Genre: Visual Novel, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Adventure, Josei, Casual
Platform: Mac or PC/Linux (Made on Unity, so could be ported to consoles as well)
Developer: Hollow Rose Studios
Itch Logline: Break the curse and sing a mermaid’s song of romance, intrigue, and adventure
Synopsis: Become Princess Tazenkwet and uncover mystery and romance below and above water in this historical retelling of The Little Mermaid.
Story: For hundreds of years the mermaid realm of Tiraland has prospered within the North Atlantic waters off the coast of Morocco. The Chief (Agellid) overlooks this domain, represented by his seven daughters, maintaining peace through exploration and diplomacy across the underwater realms. However, after a mysterious attack leaves the realm without a Queen (Tagellidt), the Chief condemns all magic and most importantly, anything relating to humans. While many merfolk are content with this new reality, the youngest princess, Tazenkwet, seeks answers. Defying her father’s decrees, Tazenkwet develops a deep fascination with humans, going so far as to rescue a drowning prince.
Tired of hiding her interests, not knowing the truth of her mother’s death, and unable to find her place within Tiraland, Tazenkwet makes a forbidden deal with Kandisha the sea witch to turn herself human and uncover the truth. But this bargain has a price, for if she cannot receive true love’s kiss from a royal by six month’s time, she will be turned into sea foam.
Guide Tazenkwet above and below dangerous waters, untangle human and merfolk mysteries, fall in love (or not), and forge Tazenkwet’s path in this reimagining of “The Little Mermaid.”
Who is this for?: Romantic explorers seeking inclusive retellings of classic tales and historical feats.
What does the ShoJosei-Jam contain?: Act I, ending when Tazenkwet agrees to the deal. 1 main ending (neutral) and 2 opportunities for a bad endings for shojoseijam.
Cultural Note: The world of Tiraland is diverse and populated by merfolk of many origins over thousands of years, as result the region is multicultural carrying elements of arabic, greek, and saharan influence. Our main characters represent some of the many Amazigh people, but these will not be 1:1 applications (e.g. Tiraland is matrilineal) and they will not encompass all the many cultures of the area.
North African/Amazigh creators highly encourgaed