PENTHOS is out now!
Hello everyone, thanks so much for your enthusiasm and support! We're happy to announce Penthos is complete and finished, and is available for free download on the game's Itch.io page: https://cruelhouse.itch.io/penthos
PENTHOS - Original Visual Novel
Project Overview
“In the light I had worked so long to fill the vacancy,
now in darkness, I began to lose myself.”
Something’s wrong in the mountain town of Walpole. For the third time in ten days, a family has been murdered, and the police are powerless to stop it. Agnes is a regular high schooler who just wants to stay out of harm’s way, but her best friend Byrne has taken matters into his own hands. When he declares a vigilante investigation into finding the killer ravaging their town, both Agnes, Byrne and their friends – fashionista Yumi, stoner Guro, and pint-sized powerhouse Axel – will be pulled into a downward spiral of murder, betrayal, hidden truths… and revelations that will change their lives, and their town, forever.
WHAT IS PENTHOS?
Penthos is a full length, original visual novel horror/thriller that tells the story of a high school clique affected by a mysterious murder in their town. Over the course of the game, players will meet our main cast of friends, learn more about the town’s history, and chase clues as they come closer to finding out the identity of the Walpole Killer.
Penthos will be produced in the Ren’Py visual novel engine, and is expected to be about 4 hours long if played in one sitting.
WHO ARE WE?
We are Cruelhouse! To be more specific, we’re Sem and Noah. Sem is a screenwriter, and Noah is an artist/animator/character designer. We’re lifelong best friends who have grown side-by-side as creatives, and Penthos will be our first full-length original production together.
To be even more specific, we’re at the beginning of our independent creative career – Sem has just graduated college, while Noah will be graduating this year. After 4 years of creative growth and smaller projects, we’re excited to be working on our first ‘real’ production – and we hope you’ll join us on this adventure!
THE PURPOSE OF PENTHOS
We have one clear motivation when it comes to making Penthos – we are hungry to tell an original, exciting, moving story. We’ve crafted this story over the past 6 months, putting our full heart and soul into it, and can’t wait to share it with the world. We’ve chosen to make a visual novel because it not only combines our two passions – writing and art – making for a wonderful combination, but also because it is an easily accessible art form with a dedicated fanbase.
For full discretion, there’s another big reason why we’re making Penthos: pride. As said before, we are the beginning of our career, and our strong desire to have something to be proud of – to say, this our style, our words, our look – is a very important driving force behind this production.
For these reasons (and others), we do not plan to sell Penthos for a price, and plan to release it to the public for free, in the hopes of reaching the widest audience possible.
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR
We’re making a visual novel, and we want YOU! Do you recognize yourself in this description?
- You are over 18 years old
- You have a quality microphone set-up (preference will be given to performers with an XLR microphone, though USB users are still encouraged to audition)
- You’re passionate about storytelling as an art form
- You are okay with receiving no compensation (see ‘disclaimer’ for more)
- You, like us, want to be part of something original and exciting!
DISCLAIMER
As ambitious are we are with this production, we have to admit – we are not a company. We put as much time into this project as we can, and truly mean to craft something special, but outside of it, we are still young college guys with jobs and only a few resources at our disposal. For these reasons, we will not be able to offer compensation (as in payment) for the time you put into our project. As mentioned before, Penthos is a passion project, one that will not make any money for us either (in fact, it only costs us money). We feel it’s important to be transparent with you about this, because at the end of the day, we just want to be proud of what we’re making. Thank you for your understanding.
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Latest Updates
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Over 100 auditions!
Hello everyone, just wanted to give a quick thank you for over 100 auditions! We've gotten to hear some incredible voice acting so far, so thanks everyone for auditioning. For our current and future auditionees, we're waiting on making our definitive choices till our deadline of August 1st, mainly because we'd like to gather the widest variety of talent possible. So if you're still waiting to audition, no rush! And if you have... just a little more patience ;) -
Thank you all!!
We've only been up for 24~ hours and we've already gotten crazy many auditions!! Just wanted to give a big thank you to everyone who's auditioned. You're all incredibly talented, so we can already see plenty of tough decisions coming our way August 1st!! Either way, thanks so much for auditioning. You have no idea how much it means to us. Have a wonderful weekend!
Voice Actor
AGNES
closed
Unpaid
Role assigned to:
RubyJCat
Agnes is an unassuming but nevertheless good-natured shrinking violet. She's always been different from the rest, but could never quite articulate why-- but when she gets pulled into the world of vigilante justice by her friend, conspiracy theorist Byrne, she will discover a whole new side to her town - and herself - she never knew before.
Agnes is the lead character of Penthos and appears in every scene. We envision her as being a kind-hearted, simple girl, who usually finds comfort in disappearing into the background, but has now been pulled into more action than she bargained for.
For her voice, we're looking for a lighter voice, one that sounds kind and reserved, almost meek.
[She's brought cupcakes to school as a surprise. Her friend Byrne questions her on the purpose of this.]
You don’t always have to bake for a reason, you know? Sometimes it’s just fun! It’s probably a better use of your time than those crime forums you’re always on.[After a tough challenge, Agnes tries to rouse Byrne with a speech, though she's not much of a natural speaker.]
BYRNE: Agnes, I... I don't mean to get you in trouble.
I know that. But this is on my own accord. You were right. This won't stop until someone captures the person responsible. And the police won't do anything, they don't know how. They need us, Byrne. They... they need you.
[These are the snippets that will be used as sound effects to accompany text in-game. Feel free to try with any inflection or even improvise!]
"Huh?"
"Ha!"
"What the...?"
"Aaalriiiight..."
Voice Actor
YUMI
closed
Unpaid
Role assigned to:
Ariana Rosario
Yumi is the fashion queen of Walpole - though it doesn't take much to earn that title in a town full of cargo shorts and white tees. With an impeccable eye for styles and colors, Yumi's the 'it' girl of her high school, but don't let her status fool you: she's still a kind-hearted, honest girl, and what matters most to her is her friends.
Throughout the story, Yumi's insecurities will be laid bare, as she struggles to keep her friend group together when tension splits them up. These events will not only put pressure on her beloved group... but on herself as well.
For Yumi, we welcome both lighter and deeper interpretations, as long as the voice is lively and theatrical. Though a regular American like the rest, Yumi tends to talk in a more posh fashion, so feel free to affect a light British tone if it feels right for your portrayal.
[Yumi accepts a compliment and returns the positive energy.]
Thank you, darling! You know, perhaps after school, I can give you some pointers on your own outfit. When it comes to fashion, preparation is key.[Yumi takes on a mediator role as she tries to talk Byrne down from going too crazy with his pursuit of justice.]
It's truly alright, dear. It's fine that you want justice, but no need to trouble others with it. It's a lesson we've now learned, all is good![These are the snippets that will be used as sound effects to accompany text in-game. Feel free to try with any inflection or even improvise!]
"Delightful!""Oh, dear..."
"A-ha~"
"Beg your pardon?"
Voice Actor
AXEL
closed
Unpaid
Role assigned to:
ReignOfTiramiZu
Axel is the so-called 'angry inch' of the group - the smallest, and subsequently the loudest. Axel's social etiquette might not be up to par, but they wear their heart on their sleeve. They're quick to run out of patience, but from their perspective, they simply just don't have time for the idiots of this world.
In the story of Penthos, Axel is the most critical of Agnes and Byrne's misadventures, and while not actively trying to put a stop to it, they make their feelings about the situation known - well known. Throughout the story, their already short fuse will be put to the test as tensions rise.
Axel is non-binary, and for that reason we welcome male, female and NB auditionees, though we would prefer to cast a non-binary performer. As for the voice, we'd prefer someone with a naturally light voice, trying to achieve a more rough and tough sound, to fit with Axel's character of putting on a tough front. Feel free to play around with your tone and push it if it feels right.
[Axel leads a party given at their house with an iron fist.]
Alright, wuss patrol, listen up. I am the ruler of this domain, hereby I decree: 12-inch anchovies, 14-inch barbecue chicken, 16-inch pepperoni! Got a problem with it, cry harder.[Someone has pushed Axel's buttons by policing their impolite tone...]
And what the fuck is that supposed to mean? I think I'll react however the fuck I want to react.[These are the snippets that will be used as sound effects to accompany text in-game. Feel free to try with any inflection or even improvise!]
"Ha!"
"God damn..."
"Whatever."
"Seriously!?"
Voice Actor
MS. FLORES
closed
Unpaid
Role assigned to:
Mish
Poor, poor Vera Flores. A fine and upstanding member of the community, she's recently fallen into tragedy. Her beloved sons have been murdered, and though she tries to keep up a strong face, this pain eats at her. Over the course of Penthos' story, she tries to heal from this unfortunate incident, but certain events will push her to her breaking point... and beyond.
Ms. Flores is in her early 40's, and a single mother. For her voice, we're open to multiple interpretations, be they deep and husky, or light and softer. What's most important is that you have a voice that can sound friendly and reassuring - but can also convey the heartbreak and raw emotion of a mother who has lost everything.
[An encounter with two friendly faces who try their best to skirt around her tragedy, hoping not to treat Ms. Flores as a victim-- she can tell they're dancing around it.]
You two are sweet. I'm just happy to see you kids again, all grown up... and together now, too. Ha, just teasing! Well, I must be off. Perhaps we'll see each other again soon.[In the midst of her downward spiral, an unwanted visitor has pushed Ms. Flores to the point of hysterics.]
Go, away with you! Just leave me alone! You... you haunt me! Everyone always... asking me questions... TORTURING ME! JUST! LEAVE ME! ALONE![These are the snippets that will be used as sound effects to accompany text in-game. Feel free to try with any inflection or even improvise!]
"Hm."
"Well..."
"Oh!"
Voice Actor
HELENA
closed
Unpaid
Helena is Walpole's local enigmatic wanderer, a mysterious soul who comes and goes as she pleases. You may find her at the cemetery, the woods, but rarely ever at school - where she's supposed to be. Though seemingly good-natured, she has a bit of a self-centered edge, and it's tough to tell if her kindness is true or just a surface-level front.
In the story of Penthos, Helena is only a friend-of-a-friend of our protagonist Agnes, and comes off as aloof and somewhat vindictive. She has a bone to pick with Agnes' friend Byrne, and when Agnes gets involved with his vigilante pursuits, she unknowingly steps into Helena's crosshairs.
For her voice, we imagine a deeper, rougher voice. Helena presents herself as something of a punk-rock figure, like Patti Smith or Stevie Nicks.
[Agnes and Byrne's investigation has brought them to the cemetery, Helena's turf, and she can't pass up an opportunity to press their buttons.]
What, you own the cemetery? I like it here. It's quiet. I'm more curious about what brings you two here. Has Sherlock finally managed to recruit some unwilling soul as his Watson? Or am I interrupting a first date?[Byrne has crossed a line and pushed a friend of Helena's too far. She takes her aggression out on Agnes, his 'accomplice'.]
That idiot... I'm going to tear him limb from limb, I swear! And you. Covering his ass this whole time. Enabling him. Why can't you two just leave it alone!?AGNES: Helena, enough!
Or what!? Gonna grow a spine for once!? Or are you just gonna keep pulling the "shrinking violet" bullshit!? You're just as bad as he is! Just OWE UP TO IT!
[These are the snippets that will be used as sound effects to accompany text in-game. Feel free to try with any inflection or even improvise!]
"Hmph."
"Ha!"
"Tch..."
"I see."
Voice Actor
GURO
closed
Unpaid
Role assigned to:
Caleb-VA
Guro is... well, Guro. To be more specific, Guro is the quiet, reserved one of the group. He barely ever speaks in sentence longer than a single word, but nevertheless, he's still a valued friend, and values his friends in turn.
In the story of Penthos, Guro once again takes a backseat to the action, but the events that take place will push him out of his shell... and maybe not in the best way.
For Guro, we imagine a deeper, monotone voice. Guro's under the influence of certain narcotics, so he might speak a bit slower.
[Short, off-hand, straight to the point.]
I don't want you guys at my house.[In a rare moment of honesty, Guro has to speak his mind, and it's not exactly his strong suit.]
She's right. All I have is you guys. This group is the only thing giving me comfort. I don't want to lose... this. Lose you.[These are short snippets meant to be used as sound effects for the shorter lines, but in Guro's case, they're the majority of his dialogue.]
"Sure."
"Okay."
"No."
"Hey."
Voice Actor
MOM
closed
Unpaid
Agnes' doting mother, a pillar of warmth and support. No matter how difficult things get, Agnes can always rely on her loving parents to cheer her up... even if they get a little too lovey-dovey sometimes.
For her voice, we're looking for an older, warm and theatrical sound.
[Agnes returns home in the afternoon...]
There you are, sweet pea! You left early this morning, we didn't even get to see you!AGNES: Sorry, mom. Byrne wanted to show me something.
Byrne? You mean the sweaty boy who talks about the moon landing?
[Mom and dad have woken Agnes in the early morning, as a posse waits for her outside. Dad's a bit pushy with his wake-up call...]
Calm down, honey. Don't scare Agnes, she's just woken up! Sweet pea, your friends are waiting outside. Do you think you're ready to see them?[These are the snippets that will be used as sound effects to accompany text in-game. Feel free to try with any inflection or even improvise!]
"Sweet pea!"
"Heavens..."
"Oh, my!"
Voice Actor
DAD
closed
Unpaid
Mom and dad are a team, though dad tends to take a backseat. He's of a proto-typical masculine mindset, but still loves his 'sweet pea' Agnes more than anything in the world.
For his voice, we're looking for a rougher, deeper sound. Think J.K. Simmons or Richard McGonagle.
[Agnes is telling her parents about Byrne, her conspiracy theorist friend.]
Huh. Well, if he's your type...AGNES: Dad! It's not like that! He saw a ditch or something. Thinks it's a crash site for a meteor.
Youthful imagination. Don't you just miss it?
[Agnes feigns ignorance to her parents about certain events that have been happening. Dad falls for it.]
Man alive... this town's really gone to Hell, huh?MOM: Honey!
Right, sorry. Gone to Heck.
[These are the snippets that will be used as sound effects to accompany text in-game. Feel free to try with any inflection or even improvise!]
"Sweet pea!"
"Come again?"
"What in the..."
Voice Actor
BYRNE
closed
Unpaid
Role assigned to:
itsthepinoyboy
Due to an overabundance of auditions we have decided to close this role up. All cast roles will be announced after the deadline. Thank you for your participation!
[Someone has just made fun of Byrne's penchant for online conspiracy "crime" forums.]
Hey! For your information, it’s not just crime. It’s all things investigation. Mysterious sightings, unexplainable phenomena, creatures from beyond this world... Don’t you ever think about all the things we don’t know?[A visit to a graveyard has brought out a more melancholy side of Byrne.]
Whole lives reduced to a shared plot and a cheap plaque. Doesn't it ever make you upset? I mean, look at this place. There must be hundreds of graves here. All those people... this is all they're left as. It's just... it's inhuman. That's what it is.[These are the snippets that will be used as sound effects to accompany text in-game. Feel free to try with any inflection or even improvise!]
"A-ha!"
"I see..."
"Unbelievable!"
"I knew it!"
"No way...!"
Music Composer
Music Composer
open
Unpaid
As stated before, our main goal in making this project is to put our heart and soul into a full narrative production, to have something to prove ourselves as storytellers and creatives. However, there's one talent we lack, and that's a music composer.
We would like to work with a composer with similar ideals as ours, who is looking to work on a passion project where they can express themselves creatively, and to make something they can be proud of. However, we also recognize that scoring a full-length visual novel can be a consuming exercise. We hope to work closely together on how we can make this project a realistically obtainable goal for all involved. Through further discussion, we will work out how many minutes of music would be required for this project, and how much you're willing to produce for us.
We apologize for the inconvenience of having no budget for what is a major part of a major project. To compensate for this, we'd like to allow you to compose as you please, just as we've written and designed this project to fit our own talents. As said, we just want something to be proud of, and we hope the soundtrack for Penthos will serve the same purpose for you.
Say something you think would fit
Comments
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