The world is a messed up place. But it’s all a blip on the radar to Aiden, who’s got his own problems to worry about. Things like…what the answer to that last math problem was. Trying to keep his friendships afloat before it’s too late. And just wondering what the future has in hold for him…

## About This Game

More accurate screenshots of the final product will be updated as assets come
out and development approaches conclusion.
## A Brief Overview
The world is a messed up place. Across the cities, rampant crime and
corruption wreak havoc on its inhabitants. But none of this matters in our
story.

It’s all a blip on the radar to Aiden, who’s got his own problems to worry
about. Things like…what the answer to that last math problem was. Dealing
with pressuring parents, and trying to keep his friendships afloat before they
drift apart forever. Just wondering about what the bleak future has in hold
for him…

However, despite his struggles, he’s always found solace looking up to the
skies. Dreaming of what was to come, as the invention of rockets took humanity
out of this world.

But the stars just aren’t visible from the place he calls home. And they might
not ever be.

Aspiring Light is a slice of life kinetic visual novel, exploring the minds
of our characters as they trudge through their monotonous school lives. There
are choices that will slightly change some dialogue and minor events, but they
all lead to the same ending. Because just like in real life, nothing you
choose in the game matters, and it was all a big waste of time anyway. But
hey, at least not money since it’s free and all.

The plot of Aspiring Light is rather serious, but the tone of the store page
description does not reflect that, because the developer wants to act edgy to
gain online clout and perhaps have that rebound into furthering engagement.
Transitioning into flowery descriptions that vastly overplay the quality of
the actual game:

Explore the urban cities, relish in the lush fields, and laze around at home
through the perspectives of three main characters:
* Aiden – A shy, and reserved student. He found much solace looking up at the stars, in order to escape the harsh reality he found himself in. For years, he sought to catch a glimpse of the beautiful trails left by a rocket launching into the unknown. But as everything around him quickly falls apart, that starts to seem like a pipe dream…
* Kaira – Best friend of Aiden’s for the past couple of years. She’s been excelling at her studies and is a foodie of sorts. But she does have trouble connecting with others…
* Damien – A grade above the other two. He’s also doing pretty well in school and manages to lead a seemingly ordinary life. But beneath the surface, he’s got his own problems…

The estimated playtime to complete the story is 4-5 hours. Of course, if you
are a slower reader, or perhaps illiterate, this estimate may increase.
## Additional Comments From the Developer:

The first concepts for Aspiring Light came almost four years ago when I was
just in high school. After playing just one singular AAA visual novel, young
me had the bright idea of making his own, give or take a couple of A’s. And to
be quite frank, it was completely different than what it’s evolved into today.
To put it in light (lol) terms, I am so effing glad I failed at earlier
attempts at compiling this story, because now I can see the plot and dialogue
were so cringe-worthy back then that it would probably have completely ruined
all of my future prospects entering this niche industry. I had tried to do
everything by myself, but that proved to be more than I could handle. But it
wasn’t until last summer of 2019 where I had finally sat down and written a
finished draft of the story. That too was pretty terrible, but over time I’ve
been able to improve it. Perhaps outside of my scope, it’s still cringe-
worthy. That’s not for me to say, but rather for the wonderful community to
bash me on like a dominatrix. But nonetheless, I think it’s something I can
say with confidence, I tried my best with.

The total budget was about $4000 USD, which is frankly almost double of what I
was hoping when I started, but I’m clearly not the type of person that’s
fiscally responsible. But regardless, I decided to make this game free to play
simply because…firstly, I’d like more people to try it out. And frankly, I
know there’s no worse feeling than spending money on a game you turn out
disliking. That’s why Aspiring Light is opting rather for a “play before you
pay” monetization model, as well as an “implicitly shill for money by feigning
generosity” model. Afterward, if you enjoy the game and are feeling generous,
your contributions to help me break even, and maybe even fund future projects,
are greatly appreciated. But in all seriousness, having the game up and being
played by others is already an honor. And also terrifying.

I’m hoping you will enjoy the experience. And I’m hoping that this is just the
first of many stories I’ll be able to share with the world.

Be on the lookout for Aspiring Light: Gold Edition, coming soon! For just the
low price of $25 USD, you will receive a golden menu screen! And literally
nothing else! Now that’s predatory monetization!

-JY 2000, Developer

Aspiring Light