Every passenger has a secret, and the captain's is six feet under.

Step into the shoes of Cadence Daycott and come aboard the SS Nimbus. Being the daughter of a world-renowned detective comes with a perk:

You already know the captain is dead.

Three days ago you were locked in your cabin and no one will explain why. It might have something to do with the mysterious blizzard that froze the sea solid. Luckily, you were born with a gift to detect when people are lying. But there's a catch: no one must ever know.

Play our DEMO to find out if you can uncover the truth!

Overview

FROSTBOUND is a supernatural detective game created as a submission for the Winter VN Game Jam  and Queer Winter Game Jam. This is our very first visual novel! We are a team of aspiring game developers who would like a studio of our own one day. 

The story includes LGBTQ+ representation, a branching narrative, and multiple endings. It's inspired by our favorite detective games like Ace Attorney and Danganronpa. 

Characters

Cadence ❄ The Detective's Daughter

"When you've spent your life hiding, it's easy to forget there are other ways to exist."

Cadence, daughter of famed detective Yusri Daycott, has always passed off her ability to detect lies as intuition, fearing the world's reaction if they knew.

Seraphine ❄ The Stowaway Witch

"Tiny golden stars dangle from her ears and tangle in her hair, as if the night sky had bent to decorate her."

Seraphine is unlike any witch Cadence has met. While most witches have gone into hiding since the Salem trials, Seraphine wears her heritage like a crown.

"Mouse" ❄ The Suspicious Steward

"This boy can’t be older than 15, and he looks one wobble away from sending the expensive cutlery crashing to the floor."

"Mouse" is a nervous young steward who suddenly replaced Cadence's regular attendant, but beneath his skittish demeanor, something dangerous lurks.

Features

• ~10k words, 30 minutes of gameplay, 3 endings 
• Original, digitally illustrated character sprites
• Original soundtrack - all music custom-composed
• Branching narrative featuring LGBTQ+ cast
• Interrogate suspects - press witnesses and uncover contradictions in their stories 
• Clues - follow along with the mystery in self-updating journal

Content Advisory

This demo contains mature themes and is intended for an older audience. Player discretion is advised. Specific warnings for this demo include, but are not limited to:

• Horror elements
• Being locked in confined spaces
• Strong language
• Death (implied / non-graphic)
• Loud noises and unintended jumpscares

Team

Game Design & Development

• Emily Lin – Narrative Designer, UX/UI, Web
• Amelia Lin – Backend Developer, Game Feature Development

Art & Illustration

• Sarah Canlas – Character / Sprite Illustrations
• Thomas Bromell – CG Illustrator
• Assets - Lorn (backgrounds), Canva (UI & Marketing), skolaztika (GUI)

Music & Sound

• Thomas Bromell – Composer & Score
• Assets - Freesound.org

Special Thanks

To all of our rad friends and family who playtested our game and gave us feedback :)

Written, Directed, and Developed by

Emily Lin and Amelia Lin