Welcome to another episode of our Creator Spotlight series, where we bring you the stories behind the creative minds shaping the world. Today, we’re thrilled to introduce you to WholesomeWraith, the talented developer behind Purple Herring Games. Hailing from Asia, WholesomeWraith has taken the indie visual novel scene by storm with their first commercial project, “My Alien Roommate,” a comedic sci-fi thriller that offers a diverse and inclusive experience. Join us as we explore their journey, discuss the challenges and rewards of indie game development, and take a closer look at the creative process behind this captivating visual novel. Let’s get started!
A note from WholesomeWraith Creator of “My Alien Roommate”
As a dev, I go by WholesomeWraith, creator of Purple Herring Games. I’m an indie visual novel creator who lives in Asia, my pronouns are he/him and my first commercial project is My Alien Roommate, a comedic sci-fi thriller visual novel with THREE male Love Interests and a protagonist with customizable name and pronouns.
What inspired the concept of My Alien Roommate and its blend of romance, sci-fi, and secrecy?
The initial idea was to create a story where the protagonist has to take care of a new friend/roommate who wasn’t human, and having to navigate the challenge of keeping that person a secret from others or protecting them. From that simple but cute premise, Enoch could have been anything ranging from a robot to a person from another dimension, as long as he’d be a fish-out-of-water in the world, and I eventually settled on making him an alien because My Alien Roommate had a ring to it and I could expand upon it with more on his planet and species etc.
Can you tell us more about the protagonist and their motivations in the game?
Riley, the protagonist, really just wants to keep Enoch a secret. Their biggest fear is Enoch being discovered and then taken away, experimented on by human authorities etc, so much of Riley’s struggles is to keep him a secret so people with ulterior motives can’t capture or hurt Enoch. Enoch being so sweet and naive also helps make Riley more protective of him, which is also why Riley can be a bit strict with him (but it’s for his own good!)
How did you develop the personalities and backstories for the three male love interests?
Enoch was always the titular Alien Roommate before he was a Love Interest. I wanted to create a character that would be cute and a cinnamon roll, so players would be more motivated to want to take care of him. If Enoch was a cold and emotionless alien, while the basic premise still works, I’d argue people would be less focused on wanting to protecc him. :’) In a weird way, I think I almost made him too adorable!
With Lucas, I wanted someone to act as a foil to Enoch’s (and Kat’s) silly antics, which is why he’s always more serious and reserved in contrast to their wackiness. I also wanted to make a Love Interest that was perhaps a little more ‘normal’ or ‘generic’ in a sense – with Lucas, he’s not a loud personality and he doesn’t like attention; even among players, I think he isn’t talked about as much as the other two, which is okay! That, to me, works with his character because I intended him to be a softer personality, and someone who’s perhaps used to not being the most popular or noticeable one in the room, which will also appeal to certain players. Plus, I really wanted to make a character with social anxiety be romanceable, and that’s Lucas to a tee.
Felix is probably my favorite Love Interest to write. I love the blend of him being this nerdy, uptight Class President while also having a secret rebellious side that he doesn’t want others to know about. Tsunderes and enemies-to-lovers are also my favorite character archetype and trope, so creating Felix was a delight. I love having the mystery of this boy who Riley doesn’t like or even know that much about, who has a secret wild side that those who know him from class would never expect from him. I want players to be intrigued by why Felix is so by-the-books and focused on rules in school, and yet he dresses like a rebel and hangs out with a more uncouth gang at night.
As for their backstories, rest assured that there are a lot more to all three Love Interests that the Demo has barely touched on. You’ll have to play the full game to dive deep into what makes them tick!
What challenges does the protagonist face in trying to keep the alien’s existence a secret?
It’s hard enough keeping him a secret from nosey neighbors or friends who have no idea where Enoch came from or why he’s in the protagonist’s life. It’s made even harder still because Enoch is terrible at pretending to be human because of his innocence and naivete, leading to a lot of comical scenarios. For the record, even among his other aliens, Enoch is already not the brightest, so teaching him the art of subtlety is a tall order.
And, of course, if you’ve played the Extended Demo to a certain point, you’ll probably be aware that on top of Enoch trying to keep his secret, there are other forces out there who are suspicious of him, and keeping them off Enoch’s scent is a whole other matter.
How does the story explore the relationship dynamics between the protagonist and the alien roommate?
At the start of the game, Riley is essentially a caretaker to Enoch. Riley has to teach Enoch about Earth, protect him and stop him from doing stupid things that will give himself away. As the game progresses, even someone as silly as Enoch will eventually learn more about Earth on his own and their relationship will gradually become more equal. Plus, without spoiling anything, I’ll say that when it comes to alien matters, Enoch is obviously more knowledgeable than Riley and there will be moments where their roles reverse, and Enoch is the one helping Riley. Despite being a pretty immature character at times, there are moments where Enoch has to step up and it’s during these moments that his relationship with Riley also develops.
Are there any unique abilities or characteristics that the alien possesses, and how do they play a role in the story?
Besides being able to switch between his alien and human forms? Enoch may or may not have more special abilities, but you’ll have to wait for the full game to find out!
Can you give us some insight into the visual design and art style of the game?
I really like the anime-ish art style of the characters as well as the semi-realistic design of the city. When I was commissioning artists, I was looking for a cute artstyle to match the vibe of the story and I’m very pleased with how the game has turned out! I tried a couple other sprite artists before eventually settling on the two that I currently have, whereas my background designers have been consistent throughout. I think the cute artstyle complements Enoch the best, especially because his expressions make him even more adorable. :3
How important is the player’s choice in shaping the story and developing relationships with the love interests?
When it comes to player choice, I try to make them a little less obvious. There will be simple choices such as choosing what to talk about with a particular Love Interest, but there are also trickier choices that seem innocuous at first but actually affects how a Love Interest feels about you later on. Some choices also lead to the player experiencing two or three completely different scenarios. For instance, choosing to go to the movies with Enoch means you don’t get to go to eat dessert with him, and you miss out on all the optional conversations you can have with him there, and vice versa. It will take multiple playthroughs to explore all scenarios!
With multiple romance options, how many playthroughs would you recommend for players to experience the full story?
We have 3 Love Interests, but there will also be a 4th one funded on Kickstarter. That being said, each Love Interest will have at least 2 endings, so roughly 8 playthroughs will be enough for the full story.
Can you share some of the challenges faced during the development of My Alien Roommate?
I am a solo developer and I’ve had to undertake a lot of challenges on my own. Setting up social media, learning how to use Ren’py to code the game, commissioning art and music, learning how to launch games on itch.io and Steam, learning how to set up a Kickstarter, actually running the Kickstarter… the list goes on and on. It’s a monumental amount of work for one person and I’ve been juggling multiple responsibilities. But I knew this was something I wanted to do and as hard as it’s been, I know this was the only choice for me because it’s something I’m deeply passionate about.
What was the process like for creating the various storylines and ensuring that each love interest had a unique and engaging narrative?
Handling three Love Interests definitely makes it more manageable than, say, 5 or more. Each has their own unique story that connects to the overall plot in different ways. Again, hard to discuss without spoilers, but you’ll be getting to experience the main storyline of My Alien Roommate through three unique perspectives based on which character you romance.
How does the game balance romance with the more thrilling aspects of keeping an alien hidden? What advice would you give to players as they navigate the complexities of hiding an alien and pursuing romance?
I’m answering these both together cause I think they’re pretty similar. Keeping Enoch’s secret amidst his shenanigans adds a lot of comic relief to the game, alongside some serious and tense (and daresay, dangerous) moments later on. So in between all the silliness and the seriousness, Riley’s relationships with the chosen Love Interest will also develop alongside the story.
What were some of your inspirations for the alien’s culture and background?
I tried not to take too much inspiration from real life when planning out the species and culture of Zexhalia (Enoch’s alien planet) because I didn’t want it to be too influenced by the real world. I knew what purpose Zexhalia would serve in the story and adjusted aspects of Enoch’s culture and background to fit that purpose.
Can players expect any surprises or twists in the story as they progress through the game?
Definitely! I can assure you that even in the Demo, plenty of plot twists and surprises have been set up for the future, and I can’t wait to see how people react to them.
How did you ensure that the game appeals to players of different genders and romantic preferences?
The game’s three Love Interests are all male, so it will appeal more to people with romantic preferences for male characters. I have also made it possible for pronouns to be customized in the game.
What aspects of the game are you most proud of and excited for players to experience?
Because I’m a writer at heart, what I’m most looking forward to is seeing players react to specific story beats in the main game. I have some pretty heavy moments planned and I’m interested to see how players navigate certain scenarios. Sadly, because of spoilers, I can’t elaborate further but it will be fun to watch.
Are there any plans for potential sequels, spin-offs, or additional content for My Alien Roommate?
I think a sequel or spin-off would take way too much time. 🙁
However, I do have a simple idea for a possible DLC, which would just be an After Story set after the events of the main game. It would depend on how well the main game fares though.
And once I’m officially finished with My Alien Roommate, I would like to make a new visual novel. With everything I’ve learned about the gamedev experience from My Alien Roommate, I hope the process of making the second game will be even smoother! And who knows, there may even be returning characters from My Alien Roommate in whatever I make next.
How did you create an immersive and believable world where an alien could believably coexist with humans?
The world doesn’t yet know aliens exist, and to Riley’s and Enoch’s knowledge, he’s the only alien on Earth at the moment. Could more aliens live on Earth in the future? Right now, Riley assumes they’ll be hostile towards Enoch out of a place of fear and mistrust, but things could always change.
Lastly, what message do you hope players will take away from their experience with My Alien Roommate?
Despite the challenges, making My Alien Roommate helped give me the strength to keep going even in hard times. So above all, I want the game to bring some joy to those who play it. Even if it was something small, like the game making you laugh on a sad day.
Another thing would maybe be to not judge a book by its cover, which is really thematic considering the whole premise of the game is protecting Enoch from people who might misjudge him for being an alien. People could fear Enoch before getting to know him because he’s an alien and they’ve never seen an alien before. Similarly, Riley and Kat often bicker with Felix but obviously, since Felix is a Love Interest, there’s more to Felix that Riley hasn’t gotten to know about that would eventually endear them to each other. But these initial judgments of them lead to others being distrustful or hostile. I think there’s already enough meanness in the world and we don’t need to add to that. So if nothing else, I hope one thing people can take away from the game is to be kind to others, because everyone’s fighting their own battles and you never know someone’s full story.
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That wraps up our engaging interview with WholesomeWraith, the creator of Purple Herring Games and the innovative visual novel “My Alien Roommate.” We hope you enjoyed learning about their creative process, the inspiration behind their work, and the importance of inclusivity in gaming. Be sure to check out “My Alien Roommate” and support indie game developers who push the boundaries of storytelling and immersive experiences. Stay tuned for our next Creator Spotlight, and until then, keep exploring and supporting the world of indie games!
About Stec Studio, All Ages of Geek and “I Married a Monster on a Hill”
Stec Studio is a New Jersey-based company founded and run by by the Stec Sisters. We specialize in producing interactive comics and novels based on All Ages of Geek media, as well as creating a fully open world Boys Love Universe called BLU Media. This universe is being built from various media forms, including readable media, games, and animations.
Our main series, I Married a Monster on a Hill, is a WEBTOON that tells the story of a retired knight who falls in love with a half-monster. We are also developing an in-production visual novel called I Married a Monster on a Hill: Dates, along with an upcoming Wattpad Exclusive set in the same Universe. At Stec Studio, our goal is to create content that gives people hope and light, and we hope our stories can provide joy and entertainment to all who experience them.
