Wollongong, June 30: DDNet, the game publishing arm of DigitallyDownloaded.net, is thrilled to announce that the fourth volume in the My Time With Dee Dee visual novel series will be Sade. It will be the biggest and most intense visual novel in the series to date… and yes, it will be more than a little transgressive.
The concept
It’s impossible to overstate the influence that Marquis de Sade has had on literature and culture. Interpretations of his work shift over time – during more conservative periods he represents the most vile ideas thrown onto paper unfiltered. At other times he’s been interpreted as a manifestation of the energy of revolution and a virulent mirror to society’s excesses and hypocrisy.
Sade, the latest in the My Time With Dee Dee series, adopts that energy. Inspired by Marquis de Sade, though as motif rather than a literal interpretation, this game will explore the often-neglected socio-political horror that Sade expressed through his work, and re-frames it in a modern context.
Note: While this game is inspired by Marquis de Sade, and will certainly push boundaries, it’s also not going to be the “pornography” that people immediately associate with Sade. Rather, this is drawn from Sade’s underlying themes and philosophies.
The game
Sade will be the biggest and most adventurous game in the series to date. It brings together all the character, art, environments and settings of the previous My Time With Dee Dee visual novels, while adding even more choice, flexibility, and branching paths.
Key features of the game include:
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Five characters, each with their own complete narrative arcs and events.
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A complex, branching narrative that occurs over five days – your decisions matter, and the game and its mysteries will play out very differently based on each and every decision that you make.
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Nine endings – really mess things up and your story will be over before it begins. But can there be any “good” endings in a world inspired by Sade? That is the question…
As with all My Time With Dee Dee visual novels, there will also be a “Teach Me, Professor,” bonus mode that gives you an interactive essay looking at the thematic and narrative underpinnings that went into the making of this game. With so many paths to work through, Sade is designed to be very replayable, and interesting each and every time.
Praise for the My Time With Dee Dee series
“…It was quite surprising for a visual novel made by a writer using a game website’s mascot, but it ended up being fun to play through despite its short length. I am hoping for more volumes for us to see the story continue into bigger narratives.” Nook Gaming on the series to date.
“This indie VN is up there with the best.” Get A Life Podcast on Volume 1.
"It highlights, reinforces and explains a number of the genre’s appeal elements through practical examples that really drive home the distinction between fantasy and reality that good erotic thrillers have always played with." Moe Gamer on Volume 1.
Availability
Sade will be available exclusively on itch.io this year, and a firm release date will be announced in the coming weeks. People interested in checking out the previous volumes can find the DDNet itch.io page here. Finally, anyone that supports DDNet on Patreon is given each visual novel as part of their pledge – even at as little as $1/month.
Ends.
For more information or to interview the creators of the series, contact:
Matt Sainsbury
About DDNet
DigitallyDownloaded.net, and DDNet, has been one of the leading voices for niche Japanese games and arthouse titles since 2010. A major Metacritic and Open Critic-listed website, one of the sites points of differentiation is its own mascot, Dee Dee, who represents the site and its vision. The My Time With Dee Dee visual novel series was created to build Dee Dee’s personality, and tackle the various topics that DDNet frequently discusses through its website and art criticism.