Love the Guard, Be the King
A downloadable Visual Novel for Windows, macOS, and Linux
Two children raised together. One, a future King. The other, his whipping boy.
Their relationship? It's up to you to develop.
MATHIAS’S HEART HAS BEEN bleeding since his father, the former King, decided to punish you for his mistakes. As the youngest child of a lesser bourgeois, you were raised in the castle, between the King’s cruelty, the Queen’s friendship, and Mathias’s kindness (or supposed kindness?).
Now, more than twenty Carnivals since your arrival, the King is dead and the Queen’s sickness worsens each day. As the azure taint spreads in the kingdom and the Opalean Wars come to an end, it’s Mathias’s time to sit on the throne.
Will the docile Prince become a kind King, a violent Monarch, or a ruthless Tyrant? Will you have any say in it? And how much will your relationship change?
Develop your personality, see how your choices build, and change your bond with Mathias.
It’s time to help him choose. Will your monarch Love the Guard or Be the King?
Features:
- ~104k words (3 out of 4 chapters developed + 1 Extra Story)
- Black & White aesthetic
- 6 black & white CGs + 2 colored illustrations
- One Love Interest with five possible types of branching relationships, non-romantic options included.
- Possible romantic rendezvous with other characters while in Mathias’s friendship route.
- LGBTQIA+ friendly + representation (you can choose your gender and your relationship with Mathias)
- Age suggested: 16+ for non-explicit sexual scenes, some soft swearing, and violence.
- If you donate $4.99 or more, you'll also receive the 2022 Artbook, filled with lore and more information about every character in the game! ;)
About the game:
This game is my first prototype. I'm trying to see if I can give you the freedom to build your relationship with a character while also deciding how you feel about your past and present.
Our experiences (and the way we feel about them) help define who we are, so, in this game, I'd like you to decide yours—and to face whatever consequences come with that choice.
This story will have 4 chapters. :) Right now, you have 3 out of 4 chapters + 1 Extra Story. If you want to support the development of LtGBtK, please consider leaving comments, following me, and sharing it with your friends! :)
You can also support me via ko-fi where I'll post more constant dev updates, lore, and extra content. :)
- AGE SUGGESTED: 16+ for erotic nudity and non-explicit sexual scenes.
Main Characters:
Mathias Jan Yvanson (LI) - The Crown Prince - 28 - He / His
- You and Mathias were raised together. As you grew up, he would often read for you, treat your wounds, and he honestly thought he was protecting you while your whole life went up in flames.
- Mathias is the future King of Opala, but something seems to be missing, and you’re not the only one who sees it. With Mathias being the target of a ravenous court, it’s up to you to give him the guidance and answers he needs—or to sit back and watch as the flames get higher. He may seem innocent and good, but there’s an underlying layer of guilt shaping his personality. Will you enforce it, break it, or use it in your favor?
Mandreis Jay Yvanson - The Grand General - 26 - They / Them
- Mathias’s sibling and the-child-who-didn’t-have-a-whipping-boy. Like you, Mandra was also a victim of King Elias’s punishments, and it shows in the many scars they carry.
- Everything Mandra does has a reason, and no matter how reckless, rude, or violent they may be, you can be sure of one thing: they’ll have Mathias exactly in the place he should be, one way or another. Mandra was once the child who ran after you and Mathias. Today, they’re the Grand General of the Opalean Forces, and the symbol of everything that could’ve gone right—but didn’t. Their intentions? Not even the Goddess knows.
Queen Yvana Jal Yvanson - THE Queen - 53 - She / Her
- The Queen was the one responsible for bringing you into the Castle, decades ago. She used to be sweet and good while you were growing up, but something changed and nobody knows exactly what. Now, as the Azure Taint consumes her, Queen Yvana seems to slowly go back to her former self. Be careful, though. Her gentle countenance hides secrets that go much beyond the black cherry wood forming her crown.
Doctor Helena Filtchen - The Spymaster The Royal Doctor - 56 - She / Her
- Brutal when needed, incisive when asked, and always paying attention. Some people might think her long-lasting, romantic relationship with Queen Yvana left her too soft to keep acting in the shadows, but Dr. Filtchen is always ready to prove them wrong.
- She’s now focused on studying the Azure Taint and on finding a cure. If she’ll find it in time or not, that’s another story.
Master Mercurio - The Great Arcanos - ??? - He / Them
- Nobody knows exactly where he comes from, but “Master Curio,” as Mathias has always called him, is possibly one of, if not the most powerful Arcane Mage in all the Five Kingdoms. Nobody knows why or how Master Curio chooses their students or how many they are, but he is in Opala now to train Mathias—and he better not waste the opportunity.
… And YOU! - The Dragon Commander
- Child of a lesser bourgeois, you were raised in the Castle with everything a royal child could have—plus a painful coating of scars that mask your back, arms, nape, and face.
- Build your own Dragon Commander, your relationship with Mathias and the others, and discover the past that binds you all, so you can stir your present in the direction you want… and maybe decide the future of the entire kingdom.
About the dev:
Writing stories that welcome you home. Brazilian, 90's kid, panromantic, demisexual, interested in all things artistic.
Ligia Nunes is an award winner writer, Visual Novel Developer, feminist, queer, and Brazilian Latina born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil. At the same time writer, illustrator, translator, and terrible karaokê singer, she's the type of supervillain who's decided to dream big and conquer the word. Ligia puts her characters to play, battle, and fall hopelessly in love in megacities built with the dark corners of countless cities as bricks, technology as blood, and Brazilian folklore as soul. When she’s not wickedly plotting against her main characters—or making them pine for one another—she’s developing games or searching for the perfect pistachio ice cream.
Did you enjoy the game?
If you enjoyed yourself, please consider leaving a comment telling me what/if you liked the game, or maybe just share it with a friend! <3 Donations are also appreciated, but spreading the word helps a lot too! :3
Don't know what to tell me? Well, here's a few questions:
- What's your favorite character?
- Did you try the different options, or did you follow only one path?
- What do you think of the black-and-white aesthetic?
- Is there anything about the world of Five Kingdoms you'd like to know more about while playing?
Download
Click download now to get access to the following files:
Development log
- (November.Devlog) Lots of good stuff for you!29 days ago
- ♥♥♥ The New Update is Here! ♥♥♥54 days ago
- (October.Devlog) You’ve got an update coming…65 days ago
- September Devlog93 days ago
- Win exclusive keys to all of my games!Aug 21, 2024
- Welcome to August devlogAug 12, 2024
- April Devlog + New Public Build!Apr 30, 2024
- March Devlog! (#017)Apr 11, 2024
Comments
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So far so good! I look forward to the complete version!!🤩🤩
words couldn't describe how much i love this game <3
Im curious to know what the archetypes mean? Are there only two archetypes? Or more? That aside I'm so glad of how the new update turned out, every character felt so real and fleshed out. I didn't expect to cry at the ending (and got surprised by the cliffhanger) and I'm a sucker for angst and this game gave me the right mix of comedy, romance, drama, while also navigating my dragon commanders feelings towards her past while dealing with the present and worrying about the future. Kudos to you for giving us such a great game, we can see how much time and effort you have put in this and hope more people will know more about this game
how do to get an option to go with mandra?
Hi! If you mean in the scene at the gazebo, you can only go with them if you're playing as a The Seeker or The Destroyer archetype. :) You can check your archetype in the menu >> extras; it appears under your DC's name.
(Sorry for my english, but I try my best!) Its really fantastic that evry time I reread the story i discover something new for myself. It is truly very deep and meaningful story that even while changing, a person can find something for themselves in its lines and its characters every time. (I can't stop collecting quotes in my head). Every update I try to recreate my Commander to whom I'm so attached and with whom I could be most comfortable to make progress on the story and every time I unintentionally have a new Commander with different personality. But every time they are more than enough to make a great impression and touch just right strings of my soul omg. (It says something that when I was younger, say 2022, the Commander was more timid and forgiving and now they strongly defend their boundaries lol) So, what i hope to convey is that this story have a place for every Commander and as it goes, for every me as a reader through years and it makes me immensely happy.
Unbelievably good. Almost bawled my eyes out because of how the story progressed. I also love how every character in this story, even the passing nobles and servants, can drag a genuine anger or fondness out of me. It is beautiful in every way. Thank you for the new update, best of luck for you while you craft the rest of the story!
There's something so soft and real about this game that I struggle to put into words. Playing "Story" in Ch.3 really highlighted it for me.
As vaguely as I can say without spoilers: no matter how heavy and complicated things get, that there's still optimism is just... really nice. I cried for maybe 20 minutes after that, then played through it a second time to see other ways the story comes together, and cried more.
Can't wait to see what comes next.
Oooooh, I came back to this game after such a long time and it got even better! As previously, I adore the art and aesthetics, but also, I want to express my utter joy on how fleshed-out all the secondary characters are! (Crying as a player because I have a big fat crush on Mandra... but I cannot let my poor Commander ditch Matt, they are a set, do not separate!)
Spent a large chunk of my day off playing and had a blast, thank you so much for sharing it!!
I have seen that the Commander's face position changes depending on the personality, but how many archetypes are there? (Do you have a fav one?) Ngl, I felt happy when my Commander raised their head proudly. Like, good for them. (sorry if my message is chaotic; I am not the best at writing reviews, but I won't let the lack of eloquence stop me from praising your game)
BACK TO REPLAY THIS, MY CAT HAS YET TO APPROVE OF THE GAME AGAIN
Edit: Did the entire thing, loved it even MORE than before, I am feelin' INSPIRED right now, AUGH IT IS CRUEL TO LEAVE US OFF ON THAT CLIFFHANGER (technically?)
I haven't gone through it all again yet, but I did notice the customization option!
Which has a glitch(?), if I save during it, then reload it, it changes from this (first image) to this? (last image)
Other than that, I must explore everything before coming to a proper conclusion, and also show this to my dog for his judgement (I got a little Rottweiler in between my last review and this one, the guys a BIG DOG now)
Yaay, I'm so, so glad you liked it ♥♥♥ I hope your cat and your dog will approve of it too hehe :))
The second image is the default pose for the Destroyer archetype, while the first is for the Seeker archetype and also the default pose when you open the customization screen for the first time. Are you playing a Destroyer MC? If not, I'll take a look to make sure that the saving + loading aren't messing with the code somehow. Either way, thank you for pointing that out! :))
Pets approved of it, keep it going!! (At the cost of fur between my keys)
But no, it just happens when I save while having the Seeker mc screen during the customization, then reload it anytime during the game or when on the main menu for some reason? I noticed this when I first opened the game, saved on the customization screen (for whatever reason, do not question me) then reloaded it and saw the Destroyer mc for some reason? ('Destroyer' was also under the Dragon commander title, if that helps!)
hahah ♥ Oooh, I see! It really helps, thanks! :))) I'll take a look ♥♥♥
There are so many things I enjoyed about this, things that had me yelling at the screen like I was at a football game. It had everything I wanted to read about a knight x king situation, including the inherent longing. I, personally, enjoyed making him kind(er) (something I don't often see with male protagonists) and my protagonist as burned as possible (for the DRAMA). They made choices I wouldn't have, like doing [redacted] but I still loved watching them face the consequences. I also loved the siblings. Both of them. So much.
Oh wait, is it completely done now?
R: depois de muito pensar, acho que posso dizer que MC, gosto do Mathias e tb de Mand, mas acho que a forma como podemos direcionar a historia, MC seria minha resposta.
R: fiz uma só rota, mas pelo meio do caminho quando tinha outra decisão, eu salvava pra jogar aquela opção e dps voltava a minha original
R: gosto muito, mas tem vezes em que o fundo é claro demais e doi a vista
R: como não houve uma revolta, mas ainda estou no ch03, of whispers and awakenings, entao nao sei se vai ter futuramente
I really genuinely love this game so much, and I love how well you can tailor things to make your own commander. It's an amazing game <3
Hello :) when will the new public version be out?
i love this way too much. it literally breathes life into me. been playing this game since i was 16 and im 19 rn and this game still settles my heart and makes me feel like a new me. i always play it as a reward after my examinations. i love the atmosphere in it, the feelings every character invokes in me, the music, everything is so lovely and touches me deeply. i always dedicate full nights to it, where i pull all nighters so that no disturbance is possible lmao. i love mathias, i love the queen, i love mel, i love mandra, curio, i love esma, i love helen and i have a feeling we'll get along fine with kastian, since we both love mel and want her safety. several times, i was brought to tears because of this game, throughout the years too lmao. i love this i love this i love this. thank you sm author i love u sm. creating literal art, im seriously in tears this is so beautiful
Just finished the demo and this is one of my favorite games on itcho i've played. I loved the art style. Amazing job and I look forward to the finished game and updates!!!
Pls make it available for android 🙏🏻🙏🏻
I'll work on the app version after ch04 is ready! ^^
I'm waaaaaay too invested in this and I want more!
Cara ficou incrível, direção de arte está ótima, e a escrita é praticamente perfeita, o mesmo vale pela escolha da trilha sonora, tudo combina perfeitamente, espero que todos envolvidos no projeto estejam orgulhosos, ficou lindo
Aaaaa muitooo obrigada! ♥♥♥ Fico sempre mega feliz de ver BR por aqui, muito obrigada por jogar e por deixar esse comentário lindo *-* ♥ Eu trabalho em LtGBtK sozinha (a Ursa em Percurso é uma dev de 1 mulher só auhsiuaehuh) então seu comentário fica ainda mais especial. ♥ Espero q vc goste dos próximos capítulos!
Ohh, this was amazing. <3 Does someone know what the paths are? Initially, I played a sarcastic type of character, then a really sweet and insecure one and then a hardass that was obsessed with discipline.
I really love the writing! I was super immersed and invested in the attention to detail. I really, really love the amount of effort going into the choices feeling consistent and varied. I really love how the lore and the world building builds on top of each other without breaking the flow of the narrative. I absolutely love the grayscale coloring as well, my eyes were practically dancing over the designs in the background and characters. It's awesome.
ngl matt be funky flustered mess and then something happens and the only clear thought in my head is 'daddy is daddying' LIKE WHEN WE YELLED AND HE MADE US KNEEL after the nightmare??????????? DAYMN.
anyways i loved it, mattie is my fav so far, i didnt try other paths, the pictures and aesthetic are fire and im sending all love well wishes and hopes for the update!
I am in LOVE with this game!!!
loved playing this!! can't wait for the next chapter to be released!!!
So so good!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just noticed a bug. After choosing my dragon commanders appearance in game, a short time later his appearance on the save menu where it usually shows is different from what I chose - he has a different nose & different jawline. Not sure why this happened?
Also, in the first part of the game, if you try to quicksave it gives an error and you need to rollback. Not sure at what point this stops but after Matt visits the dragon commander in their bedroom, the error no longer occurs.
Hi! Just wanted to report an error in the Windows version! It's during basically the first chapter, right after the talk with the Queen, the scene where you can help Mathias undress, it stops playing as this message pops up!
I'm sorry, but an uncaught exception occurred.
While running game code:
File "game/chapterOne.rpy", line 654, in script
label c1dulcereward:
File "game/chapterOne.rpy", line 654, in script
label c1dulcereward:
File "game/screens.rpy", line 1427, in execute
screen notify(message):
File "game/screens.rpy", line 1427, in execute
screen notify(message):
File "game/screens.rpy", line 1432, in execute
frame at notify_appear:
File "game/screens.rpy", line 1433, in execute
text "{font=GrenzeGotisch.ttf}{size=20}[mn1][message!tq][mn2]{/size}{/font}"
NameError: Name 'mn1' is not defined.
For me, it kicked me out and asked how I'd like to open .txt files.
Hihi! It should be fixed now. Thank you for reporting the bug, and I hope you'll enjoy the update ♥
Hi! Thank you for letting me know ;) Fixing it right now. I'll let you know once I upload the new build!
All right! It should be fixed now ;D Please update to the newest build, it should be up any second now. I hope you'll enjoy the update! ♥♥♥
omg I'm so sad this isn't playable on my phone. I just wanted to say it looks like a wonderful project and the premise sounds so great! ♥️
Just did my first run and even created an account, so far I'm impressed. I'll try a few different choices later, but so far choices have been frequent, made sense for the characters and didn't leave me wanting for different options, I'm a bit bummed about not being able to tell on Mandra, but oh well...
I don't mind the black and white aesthetic and the frequent art shots (scenes or whatcha call it) mere then make up for the lack of colour. I do want to point out that the art style is quite charming.
All in all a great VN! But If I could ask one thing, MC has long hair cos of the queen, will we be able to at some point chooses to cut it? Idk why that's the thing I'd love to see, but it is.
I just finished my first run, now to play it like 3 more times.
So i had been playing this game for about 5 hours and there was this choice i couldnt get no matter how many different choices i get it was the 'Be obedient' and i couldnt press it cause my MC was always to proud any tips would be great or i might spend the whole week fixated on this
Hi! Thank you so much for playing the game! I'm glad you're enjoying it. ^^ That scene at the end of CH02 changes a little bit depending on your MC's archetype/personality. That option only appears to the Ruler archetype. It's supposed to be always locked to show that your MC just can't bring themself to be obedient to Mathias (yet) hehe ^^ <3 There are similar options in the other routes too, but for different aspects of the MC's personality. If you want to play other archetypes, you can get the Seeker archetype (sweeter MC) from the first choices in the menus, while the Destroyer (outspoken MC) options are often in the middle. Each archetype has a different ending in CH02. :3
This is such an amazing story, i was sooo invested!! no wait, I AM so invested!!! like seriously the characters are amazing, the story is super interesting, the art is georgous!
Thank you soo much for your amazing work!!
I WAS SO SHOCKED WHEN BACHG PLAYED> THE SPECIFIC SONG IS SPECIAL TO ME
I NEED MANDRA RIFGHT NOW
me too bestie me too TT
GAHHH IT WAS AMAZINGG
i really hope that the second part of chapter 3 comes out :0 IT WAS JUST ALL TOO GOOD AAAAHGGHGHAGHGDGHS i'm gonna go feral
it's a really nice change from all of the Visual Novels i see! the posibility of choosing how you feel of most things, the incredible artwork, the way the story is seriously unique, it's all just too amazing!! The extra story was great too!! I honestly hope to see a future update :)
thank you for this incredibe Visual Novel!!
I made an account just so I could leave a comment lol, I really love this game and the character's you've created! I'm so excited to see where this goes in the future (though I'm very new to using itch.io so I literally have no idea how to navigate this site lmao). I love all the LGBTQ+ representation too, super nice to see :)
I was pleasantly surprised when I heard Gnossienne in your wonderful work. You have chosen the music perfectly for the story. The storytelling style, musical accompaniment and graphic performance are all very sophisticated and harmonize perfectly. Thank You for sharing your amazing work.
This was such an amazing game! I just kinda wish Mandra was a possible love interest lol. I am so excited for the other chapters/updates! I love the story and the angst so far. Thank you devs for creating such a lovely game <33
Thank you so much for playing! I'm glad you enjoyed it ♥ And I do have plans for Mand after this game, so I'm extra glad you liked them so much. >8))) It's just me, one dev, though haha
Oh my god, i really hope you're resting then! Don't pressurize urself for games especially because its just you, really surprised bc its an amazing game and doing it all by yourself is an accomplishment 😭 Thank you again, and really?? I'm so happy about the plan for Mand :D
This was a fun play! I really enjoyed it. I got a good little kick out of the use of "Battle of Trees" - Tori Amos instramental during the flashback of the feast before the war. it felt very fitting, and naturally, I had to go listen to the song on spotify after.
Aaa, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for playing. ♥♥♥ Oooh, and I didn't know that one! Now I'll have to listen to that song too, hehe. ♥ I'm using Erik Satie's Gnossienne; it's one of my faves!
Just played through a bunch of times and absolutely love the game! I can't wait to see what's next! Amazing job dev <
Thank you so much! I'm so happy you enjoyed it <3