Sink or Swim

A visual novel coming to you soon… Follow for updates!

[sinkorswimvn]

Want to be on a reality dating show with sun, sexy singles, and the chance to win 50 grand?

Ahoy! We've read the applications, watched the tiktoks, made the calls, and now, after wading through a sea of some of the hottest singles on the planet, you are among the lucky ones chosen to take part in this once in a lifetime experience: Sink or Swim! 

So put on your lifejacket, drop that anchor, and point your compass towards love! Will you sink to the depths of heartache or will you swim all the way to your happy ending? 

Your voyage starts now!

Our villa moves away from the typical reality show set-up. On the Sink or Swim island, gender doesn’t dictate partnerships and our contestants are very diverse.

🔆 Customizable Main Character! Choose your gender, your romantic preferences, pronouns, hair color... you get the idea.

🔆 Fall in love or in friendship, whichever you prefer.

🔆 Be nice, funny, or bitchy! Or a perfect combination of all three.

🔆 Game is rated 18+

We are a group of Interactive Fiction fans and writers, who decided it would be great fun to make our own reality show style visual novel. This is purely a passion project, and we will not be monetising it.

So far, we have all of our contestants figured out, and are working on narrative, outlining, art, and coding. Feel free to ask us anything!

We’ll be releasing a few surveys in the coming weeks, about what you might want to see, and regarding sensitivity readers. Please beware that we are a bunch of amateurs, and just simply will not be able to include everything that people want to see.

Follow us for updates!

Happy summer, everyone🌞😉

FAQ

[sinkorswimvn]

Announcement: End of the Voyage

Ahoy, sailors.

We've got some bad news on the horizon, and we hope you can forgive us for it...

Sadly, this project has been on the back-burner for quite some time and, while we were all very excited about it, we're afraid to say that we won't be able to continue it any further.

It's been a great journey, but we've been facing a lot of setbacks that have made it harder to carry on. We wanted to put everything we had into this project and give you something that you'll all love, but with different challenges and life getting in the way, it's something that doesn't seem all that possible to deliver on at the moment.

We still have a lot of love for our characters (who continue to, quite rudely, live rent free in our heads), so the shipwreck might not be entirely unsalvageable. There might be something we can do in the future, whether it's a much smaller visual novel, or just an interactive fiction. But for now we're sorry to say that Sink or Swim has reached the end of its voyage.

Thank you for all the support you've given us. We've loved answering your questions and teasing all of our hard work. You've been amazing.

So, for one last time...

Anchors away,

The SOS Team⚓♥️

[sinkorswimvn]

💐

😲🥺❤️

[sinkorswimvn]

Wow! I just came across your page today and I'm really excited with this new game! Waiting for more updates. More power to you guys!!

Welcome aboard!

We're glad you're excited about this - I know it's been a little quiet around these parts lately, but we'll hopefully have some updates for you soon!!❤️

[sinkorswimvn]

any sneaky new character face reveals for us 👀👀👀

Our official art is still a massive work-in-progress BUT, we do have a lot of the concept arts and other stuff that we've hung onto. If you're interested in seeing those and getting more of an insight into some of our beloved characters then I'm sure we can plan some cheeky reveals in the near future👀👀

[sinkorswimvn]

hi, sorry if this has already been asked, but can you do ace routes?

Hi! There will be both acespec LI options and acespec-friendly choices on other routes. There is also a sexuality option for MC, where you can establish MC as asexual in the beginning of the game!

[sinkorswimvn]

Do you guys have a date on when it’s coming out?

Hi there! We do not have a current date as we are still quite far out from a release, and the process has slowed down a lot, but we will be keeping you updated when we do have one!

[sinkorswimvn]

Are you guys ok? Haven't heard from you in a while

Hello, anon!! Thanks for checking in - we're sorry that we disappeared on you!

The good news is that we are, in fact, alive. But unfortunately real life has got in the way a bit, so we've fallen a little behind on our adventures. We're hoping we'll be able to pick it back up soon and work on getting some content out in the open waters! 🌊⚓

[sinkorswimvn]

It has been a month since we heard of you, I only wanted to check if everything was ok and ¿how's the progress of the game?

Hey! Everything is just fine! But, ya know, life happens and things can tend to slow down.

The game is moving along. We're in that planning phase where we want things to be fun - not only for the player but us too - so we're currently discussing things (ew) and making sure no one is overwhelmed.

We hope to have a real update soon! (I'm just a social media team member who's still in bed a noon. I don't know much except I'm hungry)

But rest assured, we're still here and we're still planning. It just might be at a sea cucumber's pace (they're adorable; look one up)

[sinkorswimvn]

Progress Update

Ahoy, Maties!

We're back to offer you a progress update, as we've made a lot of headway since we last checked in with you all.

Firstly, our team of outliners are working so hard on planning out a compelling story, and as you can imagine, with all the characters we have, it means there's many different routes, so there's a lot of ground that they're needing to cover. They're currently working on Day 4, and are in cahoots with the character team about the types of storylines and character arcs. Obviously, we want it to be as compelling and realistic as possible, so making sure the story and the characters within it are fleshed out is a big priority!

Speaking of the story, and this is not a drill, WE HAVE A COMPLETE DAY 1!!!

Narrative have written out the whole day, with all the potential branches, and it's been Beta read by the Quality Assurance team. We're all very happy with it, and we hope you will be too! Moving forward from here, a lot of progress has been made with Day 2, so it's looking like it'll be in the same place as Day 1 very soon.

Coding are currently doing the impossible... Well it's not impossible, some of us just simply don't understand it. But our team of geniuses are programming the game using Ren'Py, and doing everything in their power to make sure that it's accessible and user-friendly to everyone. They've been discussing everything from how it's going to look, to how it's going to work. At least, that's what we think they've been discussing...

Anyway, you're all familiar with the work that our art team produces by now, and we can assure you that the standard hasn't changed at all! They've had a lot to do, with having to perfect the villa and work on our beloved characters, but they've made some amazing progress with the villa backgrounds, and we can confirm that they are looking good. The social team might have to share some more with you soon😉.

So that's all from us for now, but remember to keep a weather eye on the horizon and feel free to send us any questions you have about the project!

Anchors away⚓❤️

[sinkorswimvn]

Hello!!! I just found out about this game and I am honestly super excited!!!

I was actually wondering how or where is the game gonna be released (if you guys have already decided ofc) ?

Is it going to be like a website especially for the game? Or is it going to be released on a website/platform?

I was honestly curious, I hope I don't come across as too noisy tho! 😳

Also, I hope everyone on the team is doing well! Take care of yourselves, eat well, stay hydrated and please don't forget to take breaks! ❤️✨

Hey anon!

First of all this is so sweet, we're all doing really well and hope you're taking care of yourself too💖

We're not making our own website for the game, but we're working on a platform called Ren'Py, which is designed specifically for visual novels! You'll be able to access the game through any device with a browser once it's released! Our genius team of coders are working hard on it, and if you have any other questions about the specifics, they'd be more than happy to answer!

Don't worry about asking us things - you don't come across as nosey! We love answering any questions you guys have, and it keeps us motivated to know that you're all as excited as we are about this project☺️💖

[sinkorswimvn]

Hi! I came from reddit a few months back and I'm so excited! I hope you're all doing well :) So, I'm not sure if this has been asked and answered or if you can give a definite answer (which I won't mind). But...when you release the vn will you release it by per episode or like per playable day? Also, like will it be weekly or bi-weekly. That sort of stuff. I want to hope that you release it all together, but I understand the difficulty of doing that. ANYWAY, HAPPY NEW YEAR! <3

Hi, anon, and welcome!

We're excited that you're excited! The best, honest answer we could give you is: We haven’t decided yet. Since we all live in different timezones and are doing this in our spare time it's difficult to nail down.

Thanks for the ask and happy new year to you as well!

[sinkorswimvn]

Happy New Year!

What's better than a New Year's midnight kiss? Not much if you ask us (maaaaybe french onion dip... but that's another story)

One of our amazing, talented, awesome narrative team members wrote a little drabble about [redacted]. We hope you enjoy a sneak peek into what sharing a holiday with this love interest might be like!

“So, what do you normally do for New Years?” you ask, turning to look at his face again.

They smile in that comforting way again, and your nerves set alight. “I just sit at home with some music. Honestly, a lot of the time I’m passed out by the time the clock strikes.”

And you feel their fingers brushing your wrist, heat creeping up to your cheeks and swelling in your chest.

“Midnight kisses?”

“What about them?” He shrugs.

“Not something you do often?”

He shakes his head, a small, knowing smile on his ever-relaxed face. Then he lifts up his orange-tinted glasses onto his head.

You check your phone. “Two minutes,” you say. “Are you sure you want to be here with me to ring in the new year?”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” he replies, calm and assured. He leans in, and a fresh citrusy scent washes over you. “And you?”

You hum in approval, feeling heady from their presence.

You aren’t sure how long you are there, just looking at him, studying his face, but soon people are counting.

There are no nerves on his face as the numbers get lower and he leans in, and you kiss him the way you’ve been wanting to all night.

[sinkorswimvn]

Ti's the season...

To say happy holidays from the SOS vn team! You didn't think we'd leave you without a gift, did you?

As always, we have our art team to thank for this reveal. As we move into the New Year, they'll be focusing a lot on solidifying designs and styles that we're so excited to share with you.

So far, they've managed to take an initial concept and started to turn it into something a little more realistic, and all we can say is... Arrr you serious? It's g-oar-geous! (We're sorry, we can't stop...)

It's a great honour to introduce the outer workings of a beautiful creation:

The Villa

[Image description:

A bird's-eye line drawing of a villa concept. The front of the building has a wall going around it, with three archways leading into a courtyard where the main entrance is. There's a fountain at the centre of the courtyard with a path leading to a double door. There are three windows on either side of the door with shrubbery between each.

Behind the main block there is an outline of some hedges with a small view of stairs on the right, leading to a second floor balcony. Further behind, there is a view of the swimming pool. There are four sunloungers on either side, where the pool is, and the building block to the right has five archways leading inside. Above that, on the second floor there are four more with a balcony around the outside. The view of that block from the front has three windows on the second floor and three on the first. This is mirrored with the block on the left. The view of the left building is more obstructed, but similarly to the right, there is a balcony surrounding the second floor.

The surroundings of the entire villa include an outline of hedges with six palm trees of different sizes on the right and five on the left. End ID.]

[sinkorswimvn]

300 Follower Sail-ebration🎉

We can't thank you guys enough for all the love you've given this project. We've been so overwhelmed by how well it's being recieved, and it's not even out yet! Every bit of support acts a motivator, and we're more excited than ever to produce this story and share the journey with you!

Our social team have a lot of fun revealing secrets and answering your questions, and this time we're here to deliver something different. Here's some behind-the-scenes content from SOS's most chaotic team. After all, what are we good for, if we can't turn our characters into memes?

Sorry, Raph

Bonus:

[Image description: 

4 screenshots of a discord messaging chain. 

The first message from #1 [Redacted] Stan?? reads, “Everyone: Who’s [Redacted]??”

The second, from poll bitch - not so [Redacted] :(, “Legit. “Ummmm… we don’t care but ok” “Where’s Ralph” RALPH”

🌱: “sos sensation ralph” The message has three laughing emotes attached.

poll bitch - not so [Redacted]: “Like where’s Wally but it’s ‘Rediscovering Ralph… Why Everyone Misnames Raphael Blanco’”

ashleigh: “Ahh yes, my favourite character, looks at smudged writing on hand Rasputin Blanchard”

poll bitch - not so [Redacted] responds with three laughing emotes in a row

#1 [Redacted] Stan??: “RASPUTIN” 

🌱 sends an edited image.

It has a green-blue ombré background with palm tree tops on the bottom and pink lens flares on the left side. ‘Ralph’ in all lower case and a plain font rests to the left and up from the direct center to cover up other text.  A yellow circle is below it, with a character to the right of both. He has dark eyebrows and medium brown eyes sit above a wide nose and thick parted lips. He has a soft, square jawline and cheekbones, with wide shoulders and a thin torso and limbs. He has light brown skin with a green highlight along the right side of his body, and stands with his feet apart, right leg bent, and his right hand behind his neck. He’s wearing black swim shorts with a yellow stripe through the middle, and a black, short sleeved button up that reveals part of his stomach. He wears an edited on hat that says, “Women want me, Fish fear me, with an outline of a fish on it. The circle to his left reads “Raphael Blanco. Age: 28 years old. Pronouns: He/Him. Height: 5’7”. Sexuality: Asexual; Heteromantically inclined. About: Nurse from Sutton, UK.” A watermark in the bottom left reads “@sinkorswimvn”

ashleigh: “NOOOOOO ”

poll bitch - not so [Redacted]: “KC PLEASE” with a laughing and crying emote. “THE Hat! Women want me Fish fear me” 

Bonus:

🌱: “not to worry” with an image attached. It is a further edit of the first, with a cigarette sticking out of his mouth and trails of smoke floating towards the right side of the image. He wears a poorly edited t-shirt that says “Of course I [redacted] fast, I got fish to catch” and has a large green, open mouthed fish on it. Short girls’ jean shorts cover his swim trunks. The text information to his right has been further edited. It now reads, “ralph. Age: 28 years old. Pronouns: He/Him. Height: 5’7”. Sexuality: Asexual; Heteromantically inclined. About: trucky boy from Sutton, UK.”

#1 [Redacted] Stan??: “😭”

ashleigh: “TRUCKY BOY” 

poll bitch - not so [Redacted]: “NOOOOOOO IM CRINE about the trucky boy” End ID].

[sinkorswimvn]

Sorry Idk if this has been asked or explained. New here, seeing a lot of people recommended this to me, so I’m super excited for this to drop. I was wondering, and I’m seeing there’s a Male MC so that’s dope, but when it comes down to body types, Will the Male/Female MC be able to customize their body, like instead of a Skinny model like MC or extremely hot body guy, will we be able to get more diversity? Like a pumped cute like MC, a sexy dad bod like guy? Something like that?

Hi anon!

We're so happy to hear you're excited for SOS! We're pretty excited too, if we do say so ourselves.

Because MC will not be getting a visible sprite in-game, you're more than welcome to imagine whatever body type you'd like for your character! Other characters will not be referencing MC's body type, so it's completely up to you. Thanks!

[sinkorswimvn]

Hiiiii👋👋,

First of all this game looks amazing and Iam really excited to play it. I found you today on Reddit and I wanna ask when you are planning to released it. I know you probably hate this question, but I just need some game like this🙇🏻.

Big sorry for my bad english🙈.

Hellooooo!

We’re happy you’ve found us! We don’t have an exact release date (and we don’t hate any question about the game, don’t worry)… we’re plugging away on it and have lots of good progress, but want to make sure it’s as good as it can be before we release. So definitely in 2022, hopefully sooner than later, but we’ll update here when we have a more firm date. In the meantime, our FAQ post is linked below, hope you find it helpful! 💕

https://sinkorswimvn.tumblr.com/post/667386746427801600/weve-gotten-a-lot-of-questions-about-this-game

Will there be gem options?

We’ve gotten a lot of questions about this game, and we’re so excited about how interested you all are! But to make it easier to answer all