The long anticipated new game “Lorelai” by Harvester Games & R. Michalski is now available DRM-free on GOG and other digital stores for around 12 $. It is one of the very few games that present a storytelling par excellence. From the developers of “The Cat Lady” and “Downfall” comes this new arthouse horror masterpiece as the third part of the “Queen Of Maggots” or also known as “The Devil Came Through Here” trilogy in a brand-new engine. One of the games which I recommend to everyone, one of the games that are really worth to buy. Currently only english texts are supported, but I hope there will be more translations added within the next updates.
The autor R. Michalski wrote:
Lorelai, a brand new emotional horror ride from the maker of The Cat Lady and Downfall, tells a coming of age story of a young girl trying to escape the hell of her toxic family home. But adulthood is like waking up from a long dream. There will be times you will wish you were asleep again… But you can never go back to the same dream.
"It took 3 years to develop this game. It wasn’t an easy one. Learning the new engine, new technologies… and finally going full HD and mixing 2D & 3D graphics - it’s a lot of work for one guy whose studio is basically a cluttered room in his own apartment.
But it’s finally here. And I can only hope that people will receive Lorelai as warmly as they did The Cat Lady!
I’d like to believe that at the core the main attraction for people who play my games is the heart and soul put into them. This “garage rockband” nature of a lovingly made true indie game, the very opposite of the corporate giants that sure make some beautiful looking technically flawless products… but often feel fake and generic.
Well, I lived Lorelai for the past 3 years. It was with me each morning I woke up, and each night I put my PC off to sleep. And I believe I made the best game I could with the skills I’ve learned over the years. And I made it exactly how I wanted to.
It’s been a pleasure to work with my free-lance character artist Stefano Collavini again. And with a number of excellent voice actors. I listened to their voices for hours on end when editing their lines and I can tell you they’re all extremely talented amazing people. Special mention should go to Maisy Kay, who voiced the game’s protagonist - she swooped in at the most crucial moment and saved the day. Being a fan of my previous games she knew exactly what I wanted Lorelai to be and she really brought her character to life.
Big thanks to bands/musicians that kindly offered their songs to feature in the game, replying to a call I made on Facebook! You are all so awesome! So is my brother micAmic, who created another amazing 40-piece soundtrack mixing real instruments with his new love for Moog synthesizers.
And finally, special mention should go to a long time supporter and professional tester Arjon Van Dam, a man I only met once in my life, but who knows me well through testing all of my games over the years (including the original Downfall in 2009). He only had a few days to test so he did what he could… amd any bugs should be blamed purely on me. But he was a true friend when I needed one. I felt extremely stressed and tired towards the end… and I didn’t think I would actually make it on time. Arjon made it possible and dropped everything to help me. Thanks, dude. You are the best.
And thanks to everyone else who got in touch over the years and offered help. Sometimes it was a cool Unity shader, sometimes technical help on the forums, sometimes just words of support. I’m really grateful for all of it.
Lorelai ends a chapter in my life. A trilogy of games that share one universe.
But don’t worry.
There’s room for more than one universe in my head…"
– R. Michalski