Rabbit Illness: Shadow Demo

It is well established that humans are sociable beings, since that is how we managed to stay alive back when huge predators could have easily driven us extinct. However, people get very disconnected if they happen to spend too much time on their own, which is why human connection is so important for everyone. Despite that, there are plenty of lonely people out there, especially now that computers allow them to never really leave their houses.

Rabbit Illness: Shadow is an interactive visual novel in which you play the role of a boy who one day finds out that he is suffering from a rare and unusual disease: the Rabbit Illness. This disease doesn’t have any serious implications most of the time, except for one: you die if you happen to stay alone or friendless for too much time. It’s a thought-provoking concept, and the game takes advantage of it.

As for the actual story, the main character’s goal is to understand his dead brother’s life by following in his footsteps. You get to investigate his routine and check up on his books, which might provide you with a bit of insight into his life. On top of that, you must also take care of your social life and make friends to keep the illness at bay, or even get involved in a romantic relationship.

Each character you meet can teach you something, or at the very least keep you from dying due to loneliness. There are a couple of romance-able girls that come along as you progress through the story, each one of whom has a different personality. Hence, you need to approach them in different ways, although it all depends on whom you like the most.

Because of this, there are multiple endings you can reach, so the replay value should be satisfactory. In fact, the game is supposedly going to be part of a trilogy, so there should be enough content to last you for a while if the developer follows through on his promises. Lastly, the artwork is pretty decent, although it’s nothing out of the ordinary and it doesn’t impress either.

When it’s all said and done, Rabbit Illness: Shadow can easily captivate your imagination if you are a visual novel fan, or even if you aren’t. However, the developer needs your help in order for the project to become reality, and you can lend a hand by backing the Kickstarter project.