Notes From Beneath the Surface

I noticed that Itch gives me the ability to write long-form posts, so I thought it might be fun to walk through my thought process for this project. I’ve been approaching Drift as a brand-new writer who’s never done this kind of work before and doesn’t have much experience with visual novels in general. What began as a small idea grew into something much deeper: a story about identity, belonging, and the difficult process of defining who you are when the version of you that everyone knows no longer feels right.

How It Started

The concept for Drift began as a short story that I pieced together over several months, but never shared publicly. Occasionally, I would revisit it to polish a few lines, but it mostly existed as a private creative experiment.

The story followed an older, experienced diver on what was likely to be his final assignment for a marine research institute where he had worked for more than thirty years. As he descended into the water, he reflected on how much of his life had been devoted to this job and how uncertain he felt about what would come next. Then, during the dive, a mechanical failure occurred. He blacked out underwater, certain he was going to die.

When he awoke, he found himself in a cave beneath the surface, saved by a talking shark-like creature who admitted to rescuing him out of instinct and loneliness. Their brief exchange was quiet and deeply personal. The shark regretted that the diver couldn’t stay but guided him safely back to the surface before disappearing into the depths.

The diver’s takeaway was simple: no matter how bleak life feels, there’s always someone who will be glad to see you and value the wisdom you carry. The story ended with him becoming a diving instructor, helping others start their journeys while quietly searching for the shark again, eventually reuniting with him.

That diver eventually found his way back into Drift as a new character, Roan. I think he will have an interesting arc, and who knows, maybe if there’s ever a Drift 2, he could take center stage.

Looking back, the original short story was more of a personal exercise than a fully developed piece. It leaned too heavily on my own perspective. To make readers care about your characters, they need to feel human and relatable, not just reflections of yourself.

There was no Pelagos Institute, no Noah, no Ellian, and no science subplot. It was just two characters, a cave, and a quiet conversation underwater. That conversation stayed with me for months. It wasn’t about monsters or experiments; it was about two people trapped by their circumstances. That’s when I realized I wanted to turn Drift into something bigger: a visual novel about transformation, and how change isn’t always physical.

What I’ve Learned So Far

Writing a traditional story is straightforward, but creating one that players can choose their way through is completely different. I didn’t want Drift to feel like a morality test. There’s no “good” or “bad” route, only different ways of facing who you are. Noah’s “Science,” “Self,” and “Shark” paths represent the three voices within him: reason, emotion, and instinct.

I also learned the importance of pacing and silence. The water is a natural metaphor for introspection. It can be calm, heavy, and infinite. The tension often lies in what the characters don’t say. The tone I’m aiming for feels closer to games like Signalis or Someday You’ll Return: quiet horror mixed with empathy and self-acceptance, set against the backdrop of uncertain science.

Themes Beneath the Water

The opening line on the Itch page asks:

“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?”

The main theme of Drift is the reckoning that happens when your life breaks from its expected path and you’re forced to decide who you want to be next. It’s not a story about saving the world; it’s about surviving change. It asks:

• What do I do when change finds me?
• How much of myself am I willing to lose to feel understood?
• And if I can never go back, who do I become instead?

Everyone experiences this differently. Maybe it’s moving to a new city, switching careers, or choosing to reinvent yourself. For others, it might echo queerness, neurodivergence, transition, or artistic rebirth. Drift explores how we define ourselves through those moments.

Each main character represents a different response to transformation. Noah is drawn toward change, Shark has already accepted it, and Ellian tries to study and control it. Together, they form a balance of instinct, logic, and empathy. These forces are often in conflict but always necessary for growth.

The Process

The game is built in TyranoBuilder because I wanted to take an unconventional route. I was drawn to it for its accessibility and its built-in export options for multiple platforms, which made testing and experimenting easier. The visuals are still in progress, but the heart of the game lies in its atmosphere and music.

I was recommended RobertSCH for the soundtrack by a friend, and I’m incredibly glad I followed that suggestion. His music gives several scenes an emotional depth they wouldn’t have had otherwise, and I’m genuinely excited to include his work in the final release.

Maintaining tone has been one of the biggest challenges. I want Drift to stay emotionally grounded while still exploring surreal, biogenetic concepts. Each scene balances human vulnerability with dreamlike disassociation. Sometimes it’s about the quiet horror of realizing your body isn’t your own anymore; other times, it’s about learning to find peace in that realization.

Hidden Secrets

A lot of players have missed it, but there are two secret joke scenes hidden in the current build of Drift. In each one, Korvu makes a surprise appearance, teasing Noah for picking choices that most players probably wouldn’t make unless they were intentionally trying to be difficult. These moments were added purely for fun, a small reward for players experimenting with unconventional dialogue paths.

If you've never seen these scenes, you need to hit some specific conversation choices. They're both in Act 1.

The first scene is triggered by making these two choices. The "Greg" choice is coded not to appear unless you previously picked the prior "maybe I will" option. The bonus scene will then play when Noah gets to safety a few scenes later.

The second scene is triggered by making these two choices. The bonus scene will play between the end of Act 1 but before Act 2.

I’ll likely remove or rewrite these scenes in the final build depending on player feedback. They were created as a fun way to blow off steam, but they may not fit the tone of the finished game.

Where It’s Going

Without spoiling anything, the ending ultimately builds toward one of three possibilities for how things pan out, and Noah making several hard decisions. His decision isn’t about science or Shark; it’s about ownership. Whether he chooses to “fix” himself or embrace what he’s become, the story always ends with the same truth: the only way forward is through acceptance.

The full game will include five acts with multiple endings that reflect how the player interprets Noah’s transformation. No matter the route, Drift ends quietly, not with tragedy or triumph, but with understanding.

Recent Updates and Conversations

Last weekend, I attended Furpocalypse and had a great conversation with Bowser Puma, the lead writer of Chord Progressions. He offered valuable advice on how to take Drift forward, and it was incredibly motivating to hear insights from someone experienced in the visual novel space.

I plan to start promoting the game on social media in the future, but I’ll wait until the placeholder art has been replaced. On that note, I’m now working with an artist on creating new character designs. I’ve already seen some early sketches, but it will be a while before they’re ready. The internet isn’t always kind about AI placeholders, so I’d rather hold off on trying to promote more publicly until the new visuals are ready.

The new visuals are slowly coming into place, however. I've been working with MachacaPigeon on making more distinctive designs. As a small teaser:

Creative Challenges and Design Philosophy

I wanted to do a lot of unconventional things with Drift’s story. Most of the main characters are older, and there’s a deliberate ambiguity about what’s right and wrong. I wanted to see if I could make players care about everyone involved without relying on something dramatic like killing off a character. Writing within those restrictions was challenging but rewarding. It forced me to be more creative about how to build emotional stakes. I even had an idea for a scrapped ending that went against that philosophy but still felt powerful, so maybe it will appear in a future version.

One major thing I wanted to avoid was creating a “true” ending. Many story-based games fall into the trap where, out of several outcomes, only one is treated as canon in sequels or spin-offs. With Drift, I want each ending to feel equally valid. Every path should reflect a different truth, not a definitive version of what happened.

Final Thoughts

On a personal level, much of Drift was shaped by my own emotions and experiences. I began writing it during a time of self-reflection, when I was questioning what creativity, identity, and purpose meant to me. Noah’s struggle to balance familiarity with transformation mirrors that uncertainty. Writing his journey taught me a lot about what it means to evolve and how even the most uncomfortable forms of change can lead to understanding.

Creating Drift has been one of the most challenging and personal projects I’ve ever worked on. It started as a story about a shark and a dare, but became a story about rediscovery, the parts of ourselves we hide until everything else falls away.

If there’s one thing I hope players take from this game, it’s that change doesn’t always mean loss. Sometimes, it’s simply the first step toward becoming something real.

This is my first time doing a write-up like this, and I really appreciate anyone who took the time to read through it. Feel free to leave a comment if there are other topics you’d like me to cover or discuss in a future post.