To everyone getting an error along the lines of "Win32 function failed: HRESULT: 0x887a0005", the issue is probably the graphics driver on your computer not being up to date, the game itself should be fine. When I updated my drivers it started working as expected. (Though reinstalling after updating the drivers might not hurt if there's still an issue)
Preface for the next part, your computer might be different, so take this with a grain of salt and download things at your own risk.
To fix the issue on my Windows 11 computer: - I went to the "Device Manager" (searched for it in the Start Menu). - Opened up the "Display Adapters" section to find the name of the graphics card I had. Most computers probably only have one listed under there, but it probably wouldn't hurt if you made sure all of them were up to date. - Then I searched the internet for "windows [graphics card name here] driver update" and got an update from a TRUSTED SOURCE. In my case I have an Intel driver, so I got my update from Intel's website.
That's about all the help I can offer, hope this helps y'all!
Ya this is happening with me also. But I did notice for me at least that it took much longer for me to get that message now then when it first came out.
Just finished reading the latest (and final!) update to the story.
It’s bittersweet to see this chapter close, but as we all know, all good things must come to an end. Otter Tale was the first FVN I stumbled across, just before starting my first year of college, and it quickly became a lifeline, something to look forward to while studying throughout 2025. That timing made it very special to me and my obsession for the year.
I joined around Build 5 and was immediately hooked by the mystery and the plot overall. This final update provides closure to an incredibly long project. The ending felt very slightly unfinished, mostly on Ollie's route. Perhaps that was partly because I overhyped it myself and crafted theories expecting more lore to be fully utilised. I’m not exactly a writer myself, so I’m not sure how I would have improved the ending, but it feels good enough for a short story. Still, that is part of the fun of speculating, and on the bright side, it leaves room for future possibilities. Perhaps we can see a true reconciliation with Andrew, or maybe some other short adventures in a single one‑shot. However, upon re-reading, the ending landed a bit better with me. Perhaps being ill initially affected how I interpreted it.
If there’s one major drawback in the final build, it’s performance. Past Build 8, the game became noticeably laggier, making some minigames nearly unplayable on replay (though you can strategise around the lag). A number of minor visual errors and lore inconsistencies were patched, though not all, which is understandable given the scale of the project and the difficulty of tracking every detail. I appreciate that an effort was made to fix as many as possible. Proofreading could have been tighter, but the occasional typo doesn’t detract from the overall experience. The CGs in Chapter 8 exhibited a noticeable shift in art style compared to earlier builds. While slightly jarring at first, it also reflects the artist’s growth over the course of the project.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to fully experience the music in the final chapter since I’m travelling without headphones, but from what I heard earlier, it was lovely. As a first major VN project, this is an impressive achievement. The visuals, the storyline, and the overall charm carried me through the year, and I’m grateful for the journey.
I wish you and everyone reading this a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year. I’m glad this story has reached its conclusion, and it will be one I remember for a long time as 2025 comes to a close. Otter Tale truly is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.
And for anyone wondering if they should play: most certainly give it a shot. It’s pretty good. My suggestion would be to play Build 8 for the smoother experience up to Chapter 7, then switch to Build 9 for the ending of your choice.
To quote a certain otter:
“The best bottoms are the total tops.”
This may or may not be spoilers for how Chapter 8 ends.
I do wish I could have contributed something to the project, but even as a free player, I deeply appreciated the credits scene acknowledging supporters. Regardless, I’m grateful for the chance to experience it.
Edit: Opinion Updated Post Re-read
For those who want to edit their saves but don't want to go through the hassle of skipping through 8 chapters' worth of dialogue (spoilers ahead):
Otter Tale Choices: Resulting Ending:
Marlo Sex + Undies Off + Top Oyster Marlo
Marlo Sex + Undies Off + Bottom Oyster Ollie
Marlo Sex + Undies On + Top Oyster Marlo
Marlo Sex + Undies On + Bottom Oyster Marlo
No Sex + Undies Off + Top Oyster Ollie
No Sex + Undies Off + Bottom Oyster Ollie
No Sex + Undies On + Top Oyster Marlo
No Sex + Undies On + Bottom Oyster Ollie
Extra Notes: Only works if you play from the start for those who plan to complete the game fully. Doesn't work by loading saves at decision checkpoints.
Winning/Losing/Quitting the BBBot Battle doesn't affect the outcome of the choice you've picked.
It's really great to see that the BO3 is fully functional.
Don't know what I can do about that. I don't get that error when I test it. Did the game work in previous builds? Are other games you are playing getting this error? google tells this kind of error is just limited to gamemaker.
Don't know if this will help any, but the Otter_Tail9 windows build didn't run on my Windows 11 PC (same error in the picture), but does run on my Windows 10 PC. Though it's still eating through about 2500 and 4000 MB of Memory according to good old Task Manager.
I compiled this game on win 11 so i dont know whats going on with that.
Im going to guess it's becuase I'm loading all the sprites at startup now. Before there was lag between sprite switching. But now sprites can change around instantly. it does require a lot of loading(and memory) starting it up in return.
Would you be alright with a version without this loading instead? It will be slower.
I can run it, but it takes forever to start and uses over 4 gigs of ram. Older builds started much quicker and used under 1 gig of ram. It looks like some serious memory leak.
It's not a memory leak, all the sprites are being loaded into ram startup so its faster when you play it. Textures are huge, so it has to switch them around a lot.
Before it would lag slightly when sprites change. But it's so much faster when I test it out. I didn't account for computers that have lower specs.
Would you prefer a version without this loading? It will be slower. but will probably be more compatible.
lerp argument 1 incorrect type (undefined) expecting a Number (YYGR)############################################################################################
It would've been done by the end of Nov, but the most recent post (Otter tale 8.5 on patreon and thoughts - Otter Tale by OTTER) a majority (including myself) have voted for the dev to polish the game fully hence it'll take at least an extra month so I would say expect the next update for public to drop around uh, late December or even early 2026
Hi! I really love the game and its overall theme. I just have a question — in the new update, will the rest of the story be translated into Spanish? It’s been showing up in English for me since Chapter 7.
The story is still being worked on, I think. It's "released" as in you are able to download the game lol. I've been keeping track of the release dates, and initially I predicted a public release sometime early September, but it seems the dev has been rather busy with many other things (and some other issues), so I say give it a wait and hope chapter releases by the end of this year. So if you don't wanna be constantly, I would suggest checking just once / month or checking again later this year.
I hope so. I can't really enjoy this game without knowing what happens past the "incident". Its just too depressing for me. I'm usually okay with stuff like this but this story just hits different. Unfortunately I can't even enjoy the art without thinking about what happened. Its really messing with me isn't like anything I have read before. I guess its because its constantly being brought up throughout the entire story. Or maybe its because of the absolute horrors that Owen has gone through. Seeing him suffer so much is unbearable to imagine and its absolutely heartbreaking. The story is so amazing, however, I just have to get it off my mind until there is a point where something positive happens. It seems like the plot of the story is currently at the lowest point right now and obviously that's not where I would like to leave off. There has been very few positive scenes and the story is leaving me feeling sad. I wish there were more positive moments throughout the story.
There is a bill in congress right now that would make it illegal for any financial service provider to directly or indirectly prohibit or inhibit any legal transaction. It's called the Fair Access to Banking Act. H.R.987 in the House, S.401 in the Senate. Call your Representatives. Get it passed.
i have saved some of the furry VNs in my collection. If you guys need it, go check my profile so y'all can save it because of this shadow-banned nsfw stuff
One of the best VNs I've read in a while. The story, music, and art are fantastic and I can't wait for future chapters!
SPOILERS:
The rave scene was truly heartbreaking. I was fairly certain what happened leading up to it based on the previous flashbacks, but that was hard to see play out (but it was excellently written.) I feel like a lot of VNs have an issue making the reader actually care about the protagonist, but I truly feel like rooting for Owen after all he's been through.
Also, the minigames are a very nice touch. I've not seen something like that implemented in a VN, and it really adds a unique touch.
Maybe it's a limitation with the code/engine used, but it'd be nice if there was an option to skip unseen text like some VNs have. That way it's easier to see how different choices result in new dialogue.
As some of the other comments said, I think maybe the clam choice to determine who Owen goes to the festival with should be revisited. A weighted point system on past choices or something may work better. I do like how there seems to be two branching choices between Marlo and Ollie (best boi), but it'd be cool to see an option to get back with Andrew as well.
Is there a discord set up for the community? It's always cool to chat with others about VNs I'm currently reading.
Overall, it's a very refreshing VN, and I look forward to new updates! Please keep up the awesome work!
I agree with a previous commentor that the changing sprite and CG colours in the rave scene were an excellent touch and greatly appreciated. I am ignorant as to how much extra effort it required to accomplish, but it was well worth it for the experience that it provides to the reader.
Honestly, I was kinda anxious and hesitant since I didn't see my favourite otto suffering, especially with the ominous vibe that things aren't gonna work out well with Andrew. Still I had nothin' to worry about. Thankfully, the pain was short and not as dreadful as I thought it'd be.
Terribly shocking what Owen has gone through, so his phobia makes perfect sense. I do hope there will be an ending where he gets back with Andrew, but that seems more like a head canon with how things are heating up between Marlo and Ollie. (Team Ollie all the way).
The rave lighting and shifting colours were super well done, it was such a great surprise to see their sprites changing colours. It's a really clever way to show that kind of rave setting, really cool, I love it! And was sorta hoping to see another minigame considering how cool that little shooter was in the last chap, but I imagine it's a lot of work to do in this tricky engine.
As usual, fantastic art/CGs and the otterstone sound effects were cool. I hope Lesslie updates the OST with the new rave tunes soon ;)
Also we totally need to see Seru and Nanabi naked, just sayin' lol. And that mentioned of the latino wolf....he isn't a red wolf by chance is he? Hehehe.
Really looking forward to seeing how things play out. Owen deserves all the love in the world. Hell, they all do.
I was not expecting to get bombed by the truth this early; you've completely outplayed my predictive structure. Despite knowing the truth based on the hints dropped in previous chapters, I was not mentally prepared for the truth to be here. This false sense of security made the inevitable and unchanging truth of Owen's past strike extra, but the helplessness to change what's past is truly heartbreaking.
A huge props to a subtle but powerful visual choice, however, every flashback C2-C6 (C = Chapter) all carry a nostalgic tint, but C1 and C7 are without such tint. This feels like a strong intentional choice as these moments are connected and are what Owen seeks to bury rather than treasure, like recurring scars, a brilliant way to distinguish those cherished from those that refuse to fade.
I have one issue with the dialogue (like the previous one), except this is much more major, in my opinion. The fact that the Oysters picked will determine whether Owen chooses Ollie or Marlo, which is enormous and does not factor in past choices. I would suggest a best of 3 option - a weighted system that takes account of a net attraction towards either Marlo or Ollie for the incoming pride fiesta. However, judging by what you posted on Patreon, it seems unlikely that'll happen, so maybe some minor wording fix could smooth this disconnect.
In terms of this build, there are several great patches:
- In C1, Ollie's shirt no longer half disappears in the Cantina, which is nice, though there is a minor, subtle flash, so it is not a big deal and is considered mostly fixed.
- In C5 flashback, Young Owen's pants no longer vanish - a huge win (Regarding legality, too).
- Nanabi is no longer considered "Fox" in the dialogue, which is cool stuff.
Now for the bugs (real sorry to be a bother about this, but some of these are too major to ignore):
Highest Priority: Title Screen Obstruction
Screenshot as shown above.
If players play through C2 and exit the game after reaching the scene where Ollie and Owen gaze out to sea, the title screen will obstruct everything. Do consider fixing this issue if you can, and note that this does not occur for either C5 Underwater Tunnel Title Screen or C7 Andrew and Owen Partying.
This is a significant access barrier for those who do not know how to resolve the issue / first-time players.
Medium Priority:
Ollie Flashbacks in C3 and C5:
In both instances when both Young Owen and Ollie come on screen, the zoom becomes incredibly scuffed and very off-centre. This occurs specifically at "Can you be my boyfriend" and when Ollie is first taught how to swim.
C6 Tint Carryover:
The nostalgic lighting from C6 persists even post-flashback, covering the remainder of the story in nostalgic lighting. This also triggers an issue in C7, where Ollie wears his shirt for most of the chapter.
Low Priority: (These have been around since I first downloaded the game)
Ollie's Rock and Goggles:
Ollie's rock is blue in the sprite, yet orange is shown in non-sprite scenes. His goggles are only visible when he appears excited or in non-sprite form. Goggles seem to magically appear otherwise lol.
If any of these require further elaboration, do let me know.
Closing Thoughts:
Thanks, as always, for putting so much effort and care into this project. Although some bugs randomly appear in each patch, the story, the emotional layering, symbolism, and music are too good. Hopefully, the final build will come along smoothly as you push on.
Sidenote:
Goodness gracious me, Andrew, how tf do you not notice your bf disappear for at least a good 5 minutes???
Freaky Thoughts:
My fingers are still crossed for that unlikely threesome between the three at the end, even if Andrew is out of the picture for good.
Looking forward to seeing what's next, and see you (hopefully) sometime around September again!
I'll make the fixes, it's just no one on patreon really points out these bugs. I only really have time to focus on the current chapter so i don't really check if it's consistent.
Tell me where the goggles dissappear and I will fix them.
Does this make me the only obsessive psycho who replays from the very start every time an update drops? Anyway, I went digging and realised the goggle issue is pretty consistent, it triggers every time Ollie flips to his excited expression.
An example:
I originally didn't think of this as a bug, but then I saw the image on this page where Ollie’s clearly not in an excited state, and still has his goggles on. So now I’m wondering if this was once a persistent accessory that's lost in the later builds?
Not as urgent, however, as the title screen obstruction (which I hope is being prioritised first), but I did want to flag this small thing...
Side note: I absolutely love the Otter Tale sticker designs and would’ve loved to snag a set… but unfortunately, I’m halfway across the globe, don’t have PayPal, and mailing overseas might summon too many logistical demons. Plus, if they arrive before I get to the letterbox, well… let’s just say that’s a conversation I’m not emotionally equipped for... Just wanted to say they look amazing, regardless. Hopefully, lots of folks in-region can rep them proudly!
Imagine my surprise when I played the game and I was reading in my native tongue 😭😻 Lowkey would be nice to have an instant translation for the non-Filipino people tho. Gets mo ba sinasabi ko? (Did you get what I mean?)
As a non-speaker of Filipino, I am ambivalent on whether or not translations are incorporated for reader benefit. From a literary analysis perspective, the main character (while generally understanding more of the language than the majority of the readership) still himself does not fully grasp the language, and the lack of translation for the audience—in my opinion—is a first-person-limited narrative technique that successfully immerses the audience in the same culture shock that Owen is also experiencing.
I have also noticed that recent updates account for this by more often having Owen say 'I didn't catch that' or 'Say that again', whereby the character speaking Tagalog then translates into English without overly disrupting the flow of dialogue. At other times after a similar exchange, the character explains in English the gist of what was being communicated in Tagalog, in a way that conveys to Owen and to us that 'it does not matter what exactly was said, but this is what you need to know about it'.
There's honestly not much I can do without an error message. My Android phone runs it fine, that's the only way I can test it. There's just too many things to look for if a game crashes with no message.
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I Volunteer as tester for a Mac version. I own both apple silicon and Intel Macs and I am willing to test on both.
To everyone getting an error along the lines of "Win32 function failed: HRESULT: 0x887a0005", the issue is probably the graphics driver on your computer not being up to date, the game itself should be fine. When I updated my drivers it started working as expected. (Though reinstalling after updating the drivers might not hurt if there's still an issue)
Preface for the next part, your computer might be different, so take this with a grain of salt and download things at your own risk.
To fix the issue on my Windows 11 computer:
- I went to the "Device Manager" (searched for it in the Start Menu).
- Opened up the "Display Adapters" section to find the name of the graphics card I had. Most computers probably only have one listed under there, but it probably wouldn't hurt if you made sure all of them were up to date.
- Then I searched the internet for "windows [graphics card name here] driver update" and got an update from a TRUSTED SOURCE. In my case I have an Intel driver, so I got my update from Intel's website.
That's about all the help I can offer, hope this helps y'all!
I tried to run the game on windows 11 and for some reason this happened
Ya this is happening with me also. But I did notice for me at least that it took much longer for me to get that message now then when it first came out.
I couldn't even open and play the game so it's weird
I'll have one more update for the game in the coming weeks.
I volunteer as tribute to test the game on Mac, I have access to various Intel Macs and apple silicon Macs.
Just finished reading the latest (and final!) update to the story.
It’s bittersweet to see this chapter close, but as we all know, all good things must come to an end. Otter Tale was the first FVN I stumbled across, just before starting my first year of college, and it quickly became a lifeline, something to look forward to while studying throughout 2025. That timing made it very special to me and my obsession for the year.
I joined around Build 5 and was immediately hooked by the mystery and the plot overall. This final update provides closure to an incredibly long project. The ending felt very slightly unfinished, mostly on Ollie's route. Perhaps that was partly because I overhyped it myself and crafted theories expecting more lore to be fully utilised. I’m not exactly a writer myself, so I’m not sure how I would have improved the ending, but it feels good enough for a short story. Still, that is part of the fun of speculating, and on the bright side, it leaves room for future possibilities. Perhaps we can see a true reconciliation with Andrew, or maybe some other short adventures in a single one‑shot. However, upon re-reading, the ending landed a bit better with me. Perhaps being ill initially affected how I interpreted it.
If there’s one major drawback in the final build, it’s performance. Past Build 8, the game became noticeably laggier, making some minigames nearly unplayable on replay (though you can strategise around the lag). A number of minor visual errors and lore inconsistencies were patched, though not all, which is understandable given the scale of the project and the difficulty of tracking every detail. I appreciate that an effort was made to fix as many as possible. Proofreading could have been tighter, but the occasional typo doesn’t detract from the overall experience. The CGs in Chapter 8 exhibited a noticeable shift in art style compared to earlier builds. While slightly jarring at first, it also reflects the artist’s growth over the course of the project.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to fully experience the music in the final chapter since I’m travelling without headphones, but from what I heard earlier, it was lovely. As a first major VN project, this is an impressive achievement. The visuals, the storyline, and the overall charm carried me through the year, and I’m grateful for the journey.
I wish you and everyone reading this a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year. I’m glad this story has reached its conclusion, and it will be one I remember for a long time as 2025 comes to a close. Otter Tale truly is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.
And for anyone wondering if they should play: most certainly give it a shot. It’s pretty good. My suggestion would be to play Build 8 for the smoother experience up to Chapter 7, then switch to Build 9 for the ending of your choice.
To quote a certain otter: “The best bottoms are the total tops.”
This may or may not be spoilers for how Chapter 8 ends.
I do wish I could have contributed something to the project, but even as a free player, I deeply appreciated the credits scene acknowledging supporters. Regardless, I’m grateful for the chance to experience it.
Edit: Opinion Updated Post Re-read
For those who want to edit their saves but don't want to go through the hassle of skipping through 8 chapters' worth of dialogue (spoilers ahead):
Otter Tale Choices: Resulting Ending:
Marlo Sex + Undies Off + Top Oyster Marlo
Marlo Sex + Undies Off + Bottom Oyster Ollie
Marlo Sex + Undies On + Top Oyster Marlo
Marlo Sex + Undies On + Bottom Oyster Marlo
No Sex + Undies Off + Top Oyster Ollie
No Sex + Undies Off + Bottom Oyster Ollie
No Sex + Undies On + Top Oyster Marlo
No Sex + Undies On + Bottom Oyster Ollie
Extra Notes:
Only works if you play from the start for those who plan to complete the game fully. Doesn't work by loading saves at decision checkpoints.
Winning/Losing/Quitting the BBBot Battle doesn't affect the outcome of the choice you've picked.
It's really great to see that the BO3 is fully functional.
Couldn't get the game to run on Windows
Same error at line 619
Don't know what I can do about that. I don't get that error when I test it. Did the game work in previous builds? Are other games you are playing getting this error? google tells this kind of error is just limited to gamemaker.
Older builds work. It's just this latest build that doesn't work.
Don't know if this will help any, but the Otter_Tail9 windows build didn't run on my Windows 11 PC (same error in the picture), but does run on my Windows 10 PC. Though it's still eating through about 2500 and 4000 MB of Memory according to good old Task Manager.
I compiled this game on win 11 so i dont know whats going on with that.
Im going to guess it's becuase I'm loading all the sprites at startup now. Before there was lag between sprite switching. But now sprites can change around instantly. it does require a lot of loading(and memory) starting it up in return.
Would you be alright with a version without this loading instead? It will be slower.
I think front loading all the sprites is a good idea. I'd personally prefer an initial load then have it be smooth sailing.
I work as a computer engineer so figured I'd go into extra detail for your troubleshooting benefit just incase it'd help you.
I can run it, but it takes forever to start and uses over 4 gigs of ram. Older builds started much quicker and used under 1 gig of ram. It looks like some serious memory leak.
I noticed that too
It behaves the same on 2 different computers. Both running windows 10.
It's not a memory leak, all the sprites are being loaded into ram startup so its faster when you play it. Textures are huge, so it has to switch them around a lot.
Before it would lag slightly when sprites change. But it's so much faster when I test it out. I didn't account for computers that have lower specs.
Would you prefer a version without this loading? It will be slower. but will probably be more compatible.
I would appreciate version for slower/older computers, thank you.
Android version isn't opening
hey will there be one for Mac
Is anyone else getting this error? Or is it just me?
############################################################################################
ERROR in action number 1
of Step Event2 for object oCharacter:
lerp argument 1 incorrect type (undefined) expecting a Number (YYGR)############################################################################################
gml_Object_oCharacter_Step_2 (line 21)
This is adorable, keep up the good work! <3
Is there any way to sign up for updates for a game on Itch?
when is the update I NEED IT its such a good game.
It would've been done by the end of Nov, but the most recent post (Otter tale 8.5 on patreon and thoughts - Otter Tale by OTTER) a majority (including myself) have voted for the dev to polish the game fully hence it'll take at least an extra month so I would say expect the next update for public to drop around uh, late December or even early 2026
Hi! I really love the game and its overall theme. I just have a question — in the new update, will the rest of the story be translated into Spanish? It’s been showing up in English for me since Chapter 7.
New verison (version 8.5) doesn’t work, I keep getting an error code! It says:
___________________________________________
############################################################################################
ERROR in action number 1
of Step Event1 for object oController:
REAL argument incorrect type undefined############################################################################################
gml_Object_oController_Step_1 (line 133)
Either I have a corrupt file or my computer is completely broken, I paid 2 dollars just for this to happen, hope it can get fixed someday
Did you delete your save files yet, that bug is probably associated with the options files.
C:\Users\[USER NAME]\AppData\Local\Otter_Tail
You will have to delete all the files in there.
Whats the difference between otter_tale8 2.apk and otter_tale8.apk ?
One has a major bug fix and one doesn't, download 2 lol.
The Status says "released", but I read a the comments from build 8, that there is a "to be continued" at the end. So is it finished or no?
The story is still being worked on, I think. It's "released" as in you are able to download the game lol. I've been keeping track of the release dates, and initially I predicted a public release sometime early September, but it seems the dev has been rather busy with many other things (and some other issues), so I say give it a wait and hope chapter releases by the end of this year. So if you don't wanna be constantly, I would suggest checking just once / month or checking again later this year.
Is it a glitch or is there really only 15 save slots??
Is this going to be continued, if it is, would love to play it again!
I hope so. I can't really enjoy this game without knowing what happens past the "incident". Its just too depressing for me. I'm usually okay with stuff like this but this story just hits different. Unfortunately I can't even enjoy the art without thinking about what happened. Its really messing with me isn't like anything I have read before. I guess its because its constantly being brought up throughout the entire story. Or maybe its because of the absolute horrors that Owen has gone through. Seeing him suffer so much is unbearable to imagine and its absolutely heartbreaking. The story is so amazing, however, I just have to get it off my mind until there is a point where something positive happens. It seems like the plot of the story is currently at the lowest point right now and obviously that's not where I would like to leave off. There has been very few positive scenes and the story is leaving me feeling sad. I wish there were more positive moments throughout the story.
The apk files for both seem to crash on startup or shortly after beginning everytime regardless of what I do
https://www.change.org/p/tell-mastercard-visa-activist-groups-stop-controlling-what-we-can-watch-read-or-play
There is a bill in congress right now that would make it illegal for any financial service provider to directly or indirectly prohibit or inhibit any legal transaction. It's called the Fair Access to Banking Act. H.R.987 in the House, S.401 in the Senate. Call your Representatives. Get it passed.
i have saved some of the furry VNs in my collection. If you guys need it, go check my profile so y'all can save it because of this shadow-banned nsfw stuff
One of the best VNs I've read in a while. The story, music, and art are fantastic and I can't wait for future chapters!
SPOILERS:
The rave scene was truly heartbreaking. I was fairly certain what happened leading up to it based on the previous flashbacks, but that was hard to see play out (but it was excellently written.) I feel like a lot of VNs have an issue making the reader actually care about the protagonist, but I truly feel like rooting for Owen after all he's been through.
Also, the minigames are a very nice touch. I've not seen something like that implemented in a VN, and it really adds a unique touch.
Maybe it's a limitation with the code/engine used, but it'd be nice if there was an option to skip unseen text like some VNs have. That way it's easier to see how different choices result in new dialogue.
As some of the other comments said, I think maybe the clam choice to determine who Owen goes to the festival with should be revisited. A weighted point system on past choices or something may work better. I do like how there seems to be two branching choices between Marlo and Ollie (best boi), but it'd be cool to see an option to get back with Andrew as well.
Is there a discord set up for the community? It's always cool to chat with others about VNs I'm currently reading.
Overall, it's a very refreshing VN, and I look forward to new updates! Please keep up the awesome work!
Honestly really good novel i'm rotting for him getting back with andrew though
hey, is there anyway to fix the saves? Everytime i try to load them it just says “outdated save”, is there a way to fix this?
I agree with a previous commentor that the changing sprite and CG colours in the rave scene were an excellent touch and greatly appreciated. I am ignorant as to how much extra effort it required to accomplish, but it was well worth it for the experience that it provides to the reader.
Hi, just spotted a minor error and thought about letting you know author.
Since is on Owen pov, i think you meant Olly in this scene.
It's really a minor error, i don't think it's worth even correcting it, but i though it would be better if i let you know!
I really love this story, keep up the good work and thank you!
quick reminder for everyone
The build with number 2 at the end is a bug fix
Wow what a chapter!
Honestly, I was kinda anxious and hesitant since I didn't see my favourite otto suffering, especially with the ominous vibe that things aren't gonna work out well with Andrew. Still I had nothin' to worry about. Thankfully, the pain was short and not as dreadful as I thought it'd be.
Terribly shocking what Owen has gone through, so his phobia makes perfect sense. I do hope there will be an ending where he gets back with Andrew, but that seems more like a head canon with how things are heating up between Marlo and Ollie. (Team Ollie all the way).
The rave lighting and shifting colours were super well done, it was such a great surprise to see their sprites changing colours. It's a really clever way to show that kind of rave setting, really cool, I love it! And was sorta hoping to see another minigame considering how cool that little shooter was in the last chap, but I imagine it's a lot of work to do in this tricky engine.
As usual, fantastic art/CGs and the otterstone sound effects were cool. I hope Lesslie updates the OST with the new rave tunes soon ;)
Also we totally need to see Seru and Nanabi naked, just sayin' lol. And that mentioned of the latino wolf....he isn't a red wolf by chance is he? Hehehe.
Really looking forward to seeing how things play out. Owen deserves all the love in the world. Hell, they all do.
Do you have a patreon or a twitter??
https://www.patreon.com/StarDragon
https://bsky.app/profile/ottertale.bsky.social
https://x.com/VentKazemaru (locked and inactive since Nov 2024)
Seru is one cute handsome yeen. Wish I'm that latino wolf he mentioned ^^
Build 8 Thoughts + Bug Reports (SPOILERS AHEAD!):
I was not expecting to get bombed by the truth this early; you've completely outplayed my predictive structure. Despite knowing the truth based on the hints dropped in previous chapters, I was not mentally prepared for the truth to be here. This false sense of security made the inevitable and unchanging truth of Owen's past strike extra, but the helplessness to change what's past is truly heartbreaking.
A huge props to a subtle but powerful visual choice, however, every flashback C2-C6 (C = Chapter) all carry a nostalgic tint, but C1 and C7 are without such tint. This feels like a strong intentional choice as these moments are connected and are what Owen seeks to bury rather than treasure, like recurring scars, a brilliant way to distinguish those cherished from those that refuse to fade.
I have one issue with the dialogue (like the previous one), except this is much more major, in my opinion. The fact that the Oysters picked will determine whether Owen chooses Ollie or Marlo, which is enormous and does not factor in past choices. I would suggest a best of 3 option - a weighted system that takes account of a net attraction towards either Marlo or Ollie for the incoming pride fiesta. However, judging by what you posted on Patreon, it seems unlikely that'll happen, so maybe some minor wording fix could smooth this disconnect.
In terms of this build, there are several great patches:
- In C1, Ollie's shirt no longer half disappears in the Cantina, which is nice, though there is a minor, subtle flash, so it is not a big deal and is considered mostly fixed.
- In C5 flashback, Young Owen's pants no longer vanish - a huge win (Regarding legality, too).
- Nanabi is no longer considered "Fox" in the dialogue, which is cool stuff.
Now for the bugs (real sorry to be a bother about this, but some of these are too major to ignore):
Highest Priority: Title Screen Obstruction
Screenshot as shown above.
If players play through C2 and exit the game after reaching the scene where Ollie and Owen gaze out to sea, the title screen will obstruct everything. Do consider fixing this issue if you can, and note that this does not occur for either C5 Underwater Tunnel Title Screen or C7 Andrew and Owen Partying.
This is a significant access barrier for those who do not know how to resolve the issue / first-time players.
Medium Priority:
Ollie Flashbacks in C3 and C5:
In both instances when both Young Owen and Ollie come on screen, the zoom becomes incredibly scuffed and very off-centre. This occurs specifically at "Can you be my boyfriend" and when Ollie is first taught how to swim.
C6 Tint Carryover:
The nostalgic lighting from C6 persists even post-flashback, covering the remainder of the story in nostalgic lighting. This also triggers an issue in C7, where Ollie wears his shirt for most of the chapter.
Low Priority: (These have been around since I first downloaded the game)
Ollie's Rock and Goggles:
Ollie's rock is blue in the sprite, yet orange is shown in non-sprite scenes. His goggles are only visible when he appears excited or in non-sprite form. Goggles seem to magically appear otherwise lol.
If any of these require further elaboration, do let me know.
Closing Thoughts:
Thanks, as always, for putting so much effort and care into this project. Although some bugs randomly appear in each patch, the story, the emotional layering, symbolism, and music are too good. Hopefully, the final build will come along smoothly as you push on.
Sidenote:
Goodness gracious me, Andrew, how tf do you not notice your bf disappear for at least a good 5 minutes???
Freaky Thoughts:
My fingers are still crossed for that unlikely threesome between the three at the end, even if Andrew is out of the picture for good.
Looking forward to seeing what's next, and see you (hopefully) sometime around September again!
I'll make the fixes, it's just no one on patreon really points out these bugs. I only really have time to focus on the current chapter so i don't really check if it's consistent.
Tell me where the goggles dissappear and I will fix them.
Does this make me the only obsessive psycho who replays from the very start every time an update drops? Anyway, I went digging and realised the goggle issue is pretty consistent, it triggers every time Ollie flips to his excited expression.
An example:
I originally didn't think of this as a bug, but then I saw the image on this page where Ollie’s clearly not in an excited state, and still has his goggles on. So now I’m wondering if this was once a persistent accessory that's lost in the later builds?
Not as urgent, however, as the title screen obstruction (which I hope is being prioritised first), but I did want to flag this small thing...
Side note: I absolutely love the Otter Tale sticker designs and would’ve loved to snag a set… but unfortunately, I’m halfway across the globe, don’t have PayPal, and mailing overseas might summon too many logistical demons. Plus, if they arrive before I get to the letterbox, well… let’s just say that’s a conversation I’m not emotionally equipped for... Just wanted to say they look amazing, regardless. Hopefully, lots of folks in-region can rep them proudly!
Imagine my surprise when I played the game and I was reading in my native tongue 😭😻 Lowkey would be nice to have an instant translation for the non-Filipino people tho. Gets mo ba sinasabi ko? (Did you get what I mean?)
As a non-speaker of Filipino, I am ambivalent on whether or not translations are incorporated for reader benefit. From a literary analysis perspective, the main character (while generally understanding more of the language than the majority of the readership) still himself does not fully grasp the language, and the lack of translation for the audience—in my opinion—is a first-person-limited narrative technique that successfully immerses the audience in the same culture shock that Owen is also experiencing.
I have also noticed that recent updates account for this by more often having Owen say 'I didn't catch that' or 'Say that again', whereby the character speaking Tagalog then translates into English without overly disrupting the flow of dialogue. At other times after a similar exchange, the character explains in English the gist of what was being communicated in Tagalog, in a way that conveys to Owen and to us that 'it does not matter what exactly was said, but this is what you need to know about it'.
Is... is there going to be a Mac version? 🙏
dude i love this vn so much would it be possible to get a mac port?
I enjoyed this much more than sweet as lube or midnight wolf. At least to me, the writing is more interesting. And I genuinely empathize with the MC.
(I think, having no idea what they are talking about is cute.)
This is the error.
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############################################################################################
ERROR in action number 1
of Draw Event for object oTextbox:
Unable to get variable d from object 000001D8054D3000
############################################################################################
gml_Object_oTextbox_Draw_0 (line 49)
Have you tried downloading the game again? I'm working on the next chapter now. I can only fix it in the next update
The new chapter crashes right after the scene with Ollie and Owen at the beach bar. It happens every single time and I cannot get past it.
when I try to play on android its keeps crashing
You have to tell me what the error says
There's no error message when it's crashes when it crashes the game will close on itself every time I try to play it
There's honestly not much I can do without an error message. My Android phone runs it fine, that's the only way I can test it. There's just too many things to look for if a game crashes with no message.
I'm on android and everytime I save the game crashes and closes out and it's really annoying. Any way you could fix this?
Is there an error message? I'm testing this on android and I have no problems with saving. so I can't replicate the problem.
No it just crashes. It may be because it's an old phone