novena is a game about the burden of strength and the fruits of perseverance. it was made for the 14th monthly bitsy jam.

  • music: arête by brambles
  • instructions: use your arrow keys to walk around and interact
  • playtime: ~5 to 10 mins

 🌊⛈️🐦


bitsy hacks and tools used

[originally made in bitsy v4.8, remade in bitsy v7.5]

StatusReleased
PlatformsHTML5
Rating
Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars
(1,225 total ratings)
Authorcecile richard
Made withbitsy
TagsBitsy, bitsyjam, poem, Walking simulator
Average sessionA few minutes

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novena.zip 5.6 MB

Development log

Comments

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Viewing most recent comments 2 to 41 of 349 · Next page · Last page

Played this when it was slow at work, teared up at the front desk :') thanks for makin it

At first I thought "Oh wow, a therapy for the Ocean";

In the end I cried.

.

Thank you. This is beautiful.

is not a game, is art 🌊

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I dont think i ever had a game make me cry this quick, 10/10

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I keep coming back to this. It's so beautiful. A year after the first time I experienced this I ended up doing a school assignment on it for my "Video Games as an Art Form" class, because it continues to stick with me as a prime example of the interactive medium's ability to uniquely express one's creative vision. 

BANGER :) :) :) :) 

Thank you for existing

beautiful

This is so beautiful and inspiring... Thank You

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Hey gang, if you want the music then it's 

Arête

by Brambles

it’s in the game description mate, has been for the past 6+ years.

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Ah- I'm an idiot XD

beautiful experience <3

Nice

so simple yet so good, the ending really hit close to home. And it helped <3

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Beautiful, thank you. You made this game, and it helped.

Thank you for creating this game. 

I felt like I was in a evanescent dream.

I keep coming back to this game. brings tears to my eyes everytime. thank you for your art 

short but stunning the ending hit me like a sack of wet mice

Very simple, but quite inspired, both in graphics and writing.

Hi, I made a PlayDate version of this game using it's bitsy-inspired engine, Pulp. I mostly made it for myself, but I was wondering if you'd be ok with me putting it up on my page, with links to this original and credit to you on the actual game itself.

i don’t really mind as long as you make it clear in the title and thumbnail that it’s a remix/“cover” in addition to the crediting!

Ok! The remake is up for download here, if you want me to change anything about it let me know! I hope it's not too strange that I just kind of copied the look and format of the original's page, I really wanted to just try to capture the feeling of it the best I can.

thanks for the link! lol i can respect the commitment to verisimilitude, it’s cool. i don’t have a playdate so i wouldn’t be able to play it, but i love the greyscale look. maybe one day i’ll make a monochrome/1-bit bitsy game…

This is one of the few JS interactive stories that really moved me... I play it from time to time, and it never gets old. I really appreciate your work a lot.

So simple but so good. Inspiring

Very moving, thank you

(+1)

this is my favorite thing on here. beautiful work.

A very beautiful poem! The ending got me emotional

OMG this was so good it made me cry a little. this was so sweet I loved this gam

I found it to be a touching story and quite well done to be made with the Bitsy engine, you can see that good use of pixel art makes a lot of difference in said engine, the music is very good and above all it is a beautiful poem.

very sweet thanks

wow. i didn't realize i was crying until it was over. thank you

Simply beautiful!! Thanks!!!

thank you for this poem. 

a fantastic experience. a short, sweet, soft bite of story. thank you for making this. thank you for sharing it.

wow - that was really beautiful, thank you

well that was an experience

I fucking cried

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this is the most beautiful game I have ever played. i have never seen anything like it. i wish i could create something as beautiful as this. i sound sooo emotional omfg but i loved it thats all :) amazing work, i hope you're incredibly proud of yourself!

Absolutely love. What a beautiful little game <3

This is a touching and relevant story for me recently. Thank you for sharing it.

i loveeeeeee it sooooooooooo cute i really wish to make it as as beautiful as this for university project.

Easily one of the loveliest things I have ever read. I recommend this poem to friends often. Thank you so much for such a captivating and heartfelt experience.

this is so wonderful. Simple, but sharp and well made. I love the art especially. The line "I weep because we are the same, and I do not know how to help us." will stick with me for a long time I think.

Viewing most recent comments 2 to 41 of 349 · Next page · Last page