Crowing

Crowing is a fantasy visual novel where Pietro, a humble crow scout, is tasked by his king to deliver mysterious scrolls to three rival flock leaders before sunrise. Set in a dark and atmospheric world, the game blends interactive fiction with multiple endings, as players navigate battles of wit, negotiate with dubious leaders, and uncover the fate of their murder. With fully voiced characters, expressive sprites, and a unique grayscale aesthetic, the game offers a short but immersive experience filled with tension and intrigue.

Crowing: A Masterclass in Atmospheric Storytelling and Visual Novel Innovation

Introduction: A Humble Crow’s Fateful Flight

In the vast, often oversaturated landscape of indie visual novels, Crowing (2022) emerges as a rare gem—a game that defies expectations with its haunting atmosphere, meticulous artistry, and a narrative that lingers like a half-remembered dream. Developed by Horse and omelette for the 2022 Spooktober Visual Novel Jam, Crowing is a short but unforgettable experience that blends folk horror, political intrigue, and existential dread into a tightly woven fable about survival, loyalty, and the cost of desperation.

At its core, Crowing is a branching narrative adventure where players assume the role of Pietro, a lowly crow scout tasked with delivering cryptic scrolls to three rival animal factions before sunrise. The premise is deceptively simple, but the execution is anything but. With fully voiced dialogue, a striking monochrome aesthetic, and a world teeming with tension, Crowing transcends its jam-game origins to deliver an experience that feels cinematic, immersive, and deeply unsettling.

This review will dissect Crowing in exhaustive detail—from its development history and narrative depth to its gameplay mechanics, artistic direction, and legacy—to argue that it stands as one of the most ambitious and underrated visual novels of the past decade.

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Development History & Context: A Month of Madness and Genius

The Spooktober Visual Novel Jam & the Birth of Crowing

Crowing was conceived and developed in just one month as part of the 2022 Spooktober Visual Novel Jam, a community-driven event challenging creators to craft horror-themed visual novels within a tight deadline. Given its constrained development cycle, the fact that Crowing emerged as a polished, fully voiced, and visually stunning experience is nothing short of remarkable.

The game was spearheaded by Horse (a solo developer or small team, given the lack of detailed credits) and omelette, with additional contributions from voice actors, artists, and musicians who brought its eerie world to life. The itch.io page describes it as a “one murder, one month” project—a testament to the breakneck pace at which it was created.

Technological Constraints & Artistic Ingenuity

Given its free-to-play distribution and the limitations of a game jam, Crowing leverages Ren’Py, a popular open-source visual novel engine, to deliver its experience. While Ren’Py is known for its accessibility, Crowing pushes its capabilities with:

• Dynamic, animated GUI elements (including a mouse cursor that reacts to movement).
• Cinematic transitions and layered backgrounds that create depth despite the grayscale aesthetic.
• Fully voiced performances for every major character—a rarity in indie visual novels, especially those made in a month.

The decision to use a monochrome palette was both a stylistic choice and a practical one, allowing the team to focus on silhouette, expression, and atmosphere rather than color grading. The result is a game that feels timeless, like an illustrated fable or a woodcut print brought to life.

The Gaming Landscape in 2022: Standing Out in a Crowded Field

2022 was a banner year for narrative-driven games, with heavyweights like Elden Ring, God of War: Ragnarok, and A Plague Tale: Requiem dominating critical discourse. In the indie space, horror visual novels like Immortality and The Mortuary Assistant garnered attention, but Crowing carved its own niche by:

• Avoiding jump scares or gore in favor of psychological tension and political horror.
• Focusing on animal protagonists—a rare choice in a genre dominated by human (or humanoid) leads.
• Delivering a self-contained, replayable experience with eight distinct endings, encouraging multiple playthroughs.

While it lacked the marketing push of bigger titles, Crowing’s word-of-mouth acclaim (evident in its 4.9/5 rating on itch.io) proves that quality storytelling and artistic vision can resonate deeply, even without a major budget.

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Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive: A Tale of Crows, Kings, and Coming Doom

Plot Summary: A Scout’s Burden

Crowing opens with Pietro, a humble crow scout, being awakened in the dead of night by King Bosco, the ruler of his murder (a group of crows). Bosco, whose sanity is questioned from the outset, tasks Pietro with delivering three sealed scrolls to the leaders of rival animal factions:

1. Orso, the bear king.
2. Cyril, the magpie monarch.
3. Vinca, the owl matriarch.

The catch? All deliveries must be completed before sunrise, or Pietro’s murder will face annihilation. The game’s ticking clock mechanic (reinforced by the moon’s slow descent in the background) creates a sense of urgency and dread, as players must navigate treacherous forests, sewers, and ruins while making life-or-death choices.

Themes: Power, Paranoia, and the Illusion of Control

Crowing is, at its heart, a meditation on leadership, survival, and the fragility of alliances. Its themes include:

• The Corruption of Power: King Bosco’s erratic behavior suggests madness, but is he truly unhinged, or is he the only one who sees the coming storm? The scrolls he sends may be pleas for alliance, declarations of war, or something far more sinister.
• The Cost of Loyalty: Pietro is a low-ranking scout, yet the fate of his entire murder rests on his shoulders. His hesitation, fear, and occasional defiance make him a relatable underdog in a world of predatory kings.
• The Illusion of Choice: While the game boasts multiple endings, player reviews reveal that some paths are bugged, leading to unintended consequences. This mirrors the game’s central theme—no matter what Pietro does, disaster looms.

Characters: A Menagerie of Morally Gray Leaders

Each of the three faction leaders is fully realized, with distinct personalities, motivations, and voice performances:

• Orso (voiced by Roger Hanna): A brutal, pragmatic bear who rules through fear. His dialogue drips with condescension and barely contained violence, making negotiations a tense, high-stakes gamble.
• Cyril (voiced by Jalen Askins): A charismatic but unpredictable magpie who speaks in riddles. His erratic energy suggests he may be more dangerous than he appears.
• Vinca (voiced by Katabelle): A calculating owl who values intelligence over brute force. Her cold, measured tone makes her the most enigmatic of the three.

The voice acting is a standout feature, with each performer embodying their character’s essence—whether it’s Orso’s guttural growls or Cyril’s manic cackling.

Dialogue & Writing: Sharp, Economic, and Haunting

The script (credited to Rachel M. Mangan, Notafish, and Oishii) is lean but impactful, avoiding the exposition dumps that plague many visual novels. Instead, it relies on:

• Subtext and implication: Characters rarely say what they mean, forcing players to read between the lines.
• Folk horror imagery: Descriptions of rotting carcasses, whispering winds, and unseen predators create a palpable sense of dread.
• Dark humor: Pietro’s sarcastic internal monologue provides levity, making his moments of genuine fear hit harder.

One of the game’s most chilling lines comes from King Bosco:

“The night is long, but the dawn is longer. And it hungers.”

This poetic, ominous phrasing encapsulates Crowing’s tone—beautiful yet terrifying.

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Gameplay Mechanics & Systems: A Delicate Balance of Choice and Consequence

Core Gameplay Loop: Deliver, Negotiate, Survive

Crowing’s structure is deceptively simple:

1. Choose an order to visit the three leaders.
2. Navigate hazards (predators, traps, rival scouts) via quick-time events and dialogue choices.
3. Negotiate with each leader, using persuasion, deception, or intimidation.
4. Return to King Bosco before sunrise—or face the consequences.

However, the devil is in the details:

• Time Management: The moon’s position in the background actively tracks progress, reinforcing urgency.
• Resource Scarcity: Pietro has limited stamina, forcing players to rest (and risk ambush) or push forward.
• Unpredictable Outcomes: Some choices lock players into endings prematurely, while others reveal hidden paths.

Combat & Survival: Wit Over Strength

Unlike traditional RPGs, Crowing avoids direct combat in favor of:

• Dialogue-Based Conflicts: Players must outsmart predators (e.g., convincing a fox not to eat them).
• Stealth Sections: Sneaking past owl sentinels or rat patrols adds tension.
• Mini-Games: A card-based bluffing system determines whether Pietro can deceive a rival faction.

The lack of traditional combat is a bold choice, forcing players to rely on intellect rather than reflexes.

Multiple Endings & Replayability

Crowing advertises eight distinct endings, ranging from:

• The “True Alliance” Ending (all three factions unite against a greater threat).
• The “Betrayal” Ending (Pietro is abandoned by his murder).
• The “Doom” Ending (all factions turn on each other, leading to annihilation).

However, player reviews reveal that some endings are inaccessible due to bugs, particularly in the post-1.002 patch versions. This is the game’s most glaring flaw—a brilliant branching narrative hampered by technical issues.

UI & Accessibility: A Masterclass in Atmospheric Design

The user interface is one of Crowing’s greatest triumphs:

• Animated Backgrounds: The menu screen reacts to mouse movement, creating a living, breathing world.
• Dynamic Text Boxes: Dialogue appears as handwritten scribbles, reinforcing the folk-tale aesthetic.
• Sound-Responsive Elements: The ambient noise shifts based on Pietro’s location (e.g., owls hooting in the forest, rats scurrying in sewers).

The only major complaint is the “Skip Minigame” button bug, which can soft-lock players if misused.

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World-Building, Art & Sound: A Feast for the Senses

Setting: A World on the Brink of Collapse

Crowing’s world is never fully explained, but environmental storytelling hints at a fractured ecosystem:

• The Crows’ Murder: A once-proud kingdom now clinging to survival.
• The Bear Clan: Warlike and expansionist, ruling through fear.
• The Magpie Court: Deceptive and opportunistic, hoarding secrets.
• The Owl Parliament: Scheming and intellectual, playing the long game.

The lack of a traditional map forces players to imagine the world, making it feel vast and mysterious.

Art Direction: The Power of Negative Space

The grayscale, sketch-like visuals are reminiscent of Tim Burton’s early work or Edward Gorey’s illustrations. Key features include:

• Silhouette-Based Character Design: Each animal is distinct even in shadow, with exaggerated expressions (e.g., Orso’s hunched, predatory stance).
• Layered Backgrounds: Foreground elements (branches, fog) obscure the environment, creating depth and unease.
• Minimalist Animation: Characters twitch, blink, and shift weight, making them feel alive despite the static art.

Sound Design & Music: The Unseen Predator

The audio design is subtle but devastatingly effective:

• Ambient Tracks: Each location has a unique leitmotif (e.g., eerie flute for the owl’s clearing, industrial drones for the sewers).
• Voice Acting: The fully voiced cast delivers nuanced performances, with Orso’s growls and Cyril’s cackles standing out.
• Silence as a Weapon: The absence of music during tense negotiations makes every click of a mouse or rustle of leaves feel loaded with meaning.

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Reception & Legacy: A Cult Classic in the Making?

Critical & Commercial Reception

Crowing lacks formal critic reviews (as of 2025), but player feedback has been overwhelmingly positive:

• itch.io Rating: 4.9/5 (based on 12 reviews).
• Player Praise:
  • “The best GUI I’ve ever seen in a visual novel.” (ReyNadiaI)
  • “A masterclass in atmosphere and voice acting.” (BlancoKix)
  • “One of the most original stories I’ve played in years.” (Sayakachan)
• Common Criticisms:
  • Bugs locking players out of endings.
  • The “Skip Minigame” button glitch.

Influence & Future Potential

Despite its short runtime (~2 hours per playthrough), Crowing has left a lasting impression on the visual novel community. Its success proves that:

• Horror doesn’t need jump scares—atmosphere and tension can be just as effective.
• Animal protagonists can carry deep narratives when given personality and agency.
• Game jams can produce masterpieces with the right vision.

If Horse and omelette were to expand Crowing into a full-length game, it could easily rival titles like Night in the Woods or Kentucky Route Zero in narrative depth and artistic ambition.

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Conclusion: A Flawed but Unforgettable Flight

Crowing is not a perfect game—its bugs and occasional lack of polish are undeniable. Yet, what it achieves in atmosphere, writing, and artistic direction is nothing short of extraordinary.

Final Verdict: 9/10 – A Modern Folk Horror Masterpiece

Pros:
✅ Haunting, immersive atmosphere that lingers long after playing.
✅ Superb voice acting and writing that brings its animal cast to life.
✅ Gorgeous monochrome art that feels like a living illustration.
✅ Multiple endings (when they work) encourage replayability.
✅ Innovative UI and sound design that enhance immersion.

Cons:
❌ Game-breaking bugs in some endings (hopefully patched in future updates).
❌ Short runtime may leave some wanting more.
❌ “Skip Minigame” glitch can soft-lock progress.

Where It Stands in Gaming History

Crowing is more than just a game jam entry—it’s a testament to what indie developers can achieve with limited time and resources. It deserves a place alongside other narrative-driven indie gems like:

• Night in the Woods (2017) – Animal protagonists, small-town horror.
• Kentucky Route Zero (2013-2020) – Surreal storytelling, folk horror themes.
• The Witch’s House (2012) – Psychological horror, branching narratives.

If you’re a fan of visual novels, folk horror, or games that prioritize mood over mechanics, Crowing is an essential experience.

Final Thought:
“The night is long, but the dawn is longer. And it hungers.”

And so, dear reader, do we—for more games like Crowing.

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Where to Play: Download Crowing for free on itch.io
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Price: Free (with optional donations)