Darkness Calls the Raven (Demo)
A downloadable novel for Windows, macOS, and Linux
In the storm of the century, 1988, you encounter a strange man at your family diner. You know little about him, who he is, what he does, or where he came from.
Soon, an unwelcome break in your Saturday routine will draw you closer to him, whether you like it or not.
Yet, in these forgotten woods of California, the storm is just the beginning; the latest reports may cast a greater shadow than the thunderclouds above... Whether you pursue these reports, unravel the truth about who he really is, or have fun with the little secrets I have programmed in, it is up to you.
In the end, you will have to decide what frightens you more: finding the truth behind the reports, or letting yourself fall for someone perhaps you were never meant to trust...
DCR presents a unique art style with each environment complementing the characters, and each sound adding to the noir atmosphere depicted throughout the story.
This story is heavily focused on decision-making; whether those decisions move you toward a specific route, consequence, or statistic, there will always be more. . .
DCR is currently a demo and free to play. Any donations are greatly appreciated and help towards the development of the full game!
DCR is a mix between supernatural thriller and romance.
You can fine-tune the 'romance' to your liking by changing the character's statistics to target a more specific route... Perhaps you want a friendship? Or maybe your distrust keeps you guarded- and safe.
The demo will only touch upon the paranormal, but expect a lot more from the full game.
> 9,500 + words
> Over 120 choices through more than 55 menus
> Variable character, self, and relationship statistics including: companionship, chemistry, romance, happiness, fear, tension, kindness, mischief, loyalty (support and commitment) & trust (reliability and honesty)
> 13 achievements to collect
> Selection of pronouns: she/her, they/them, he/him
> Two different outcomes when naming your character
> Currently 1 character, with two sprites and 50+ different expressions (for the singular sprite. The second is a layered image so number of expressions vary)
> Blinking for main sprite emotions
> Floating dialogue next to the onscreen characters speaking
Developer's Note
Welcome to my first visual novel! Since I am a programmer, I have tried my best with the little novel knowledge I have, hoping to improve my art as I develop the game further.
My advice when you play: experience the story at your own pace- there are many conversations to be had and options to choose... It may be overwhelming, it may not. So just enjoy the decisions you make, and have fun!
DCR does not contain any premature endings. The demo has no 'true' endings either. True endings will be determined in the full game.
So... what choices will you make?
You will be asked to confirm you acknowledge and understand the above warnings and wish to continue each time you start the game.
Game
| Programming | Raven Nights |
| Art & Illustrations | Raven Nights |
| Story | Raven Nights |
| Writing | Raven Nights |
| Engine | Ren'Py - Ren'Py.org |
Audio
| SFX and Music | Singular Attributions |
|---|---|
| ZapSplat - ZapSplat.com | "locking door with keys.wav" by phenoxyethanol, https://freesound.org/s/349051/ - License: Attribution 4.0 |
| Pixabay - Pixabay.com | "UI, Mechanical, Text-Scroll, 03, FX, 01, LOOP.wav" by InspectorJ, https://freesound.org/s/458587/ - License: Attribution 4.0 |
| Freesound - Freesound.org | Main Menu Music - Bread - Lukrembo Bread by Lukrembo | https://soundcloud.com/lukrembo Free To Use | https://freetouse.com/music Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com |
| Free Music Archive - FreeMusicArchive.org | Diner Music - Busted Guitar (JAZZ) - HoliznaCC0, https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/busted-guitar-jazz |
| Free Stock Music - FreeStockMusic.com |
Additional Tools
| Kinetic Text Tags - Wattson, /itch/wattson/kinetic-text-tags |
| Ren’Py ActionEditor 3 - kyouryuukunn, https://github.com/kyouryuukunn/renpy-ActionEditor3 |
| Snowblossom - tofurocks, /itch/tofurocks/snowfall-gui |
Support
| Testers & Friends |
|---|
| Ashgaroth |
| bubblespops555 |
Special Thanks:
| Sudachys - Ravenous Hand [DEMO] |
| Having never before played or heard of a visual novel, I found Sudachy's game Ravenous Hand [DEMO] on itch.io and decided to play- It’s an understatement to say I was inspired… This game led me to the visual novel engine Ren’Py, where I decided it was time to make my own visual novel. And let me tell you. I have never had this much fun creating! |
Game concept, story, art, illustrations and additional programming © Raven Nights 2026
future DeveLopment
New chapters are under development! Please note this is a side project and made by one person, devlogs will be posted whenever possible!
Addons
For $1.00 or above you will gain access to the DCR Demo Achievement Hints (v1.0).pdf document. This contains a hint for each achievement available in the current version of DCR.
NOTE: this does not guarantee you will gain the achievements! However, each hint/riddle will either: guide you through the story, or provide ample enough detail to direct you to where the achievement is obtained.
Download
Click download now to get access to the following files:
Development log
- Development Log #1Oct 31, 2025
- Development News & 1,000+ Demo Downloads!Aug 25, 2025
- Mac Version Released! DCRAug 16, 2025
Comments
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i love it so much its so ominous and i love the stats feature, i dont see that very often in games. i think the anatomy for his simple pose feels a little off though, i cant tell if his hands are behind his back or in his pockets
is it just me or does bro lowkey look like boothill from hsr? (Just found it btw 😅)
I get this coming up a lot.. Wanted to clarify that Raven is an original character (even tho he may look similar to Boothill due to the hairstyle!) and he has a lot of lore around his looks + why his hair is the way it is.
Hope this helps for anyone else wondering too.
Oh. Cool, I‘ll definitely play this then 😋
I would have loved to have bought the achievement hint pdf but my bank doesn't allow purcheses on itch,io. So I'm unsure of what to do. :(
Unfortunately developers don't have much control over purchases made on itch, but I created a ko-fi page which contains any add-ons in relation to my games: https://ko-fi.com/ravennights/shop
You can always try purchasing it through there instead.
Thank you for the support! ♡
Gacha Life music in the main menu I already know this boutta be fire asf
This game is so cool!! I could instantly tell that you know your way around game dev/programming. Super well put together, especially for a one-person indie project!! I'm so excited for further chapters, this story seems so interesting!
Fab to hear you enjoy the game!! And thank you so much, really appreciate such a kind comment, keeps me motivated to carry on creating!
I know it's just the demo, but there's actually quite a bit to explore despite there only being one chapter! The achievements are nice to find, the character stats are unique, and he's a CUTIE!! I'm very interested in his background so far!
Looking forward for any further updates and the romance aspect of this game!!! <3
Thank you for such a kind comment!!
I was hoping to include some different/unique mechanics to enhance the novel, so I'm glad they have had a positive impact!
Lovely game, fun gameplay, loved the diversity in dialogue choices, looking forward to more updates
Thank you for playing, glad you enjoy the novel!
HE'S ADORABLE FEED ME MORE PLEASEE!!
Also damn, offering us a hug and not giving us one.. tsk tsk
Thanks for playing!! I'm glad you like Raven, maybe in Chapter 2 it won't just be an offer...
I already love this so much!!!!!!! Excited for the next update/chapter!!!!!!
Thank you!! Glad you enjoy the novel, means a lot!!!
LOVE IT CANT WAIT FOR THE NEXT UPDATE OR WENEVER ITS GONNA BE FINISHED
Thanks so much!! Doing the best I can!
i like it=) i hope there will be a web version.. because i'm quite lazy to download.. but it's pretty good=) i hope there will be more updates🍄
Thank you!! Unfortunately the game is too big for me to build a web version (even the demo... I tried before releasing). I appreciate the kind words though, means a lot! I'll post updates when I can, but it's turning into a bigger project than expected (slowly but surely- I'm getting there).
Love the look of this, excited to try it out :)
Thanks! Hope you enjoy ♡
i wish to see more sometime soon
I truly hope this game of yours gain traction! A lot of us are waiting more from Raven... <3
Thanks a lot!! I'm excited to share Chapter 2! Raven will certainly continue with his quirky nature- and you might get to know a bit more about why he's here...
Was recommended this . Its not my normal types of games that I play but I am glad I gave it a chance! I am actually really interested in the plot . I wondering where this is going . Hope to see a chapter 2 :)
Love the video!! Thanks for playing even though it's not your usual genre! As the story progresses there'll be some more spooky scenes.. so I hope you'll enjoy Chapter 2!
awesome, I'm glad that you liked my video and glad to hear that you are working on a chapter 2 !! Good luck :) cant wait to check it out
OMGE!!! THIS IS ABSOLUTE PEAK!!! like this so amazing!! I can't wait for more chapters! I'm literlly counting down hours!
Thank you so much, glad you enjoy the game!!! Focusing on releasing Chapter 2 as soon as I can!
When I clicked on this I legit thought that was Light Yagami.
This game actually has a grip on me, the way you managed to captivate me so quickly is so AAAAHHHHH game is peak can't wait for more
Thank you!! I'm so glad you enjoy the game! Can't wait to share the next Chapter...
CUSOTMIZABLE GENDER?! LINUX?! I LOVE YOU.
Thanks so much!! Fab video! So glad you enjoyed the demo ♡
Hi Raven Nights!
We're reaching out from Otome.com to say how impressed we are by your game. We host a podcast that spotlights indie devs and would love to feature you to talk about Darkness Calls the Raven. It’s a relaxed hour-long remote chat. If you’re interested, we'd be happy to go into more detail.
Hi! Thanks so much for your kind words!! I really appreciate you taking the time to play and support small indie projects like mine.
I honestly didn’t expect the game to be noticed so soon, and as a result, I’m not quite prepared to step forward. The podcast opportunity is very generous though, and I’m really grateful for the offer.
Thanks again for reaching out and for the encouragement — it means a lot!
We completely understand. Best of luck to you with future development.
If you reconsider and decide to join us on our podcast, feel free to write us.
Will do, appreciated!
Raven..I'm only trusting you because you're the most gorgeous man I've seen, but I know you'll end up either killing us even if you did blush all cutesy 😞 it's a manipulation tactic
Omg, I love the demo! I really hope it gets completed, amazing job!
l love this game I'm going to edit l can't wait for
is to come out
Hello Raven Nights! I hope you have a good day. I have a question. Is there a chance for an Android version to be released when the game is completed? Or will it be released directly as an Android version?
Hi! Currently I can only support Windows, Linux, and Mac (since those are the platforms I’m able to test game builds on). Meaning, unfortunately, I won’t be able to upload an Android version any time soon-
Though, if the game gets finished and has no major bugs or issues- I may consider an Android build, but this is still uncertain as I would need to do a lot more testing for a platform I am not as familiar with.
But thanks for checking out the game, really appreciate it!
thank you! Have a good day!
Hey Raven Nights!! First of all, congrats on the release! This is a wonderful demo you’ve created, and I had such a great time playing through it and learning more about your characters, and the world you’ve built for them.
Also DUDEEE WHAT I can’t believe you were inspired by Ravenous Hand and that it was your first exposure to VNS. I actually feel a bit embarrassed since I put out such a barebones demo LOL😂, but I’m extremely glad that you found inspiration from it nonetheless, since we have your masterpiece to play now LMAO😂😂 (lol jk I bet you would have found VNs at some point eventually, but hahah).
If anything, I feel hella inspired to be like you. You’ve managed create such a level of polish and immersion in your visual novel (especially as a solo dev!!) that it’s straight up masterful. I feel really honored that we’re up there in the credits. Thank you! :’D❤️❤️❤️
Ok now onto the game itself haha
My first impression was that this game has a REALLY polished UI, stylish transitions, and really good selection of music and ambient noises! It’s a very cohesive BW noir aesthetic that I love. I love the setting too wowow cali in the 80’s (lolol ravenous hand is set in 50’s Vegas, but in my head they could be in the same universe LOL jk lolol😂😂)
The opening sequence made me really curious about the overarching story, I’m really excited to find out how the supernatural aspect unfolds here (the regress part made me go like 👀 because I love a good time regression plot hehehe).
Omg and Raven is so charming!! The silhouette of Raven framed in the various backgrounds was a cool touch and even added an unsettling vibe! I love his dual-toned hair and clean-cut appearance (I got a laugh out of making his usual a side of peas😂). The variation in his expressions was very cool too! I really enjoyed going through the different options to see how he’d react (I was pleasantly surprised to see that answering differently would enhance the player’s context of the story). And during my first playthrough, I first thought that Raven was just eccentric, but then as more of the content opened up to me as I replayed and explored the options, I realized that it’s likely more nuanced than that… there’s a reason he’s acting like that aaaa, really intriguing stuff!!👀👀
Also I did not expect to find so many eerie elements in the demo but damn, I found them in the most unsuspecting places, it’s such a good way to build up tension in a psych horror piece🤩
So much thought was put into the game design too, like omg multiple stat parameters and achievements too?! And the post-credits prompt was also really cute! (and then I also went “wait we’re in the post-credit roll too!!“😂😂😂)
I can tell that this game has a lot of promise and I’m absolutely in love with what you’ve made here. I’ll be eagerly awaiting updates to this (if you have any other socials, we’d love to follow you!) !! Congrats again and amazing, amazing job!❤️❤️
I can't believe it!! Thank you so much for checking out my demo! I never thought you’d see my novel, never mind actually play it! That said, Ravenous Hand still remains my absolute favourite, and I'm so glad it was the first VN I played..! ♡
Ahh, I'm so happy you enjoyed the demo!! It honestly means so much- It's definitely a game where you learn more each time you play and dig a little deeper.. I most certainly had fun making it, and will be working on chapter two over the coming months... There is definitely a lot more to Raven than meets the eye- Hopefully I can tell the story well enough as I continue development (I'm only a programmer really- so I'm surprised I got this far anyway 😂).
Honestly, can’t thank you enough- your kind words really mean a lot, gives me motivation to continue working on the novel ♡!!
In terms of socials, I only have Itch.io at the moment. So any development updates and such will be posted in the devlogs here! Though if I do branch out to other places I'll do a post of some kind-
But thank you again so so much, really means a lot ♡♡♡!!
Heyy Raven Nights, I hope you’re doing well! I wasn’t sure how else to contact you, but we have a project in the works and wanted to see if you were interested in joining by chance? 👀 (no worries if not, but if you have an email or other method of contact I’d love to share more details!)
Also, I’m really looking forward to the update!! 💥💥
Hi, thanks for reaching out! I'm pretty busy at the moment, but if you'd like to send me the details I'd be more than happy to check it out.
Hola!! Me engancho apenas vi el inicio del demo. Esta genial, me gusta la ambientación. ¿Habrá posibilidad que en un futuro este disponible en español?
¡Muchas gracias! I'm so glad you like the demo!! I definitely have plans for multiple language compatibility in the main game (Spanish included!)
If this is easy to implement (and I get it working properly) then I will add translations to the demo too.
Hello!! Thank you very much for replying to me. I will eagerly await your progress :3
heyyy <3 I reaaally liked the game!!!, and I wanted to ask if you would consider doing some other payment options? I reeally wanna get the achievements hints, but since I'm from Russia, itchio don't accept my card :(
Thank you!! Itch.io handles all the payments, so unfortunately I won't be able to help there- (currently PayPal and Stripe are the only payment methods available). Super sorry about that, really appreciate the support though!
aww, okie( Thank you for answering! <3
The eerie atmosphere, interactions between mc and raven, plus overall the story made me feel euphoric. Best wishes for the future of the vn. Your hard work and skills on the coding by ren'py is impressive.^^
Thanks so much, glad you enjoy the game!! Also thanks again for asking about a Mac version- honestly didn't think the game would get this much attention!
Hello. The character design and the intro for this VN got me hooked. <3 Would it be possible to have an Android version for this? I really wish to play it too! <3
Hi! At the moment, I can only support Windows, Linux, and Mac, since those are the platforms I’m able to test game builds on. Meaning (unfortunately) I won’t be able to upload an Android version any time soon-
But thank you for the kind words and I really appreciate you checking out the game ♡!
Alright no worries~ Thank you so much! Good luck with your game! <3
No problem at all! Thank you ♡
Yay! Anytime and thanks for answering! I appreciate it <3
I really wanted to play the game, but I can't. I've even searched but I can't play. Can someone tell me how I can play?
Hi Lumora, if your device is running Windows or Linux then you should be able to download and play by following the instructions on the downloads page. If you are on an apple device then I'm currently working on building a Mac version, hoping to get it out as soon as possible!
If you still can't run the game using Windows or Linux, check out the bug report google form (link just above the comments) and submit a download query with some more info on the issue!
I love this!
This feels like a high quality game - good atmosphere, good art, the UI looks sleek and I also like the chosen font. Can't say much about the story currently but it looks promising. I will be following this with interest. :)
Ah thank you so much- means a lot!!
ah i wish this had a mac version otherwise i cant play and im sure more people would be able to reach out to this amazing VN too with it<3
Thanks for the pointer, I'll have a look into building the mac version asap!!
Can't wait for more to come! The art is gorgeous and the atmosphere lovely
I love it!
can't wait to see what next<3
🤍GREAT GAME🖤
Looking forward to the new update! <33Thank you so so much!! Means a lot to see such a detailed video for Raven in the demo! ♡