REC/REW

Record. Rewind. Replay. All over again.

... I never saw a real sun.

Those quartz lamps shining from the ceiling are all the sun you'll ever need.

And, I never saw a blue sky.

... Don't you feel safe in this peaceful concrete womb?

... Is this the life I am supposed to live?

Do you really think you ever had a choice?

...

The girl in my dreams. I'm sure I've never met her.

Then why does she feel so familiar?

She says, freedom is the right to choose our binds.

... Did I choose mine?

Synopsis

Your best friend died.

Everybody calls it an accident. The police says so. Your friends say so.
Hell, evidence says so.

You... you remember everything. The blood. Guts spread like grotesque festoons. The reek of half-digested food, the metallic scent of his entrails.

"Have I gone mad?"

The shrink says, "Go on. Live your life as if you were right, and see what happens."

It's just therapy... right?

Arcs

ARC #0 - Introductory arc
Planned size 90-100.000 words | 5 - 8 hours reading time

A complete, kinetic narrative introducing the world, characters, and the main mystery. It's the first loop in a maze of intertwining timelines.

Fully playable in your browser from start to finish.

This arc ends with questions, not answers - but it's a complete story in itself. Think of it as the first chapter of a much larger book.

ARC #1 - Overthinker
Planned Size 150-200.000 words (including arc #0) | 8 - 16 hours reading time 

This arc will develop over the events of the Introductory arc, adding player's agency and branching points.

ARC #2 - Burdens
Planned size 250-300.000 words | 14 - 25 hours reading time

Explores the consequences of Arc #1's traumatic finale as characters try to find a way to escape the loop... what if that does not mean they can be free, though?

ARC #3 - Down the hatch
Planned size 70-100.000 words | 4 - 8 hours reading time

What comes after the end. An entirely kinetic section explorin grief, jealousy and happiness in the tiny space between words.

ARC #4 - Mirrors
Planned size 150-200.000 words (incl. arc #4/#5 shared path) | 5 - 8 hours reading time

Answer arc - can't tell much without spoilering. It will explore how relationships can give a meaning and a scope to ourselves - possibly beyond our very nature.

ARC #5 -  Voluspa
Planned size 150-200.000 words (incl. arc #4/#5 shared path) | 5 - 8 hours reading time

Answer arc - can't tell much without spoilering. The name of the arc itself tells a lot.

Dev status

Currently releasing Arc #0

Status - nearly completed, target date for full release - end of April, 2026.

Roadmap:

Project is undergoing extensive rewrite. Materials from REC/REW legacy edition will be reviewed and used if it fits the finalized scope and breath of the project.

• Arc #1: writing complete, undergoing review and polish. It will require extensive debugging and checking to make sure the looping nature of the story, with character retaining knowledge of the events of previous playthroughs and acring accordingly, works correctly.
• Arc #2: a brand new "first loop" for Arc #2 is being written, providing three separated branches and one "hidden" path that will be added *after* the third arc is completed. This new "prelude" will wrap the entire arc together in a consistent, and much more compelling, way.
• Arc #3: main synopsis finalized, currently undergoing detailed (ie. scene-by-scene) planning.
• Arc #4: main synopsis finalized, currently undergoing detailed (ie. scene-by-scene) planning. Will use some 1000-1500 Kb material I already wrote.
• Arc #5: main synopsis finalized, pending detailed planning.

All arcs will be released episodically. I am focusing on an average of 1-2 updates per month. Each update will normally consist of 1 in-game day (roughtly between 3000 and 12000 new words per update).

About the project

REC/REW is a solo project almost entirely driven by passion - and the insane desire to leave a tribute of sorts to Philip K. Dick.
There are a lot of top-notch visual novels dealing with time loops, and how character can break free of them.

REC/REW asks: what if breaking free is not the answer? What if breaking free has a price you're not willing to pay?

It is not a story about breaking free. It's a story about choosing which prison is worth living in. You cannot save everybody - maybe you don't even want to.

Can you live with that?

Featuring a cast of three main female heroines (one of which will be the main character's love interest) and 6 supporting characters, it's a very long-term project (likely spanning several years of development) comprising five main story arcs, likely going to hit the 40+ hours reading time.

It's an "old-school" visual novel with a strong focus on the novel part of the genre. Do not expect mini-games, combat mechanics, or particulary "interactive" gameplay.
It's going to be a complex, thought-provoking narrative about time loops, how experience shapes ourselves, and whether an imperfect reality can be better than a perfect illusion.

I focus primarily on putting my ideas into proper writing. Art is either tweaked/filtered photos (backgrounds) or Koikatsu-made (characters' sprites, CG). Nothing cutting edge, just serviceable.

Any constructive feedback will be greatly appreciated as I develop the story.

A word of warning

REC/REW contains (or is planned to contain):

• mature language,
• blood and gore (not a key feature, but people die here - often not pleasantly),
• nudity (REC/REW is not and will never be an erotic game—scenes will depict intimacy and emotional connection, not pornography),
• themes of trauma and memory,
• implied (non-graphic) violence,
• mental health struggles (dissociation, obsession, grief)