DRIFT: To Sink or Swim

DRIFT: To Sink or Swim

What do you become when you stop pretending to be who you were? How much would you risk to save someone who's already given up?

DRIFT is a story-driven visual novel about identity, embracing change, and finding connections in unexpected places. After a reckless night out, you play as Noah, a middle-aged cat working an unfulfilling office job who finds himself entangled with a mysterious aquatic test subject known only as Shark. What starts as a chance encounter soon becomes a journey of introspection, loyalty, and self-definition.

This playable demo covers the first act of the story, introducing the core characters, tone, and branching choice mechanics. Expect emotional dialogue, moral dilemmas, and one very stressed-out protagonist.

The full story will feature four acts with transformation as a main theme, but not in the physical sense. It’s more about how the lens you view the world through transforms the world itself. There’s no evil villain, no big conspiracy to unravel, no romance subplot, and no world-ending disaster. Just a few complicated people stuck in an unusual situation. The story doesn’t just ask “what will Noah become?” It asks, “What kind of story does Noah choose to be in?”

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🚨 DISCLAIMER – PLEASE READ

The current playable build is an early, unfinished version containing just the first act of a much larger story. It is not a remotely polished or final release. Everything you see here is an early work-in-progress. The writing, UI, and game structure are still being tested and may change in future updates.

This current build does not yet include any sound—yet. I chose to focus more on bug fixing to make sure the game worked reliably for everyone. Audio will be added in a future update to the demo.

All artwork used in the demo is a placeholder, including some stock images and AI-generated assets. These were used strictly for prototyping purposes and to test story pacing, layout, and functionality of the game engine. Before I consider the game finished, I fully intend to replace every placeholder asset with properly commissioned artwork by human artists.

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🎮 What’s Included in the Act 1 Demo

• A 30-45 minute playable segment introducing the main characters and premise.
• Branching dialogue that affects character tone and trust.
• Choice-driven narrative with inner monologue and world-building.
• A sneak peek into the game’s emotional and thematic core.
• Three different endings, as well as a secret bonus scene hidden behind a particular sequence of choices.  You’ll know it when you find it. Trust me.

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⚠️ Content Warning

While this demo does not include any graphic content (nor is there any intention to include such material in the final game), the full version of DRIFT is planned to explore some potentially upsetting subject matter. This includes themes of self-harm, emotional manipulation, and morally and ethically questionable situations related to scientific experimentation and personal identity.

These themes are intended to be explored with care and introspection, but may still be upsetting or triggering for some players. If you plan to follow the development of this game and its story, please use your discretion.

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💬 Feedback Encouraged!

This is a solo project and my first real attempt at writing a fictional story as well as building a visual novel. I'm using it to grow as both a writer and a developer, and I'm learning as I go. If you play the current demo, I’d genuinely love to hear what you think: what resonated, what didn’t, and what you'd like to see more (or less) of.

Feel free to leave comments here on itch.io or contact me on Telegram directly. There's a QR code near the end of the demo that links to my personal Telegram account.

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Thanks again for taking the time to check out DRIFT. Even if it looks a little rough around the edges right now, I hope something in this world sticks with you.