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.
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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I can't wait for updates !! the art style is gorgeous and the story is very intriguing. The characters and the narrative both rope you in. Willing to wait just so I can have more Ais and Leander!
have they ever announced any full release timeframe or year? I don't wanna get invested and then it never comes, ya know?
2025
PLEASE are there gonna be updates or anything???????????
is mhin nonbinery? IDK ANYMOR
ya'll amma be honest. i haven't played it yet. but that opening screen and the music and the vibes is just *chefs kiss* it got me so hyped already even before playing! not even an exaggeration, really.
this was SO GOOD. I need more
ITS SO GOOD I NEED THE FULL GAME OMG
I read this a month or so ago and keep checking for the full game XD
You read my mind
Loved the demo. Hope to see more Leander and Ais soon!!!
Mhin come w me bb <33 I LOVE THEM SMM AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
TO MAC USERS: Many of you are having issues running the game despite following the chains of commands detailed in the instructions. I have no idea as to why those specific commands are not working but I had to guesstimate random commands to get through game running. For reference, I have MAC with Apple Silicon.
The commands I used:
ls
cd Downloads
chmod -R 777 TOUCHSTARVED-SILICON.2.app
I was able to run the game after this!! Happy playing :)
Spectacular, give me 16 of them right now.
PLEASEEEE LEANDER, ONE CHANCE.
This is amazing ! Wow !
I love the demo, looking forward to progress with Vere and Mhin
Loved the demo!!! Leander and Ais have my heart!
tem em pt?
OH MY GOD MY HEART
MY HEART CAN'T TAKE THEE SUSPENCE X-X
loved the demo!!! def gonna play it when it fully releases
LOVE YOU VERE!!!!!
I really hope there will be an Android version in the future...I want to experience the game😭❤️
Me to 😭
I love this so much! Ive already fallen for Leander
Sad that this is a demo since I want to romance Leander already🤧🤧
my diva kuras.. come home..
The entire demo was fantastic! I loved each character, and it makes me so eager to learn more about them. Despite how mostly friendly they all seem, it makes me a bit untrustworthy. All I am hoping is that we can eventually find a cure for our illness and then live happily with whoever we picked. The art style is so gorgeous I can't help but stare at every scene! I can't wait for the full game!
the story is so promising and the art is absolutely amazing! I wish it was much longer I can't wait to play the full ver. <3
the art the music the writing the concept i'm absolutely blown away i cannot wait to play the full game (leander has my heart and hand in marriage)
Oh how I love you Vere....
So so excited for this project. The demo was insanely captivating, I literally forgot it was a demo. Felt so disappointed when it ended, left me at the edge of my seat wanting more. The story is AMAZING. Seriously.... being able to choose a background? How clever. And yes... Vere is my favorite and the man I will be rizzing up in the actual game, but I love them all. Told my friends about this game too, because yes, it was THAT good. They also loved the boys. :)
CANT WAIT FOR FULL RELEASE!!!
Quick question, will full release be paid to play? Or also free? Thanks!
demo has me soooo intrigued in these characters - can't wait for more!
I love it sm ESPECIALLY AIS UMMM?? (I love them all)
I'm literally in love with this game it's so cute but scary at the same time I love it
can't wait to see the full game. are you planning to sell at steam???
they already have a page on steam! :D
I CANT CHOOSE WHATTTT- I CANT WAIUT FOR FULL RELEASE
can't wait for the full release!!
For some reason it doesn't work on mac :( when I try setting up with the terminal thing it starts off
TOUCHSTARVED-SILICON.2 2.app %
if I write put in ls, 'contents' come up
please help!
No me too, I'm familiar with using the terminal as I use to switch my Mac into "windows" to play certain games and nothing was popping up for me or it would say access denied.
MaSTERPIECE
Play this game on steam (beta ver) and I swear this game is something! So excited for the final product! Good luck dead developers!
Is it different than the demo version on itch.io?
I NEED THEM ALL SO BADLYYYYY
super super good demo and sank some hours into it! loved how the story is going and felt so immersed i went back and played to see changes in dialogue + every character for a good bit. cant wait for release!! :D
this is genuinely such a gorgeous game, I'm obsessed.
Do I check this page and most of the internet (despite not having Social Media) every month (*snort* or couple of weeks) to see if there's news and updates? Yes.
Do I internally scream everytime I have to scour the internet for a SCRAP of knowledge about it like a simpering little cultist? ALSO YES! Please, the crumbs, I've eaten them all and I'm starrrving.
(see what I did there, I'm NOT sorry!)