A downloadable visual novel for Windows, macOS, and Linux

⚠️ This PG-13, BxB dating sim does NOT contain image depictions of blood, corpses, or gore. Click here for complete content warnings.  ⚠️

Nineteen year old Prince is terrible at telling almost anyone how he feels, and even worse at showing it. Without the ability to let his emotions show on his face, he's always had a hard time making friends — even in the mortuary program at a welcoming technical college, Prince only spends time with roommate Daniel while nursing a distant crush on classmate Aodh.

When their professor assigns them to do a temporary internship together at a local funeral home in the two weeks leading up to Valentine's Day, will Prince finally have the chance to confess his feelings?

Or will life — and death — get in the way?

⚱️THE DEMO CONTAINS ⚱️
-5,000+ words (~half an hour) containing the first two days of the story!
-A stylish, fully original six-track musical score!
-Introductions to every character!

⚰️THE FULL DATING SIM ADDS ⚰️
-The other 25,000+ words, putting the full story at 30,000+ (~2 hours).
-Three endings, two with CGs, based on your choices!
-Six unlockable pieces of extra story content!

💀 THIS WAS MADE BY  💀
Ivan Katz/Arcade Party (Writing)
Robin Yao (Sprites, BGs, & CGs)
Johan Faulstich (Urn Logo)
Tea Marie (Musical Score)
DCS (Textbox & Choices)
K. B. (Object/Tool CGs)
PNGTree (Coffin Art)
Freesound (SFX)

💖 (Inspired by the death positivity movement and A Mortician's Tale!) 💖

StatusIn development
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Linux
Rating
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
(122 total ratings)
Authorarcade party
GenreVisual Novel, Interactive Fiction
Made withRen'Py
TagsBoys' Love, Comedy, Dating Sim, death-positive, Gay, LGBT, Ren'Py, Romance, Yaoi
Average sessionAbout an hour
LanguagesEnglish
InputsKeyboard, Mouse
AccessibilityOne button

Download

Download
Love & Formaldehyde [WINDOWS] [DEMO] 115 MB
Download
Love & Formaldehyde [MAC] [DEMO] 100 MB
Download
Love & Formaldehyde [LINUX] [DEMO] 104 MB

Development log

Comments

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(1 edit) (+11)

As male trans and bi, I loved the representation. I'm really sad that it's cancelled tbh, but what can we do... It would be great if they told us which are the three endings and how to get them, even if we can't play it.

The only thing I don't like is that I like Daniel better than Aodh, so I'd rather to end up with him </3

(+13)

For anyone wondering, the game is cancelled.

HUH!? REALLY??

(+3)

Yeah, I talked to one of the people working on it. It's very unfortunate since I adored the Demo.

Did they tell you why they stopped working on the game?

(1 edit) (+3)

The only thing I was told was that the creator of the demo isn't making games anymore and there's no plan for a full release. I specifically asked Amerikate on Tumblr who is credited as K.B.

That's a shame. But if they don't want to do it anymore, than there is nothing that we can do about it.

oh.... thats unfortunate :(

Deleted 1 year ago

im curios that where can i find a full game?

its canceled :(

I enjoyed it! The characters are well designed in terms of personality and visuals and I enjoyed the little bit of story in the demo

(+4)

where can i get the full game?

(+9)(-1)

where can I find the full game?

(+3)

Im curious too 

its canceled

(2 edits) (+8)(-6)

The art is pretty great. Really like that the trans guy isn't a short, effeminate trap-like guy, like I often see in most art representations of being a trans guy.
Story is also pretty fun to read.
Refreshing and cool.
(edit) Too bad about it being cancelled I think, but hey, it happens.

(+4)(-3)

okay i have to say it, this is fucked lmfao

ur brain is fucked lolz

(+17)

This is so good! Has the full game been released?

(+9)

I feel incredibly targeted by this game as a trans not-straight guy who works with human remains. I really loved it, and am super excited for the full game!

(+4)

This was awesome; I absolutely adore Prince & Daniel. Can't wait for the full game!

(+3)

This demo was absolutely amazing and so sweet, it was well made and overall just made me very happy:)) I really cant wait to play the finished game!!

(1 edit)

yay for you

(+1)

The demo looks nice ^^ I really like the artstyle, and Prince's character

(+13)(-2)

Honestly.. I don't care for aodh at all, he just acts like a dick. ;; so i really hope Daniel ends up as a romance option, hes such a sweetheart from what i saw!

(+9)

I should have probably prefaced this by saying your writing is amazing! Nothing about aodh is bad from an literary standpoint, I just don't like his personality ;; I hope that makes more sense

I really wish to play! But for some reason there is a glitch of some sort on the Demo for mac! It won't load at all :(

comment fait ton pour télécharger la démo ?

(+4)(-1)

i made an account just to write this: what a great demo! as a trans man i was so genuinely surprised to see that prince is trans as well. Its cute, the art is phenomenal, and it seems so put together even for demo. I cant wait until this is finished :)

(+6)(-1)

I like the demo.
Daniel is better then that other guy tho. xD

(1 edit) (+4)

I really like the demo. I hope that the full version of this novel will be released. I wish you all success

This sounds so cool...Though I am sad that it is just a demo.:(( :))

(+5)

I absolutely loved it! It was awesome to see a trans character portrayed as a regular person, as I am one myself. I cant wait to play the full release! When do you anticipate it being completed, and how much will it cost?

(+5)

Loved it. When is the full release and how much will it cost?

Deleted post

I love it so cute My fav is the main charater soooo cute <3

I LOVED IT. BEST DATING SIM I HAVE, EVER, PLAYED!!!

All i want to say is ilove it

(+1)

totally love the demo!!! the art style is gorgeous, the story is interesting, and the characters are all interesting and likable!! absolutely stoked for the full game :DD

(+5)

Just finished playing the demo and - wow. I am really looking foward to the full release.

The art is amazing: all the characters are beautiful and the backgrounds are incredible. I simply adore the style. It was a nice little touch to have characters change clothes, which isn't something you see very often (and man, Prince's shirt for relaxing is great).

The writing is also incredibly nice. It is only the first two days, but I already like all the chracters. None of them seemed flat to me, even Kitty, Nana and Isabelle who didn't have all that much screentime. This made me incredibly happy and I kind of want to play it just to see more of them.

I'm also really excited that Prince is a trans guy. There isn't nearly enough of that and it was worked in so nicely too... Oh, man. This is a really good demo. Good job.

Me and my friend played this togther and hadn't expect a great story from the demo. But you proved us wrong and we are just dying for the full version to come out. Keep up the good job and keep proving my friend and I wrong.

(+2)

I just finished the demo and I'm honesty?? yelling?? I love  that the main character is just like me (socially awkward trans guy) and the art is so nice and jdfksn I'm excited for the full version! 

(+1)

hello!!! i just finished playing through the demo and i adored it! what a lovely game!! the art style and the characters and everything are just so wonderful and i enjoyed my time playing it so, so much! prince's social anxiety and being 'burnt out' is heavily relatable, and aodh is so cute and!! gosh what a great game. thank you so so much for putting it out here for us to enjoy!

Aw, this is an incredibly sweet comment -- thank you so much for playing! I hope you enjoy the full version when it comes out, too, I love the characters a lot and it's great to hear that you enjoyed spending time with them. ❤

(+1)

Hey, I just wanted to say that I played through the demo and really enjoyed it! I love the characters and the art. Also, as a trans guy who also has social anxiety and a fear of needles, this was extremely relatable haha... So thank you for making this, and I will definitely be looking forward to the finished game!

I'm so glad to hear it was relatable and that you enjoyed it -- thanks so much for playing! I hope you enjoy the full version!

(+3)

I love it. I've been following since Lemma forums, and I was pumped to see what you released. It's all too cute and positive in the right ways. I'm looking forward to the full release.

Oh, I'm glad you liked the demo after seeing it on LS; I hope you enjoy the full release!

(-1)

This was a well made game. Loved the woven in story from Prince and, Daniels dialouge. Hope this does well in the game jam!

Thanks for playing LAF! I'm glad to hear that you think it was well-made, haha.

(+3)

This game is one of those incredible finds that, for me,  fills a niche I didn't even know was empty: morticians in training, thoughtful portrayals about dealing with death, trans characters as ordinary college kids...  You have an amazing talent for writing characters that sound and feel like real people, and a great way with turn-of-phrase that often surprises me and makes me laugh out loud!  I also love that the art for this game is by Robin Yao/shounenkings--I've loved their drawings since I first stumbled across them during my Haikyuu!! obsession.

Thank you for making this game, and I dearly look forward to playing the full version!

(+1)

Wow, this is such a sweet comment, I'm incredibly touched!!! ❤  I'm really moved to hear that you had a feeling similar to the one I originally did while playing A Mortician's Tale, which is what drove me to make this in the first place; it's wonderful to hear that something I made could fill one of those tiny, new little niches for you! There's lots of other different things I'm interested in making -- so hopefully my other work can do that in the future, too!

(And I'm absolutely a huge fan of Robin's work, too, so I'm totally thrilled to be able to work with them. They've done an excellent job and been a great contributor -- really, this turned out as well as it did because of all the amazing people putting in some incredible work, haha. I'm super lucky!)

Excited to try the demo and check out what you've got so far! Can't wait to see this all finished up!

Thanks, DCS -- for both your relentless encouragement and all your hard work! ❤