The Crane Rider's Tale
is a
visual novel/adventure game
hybrid
set in a fantasy town inspired by Chinese folktales. It features:
A
bizarre serial killer murder mystery with 5 endings
filled with
wild plot twists
,
humor
, and even a little
romance
.
An art style based on
medieval Chinese paintings
and
woodblock prints
A stat-based dialogue system and
skill check dice-rolls
inspired by
Disco Elysium
Story
Play as
Mourn-No-More
, a kind but sickly man whose giant pet crane Snowfall is the fastest form of transportation around. You make a living
flying your fellow townsfolk from place to place.
When your friend Peach Blossom is
killed under baffling circumstances
shortly after being flown to her destination, it's up to you to
solve the mystery
by
picking your passengers wisely
and learning all their secrets.
Or is it? Actually, maybe you
get murdered next?
A single decision or stroke of misfortune can send one down a radically different path in life. As such, this tale has
five endings
, each of which reveals a shocking twist that might alter your understanding of the mystery.
Gameplay
The Crane Rider's Tale
is a cross between a visual novel and an adventure game (similar to Ace Attorney and Danganronpa).
There's a lot of story, but it's also a sidescroller where the player can explore and investigate. There's also
Disco-Elysium-like RPG elements
. Let us explain!
REFINE YOUR MANNER
Mourn-No-More has 12 unconventional Skills in his arsenal, like Whimsy and Mulberry Trees. These Skills speak to him and
offer their insight
on the situation at hand.
Some Skills have additional effects
; for instance,
Birdsong
allows Mourn-No-More to fly greater distances to pick up passengers, and you won't be able to interact with some objects unless your
Perception
is high enough.
Throughout the story, you will encounter
Skill Checks
that you must roll two dice to resolve, boosted by your skill level and any bonuses gained from your past actions.
Failing sometimes yields interesting results
, so don't despair if bad luck blows your way.
GET TO KNOW YOUR PASSENGERS
Everyone has a story to tell and
a secret to hide
. But you only have time to fly four passengers per day, so one must choose wisely...
Picking a passenger gives you the opportunity to converse with them via dialogue choices during their ride and see what they're up to.
Once you've delivered your passenger to their destination, you'll have the option to dismount and investigate the location, point-and-click style, before embarking on your next flight.
EXPLORE THE FLOWCHART
You can use the
Flowchart
to jump to an earlier point in the tale and make different choices.
Your EXP and Skill Level will carry over
, so
replaying a scene
once you're more experienced may yield
different results!
