
TOUCHSTARVED: A Dark Romance Visual Novel
A downloadable visual novel for Windows and macOS
You were born cursed, with hands that twist the mind of any human you touch.
Desperation leads you to the shadowy city of Eridia, where your fate intertwines with 5 monstrous strangers. Each can offer you salvation…or damnation.
How far will you go to cure yourself?
Red Spring Studio is a small, POC and queer-owned indie studio made up of veteran game developers from Riot Games, Nix Hydra, Bungie, and more. The demo for TOUCHSTARVED contains the entire Prologue.
Choose your main character’s pronouns and origin story, and guide them through a thrilling journey with branching storylines, character based routes, and multiple endings. Your choices determine whether the story ends with gothic romance or blood-curdling horror. Will you lose your humanity in search for a cure, or will you find a way to save yourself and those you love?
Play our DEMO to meet your fate...
Characters
Kuras ✦ The Repentant Angel
“I rarely come across so fascinating a patient.”
An otherworldly angel condemned to eons spent among humanity, Kuras masquerades as a mortal doctor to hide his true intentions.
Ais ✦ The Demon Renegade
“You look lost, little sparrow.”
An intimidating outsider with violent ambitions, Ais offers miracles for the forsaken, but at a terrible cost.
Mhin ✦ The Cursed Outsider
"If you come any closer, you'll get hurt."
A moody hunter more skilled at killing than conversation, Mhin pushes people away to hide their deadly secret.
Vere ✦ The Chained Charlatan
"All that suffering has made your soul irresistible…"
Beautiful and dangerous, Vere is a cunning fox spirit born of the depths of the Shroud and bound by a magic collar.
Leander ✦ The Heroic Mage
"I can keep you safe as long as you trust me."
A dashing and rebellious mage, Leander seems like a perfect hero, but a darkness haunts his chivalry.
Features
✦ Customizable characters
Choose your Main Character’s name and pronouns (She, He, or They), and select from one of three unique backstories.
✦ Choose from 3 unique origins: The Unnamed, The Hound, or The Alchemist
Your origin affects your abilities and interactions with other characters. Each origin reveals hidden secrets and choices.
✦ TOUCHSTARVED is designed to be played multiple times
Replay the game to experience as much of the story and learn as much about the characters as possible. Your choices determine whether the story ends with gothic romance or blood-curdling horror.
✦ TOUCHSTARVED features 5 interconnected routes with 16+ hours of gameplay
Each route features a rich branching storyline rife with unique threats and horrors reflective of the character’s themes.
✦ With multiple endings for each route, TOUCHSTARVED contains 15+ possible endings
In a world steeped in horror, your decisions determine whether you can save yourself and the one you love. Not every ending has a happily-ever-after. You’ll have to choose carefully or you and your Love Interest may meet a gruesome end.
Social Media

Content Warning
TOUCHSTARVED contains mature themes and is intended for an older audience. Player discretion is advised. Specific warnings for this demo include but are not limited to: horror, unwanted advances, violence, alcohol and drug references, strong language, and serious injury.
Status | In development |
Platforms | Windows, macOS |
Release date | Mar 21, 2023 |
Rating | Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars (2,285 total ratings) |
Author | Red Spring Studio |
Genre | Visual Novel, Survival |
Made with | Unity |
Tags | Dating Sim, Fantasy, Horror, Indie, Monsters, Narrative, Romance, Singleplayer |
Average session | A few hours |
Languages | English |
Inputs | Mouse |
Links | Steam |
Download
Click download now to get access to the following files:
Development log
- Updated Mac Installation InstructionsApr 26, 2024
- Demo PatchApr 12, 2023
- Enter Key BugApr 09, 2023
Comments
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DEMO UPDATE TOMORROW EVERYBODY CHEERED
is it normal to have 16 hours played
its so damn worth it
I want this game out so bad...Vere became my favorite and I found out we share the same exact birthday so it's basically fate guys ITS GONNA HAPPEN (IM SO EXCITED FOR THIS GAME)
every so often I come back to check if the full game is out lol
youre so real for this
Actually one of the most amazing games I've ever tried out holy
holy gyatt it was so good and its ONLY the demo
For the Terminal thing for mac I have a % instead of a $ and the instructions dont work soooo??? How can I download it on my mac
I FUGRED IT OUT, MAC USERS!!
So I was typing Is with and I (i), but it's supposed to be
ls (with a lowercase L!)
Next: cd Downloads
Then, the rest of the instructions!!
these characters, are they inspired by King's Raid by any chance? cool art!
bro demo so good imma need the full rn LIKE U DONT UNDERSTAND HOW BADLY I NEED TO GET FWEAKY DEAK WITH LEANDER UGHHH AS SOON AS HE SAID HE COULD MAKE A LIL SPELL FOR US TO TOUCH HIS HAND OMGG my heart is urs bwah. same goes to ais hes a yum snack 👅
This abandoned?
Nope! They regularly update on X and the game is set to come out late 2025
than you
Is there a way to help QT/play test?
Does this game have a release date yet? I played the demo two years ago.
EDIT:
Since then all I’ve really seen is a lot of merch promotion without any update or even an estimated release window. Please correct me if I’ve missed something, but I’ve looked and haven’t been able to find any concrete information.
Personally, I find it icky. I understand development takes time, but some transparency would go a long way.
Same.. And no I haven't heard any news about its release date either.. I was really hoping to play this one since it's really pretty
Like you said, development takes time, and this is an indie game. The release window has always been Q4 2025 for the game, you probably just missed this information.
Touchstarved was funded by Kickstarter, and the devs provide exclusive monthly updates to us backers, so you can rest assured that the game is well into its development cycle and will be coming out when it's ready.
Good to know! Wish they mentioned that on itch.io
I actually demoed this on steam, But let me tell you. The writing, characters, art, atmosphere, everything! This is gonna be an amazing game and I can't express how much I'm looking forward to the full release.
this was so fun and the art is SO gorgeous omg im getting attached to ais i need MORE !!! so excited for the full game !!
cant wait for full release! take my money :3
an amazing game!! really can't wait for the full release lol i j hope it's affordable for my broke ahh
actually amazing, cant wait for the full game. TAKE MY MONEY
dude, i am so ready. take my money, take my pride, take my computer storage space. anything. im happy wit it
can anyone help me out plz? i'm tryna download it in mac and terminal keeps on saying that the game file name doesn't exist idk what to do :(
sorry nevermind im dumb as shit i typed .ap instead of .app into terminal </3
I am tired of people posting DEMOs without making it the headline. I get significant attachments to the MC and characters of the story. Now I gotta wait a year bro. Im distraught and in need for a full release
i agree so badly i wish we had the option TO SAY NO KEEP IT IN THE OVEN UNTIIL IT IS FULLY BAKED but alas, i gnaw at my enclosure
good concept i need full game
I played this game awhile ago and loved it. I really cant wait for the full game to come out and you better believe that I'm gonna get it!
i need the full game NOW
Oms, I'm so addicted already. :,3 I heard that the will be fully released somewhere around the end of this year, but will it be available for download on here? Or will I have to pay?
im pretty sure the full game will have to be paid for
I played the demo and dis game is so good oml......ive been consuming the stuff they post on tumblr, yummy! but I moved my OS to Linux and im nervous about whether theyll make both the demo and the full game available for Linux. Does anyone know anything about that?
Just played the demo and imma need this game released by yesterday. I will combust.
on my soul
tried to donload onn mac didnt open. i checked the instructins and it told me to press the ? button that wasnt even therre. :( was looking forward to playing
I FUGRED IT OUT, MAC USERS!!
So I was typing Is with and I (i), but it's supposed to be ls (with a lowercase L!)
Next: cd Downloads
Then, the rest of the instructions!!
Will this ever be released on mobile
does anyone know when this is going to be released or updated?
They said it might be released at the end of 2025.
thanks!
Is there a discord for this game? I would love to interact with others fans while waiting for the release! 🤞🏾🥹
I played the demo a few months ago, and I've been dying to play the whole game since. It's beyond amazing.
the writing is AMAZING, the art is AMAZING, the characters are AMAZING and i was immensely disappointed when i found out the full version isnt out yet!!!! this is so brilliant i am so incredibly excited for the full thing! ^^
update on when we will get the full release? I will 100% pay for this game it is worth it.
they're aiming for end of 2025
the worse thing that i did with myself was play it, I am totally in love with the game and can't stop thinking in it, I even dreamed with this. Because this I avoid play demo from some games, but I wanted to play it so hard so I played. I need my game.
Great work, art, jokes, how can this be perfect?
I am looking forward it.
This demo is a treat, alluding to how well fed we will be in the future. Waiting (not so) patiently until it is ready. Amazing job and skill.
played the demo awhile ago and i still think about it every other day
omg
??? omg what?
mmm boobs
This being a demo BLOWS my mind, it's polished and beautiful and I cannot wait to buy the real thing!