Threads of Snow
Star-crossed by time itself, will you still fight for your love as pure as snow?
SYNOPSIS
You are unable to find sleep in the night, looking at your enchanting lover sleeping on your lap. Yet, in the secretive embrace of the night, you have confessions to make that will change the trajectory of your relationship forever, and ever, and ever.
FEATURES
- A beautiful protagonist who can only reveal the secrets of her heart during this most opportune time.
- 1k words full of lovestruck longing and sweet suffering, amounting to a playtime of 5-10 minutes.
- A heart that shatters for love, and persists because of it.
-ALLITERATION! LOTS OF IT! AND ALL THE SNOW METAPHORS I COULD FIT INTO 1K.
(If you are not satisfied with the end, will you keep traveling back in time for a different one? Or will you leave it entirely?)
CREDITS
Writing, Coding, GUI, Sprite Art: Butter Blanc (twitter)
-with help from chattercap (twitter, tumblr, website), chimeriquement (twitter, tumblr) and Helen (twitter).
Background Art: Butter Blanc (with some CSP assets edited by Butter as well)
Music: Wingless Seraph
*Butter Notes*
Hi! <3
I'm Butter Blanc, more commonly referred to as Butter! And this is the first game I have ever made as a new game dev! So I'm very happy with it and also so giddy to share it with you all! I do hope that you'll at least get to experience something with this little passion project of mine as it did with me!
To all who believed in me while making this game (I remember you all and hold you dearly in my heart), thank you so much for rooting for me and I hope I make you proud with this game!
To new players, let's get our hearts broken together shall we?
Through a love that transcends time and dimensions,
May we find ourselves developing beautiful connections!
This game was made for the O2A2 VN Jam 2023, a micro Visual Novel jam with strict asset limitations and a 1000 word limit.
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Comments
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Beautiful story, love how it’s written and just finished it today^^
Hi Butter Blanc,
Very beautiful story of love even if sad, I love it, the art is absolutely beautiful and the music too ❄️❄️❄️💙💙
Hope you will like the video I made on it❄️💙
Ah! I saw this before but my message didn't send through.
GOODNESS THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS PLAYTHROUGH AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH (IT'S STILL SURREAL TO ME THAT SOMEONE WOULD MAKE VIDEO PLAYTHROUGHS OF THE GAME GOSH)
I WAS REALLY SO HAPPY SEEING THIS THANK YOU THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!
AND I'M ALSO VERY HAPPY TO SEE YOU ENJOYED THREADS OF SNOW HEEHEE~
Awww, very happy you like the video on your visual novel, I loved Threads of Snow 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️
oh Butter I finally played it! Sorry it took me so long! What a gorgeous piece! I love all the analogies and the artistry throughout! The MC is so pretty I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. I love that your work is just you all over it! It’s Butter core from the ceiling to the floor! This was so wonderfully tragic and poetic but also hopeful and calm. Just like the snow! Depending on who you are it’s peaceful or deathly silent. I love that you have the player so much to ponder and chew on! I am so excited to see more of what you do! Keep up the incredible work!
AAAAAAAAAAHHHH JOY!!!!!!!!
(Heehee~ no worries! You were fated to play it at the right time!)
Well I'm VERY HAPPY to read this hahaha! Honestly, just knowing that my game screams buttercore is really very flattering haha!
(BUT I REALLY COMBUST KNOWING THAT THE ART IS REALLY LOVED AYTFDWTYEWFYVY I'M REALLY SO HAPPY SINCE I HAD THE SAME SENTIMENTS WHILE I WAS DRAWING BRIELLE HEEHEE~)
But I'm intrigued with how you viewed the narrative poetically! I never considered the dichotomy of "Depending on who you are it’s peaceful or deathly silent." But I'm just so happy nonetheless! More so that it also feels like snow even on a narrative level!!!!
Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh just thank you very much!!!! My butterheart is fluttering haha!~
How lovely, so amazing! Truly felt the emotions
Oh wow!!! Thanks so much for playing! I am really so happy you love it and that it speaks to your emotions! <3 <3 <3
<3 Keep up the good work!
Aaaaaahhh!~ thank you so much! I'm really encouraged heehee~ <3
But how does she know that it would be better the other way? There’s an endless bifurcation of paths, and even with her overview, she hasn’t seen them all. Sure he didn’t live the life he would have done otherwise … and so?
She paints it as selfish to choose her own happiness, but fate drew them together, and she’s both ignoring that it was also his fate, and not asking him what he wants. Is the career she imagines him having without her really better for him than their love?
I like to imagine that the result of “leaving” is to end up back here again, but wiser. (Secret ending notwithstanding)
Hi again! <3
Ah well, she honestly doesn't know haha! She can never really be sure and she is given no assurance that what she is doing is the best option. All she knows is that she has to "set things right". (Lol, the MC is more an MC who thinks with her heart actually than with her mind).
I'm actually going to make a sort of prequel for this game which kind of sheds more context into their situation, but here is a teeny tiny spoiler for context into her reasoning:
------------------------SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER--------------------------------------
Her beloved is a actually a very influential game developer, like Toby Fox levels of influence. In their original timeline, he would go on to inspire millions and millions of people around the world! Probably even a whole generation of players was influenced by the game! Even she herself is a huge fan of him! And well, she sees all these lives changed and influenced by the game. She sees how happy he is and the community that has been built upon his and his team's creation, and she...just can't bear to take that away from him. She sees how he shines, more so when he sees how much of an impact he has made on others. So for her to see him deviate from that path, she slowly panics. Within their relationship, she tries to set him up with his friends and the connections he had built before, but again he comes back to her. She does think that maybe it's fine that she has that relationship with him, but her time travel experiences have made her obsessed with stability, and she knows that the upcoming choice she makes would be a make or break moment. (This too would be explained in the prequel, but more so the sequel). So, she gives in and chooses the safest path, the one she is sure he shines the best. After all, with her beloved, she cannot take any chances on his future (her time-loops are limited to a certain timeframe after all, so she may not get the chance to undo her decisions).
She can't tell him because she's honestly not ready yet. Prior experience has taught her the perils of letting others know of her situation, and although her heart tells her she can trust him...well her mind simply isn't ready yet, but unfortunately, she has to make a choice.
I hope this cleared up some things! I do wish I could have added more in-game context, but again, jam rules!
Thanks again for your thoughts!
(I forgot to add, but this is also an interesting take on it! It's actually a lot closer to the view of the LI! And this view of yours will actually be sort of explored more in the sequel! More so as the results of her choice is actually directly seen in the sequel).
Cool! Look forward to it
This is very pretty! I like your art a lot. Congratulations on your first game!
AAAAAHHHH Thank you so much! I'm really so proud of it! So your words warm my heart! The time it took to draw them all was worth it! Heehee~ <3
Ow ow ow. Pain is real. Pain is so real.
If I didn't observe your journey, I don't think I'd say it's your first game ever! It looks really good!
When it comes to the plot... oh gods ow ow ow. It feels like holding snow in your bare hand and waiting for it to melt away, and it hurts your hand but you hold it still, then you have to deal with the pain that it left behind. I don't know if there's a better way to describe it. Good job, Butter, I'll be here for more <3
OH!!! WOOWWWW!!!! THANKS SO MUCH NAAREL!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
UMM! THAT IS TRULY SUCH HIGH PRAISE!!!!! WOWWWW!!!
(I'M REALLY COMBUSTING AGAIN AAAAAHHH)
And Yes!!! That really does sound like and accurate and very visceral description of the feeling! AAHHHHHH!!!! (It makes me want to cry for some reason) But I am really happy you loved it!
I'm sorry for the pain, but at least it's good pain?
(And also, did you ever try to time travel and leave the timeline over and over?)
GAH MY HEAAARRRTTTT °՞(ᗒᗣᗕ;)՞°
What a beautiful and poetic story, I love your writing style this was so lovely to play!! The art is STUNNING so so so pretty and elegant I looooveee it <3
I can't believe this is your first game!??!?! You did an amazing job, I hope you are super proud of yourself omg!!!
I love the soft gentle atmosphere you created with the art, writing and music it was very comforting while still making my heart going HNNGNGNGNGNGNGGGGGGGG (/pos)
----- spoilers! ----------
the start screen change!?!?? I'm going to SOB (˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )づ♡
Aaaahhhhhh!!!! Thank you so much!!! I am very very happy you loved it!!!!
AAAHHHHHH I HONESTLY JUST MELT EVERYTIME THE ART IS MENTIONED BECAUSE THAT WAS THE HARDEST AND LONGEST PART FOR ME, SO IT WAS WORTH IT AAAAHHHHHH
(But I am actually more overjoyed you loved the writing! It honestly came from a very personal place so at least I'm happy some of my own feelings got through!!!)
AND YES AAAAAHHHH I'M SO HAPPY YOU GOT THE SURPRISE AS WELL!!!! HEEHEE! <3
Dreamy art, lovely writing, and a bittersweet story, what a great package for your very first game. 💕
The conflict is so well-crafted! My heart aches for the MC, and yet I would've done the same thing if I were in her shoes. ;-; She knows she's pulling her beloved away from where he's supposed to be and she decides to put his happiness above her own. Even though she loves him so much 😢
Amazing job overall, congrats! 🎉
(I also unlocked the other menu, how cute! 🤭)
AAAHHHHH THANK YOUUU!!!!!!
I'M VERY HAPPY THAT YOU LOVED IT!!!
And I'm also so so very happy that you think the conflict is well-crafted!!! It's really a conflict that is encountered only by time travelers but I'm happy that it's still relatable and that she moved you! AAAHHHHHHHHH
(I'm really so happy with the plot here so I just also really melt every time the writing and conflict gets mentioned heehee~)
-----SPOILERS----------
(Also!!! I do love it that you also found the surprise part!!! <3 <3 <3 Honestly, I was crunching on the last day and was really debating on not including the main menu screen change because I was honestly pressed for time + I haven't finished drawing the main meu art yet as sprites + BG took too much time, but then I keep remembering that my heart was extra EXTRA broken seeing the empty main menu screen in TXXX, so my butter heart just kept screaming at me to persist in adding it just so the players can have a happy ending at least and not suffer like I did with the ambiguity).
(I really also have to thank chim's coding wizardry for helping me with the menu change hahaha, it truly would not have happened had he not helped me).
Honestly, I would've probably not found the surprise if it wasn't for the hint above the credits. But I'm glad I did (and that you included it despite all the trouble), 'cause it's a nice little bonus. ^^
(i'm also very tickled that you were motivated by TXXX's empty menu screen??? that's so cool 🫠💕)
(Chim is a good one, haha ^^)
Welcome to the world of being a dev, Butter!! And what a nice game to start with. Beautifully realized, I thoroughly enjoyed it. :) <3
AAAHHHH Thank you so much for the warm welcoming into gamedevhood Tyme!!! Ngl, it still is very surreal for me hahaha! But I am excited for more stuff I want to do!
THIS WAS BEAUTIFUL!!! Everything about it is absolutely gorgeous!! I can't believe this is your first game!! I really love all the soft blue tones and the very pretty art that compliments it and the vibes of the story!! The music too??? Everything is very chef kiss!
I don't want to spoil anything for anyone by saying too much but GO PLAY IT!! It's 100% worth it!
AAAAHHH!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! IT REALLY MAKES MY BUTTER HEART SOAR READING THIS! <3 <3 <3
I am honestly really overwhelmed and encouraged hearing this! Makes the all-nighters I pulled worth it haha! (I had to because I took too long to draw stuff haha). And I'm also really so encouraged! So thank you so much!!!
AND AAAHHHHH I'M SO HAPPY YOU GOT THE SURPRISE PART!
I really was hoping players would discover it by their own choice haha! And I'm so glad you did!!! It makes the leaps and what ifs worth it!!! <3 <3 <3
AHHHHHHHHHHH HOW GORGEOUS?????? I am in awe of how much sheer BEAUTY there is seeped in every part of this game -- from the art, to the music, to the GUI, to the writing, to the BEAUTIFUL TRAGEDY??? Everything about this was jaw-droppingly beautiful and made my heart ache so much 😭💕
I have to comment on the art first. Because it's literally breathtaking!! Not only the characters themselves and how sweet they look and also the heart-breaking expressions of the MC, but also the BG, which is practically RADIANT. It looks soooooo cozy and soft and has this beautiful blue-y kind of sheen to it that really emphasizes the snow and the chill and the melancholy of the story.
The music was such an amazing choice!! Like a soft nostalgic lullaby. Also it really reminded me of the music from a game called Chrono Trigger which is ALSO ABOUT TIME TRAVEL so it really doubled the effect for me even more.
AND THE GORGEOUS WRITING AND STORY!! Guhhh tears in my eyes towards the end. I could really feel so much of the sadness and ache of the MC as she recalled their past together, then transitioned into the future that she had "stolen" (or so she believed) from him and wanting to allow him to achieve the dream he could have had she not been there. It's both heart-breaking and selfless. I WANT THEM TO WORK???? Also just in love with all the little details you put in there about their relationship -- like how they had met in so many different ways but were always somehow fated to be regardless. There is something so poignant about that (and bittersweet, as well, considering the ultimate ending...)
THE GUI WAS SO BEAUTIFUL TOO???? And I really loved how the final choice was to end the timeline or to go back in time, almost semi-emphasizing the fact that perhaps she has actually gone through this multiple times and been unable to go through with it in the end or has wanted to relive these final moments again... which just summons even more tears 😭
GAH. ANYWAY. This was just. So good. And I literally can't believe this is your first game because every part of it is so so so good lakdjfalkds An absolutely fantastic job and a wonderfully heartbreakingly sweet entry 💕
Carrot! Try going back in time and leaving again! And doing it again!
(And AAAAHHHHHHHHHH I'M COMBUSTING THANK YOU SO MUCH I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY SO I'LL PROBABLY RETURN TO THIS SOON AAAHHHH)
OH??????? I DID TRY IT BUT I DIDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING DIFFERENT AT FIRST SO I ASSUMED IT JUST REPEATED. I'LL TRY AGAIN
-----
OHHHHHH YOU HAVE TO DO IT MULTIPLE TIMES
OMG
AHHHHHH
What a lovely little treat!! And the updated title screen! I shall weep!!!! I love that! Thanks for telling me to go back and do it!! 💕
Heehee~ you wanted them to work so I guess wish granted? (I love tragedy and angst, but I love a happy ending the most! And because I love these characters I have to guarantee onr with them somehow!)
I am really so overwhelmed by your thoughts on the game, more so as it is so special to me, being my first one and because I've loved these characters ever since I was in highschool, so seeing the love poured on them just makes me so happy AAAAHHHHHHHH
And ah! I do know of Chrono Trigger! But I haven't playef it yet, but one of my favorite pieces of music was Reminisce, though it's in Chrono Cross. So AAAAHHHHHHHHHHH I'M ALSO SO HAPPY YOU WERE ABLE TO ASSOCIATE CHRONO TRIGGER WHILE PLAYING!!!!
I'm really so happy you enjoyed the art, the characters and the writing! Butter's heart is so giddy and encouraged!!! <3 <3 <3
Hi Butter!!! Time to leave my itch comment!
So, what can I say… This game was absolutely wonderful in all its aspects! The art, first, is absolutely splendid, and using such a word feels like an understatement! MC’s hair was beautiful rendered, and the atmosphere felt like a dream, a glimpse of light in the cold of the night.
The music track was also absolutely beautiful and contributed to make the scene magical! It was perfectly situated between happy and sad, and was just a perfect track to use to convey the contrast between how sweet yet terrible love is!
Then, let’s talk about the GUI! You put a lot of effort in it, and it looks gorgeous! The speech bubble is beautiful, the fonts chosen just perfect and you kept everything readable! The changeS of main menu after completing the game once then twice are only proof of how polished this game is!
The writing too was absolutely outstanding! MC moved me so much! It never is easy to feel like you’re a painful addition to the person you love’s life; that you’re the one thing preventing them from realising their dreams and to become the person they deserve to discover. In that regard, you captured the MC’s feelings very well and they felt very relatable. Also, in terms of writing style, it was immaculate. The snow metaphors were perfect, and the alliterations very pleasant. Even theme-wise, snow is something both eternal (winter always comes)and ephemeral (it is meant to melt when spring awakes). And the dialogue we unlock after completing the game twice is absolutely wonderful, and sells the game as an amazing love story. I have honestly never played a game that captured so precisely and so amazingly the feeling of love!
This is an amazing first game, Butter, which goes beyond any reasonable expectations someone should have for a first game! The consistency of the art direction, the poetry of the writing, the beauty of the art, the special effects… Aaaaah, you really plunged me into a beautiful parenthesis of dream. Thanks for the whimsical experience and for this short masterpiece!!
Gaaaaahhh I'm reading this again and I'm still overwhelmed AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I STILL COMBUST, I STILL CAN'T MOVE ON!!!
I'm just really so happy you loved Brielle so much and that she moved you so much as well AAAAHHHHHHHH it really just makes me happy her love was tangible and that you think the snow metaphors captured it well!!!!!
AAAAHHHHHHHHH I'M JUST SO SO HAPPY YOU WERE ABLE TO HAVE A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE OF LOVE BECAUSE OF THIS GAME AND THAT IT FELT LIKE A DREAM SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE I ALSO SEE THIS AS A DREAM, AND DREAMS ARE A CONSTANT THEME IN BRIELLE'S ARC AAAAHHHHHHH LIKE DREAMS ARE EPHEMERAL BUT FOR SOME DREAMS, THEIR EFFECT CAN BE ETERNAL, ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE INTENSE DREAMS, AND JUST AAAHHHHHH
Butter vows to do her best for her next game!!! <3 <3 <3
More so as you inspire me to do even better!!!
THIS IS SO BEAUTIFULLLL, I HAVE NO WORDS! It's simply gorgeous! Tender, sweet, dreamlike, melancholic...everything that I was expecting from a Butter-game and MORE.
First of all, the WRITING. The writing is SO GOOD. The style is beautifully poetic, but the emotions that are contained in it are also so sweet and poignant! Brielle's love towards Lukas is conveyed with such heart and genuine feeling, and the use of metaphor and alliteration is stunning.
The visuals are GORGEOUS, and the soft, painterly style also perfectly suits the tone of the story, lending it a soft, dreamy feel! The sprite and background are both beautifully rendered with so much detail. Brielle's hair is SO PRETTY! The pink in Brielle's hair stands out so well against the general blue color palette, and the soft blue outlines and lights added to the different elements in the scene really emphasized the feeling of melancholy. The musicbox BGM is both sweet and sad, acting as the perfect backdrop for the game. The little animations (the snow, the glowing, etc.) added so much atmosphere as well!
I LOVE the continual use of symbolic motifs. The snow both symbolizes Lukas/the LI while also evoking images of winter - the "end" of Brielle's love. The threads simultaneously represent the different "timelines" that Brielle travels to while also symbolizing the connection between her and Lukas (almost like a red string of fate). The snow and threads imagery are both incorporated beautifully into the logo and UI, and a soft dusting of snow is also included on Brielle and Lukas' hair. Brielle even has snowflake earrings! The flower imagery is also so beautiful and meaningful, as well, from the forget-me-nots behind the windows (symbolizing true love and devotion) to the daisies and baby's breath in the vase (symbolizing purity/new beginnings/hope). At the end, as Brielle and Lukas both disappear, blue roses appear in their place - perhaps representing "the unattainable/longing," or "true but unrequited love" - as Brielle gives up on her love in this timeline. There's so much thought and meaning packed into every single artistic choice, I'm simply flabbergasted at the attention to detail!
SPOILERS But I legitimately teared up when I chose to "time travel" at the end of the story, and Lukas finds Brielle again! It really leaves this bittersweet tale on such an unexpectedly happy note, and I love how you finally see Lukas' face on the start screen after that happens - as he reunites with Brielle in the future.
I loved this so much, butter!! I can't wait to see what you'll make in the future! (Thank you for giving me the honor of beta-reading!)
Seeing your breakdown of all the snow-thread-winter-flower symbolisms and themes just make me cry Chatter AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
I FEEL LIKE SOMEONE WHO FOUND SOMEONE WHO HAD THE EXACT SAME RECIPE AS ME WHEN IT COMES TO OMELETTES AAAHHHHHHHH
To have it all just beautifully dissected like this by you is just so mesmerizing!!! I am in awe!!!! AAAHHHHHHHHHH (I actually did not consider the winter part being the end of their relationship, but then again I was focused on the snow metaphors while writing haha, maybe subconsciously I guess? but IT FITS AAHHHHHH)
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH CHATTER!!! <3<3 <3
Je t'aime!
I love everything about this game. I love the aesthetic I love the MC (she's BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!) I love the guy (THE CUTEST!!!!) I love the writing (IT BROKE ME!!!) the poetry (POETIC!!!) EVERYTHING!!! everything is beautiful!!!
Great work dearie ❤️
LEN I COMBUST READING THIS AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!! AAHHHHHHHHH ESPECIALLY IF IT'S COMING FROM YOU I AM JUST SO OVERWHELMED AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH <3 <3 <3
I am just so happy you love everything about it!!!!!
Butter-heart is soaring!!!