itch.io

thank you! and oh no, I didn't realise it was that long since I'd posted on here! whoops. ^-^'' I tend to keep my head down and not post online very much while I'm working on things, but I can assure you it's still very much being developed! I care a lot about finishing this story. I can't really give any estimates as to how much longer it'll be, because Real Life always comes along and gets in the way whenever I do  that haha, but I do know that I'm going to have a lot more time to be working on things soon, so I'm quite hopeful about it all. I'll be making announcements etc. once I'm more sure of a release date~

Thank you for saying so! I'm glad you appreciated the vibe, haha - I'm aware the game's got a very specific flavour in that regard and it's always nice to hear when that appeals to someone! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far! ^^

Ahaha thank you, that's lovely to hear! Progress speeds have been fluctuating as per usual, but it's looking increasingly likely Act III will be out this year~

Haha no, this is a small indie game! I have actually wondered whether Attack on Titan fans might potentially enjoy it - it's similar in that it's quite an unforgiving war story with a large cast, in a European-esque setting.

But past those broad strokes, I'd definitely give caveats before recommending it to anyone wanting something like AoT, because it's quite different! Because We're Here is a romance (it's an otome dating sim), and it's based on World War One in particular. It's mainly about daily life in the war for low-ranking soldiers on both sides of the conflict - the tone is very low-key and conversational, and the fighting is never really the main focus. And while it's a fictional setting, it's a very grounded depiction of WWI - as in, there are no fantasy/magical elements to the story or world.

So I don't think I could confidently say all AoT fans would enjoy BWH, but I think some of them definitely could find something to like here! ^^ I hope this helps~

Hahaha I'm definitely not ruling out any kind of extra AU chapter once the main game is all finished and released, but I've not put that much thought into the specifics of what kind of setting that would be, or how much similarity that would have to the main game. It's always an option, though!

(I think being somewhat of an AU would help reconcile it with the themes of the main game itself - whereas I'm not as eager to write something that subverts the events of what is otherwise the same story/setting. But this is all extremely conceptual right now, so I can't say either way~)

I'm glad you're enjoying the characters that much though! ^^ A couple of people have asked for something like this now. I'll put serious thought into what kind of nicer (though emphatically bonus) content I may potentially want to work on at some point in the future!

Oh no, I'm sorry to hear that you're still having issues with Steam! If you'd rather email, you can find my email address on the devlog's 'About' page (the devlog itself is a tumblr page, but if you're on a PC then you won't need to be logged in to view it or anything). Let me know the details, and I'm sure we can figure it out. ^^

Thank you so much for your kind words! That's really nice to read, it's very much appreciated! I'll definitely take 'terrifying yet intriguing' haha! ^^

And that's a neat suggestion! I'm afraid the vast majority of Acts III and IV are already written, and certainly the plot is very much locked in at this point - and while there's almost no branching in upcoming parts, there's not none. (Also, I won't go into detail here because people might be reading this who haven't played Act II yet, but there is an alternate ending to one particular path, near the end, that may be the kind of thing you're looking for - and it's certainly not the last one of those we'll be seeing.)

Alternate endings like those aren't set to become a big feature though, apologies! At this point, it's not really within the scope of the project to insert too many branches; for the most part, the branching will remain tied to the romantic scenes and largely separate from the overall plot (and I also think that brings a certain tension that serves the story well). I've got loose plans for a future VN with a bit more brancheyness that definitely sounds like it might be of interest to you, but obviously we won't be seeing that for a couple of years at minimum, ha. Anyway, I hope this information helps, even if it wasn't quite what you were looking for. Thank you for playing and enjoying the game, it means a lot! ^^

Thank you for playing! I know the plot can be quite harsh at times haha, but I hope you enjoyed the experience overall. ^^

Hi! Thank you so much for your kind words, I'm glad you enjoyed Act I! ^^  Act II is a separately-launching program on Steam - if you make sure it's installed in your library, when you click 'Play' you should get the choice between launching Act I or launching Act II. If Act II isn't showing up as an option, first double-check the Act II DLC is definitely installed, and if you're still not seeing it, feel free to DM me on twitter/tumblr and I'll look into a further solution. :)

Ahhh! Thank you for your kind words, that's super nice! I hope you enjoy the game! ^^

Hi! Apologies for the recent silence - you're right that I should probably update that 'expected 2021' haha. But Act III is absolutely still in development, and I'm currently working towards an announcement shedding a bit more light on release dates (expect that post in earlyish 2022, as well as the Steam gamepage~). Thank you for your patience! ^^

Hi! Yep, I'm currently working very hard to get Act III finished! I'm hoping for a more official release date announcement before the end of the year, so watch this space...! In the meantime, feel free to check out the project's devlog and/or Discord server (links to both are here on the Itch page) for more minor updates ^^

A little bit of both! Overall, the game's story does focus on the MC and her immediate group of acquaintances, who are all from her home country - but from Act II+ it opens up a bit as she meets characters from all the different nations involved in the First Lassallian War. Feel free to check out the character profiles on the devlog for more information~

This is super lovely to hear! Thank you for your very kind words. I'm happy you liked Act I. ^^ I hope you enjoy Act II once you're ready to dive back in!

No worries, glad I could help. Thanks for being understanding! I hope you enjoy the game. :)

Hey! Ooh, that's exciting. The only obstacle I can foresee is: because of the way this VN's story is structured, roughly about 90% of the game is common route plot, with the route-specific scenes being romantic checkpoints scattered throughout. So restricting it to one route would still involve the vast majority of the VN's content, haha. I'm not sure how this might impact future players (I know people have differing opinions on this matter) but I'm sure it'd be okay for you to record Act I? And it's probably best to hold off on Act II, if that's alright. That seems like a good middle-ground! Thank you for asking me ahead of time, that's very considerate of you. ^^

Hello! Yep, Act III is currently in development and I'm hoping to get it released around summer this year (though that's not set in stone - but I'm trying my best to get it finished by then). ^^

Likewise - hopefully this isn't too late. https://studio-elfriede.itch.io/because-were-here

https://studio-elfriede.itch.io/because-were-here-act-ii

Hiya! I just checked the file info here on Itch and realised that I hadn't ticked the box to indicate what platforms it was for. But I've just done so - so it should be downloadable for you now. :)

Other people have been downloading the file though, which is confusing. I don't know why that would have prevented you from downloading it but not them! Huh. But I'm sorry for the holdup there! Do let me know if you have any more trouble with it~

Thanks for your kind words! Yep, the story arc for Act I could be considered an in-depth introductory chapter, whereas Act II focuses mostly on Elfriede's experiences now that she's made it to the front. (Incidentally, Act II is also the longest episode, ha.) I hope you enjoy it when it's out~!

There is no Act I demo, as it was difficult to cut out a short chunk that worked outside of the narrative (or was in any way representative haha).

(There used to be some 'demos' a couple of years ago, but only in name - they were more like extremely unpolished WIPs of the entire act. More info on that here, if you're interested in the glow-up. ^^)

https://studio-elfriede.itch.io/because-were-here

Stagger through the First Lassallian War and find love amongst doomed youth. Because We're Here is a plot-driven otome visual novel in an unforgiving WW1-inspired setting. Don't worry - it'll all be over by Christmas.

~~~~

1915, Wesslinger National Calendar. The Great War rages on.

As neurotic Postal Corps volunteer Elfriede Rauss, you walk the trenches with the men of a lost generation. And amidst the chaos and brutality of the front lines, you encounter an obstacle that you are absolutely and categorically not prepared for: love.

However. Love can be a difficult thing to hold on to at the best of times. And these are not the best of times...

~~~~

Rich, Narrative-Driven Experience - Act I sets in motion a twisting trench opera of conflicted loyalties and life-changing decisions. The events of the first act are brought to life by 18 pieces of original CG artwork.

Diverse Array of Bachelors - Pick your love interest from a large and varied cast, spanning childhood friends, aristocrats, corporals and cowards. Act I introduces 11 main characters; Act II introduces an additional 8. (A total of 16 are available as love interests.)

Intricate WW1-Inspired Setting - Investigate a grave turning point in the continent’s history as you journey across the towns and battlefronts of the First Lassallian War.

Battle of Wits System - Argumentative boss battles that pit your emotional literacy and persuasive power against enemies and allies alike.

Estimated playthrough time for Act I (Never Such Innocence) is roughly 3 hours.

Act I is a significantly-updated version of the early WIP demos from 2015 and 2016.