd definitely suggest replaying sometime if you'd like to see more. :) )
Alright, I was curious about the other routes. I felt it was best to go neutral but I'm curious about the other endings. I'll probably stream it when I get the chance.
Can't wait to play! It seems nice.
Thank you! If you'd like to try it a little early, beta testing signups are now open. :) See here for more info:
https://storytellerkim.itch.io/chiaroscuro/devlog/296582/devlog-2-beta-testers-w...
This sounds intriguing, looking forward to it! :)
Thanks!! :D