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 more intimately...
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.
Download
Click download now to get access to the following files:
Development log
- Demo Patch51 days ago
- Enter Key Bug54 days ago
Comments
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imagine if it was a serie i would really watch it
love that you can choose your pronouns and backstory!! the art is just amazing and all of it, it feels as if I'm in the story itself! I can't wait till the full version is out!
{P.S maybe reply to my comment when its out? lol just kidding<3 but when do you guys think it will be out?}
I'm definitely hooked<33 would recommend for anyone who's on the edge about it!!
I am soooooo upset that i only found out about this gem after the Kickstarter ended, would have backed for sure😭! Long Review Incoming:
The writing is exquisite, the art gorgeous and all the characters are intriguing. My absolute favorite is Ais, he seems to have a lot of character depth and the subtle melancholia he radiates hints at many more facets to his personality ❤🔥(besides being smooth as heck and smokin hot). I also love that the Characters have current/previous relationships with one another, this adds so much to the worldbuilding and dynamic. It would be a beautiful touch if some of the characters got together if the MC doesn't choose their route ❤(yes, i am a hopeless romantic). I absolutely ship Ais/Vere and would love the option of a poly-route with these two, their dynamic seems so interesting and i would love to know more! (I am also very intrigued by the hinted Ais/Leander and Leander/Mhin👀)
The music is very immersive and really fits the vibe of the world and characters! I am stunned by the amount of different character sprites and expressions that each character has, there is so much love for detail! The possibility to choose the gender of the MC is so important and made me very happy, as this is rarely available in similar games 🌈! Personally I also like the fact that MC is never visible besides their hands, as this makes the game much more inclusive for people of all genders and colors.
Can't wait for the final game to come out in +-2 years! Good things take time <3 ❤❤❤
PS: can we please have a picture of Ais petting Princess?🙏🥺
Walkthrough?
Oh my gosh this was such a wild ride! The art is mindbogglingly gorgeous and all the love interests have a special charm to them! This story is so interesting and I love how deep the lore of the world goes, I'm just as eager to learn what's going on as I am to get to know all these handsome fellas! And the inclusion to choose abilities and a backstory like a DnD campaign really surprised me! Can't wait! (i actually CAN wait, a great game is never rushed!)
the demo was very nice, can't wait for the full release <3
also ough, kuras my beloved,,, mans has no business being that pretty 😳
NOOOOOO I LOVE AIS I WANT TO SEE MORE OF HIM 😭😭😭😭😭
i agree!!!
girl help im now plagued with the unending imaginative scenarios of ais, vere, and leander. the art on this is so goddamn tasty. the dialogue is the spaghetti those dogs ate in the alleyway. every time i see kuras' nose i gain five years of life. also ais/vere/mc poly when pls god im beg
OBSESSED
this is so good!!!! Please make the full game available in MacOS;000
i love this game so much already
this was GODTIER, I love the art and the storyline!! hoping to see more
when's the estimated full release date?
2025 😭☠
hm the game not out yet right? :O
Leander my love 😻😻✨✨✨, so cute and sexi, gosh!. I need more of this game, More of Leander
I'm so excited for this game! Stayed up way past my bed time on a work night bcs i couldnt put it down!
I love the world and the characters and i cant wait to be horrified and delighted
Ais and Leander are hot af. Especially Ais in my opinion. Also I love this and I need more lol.
So I’m not a furry. But Vere kinda...if you know what I mean 😏 Also I’m starting a cult for Leander’s titties. Join us in worship. We have cookies and milk.
J'ai hâte de jouer au jeu une fois qu'il sera terminé ! I love the design they look so cool.
have they all fcked each other before or something? it just feels like they have from the way they talk abt each other sometimes 💀
I think so, on the instagram posts it shows their relationships as to who likes and dislikes one another and how they have previously interacted.
Vere and Ais got nasty 100%
HELP
NAH they all probably.. I'm just side eyeing the screen every time they do the "..." after a word. like what do you mean by that? 🤨
Wow, I can't wait to play this! The trailer looked amazing! Also am I the only one who gets Castlevania vibes from this?
will there be poly routes?
I played the demo on steam and HOLY MOLY! What an incredible demo. The love interests, the music, the characters, the art, the storyline...even being able to choose pronouns and a backstory for the character...it was so good!
I kinda wonder what the red text choices lead to...i wonder if they lead to horror endings. AND my god. I am so interested in how every guy is keeping such a tight box of enclosed secrets against their chest. Especially guys like Leander he so nice but it feels too good to be true. I enjoyed it!
They say in the tutorial that red text leads to exclusive content, so I don't think those are death scenes.
Thank you, that's helpful ! ^^
"with multiple endings for each route, touchstarved contains 15+ possible endings" any route where we don't get together with anyone? 🥺 and preferably not a bad ending? just u know, just wondering...
Hello, I wanted to make a visual mod for the game for personal/streaming purposes. What is your stance on game mods? Thank you in advance.
i wanna slurp Ais up
Pls-
relatable.
Same.
guys i NEEEEEEEEEEEED LEANDER YOU DONT UNDERSTAND IM GONNA SUCCUMB WITHOUT HIM I NEEEEEED LEANDER
With stretch goals met, are Sen & Elyon getting their own routes? Or will they be side story (and/or non romance routes?) only?
Will this have an android version?
I'm still playing through the game but I'm already really impressed. I love the world building so far and the word choice just adds so much to the story. How many thesauruses did you inhale while writing this 'cause damn.
question i've downloaded it 4 time and deleted because it gives me an error message what do i do about
cuz i do really to play this
Hello, we're sorry you're running into this issue. Could you please send an email to touchstarvedgame(at)gmail with your system specifications and screenshots?
We’d like to see if we can’t help you out, but will need a few more details.
hi i emailed you guys i was still waiting for a reply
I've been meaning to play the demo but whenever I boot up the game it will say made with unity and the music starts playing but all I see is a black screen. I don't know if there are other people facing this problem so it might just be me but I don't think there's anything wrong with my PC :'))
Hello, we're sorry you've run into this issue. Could you please email us at touchstarvedgame(at)gmail with your system specifications?
We’d like to see if we can’t help you out, but will need a few more details.
I had the same issue and it turned out I had a controller connected that was messing things out! As soo as I unplugged it, the game was playable.
Beautiful game, and very interesting, the coloring and vibe reminds me of Slow Damage but more fantasy themed.
I did find a weird glitch though. Not sure if this is fixed in the demo patch, but when in auto mode and in Ais' route, I asked about Mhin and it skipped to the end of the demo overlay a top of Ais' sprite. I rolled back and clicked normally, then the game continued as usual and I could then read on what he thought about Mhin and the game continues normally to him escorting me back to the Wet Wick. Not sure what triggered that but just thought you should know! ^ ^
Hello, it sounds like you encountered an unusual bug. Would you be able to email us at touchstarvedgame(at)gmail with your system specifications and screenshots if you have any? Thank you!
I sent you an email with the screenshot of the bug attached, hope it helps
so whens the game coming out cuz leander got me on a mf choke hold already
ongg tho
same omg
December 2025!
it says December 2025 on their Kickstarter
ur so right he has those kinda vibes. same hat
LOVED LOVED LOVED this demo!! im absolutely fawning over ais, can't wait to see what the future holds for TOUCHSTARVED !!
Please also make the game available for androids/ipad users who doesn’t have PC. I really wanted to try this game. The story looks interesting and the visual is superb! 🥹❤️❤️❤️
I second this!
YES
OMG I am in love with this game but I hope the final game if we have to choose a route at the beggining at least leave to the second day so we can understand better the city, the guys and the options for a cure. Some guys on the first day only shows on side... it would be better if we have a bigger understanding of each. But still, amazing game, congratulations!!!
I’ve been coming into a problem when trying to download the Mac intel build. I’ve followed the step on pdf which allow my Mac to open the game but it gets stuck on a black screen with an hourglass loading on the bottom right corner. I’ve already changed all the privacy setting on my Mac to allow downloads from unknown developers and have even looked into the MacOs file to make sure the actual game is executable. I wasn’t sure if the problem was just specifically with my Mac so I downloaded some other random games that used Unity and found no problem with them. If it helps I’m currently using the Ventura OS.
I was wondering if someone was willing to make a video or something following the instructions on the pdf to see if I’m just making a mistake somewhere. I’m going to continue trying to make it work on my side since I’ve been waiting to play this game 😔
Hello, we're sorry the demo doesn't seem to be working. Would it be possible for you to email touchstarvedgame(at)gmail with screenshots and as much system info as you can?
We’d like to see if we can’t help you out, but will need a few more details.
Hi! I'm also having the same exact issue on my intel build Mac. Was a solution found for this?
just asking if you could make the mac zip for macs that are older than 10.13 plsssssssss