Let’s Show Our Support for When Our Journey Ends a fantasy Visual Novel

Edit (12/8): The Kickstarter for this game was successful at meeting its funding goal. The final funding amount was S$ 3,492 with 200 backers ! The game now has a tentative release date of Early 2017!

I’m still recovering from the recent US Presidential Election results, so forgive me for being late with this Kickstarter campaign… *claps hands* So onward a upward, today I want to draw your attention to the recently launched Kickstarter campaign for a rather intriguing fantasy visual novel from Afterthought Studios, When Our Journey Ends!

WOJE is inspired by the real life story of a now defunct Hokkaido train station that remained open despite diminished patronage, so that a local high school girl could attend school in the city. While the premise is largely grounded in reality, Afterthought Studios has added their on fantastical spin to the tale, which promises to be a delightful addition to the veteran developer’s portfolio!

Story

Where Our Journey Ends  is an upcoming commercial visual novel about a fantastical train and the otherworldly journey of one young girl. The premise reminds me a bit of Kenji Miyazawa’s Night on the Galactic Railroad.

The story follows Mariko, a seventeen year old who is on the cusp of graduating high school.

She is the lone passenger of a slowly dying train station. As a practical young adult, she doesn’t see why her family couldn’t have just moved closer to the high school she is attending. She is rather embarrassed by the whole situation and the attention it garners her. She just wants to graduate and go to a university in the big city.

-Official Description

Characters

In Where Our Journey Ends, you play as a a practical seventeen year old high school student named, Mariko. Disenchanted with her life in the country, Mariko wants nothing more than to graduate and attend college in the city.

• Stationmaster is an old man that runs the local train station. He is set to retire once Mariko graduates and the station shuts down for good.
• Hotaka is a rather timid and nervous young man who works at a mysterious out of the way train station.
• Aina is the good natured friend of Hotaka and Hachiko.
• Hachiko is a good friend of both Hotaka and Aina. She is a hostess who is enamored with the western world.
• The Handmaiden is the attendant of The Radiant Woman, little is know about her and her mistress.
• The Radiant Woman is a mysterious woman renowned for her beauty.

Features

• A branching story with various endings
• Original artwork, backgrounds, and character sprites
  • Gorgeous animated backgrounds by PyriteKite
• Unlockable content and a glossary
• An original soundtrack

There are a set of Stretch Goals that will expand the scope of the game if met. Some of the expanded features include additional CGs, a vocal sounndtrack, and professional voice acting… Upon it’s release the game will be available for Windows, Mac, and Linux! The tentative release date is set between 2017! Currently the game has $1,093 (and rising) of it’s $250 campaign goal with 83 Backers! The campaign will run until December 4th, 2016!

There are download links for the PC version of the demo, right there on the Kickstarter page, so if you are still on the fence about the game or just want to see what the game has to offer give it a try.

So PLEASE check out the Kickstarter campaign, HERE, and lend your support. There are still 24 days left and every little bit helps! I can’t wait for the finished project when it is released early next year. The various price tiers come with some nice goodies so definitely check them out!

You can also contact them on Social Media through the following channels:

• Website  
• Twitter 
• Facebook
• Tumblr 

If you can’t help out monetarily, SHARE this post or the Kickstarter page on social media and spread the word! As always THANK YOU for reading!!!