Lore Distance Relationship
A downloadable not-Neopets game for Windows, macOS, and Linux
Nominated for 2 XYZZY Interactive Fiction Awards: Best Story & Best NPC (with the Sister Character)
"Needless to say, when a story connects that way with the reader, the author has done something right, and is towards the top of my list." -- Jack, blog.templaro.com/
"The aesthetic here 100% nails the early 2000s, pre-social media internet." -- The Short Game podcast (9:03-18:44)
""This is absolutely [Bez's] best." -- Verb Your Enthusiam podcast (19:55-33:10)
Follow user StaircaseHaven14 on a Neopets-esque site called Ruffians as she faces life's challenges, RPs with her long-distance BFF (or more than BFF?) Bee, and encounters familial hardship, from age 8 to 18.
By Naomi Norbez, aka Bez. Received 16th Place in the Interactive Fiction Competition 2020.
Download
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Comments
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the aesthetic is on point and the development of the relationship is so cute. i really liked the older sister too.
Thank you, I'm glad you think so! C: And I'm glad you liked Rachel!
SPOILERS BELOW!
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I WAS SO FUCKING SCARED FOR KAYLA DUDE I ACTUALLY CHEERED DURING THE FINAL CHAPTER
AND THE DETAILS OF THE PET ART GETTING UPDATED AND KAYLA AND BEE'S WRITING SKILLS IMPROVING AND OUUUUUUGH I'M GONNA BITE THIS GAME WITH MY TEETH
(also i'm a sucker for video game unfiction hehe)
Glad you liked it! C: Appreciate the love. <3
THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL I'M SO HAPPY FOR KAYLA AND BEE
I went into this game with no information whatsoever outside of the description and as soon as I'll stop crying I'll recommend it to everyone thanks
(offers tissues) Thank you so much for playing! I'd love to hear more of your thoughts if you are willing to share.
The story absolutely broke my heart! But still love the nostalgia for the old times browsing the internet.
Tysm for the video! Your summary in the description is perfect. Really appreciated your vid on Eyewear Cleaner 2077 as well.
this was so so sweet and made me so nostalgic. i love how hopeful and happy the ending was, but i almost didnt want it to end lol it felt like i lived a brief but whole life with these characters!
i spent so much of my formative years on a now-defunct (</3) roleplaying website so this game was super sweet and nostalgic for me T__T even though the story was so brief i feel like it'll really stick in my brain for a long time. loved your character writing and loved the early 2000s internet atmosphere (if you ever make a sequel ill be sprinting to download it)
Tysm! & I've wanted to make a sequel since I finished this game tbh! I would love to continue Kayla & Bee's story someday.
Seems good, but the images arent loading for me.
That's very strange. What browser are you using?
Chrome.
god the way this made me SOB!!! eerily reminiscent of childhood and the late-game identity talk with your sister and bee really hit me in the heart. I've been working on a similar neopets unfiction clone with time jumps and seeing your execution of a similar concept was a delight. beautiful game, thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much for playing! <3 When your game is out, please let me know--I'd love to play it!
This was really something special. The writing as the characters grow is so well done and there's a VERY nostalgic moment with a loading map that took me right back to the early 2000s'. As someone who also grew up RPing with a friend, this felt so genuine.
Thanks for this experience.
Tysm! I'm glad you enjoyed the game! <3
What a sweet game.
Tysm! ^u^
:') this is so nice and sweet. it resonates a lot with how i grew up too.
I played this A while back as part of a bundle and it is the only game of the bundle I distinctly remember. There’s just something about this one that stuck in my brain! I feel like it’s the best example of how indie games feel like a look straight into someone’s heart and are so incredibly personal and yet widely relatable and intimate. I loved this game!
Your game was one of my favorites this year, and it ended up in article about my fav itch.io games of the year! It's in finnish, but thought you would like to know this: https://geekgirls.fi/wp/blog/2021/12/20/indie-pelien-ihmemaassa/
Thank you so much! That's very kind of you. <3
i played this game with my boyfriend today!!! we were so invested, we had to keep going even though he had to go to bed. it's like 3:40 in the morning for him.
the characters were really sweet and relatable, i love how respectful bee was to K. one thing tho, i wish there was a dark mode and a button to play back the sound instead of it looping. when i was trying to read the dialogue, the looping kinda got to me and i struggled with reading a bit
either way this was a super enjoyable experience, super cute story and i really liked it! we both did! keep on making great things :D
I'm glad y'all liked it! <3 Thanks for playing.
ohhh my god. this was an amazing game!! this hit so personally. like. the rping, the online relationships, all of that made me cringe at my own old memories where i was an unsupervised child on the internet.
but god!!! i love them. bee and kayla deserve the world and i wish ruffians was a real thing </3
Thank you so much for playing! I'm glad it struck a chord for you. C: I love these characters too! I hope to make a sequel someday.
if you ever do, i'll be sure to support it! <3
I did not know that game that looks innocent like this could go so under my skin, holy sheet I'm crying. It was how protagonist is same age than me and that chatting felt so familiar.
Only critique is that I needed to zoom out so I could see "mouse" cursor fully. Don't know is that problem from my or your side.
(ofc it can be planned but I was confused where I should click first)
(offers tissues) Aw, thanks so much! <3 I appreciate that a lot.
& can you send me a screenshot of what the game looks like on your end?
Just like this! i think this is intentional? I was just confused first :D "why this new user button doesn't work????... oh....."
Oh, gotcha! Yeah, I could have designed that better. I'll keep that in mind for my next game!
i just finished this, and i love it!!! also, for those who got it through the palestinian aid bundle: you're gonna have to manually download the game through the site, since it plays in your browser!
thoroughly charming game. i had the biggest smile on my face watching the relationship between those two grow
Thank you so much! C: I appreciate your kind words. Thanks for playing!
this is a really nice place you took me to here ty !
idk i could say more but
I'm glad you like the game! ^u^ Feel free to say more!