Courage of a Reflection - A Visual Novel

Courage of a Reflection is a free in-development indie drama/romance visual novel. The game follows Yuuki Mori, a high school boy in a crisis of identity after the tragic and sudden loss of his best friend. Wrought with grief, confusion, anxiety and regret, he wants nothing more but to come to terms with his past and learn how to continue on his own without guidance.

Like most visual novels, the outcome of the story is based on the player's choices which lead them down one of three routes that culminate in either a good, bad, or sometimes neutral ending. Each route is composed of three acts (including the first/common act) that follow a different love interest and develop differing themes.

Each route will hopefully offer roughly 2-3 hours of gameplay in the completed build. The currently available demo includes the entire first act of the game, with player choices and the start of the overarching branching narrative.

"In our world, there are people who seem detached – lost, even, like they're missing a part of themselves they can't seem to find. Different people call them different things: Depressed, cynical, even empty. But really, they're just reflections; reflections of their true selves struggling to find their whole being, if it even exists at all. Their missing half is usually manifested in other facets of life, be it in people, experiences, or simply living itself. But finding true fulfillment and completing their reflection isn't something everyone manages to do within their short lifetimes.

After the death of his best friend, Yuuki Mori has become an apathetic high school boy who nonetheless tries to be a better, normal person. With his lonely and grief-ridden past, he lives a life defined by constant anxiety, incapable of opening himself up once more in fear of being hurt by that which he can't control. But somewhere in the world is his real self – the second half of his reflection – hidden within someone's heart, just as theirs is hidden within him."

Credits:

• Free character sprites provided by Tokudaya.net
• Music composed by Kevin Macleod, Giuliano Sacchetto, Marcin Brzozowski, and various royalty free artists (credited ingame)
• Background sprites provided by mariten, henro2009, Kaitii, authorannon, Raina Ong, JeanneABeck, Shirahama Youth Nature Home, and various non-copyright sources