Oleander Resort is a killing game visual novel, similar to the likes of YTTD, Danganronpa, Zero Escape, etc. It draws from horror, action, and sci-fi themes, and promotes diversity as well as an engaging storyline. It will be made free on itch.io after its completion. I’m also hoping to surprise my friend with its completion, as they’ve helped me with the concept of this game for nearly 2 years.
The plot centers around Yuto, a non-binary 16-year-old, waking up in a mysterious hotel with no memory of how they got there. After finding their way out of the room they woke up in, they find themselves in a lobby filled with other people, including one of his childhood friends who they haven’t talked to in nearly three years. None of them have any clue how or why they ended up there. After a few minutes of discussion, an intercom turns on, and the self-proclaimed mastermind introduces himself, going simply by “B-17.” He makes it known that there is no possibility of escape from the building, and that each and every one of them will be slowly picked off every day that they spend in this building. Despite all of this, everyone decides to attempt to escape... but they uncover the dark secrets behind this place, the game master, and even a few of the game’s contestants along the way.
NOTE: This game deals with topics such as murder, suicide, and homophobia. If you’re sensitive to these topics, please don’t audition- your well being is most important!
Please have a decent microphone- little to no background noise, static, etc.!
Leave your Discord tag with your audition- if you don’t feel comfortable sharing it publicly, I’ll message you if you get the role!
16 years old, from Japan. A generally nervous-seeming person, but they have their wits about them and can even crack a joke every once in a while. Being around people they know and trust tends to calm them down. Their voice is a bit more on the masculine side, and has a small bit of a rasp to it.
(Surprised, but reserved) “Wow, your voice is deeper than I thought it’d be.”
(Gentle, caring) “I know we haven’t talked for years until a week ago, but.. I’m still your friend.”
(Shaky, weak) “No... I can’t go... I can’t go back in there...”
19 years old, from Russia. Despite her generic “punk” outward appearance, she’s very sweet and cares deeply about others. She can lose her temper now and again, and accidentally comes off as abrasive sometimes, but she’s overall a kind, caring person. It’s also very heavily implied that she’s in a relationship with Lina. She has a light-medium Russian accent, and her voice is a bit on the deeper side.
(Confident, then embarrassed) “Me, I was taking a walk on my college campus. Probably wasn’t a good idea to be out so late at night...”
(Turns wistful after ellipses) “Even though I hate to sound like an asshole... I almost wish she turned up here, too.”
(Laid-back, matter-of-fact) “Ah, me? I’m fine. Keiko’s an ass, but that’s just the world. People are gonna be asses, and there’s not much you can do, y’know?”
18 years old, from Germany. Yuto’s childhood friend- she initially comes off as shy and introverted (not to say she isn’t) but once she gets comfortable she’s easy to get along with. She also enjoys playing video games, and Yuto has stated before that she beats them easily at any game under the sun. She has a light German accent, and her voice is high and breathy.
(Cheerful) “Huh? Oh, Yuto! Sure, you can come with me! Rosie is going with Beatrice and Shizuka, so I don’t have anyone to go with.”
(Bashful) “You can hold onto that... I don’t trust myself with it, hah...”
(Angry, crying) “JUST.... JUST SHUT UP AND GO AWAY. I’M GOING TO MY ROOM. DON’T FOLLOW ME, DON’T TOUCH ME, DON’T LOOK AT ME.”
Keiko Chiwara: 21 years old, from Japan. Your stereotypical “mean rich girl.” She’s overly obnoxious, and has a tendency to complain about almost everything. She’s also seen to have less-than-ideal world views, and is somewhat of a bigot. She just has a stereotypical snobby voice, that is also more on the mature side.
(Exasperated) “I can’t say I’m not happy to see two best friends together, but we should move this along.”
(Upbeat) “I’ll tag along with you two! Gals gotta stick together, ahaha~”
(Impatient) “Oh, come ON, now- I’m opening it! I’ll wither up from waiting if we talk any longer!”
14 years old, from China. She was born mute, and communicates through writing on a notepad. She’s laidback, but also has a good head on her shoulders, and plays a big part in solving many of the puzzles in the building. It is later revealed that she was one of the 5 “transfer” subjects from when the hotel was a laboratory. She also plays a kind of “caretaker” role to Beatrice, spending time with her and keeping her calm. We only need a voice actor for her lines before her death.
(Weak) “Please... Don’t do anything stupid...”
(Weak) “I have to talk to you like this...”
17 years old, born in Mexico but raised in Brazil. He’s usually be sarcastic and rude, but to him, it’s all in the name of humor. He also tends to lose his temper easily. He’s shown to be good friends with Dakota. His voice is medium-range, and shows a lot of emotion.
(Joking) “She needs her ‘beauty sleep’... Who’s gonna tell her it’s not working?”
(Conversational) “I have spent hours with this man, and I can assure you he is, in fact, stupid.”
(Happy) “*snort* Aalllright, calm down, Gameboy.”
15 years old, from England. She’s an absolute sweetheart, who’s easy to talk to no matter what. She is on the autism spectrum, and her current special interest is clocks. In fact, due to her parents working on Big Ben as their main job for many years, Beatrice pretty much lives in the inner workings of the clock, and is good friends with many of the workers. Her voice is medium-high.
(Thinking, then upbeat) “The friction seems like it’s off... Yuto, want to help me fix it?”
(Upset, then excited) “So you’re... a machine...?... NO WAY. You’re joking, right? You’ve gotta be joking!”
(Nervous) “I-I’m not so sure about this...”
12 years old, from California. Not much is known about him- he’s a very timid boy who doesn’t usually say more than a few words at a time. His voice is high, timid, whispery, and shaky.
“...Mhm.”
“...from San Francisco.”
“...cool.”
16 years old, from Australia. He’s often mistaken for a girl, due to his long hair and feminine dress style- but don’t let that fool you. He plays video games (though he’s not nearly as good as Lina), and plays the role of the comic relief, tending to do lots of stupid things, though he does have his moments of sincere character development. His voice sounds a bit rough.
(Disgusted) “Ghhh... you’re right. I don’t wanna catch his germs.”
(Excited) “Does that mean I can finally find a computer?”
(Cheerful) “LET’S GO! I HAVE A NICKNAME!”
8 years old, from New York. An innocent girl, who doesn’t fully understand what’s happening to everyone in the building. Her voice is high and energetic.
(Amazed) “Oohhhh, look at that one! It’s purple!”
(Curious) “What does this thingy here do?”
(Tired) “Nighty-night... Mr. Mask...”
Hikari Perez: 13 years old, from Mexico. Her parents were leaders of a powerful gang, and Hikari was thrown into their activities at the age of 8. An accident in a fight forced her to have her leg amputated when she was 10, and she now uses crutches to get around. She is blunt and rude, and isn’t afraid to hurt anyone’s feelings. Her voice is low-range and a tiny bit raspy.
(Annoyed) “Well, it was a stupid question. I don’t do well with stupid questions.”
(Angry) “If you open your piehole in my general direction again, I will PUNT YOU INTO THE SUN.”
(Exasperated) “GAHHHH... fine.”
26 years old, from Florida. Working as a middle school gym teacher for years, she’s very protective and kind towards the younger people in the game. However, as more and more of them die, she becomes more withdrawn, and tends to snap. Her voice is medium-low range, with the stereotypical calming yet assertive “teacher voice.”
(Calm) “Don’t worry. I can handle them.”
(Caring) “I’m just here to help them out. I can’t imagine how terrifying this is...”
(Angry) “WHAT DID SHE EVER DO TO YOU? WHAT DID SHE DO TO DESERVE THIS?”
42 years old, from Japan. A man that everyone tends to avoid- according to everyone, he just gives off “weird vibes.” He does have a tendency to be a bit of a creep. It’s later revealed that he was a worker at the hotel when it was a laboratory. He’s also revealed to be Yuto’s uncle. His voice is low and crackly.
(Passive): “Hah... carry on, don’t mind me...”
(Muttering): “Well, would’ja look at that...”
(Calm) “I can’t say I have any idea either, heh...”
Kwan Min: 13 years old, from Korea. An energetic boy with a passion for baking, and a sincere care for the well-being of everyone, especially his sister. His voice is medium-high and energetic.
(Energetic) “Noooo, you’re GREAT at it!”
(Upset) “Wahhhh... I just wanna bake...”
(Upbeat) “I’ll make it great, just for you!”
13 years old, from Korea. She doesn’t talk much, and when she does she tends to come off as rude and abrasive. She does, however, show that she has a deep care for her brother, and she’s even willing to lay down her life for him. Her voice is medium-range and slightly monotone.
(Mocking) “I see you’ve set aside some time to make a fool out of yourself.”
(Passive) “We could all use some good luck right about now.”
(Conversational) “I’d rate this... mediocre. I could do better.”
16 years old, from Japan. He’s shown to be sadistic, and does most of the dirty work for the game- communicating with and killing the contestants. He seems to enjoy his job, and is always energetic and happy to kill a person or two. He is in a relationship with Haruma. His voice is medium-high and very high-energy- similar to the unhinged visual novel antagonists before him. Kokichi Ouma, Zero III, Rio Ranger, etc. I imagine his voice would sound almost similar to Monokuma’s, just deeper.
(Energetic) “WELCOME, WELCOME, ONE AND ALL!”
(Chanting, happy) “WOOO, let’s go! Mur-DER! Mur-DER! Mur-DER!”
(Sarcastic) “Wooow, coulda sworn I picked up some stupid people!”
Feel free to also include your best attempt at psychotic laughter at any point in here
16 years old, from Japan. Posing as a contestant, he puts on a front of being awkward and humorous- just an average teenager. Behind that front, however, is the true mastermind behind the entire game. His voice is medium-range with a small bit of rasp.
(Awkward) “Well, I, uh... guess it’s better than nothing...”
(Nervous) “I, uh... I gotta go to the bathroom.”
(Shy) “But I swear, I don’t have anything to do with this. I want to leave too.”
17 years old, from Japan. He’s almost a grandfather type, caring for all the other subjects in a kind, gentle manner. He has a semi-formal way of speaking. He’s also shown to have an interest in medicine, most likely because his body is very fragile and he has to do first aid on himself quite often. His voice is medium-low and has a soothing tone to it.
(Mostly calm, a bit anxious) “I’m sure he’ll be alright. I’m just... worried.”
(Authoritative) “Kimiko, listen to Georgia.”
(Calm) “It’s fine, dear. I promise I don’t bite... no promises for Sora, however.”
16 years old, from Kansas. He is FTM transgender. Wary of most people, protective, and loses his temper frequently. Not exactly good for him- strong emotions cause his body to overheat, which could be fatal if it goes on for long enough. His voice is hard to describe- just imagine a male version of Ruby from Steven Universe.
(Wary) “I dunno about them, Ichi... don’t do anything stupid.”
(Energetic, but angry) “They... they messed me up SO BAD. HOW DID YOU DO THAT? I REALLY WANNA KNOW.”
(Angry, emotional) “Dammit... DAMMIT, SHIZU! I TOLD YOU IT WAS A BAD IDEA...”
19 years old, from Maine. Very shy, and doesn’t talk much at all, unless it’s around her fellow subjects. She suffers from short-term memory loss due to her transferring, and has trouble remembering details such as what her human body looked like. She tends to panic when she can’t remember things, even if they’re insignificant. Her voice is medium-low, breathy, and shy.
(Calm, stern) “Sit still, Kimiko... I can’t brush your hair if you move so much.”
(Shy) “Can... can I come with you?”
(Panicky) “I... I’m sorry, I don’t... I don’t really know, I...”
12 years old, from Japan. Your typical bratty kid, has an attitude towards most people. Her body freezes up and glitches frequently, with no real reason behind it. She is Ichigo’s little sister. Her voice is medium-high and loud. Her character was heavily inspired by Toph from ATLA if that helps.
(Exasperated) “You all are FILTHY. Why did I agree to this job again?”
(Angry) “Well, maybe if you were faster, then I WOULDN’T MOVE!”
(Annoyed) “Stop trying to talk to me. Can’t you see I’m working here?”
Yuto’s friend from school. A laid-back boy who never does his schoolwork.
“Yeeesh... that’s rough, dude.”
“W-what? I’m not scared! I’m brave!”
A man filming a commercial for the Oleander Laboratory.
“Welcome to your first shift at the Oleander Laboratory- where innovation becomes reality!”
Rosie’s girlfriend from a few years ago, who she’s now lost contact with.
“I’ll be okay, I promise, I’ll contact you as soon as I can.”
Hikari’s aunt, who cares about her deeply and wants her to be as safe as possible.
“Bichito, are you alright?! How are you feeling?” (Note: “Bichito” means “little bug” in Spanish.)
“May 16th. Subject G-07 has been becoming increasingly agitated. More information after I confer with her.”
I have all the chapters‘ plot maps set and ready to go- I just need people to help me bring them to life! I’ll be selecting a few co-writers.
Say something you think would fit
Your job is to edit through the chapters and make sure the writing style seems consistent!
Say something you think would fit
I’m looking for a few different artists- it will be split into sketch, line art, color, and shading + lighting so no one person has to do all the work! (NOTE: Some cutscenes will include gore and other possibly disturbing imagery involving death.)
Say something you think would fit
Heck, I don’t mind if you use GarageBand- if you can put something together that sounds cool, that’s all I’m looking for!
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I’m looking for someone who knows their way around a game development software, because I sure don’t, I’ll gather up a small team, so the workload isn’t too heavy!
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You will be tasked with drawing the backgrounds for all scenes in the game!
Say something you think would fit
