Dead Man's Rest

bro omg i was so hype to play this game but I was looking through the characters again while waiting for it to download and Taza is EIGHTEEN? while the MC is TWENTY-EIGHT? isn't he a love interest????

also update I can't even get the full game to run :,)

Hey! I just downloaded the Mac version of Dead Man's Rest and I just wanted to inform y'all that there seems to be a bit of a struggle with opening the full game on Mac. The icon appears when clicking on the game and bounces a few times on the dock before disappearing. This is a typical problem that I come across with Mac versions. Whenever this happens I've come to realize that all the files for the Mac version are there, it's just in the wrong spot. 

1. To 'fix' this what I like to do is open up the file (dead-mans-rest-mac-final) that is given when purchasing the game. 

2. Then, locate the files that say renpy.py, renpy.sh, game, lib, and renpy (the plain blue folder, NOT the icon with the girl). Copy all 5 files. 

3. Next, hover over the renpy file (girl with the hat) and click over it with two fingers on the touchpad. Click Show Package Contents. 

4. Double-click the Contents folder. Next, double-click the Resources folder. This should bring you to a screen that shows a file named icons.icns. You shouldn't mess with that since it is in the correct spot. 

5. Click with two fingers on the touchpad and create a file next to the icons.icns file called autorun (Do NOT capitalize any of the letters). Right next to the autorun file that you've just created, paste ONLY the lib file that you copied from step 2. 

6. Now open the autorun file that you've created. On this screen paste the renpy.py, renpy.sh, game, and renpy (blue folder) files from step 2. 

7. Once this is all done, all you have to do is go all the way back to the screen that you were on in step 2 and double-click the file called renpy (that has a girl with a hat on it).  

8. The game should open now. 

After following these steps I was able to get the game to open on my Mac. I don't think Mac Os versions really matter since I've been using this process for a while now and it hasn't failed me yet!This list can apply to ANY Mac download that bounces on the dock a few times before disappearing. This isn't my first rodeo so I'm used to doing this but I've realized that there are some new Mac users who are struggling with this problem. I just wanted to leave this here to help anyone who needs it! 

Hi, I'd like to try the demo but I can't seem to open the app on my Mac. Is the game compatible with my model? I'm using MacBook Pro M1 2020.

First off, DMR is an overall awesome game and I personally enjoyed all of the characters. 

Disclaimer: In my playthrough, my unique route order was: (Tazo -> Hollis -> Cartwright -> Jed -> ???) which inevitably affected my perception of how I saw the overall routes, plot timeline, & characters.  Your experience/perception may be different depending on whose route you go for first. 

There's no recommended playing order for DMR that I know of; but, it's more fun anyway to play it naturally without obsessively referring to a guide! :) Plus, the game is designed enough to easily infer/guess how to get at all of the other CGs/routes without too much trouble (100% completionism, woo!). 

This isn't so much of a game review, but more of an...essay (whoops)! Playing DMR's writing direction made me think/feel a lot of things. For those who also love to write or analyze writing craft, I wanted to share my (over)analysis on 3 things I loved about DMR's writing. Maybe other aspiring game/non-game writers may find this useful? But anyway... ONWARDS!  

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[Warning: Many spoilers & Long, long text ahead.]

BALANCED TREATMENT OF SENSITIVE TOPICS 

It's not easy to include or portray sensitive topics like religious belief, racism, non-consent, & homophobia (external/internalized). I felt like DMR's writer handled or portrayed them very well! To me, it never felt too gratuitous, preachy,  insensitive, nor overly-sanitized. 

A rookie writer could just over-rely on slurs to show that prejudice exist. Yet, real-life bigotry also exists in more subtle/internal ways eg. character's dialogue revealing their underlying assumptions about given group even if no slur is used; or, their own jaded self-image for being seen/identifying as part of that group.  

DMR strikes a good middle ground on these sensitive issues: portraying these societal issues in a way that still feels very personal to the character(s) affected by them, but also not milking/dismissing the characters' emotions to these issues.  

I also like how there's a mixture of religious/non-religious characters, with no judgment on either stance. While not religious myself, I like the accurate reflection of the historic time/society that DMR is based on instead of politely pretending religion, bigotry, repression etc. doesn't exist. 

CHARACTER-CENTRIC > FAN-CENTRIC APPROACH  TO NSFW

Another thing I liked is how DMR didn't force NSFW scenes for every single route/relationship - especially, if it didn't make sense for that given dynamic based on their current progress in the timeline (eg. Taza). If a route's given set-up isn't plausible enough for the characters' to immediately jump each others' bones, DMR doesn't cram in sex scenes at the cost of the personalities/relationship feeling disingenuous. While this surely displeases some folks, I like how the writer doesn't pander to that.

Even when DMR's sex scenes do happen, they all feel unique/fitting for the two individuals having it. Unlike most visual novels I've played, it's not just a sportscaster play-by-play description of thrusting bodies. For DMR, each NSFW scene carries an emotional tone/dialogue (+ underlying issues/doubts) that makes sense given the particular personalities, worldviews, and emotional/power-dynamics involved. 

For example: Hollis's scenes - I can totally see why it progressed the way it did, given the set-up in Hollis' early behavior & dialogue. I also liked the doubt Lee had on whether said-sex meant they were official or just a one-night stand; and Hollis' own slowness on realizing his feelings (he didn't strike me as the emotionally-aware type, lmao). Compared to Hollis' sex scenes, the emotional atmosphere in Bill's is WAY different in tone, motives for wanting it, and what the scene told players about his psychology/outlook. 

Even better, the DMR's NSFW scenes actually progresses the storyline or the characters' development! (SAY WHAT?!) DMR doesn't suffer from frequent scenes of "Tab A into Slot B" that just feel tedious and repetitive, because it no longer shows anything significant or new about the relationship or characters. Even when games throws kinkier stuff in, it's usually just superficially new, and not new/significant in a more character-revealing way. 

For instance: each of Bill's NSFW scenes shows his worldview getting more challenged. He goes from: violent/cocky --> erratic/shaken --> broken --> to  sobering epiphany, depending on what choices Lee makes.

DMR is just damn good example of NSFW scenes showing a variety of motives & emotional contexts, used in service of the characters' growth. Sure, sex can just be sex without emotions, and we know how sex mechanically works - but for character-driven storylines like DMRs, sex scenes should reveal or signify something for a given relationship/character's development. Man, I wish more novel/game writers treat character routes like DMR's writer did...the sex scenes would feel a lot less repetitive/boring, that's for sure [although I could just be in the minority, lmao]. 

[And heck, if one did wish for NSFW scenes with all the DMR characters - there's nothing that a lil' "Time Skip" or "Epilogue" scene can't fix if that ever became a priority somehow.]

THE CHARACTERS: LOVIN' ALL THE GOOD (AND BAD) BOIS (In Order of My Route Playthrough)

Taza was the ultimate Good Boi (TM) in all of the routes--which, GOOD FOR HIM! (It's freakin' hard to stay good in a world like DMR's, man!). Not ever being a culprit felt logically consistent given all the character background & interactions that Lee had with him in the other routes as well.   

Hollis was the culprit in one route, but it still felt believable/immersive since I felt the earlier exposition set up his motives well-enough + didn't conflict with Hollis' route-centric interactions with Lee. If Lee hadn't chosen to help/pursue Hollis, the current timeline (ie. my understanding of it, colored by Taza's route) would've inevitably caused Hollis to be the (tragic) culprit.

Cartwright. Hoo boy. I enjoyed his route & personality, but I also played it before Jed's route which messed up my perception of time & his character-consistency just a little.  Not going to lie, but it somewhat broke my heart when the epiphany/character growth Cartwright undergoes in his main route (<3) vanished when I played Jed's route next.

For Jed's Route, I naively assumed that it'd follow the linear logic of Cartwright's timeline where Jed was the true culprit in that case. Even in that situation, Jed's accidental circumstances for being the culprit still felt reasonable/consistent with his kind personality in all his other routes.  

While playing Jed's route, I was waiting for Jed to apologize to Lee & fess up about being the true culprit. Now, I was shocked to see Cartwright being the culprit instead, and to proclaim motives that contradicted what I knew of him from his main route. (Me: "CARTWRIGHT, HOW COULD YOU BETRAY ME AND YOURSELF LIKE THIS?! WHERE'S  THAT INTEGRITY THAT YOU ONCE SPOKE OF?!" T__T ). 

It's also my bad though. I forgot that Visual Novels tend to operate from an omnipresent perspective (aka. able to perceive multiple dimensions/timelines) VS. how Real Life humans experiencing time in a linear fashion. Even though I wanted to believe in Cartwright's goodness so bad, I could've treated his discrepancy as an "alternate timeline?" 

Amongst the 5 potential bachelors after Lee's heart (haha), Cartwright was the only one with a consistency issue in 1 route (Jed's). That said, CW's character felt consistent in all the other routes.

[One possible fix may be just to add a few dialogue lines from Cartwright in the general/non-specific route, that preestablishes his ambivalence on whether to stay loyal to whom he's supposed to protect. Most of the suspicion of Cartwright is brought up by other characters, not Cartwright himself. By having Cartwright himself hint at his own potential for corruption, it'll plant the seed for plausibility no matter what route order the player plays. Heck, having that element of "moral temptation" in the general route AND in CW's route could've further heightened the emotions of the scene where he he redefines what morality and integrity means to him.  

Another possible fix could be to keep Jed as the culprit in Jed's main route. Thus, on top of what he reveals to Lee about his past, it's also an extra sign of trust/intimacy if Jed is also able to trust Lee to help him get through this mess too? 

A third possible fix is also to just set up the murder to happen sometime after Lee arrives to town--instead of before his arrival--to give more logical plausibility to why certain characters aren't the culprit in their given/other routes (Cartwright, Hollis). Jed's accidental involvement could remain, since its still stays in his character. 

There's pros/cons to the aforementioned approaches, so who knows; another better possibility can also exist that I don't know of?] 

As for Bill's route? I LOVE HIM (even if he's a headshaking-inducing S.O.B!). The varying level of his involvement behind the crime in all of the other characters' routes felt logically consistent, given the unique factors going on for each route. I felt the pacing & development of his character growth/revelation through his interactions with Lee were believable and still consistent with the other routes' portrayal. 

As for Lee? Total badass in all his routes (especially Bill's). For me at least, I felt like he had good chemistry with all of the cast; and, can see how he could plausibly fall for every single one of them (given the unique events/conversations that happen for each route). Most visual novels I've played has a bland protagonist that's just meant to be a stand-in for the player. But not Lee: he's got plenty of backstory/personality and is a sympathetic narrator with an enjoyable, unique voice. The other guys are freaking lucky to have a guy like Lee!  

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I give MAJOR PROPS to the writer (Theo Southgate) for even attempting to write a romance-based visual novel story in the first place. 

After all, unlike other storytelling mediums & visual-novel genres, romantic visual novels face the challenge of keeping track of all the various "romantic route/choice branches" no matter what route order a reader plays through first [unless there's already a game mechanic that forces the layer to play romantic routes in a fixed order]. 

There's the second writing challenge of keeping each route varied enough to keep players' interest; but, to also keep the right details/events consistent to not break the player's immersion & the story's own world-building/character logic. 

There's also the third challenge of trying to make every route feel worthwhile/fun to play through (even as most players inevitably find a route/love interest they like above all the others). 

Overall, I'd say DMR's writing managed to satisfy me on all three challenges above. It's definitely a game that gave me memorable, emotional experiences (esp. the last route...bruh, saving the most "narrator-backstory-related" & emotionally-heavy route for last: definitely, a praiseworthy design-choice!).

 Definitely can see myself replaying DMR - just to revisit being inside the characters' heads and emotions again. Thanks for the ride, Gallium & Argent Games! <3 

Is it required to finish everyone's route before the ''secret'' one, kinda like in RE:H?

I just finished the game (early access version) ... and well, how shall I put it? It was definitely one of the best VNs I've ever played. Everything was so well worked out. The characters, the story, the setting, the social issues, the writing style, the choice of music, and the art ... That's why I decided to write my impressions in more detail. However, it may contain SPOILERS so please be aware of this before reading any further.

...

Let's start with the setting. It was the first thing I noticed and a nice change from the usual (fantasy or contemporary) settings we often see in VNs. It contained all the important aspects that I associate with the wild western genre. Sheriffs, cowboys, horses, trains, bounty hunters, bandits and so on ... But it never felt unrealistic or over the top. I'm not an expert on this, of course, but I think the natives were portrayed well too. I also like the depiction of Golder's Rock and the surrounding prairie. You really felt like you were at the end of nowhere in an insignificant small town far from civilization, which made the murder mystery all the more fascinating.

What I like most about the murder case is that the story unfolds differently depending on the course you take. You don't have to worry about knowing all about it after you've completed your first character route. Each route has a different approach and explanation of what really happened, and there are no re-used scenes or sentences. I also like the idea that there are several ways to get to certain routes. So you usually don't have to make a decision for a particular character right away.

The characters are great too. Everyone has their own personality, motivation, background and problems. There is no such thing as Mister Perfect. And Lee is truly an adorable protagonist. Sure, he has his own burdens, but he is ready to overcome them to grow as a human being. I also like how normal he feels as a character. In some VNs the characters are a bit over the top with certain aspects of their personality. Lee, on the other hand, seems to be a normal guy from a normal world with normal people. But that doesn't mean he's boring. He has a very complex and multi-dimensional personality, just like the other characters in this game. Just like real humans.

Parts of the game deal with serious topics like illness, alcoholism, suicide or homophobia, which I personally love very much. Even some of the happy endings are bittersweet in some aspects, though of course they're still satisfying outcomes. I just wish there were after-stories showing what happened to Lee and his love interests. I'd also like to know if Lee an Bill will fall in love with each other after a few years have passed. There was definitely some (sexual) tension between these characters and I can't stop thinking about them.

Even though the soundtrack isn't original, I still like the music because it goes very well with the western setting. I also like the art, although the CGs could be a little more uniform. Lee, for example, sometimes has beard stubble and sometimes he doesn't. He also appears more feminine in some CGs and more masculine in others. Apart from this, I like his rough and slightly out of shape look, though. It fits well with his drifter lifestyle. Hollis' sprites look a little different from those of the other characters and Bill's sprites from the front could be a bit cleaner. But that's just a minor complaint. Overall, I like the art style very much. Same goes for the writing style. The way people talk to each other with all the double negatives has its own unique charm and fits well to the historic setting. There were a few typos and related bugs that I noticed, but they did't bother me much.

Now that I've completed all of the routes (+ the secret Dalton ending) I'm a bit sad because I love this game so much and I don't want it to end. However, I hope this wasn't the last I heard from the characters.

Thanks to the developers for this great game! I'm sure it wasn't the last time I played it. : )

Hello! I love western stories and this vn really looks good , I just wanted to ask if there are R18 sex scenes/cgs.

Hello there! I just wanted to ask whether this game contains voice acting (I'm still at the beginning of the game), just want to make sure it's not a bug. :)

I've downloaded the Mac demo but couldn't figure out how to start the game. I saw an exe file for the game but couldn't find something that works for Mac. Does anyone know how?

i've completed all the other routes but i can't figure out how to get onto bill's route, help?