Best Friends
A downloadable game for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android
Chapter 4 IS NOW FREE
Chapters 1 - 4 are now totally free, here on Itch.
Newly patched and fixed version.
Two Geordie lads prepare for the next chapter of life as they finish school and head to university but one has been keeping a big secret from his best mate. Will their friendship be tested when the secret is uncovered? Watch the story unfold through the eyes of either friend in this adult visual novel that may be light on game play but is heavy on story. Play through the first 4 chapters for free here on itch.
Want more Friends? Get the very latest chapter (Chapter 7 part one) right now plus other content on my Patreon page and help support the development further. As a solo indie developer your support however big or small is massively appreciated.
Chapter 6 is out now and includes all the previous chapters.
Get Chapter 6 here: Best Friends Chapter 6
Get Chapter 7 part one right now at
https://www.patreon.com/FaenonEnt
Download
Click download now to get access to the following files:
Development log
- Fixed and Patched26 days ago
- Chapter 546 days ago
- Chapter 4Dec 14, 2024
- Christmas WallpapersNov 28, 2024
- More Typo fixes and added AndroidNov 12, 2024
- Fixed typosNov 10, 2024
- Added opacity sliderNov 09, 2024
- Chapter 3 is now FREE!Nov 08, 2024
Comments
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5 March 2025 - Newly fixed and patched version is available. This version was the result of a thorough end to end review, see dev log for details.
I've just finished chapter four and I'd like to say that I've enjoyed it. I liked the new characters from the university especially Lucy.
There's a bug where when you first meet Yuna she calls the mc Emma even if you are using a custom name.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Lucy is an interesting character for sure. Thanks also for reporting the bug. I've fixed it. I've actually been going through a thorough end to end test as I prepare for the Steam release. Fixed a few other things. Sometime soon I'll release a patched version that will include fixes for all the bugs, grammar and spelling mistakes I found. In that version you will see the fix, good spot.
Good to hear about the bug fixes and happy to help any little way I can.
Cool to hear that you're bringing the game to Steam. Is it a big process?Have you thought of bringing the game to GOG aswell?
Lucy is so cute and I really like her with the mc. Hopefully they decide to become girlfriends later in the story. Michael is a great guy and supportive friend. Maybe he'll find his own girlfriend as well or should he stay single in school is interesting.
Yeah the Steam process is pretty involved, I've set up the store page now though, it's in the review process and done a trailer (there's a link on this page to it), next steps are the polishing activities I'm going through right now and then removing any references to Patreon (Steam doesn't like those). Should have it up there in a few weeks if all goes to plan.
I've not heard great things from other devs about GOG tbh, maybe I've been listening to the wrong folks. Not ruling it out just yet but there are no plans at the moment.
You can find out the answers to those questions in chapters 5 and 6 that are out now :)
I'm looking forward to them. I usually like to get my games from GOG whenever I can. The only bad things I've heard is that they can be slow getting back with devs. What else have you heard?
Just that the process is pretty slow and the effort you need to put in is not always worth it. Itch is a pretty straightforward process, while Steam has by far and away the biggest reach, so that's why I've been focused on those two platforms and my Patreon of course.
So who do you play as?
Hello just wanted you to know that I’m a free member on your patreon page and I haven’t received any message about updates just found out chapter 4 is free and ch5 is out. Not sure if only paid members gets updates from you or not. I know on all other free patreon pages I get notifications. Hope you’re doing well take care.
Hi there. Almost all of the posts I put out on Patreon are not locked. The only ones that are restricted to paid members are the content updates that those tiers pay for. The weekly progress update for the last couple of weeks talks about my plans for making Chapter 4 free and also trying to get Chapter 5 on here. I'm not sure if the notification system that there has been a post is not working, or more likely I've not set it up correctly, I will look into that, thanks for bringing it to my attention.
no problem I seen your release on the most recent page on itcho. So I decided to check it out. Thanks for the free update. ;)
No worries, enjoy it, I had a lot of fun with that chapter and so did the two protags :). I think I know the issue. I checked the notifications setting and it is toggled on. What I didn't do, which I should have, was put out a post announcing this, as I said it was buried inside the weekly status updates. Lesson learned in future to make a seperate post.
really really good.
Thank you so much, glad you enjoyed it. Chapter 5 was completed and released yesterday on my Patreon page: www.patreon.com/FaenonEnt
Happy New Year folks. Thank you so much for all the interest and support for development of my little game here. May 2025 be a prosperous and successful one for you all.
I really enjoyed playing chapter 4. How often are updates.
I put out updates every month around the 10th. Each chapter is about 2 updates long. Chapter 5 part one is available now on my patreon page Patreon Link
Chapter 3 is now FREE :)
Hello, do you plan make android version too?
That's something I have been asked a few times. I need to do a little research on how to do it and be able to test it too. My focus has been on developing the storyline but this port is absolutely on my to do list, when I get a minute I will dedicate some time to it.
This is available now.
That was so damn cute! Do you have like a plan for how often you can update or is it a thing of slowly working on it when you get a spark of inspiration?
Also, I've only really played Michael's story so far. But I'm guessing they'll be rather interlinked throughout? I hope you keep it rather linear, for your own sake haha You'll have to write soo much more the more choices you make. At least if those choices are supposed to significantly change things. Choices to skip scenes or whatever would be fine.
I appreciate you taking the time to download and play through Herach and thanks for the kind words.
Chapter 3 is already done and dusted and available on Patreon. I've actually already completed the full story arch, it's not fully scripted yet but the real time consuming part is the rendering. My lofty aims are to get an update of around a third or a half a chapter out each month to Patreon with a final story size of around 8 - 10 chapters, depending on how I chose to break it up.
Yea,h you may be right on the choice based approach. Like I mentioned in the other post, I have been tossing it around in my mind. I do think it's important though if I go down that route that I do it properly and not just create choices which close off content if you pick the wrong one. One day I think it's a great idea next day it's stupid, WTF am I thinking :)
I would encourage playing both routes if you have the time, you will get a fair bit of extra content that way. It's kinda like choices really. I guess I've already created that bed to lie in :)
A shameless plug for chapter 3, the total file size is 2.1gb, for this version it is 740mb, so you are getting double the content you seen so far.
Yeah I've heard that rendering's a bitch! But those are some rather lofty goals! I hope you've got the time to fulfil them, but take the time you need of course. I just hope it'll turn out well because these first chapters set up a lot of promise!
Oh yeah, you do you. I won't complain about getting more content haha but tell your story the way you want to tell it, no matter what. I did check out both perspectives, and will keep doing so for the other chapters, but as a cis person with little personal experience in this topic, apart from meeting people at parties and such, I feel like I most relate with Michael. So It'll probably be the side I'll keep playing first whenever every chapter comes out.
The shameless plug is warranted and I'll consider it! It's pretty damn tempting!
Thanks Herach.
I was learning on the job rendering out chapter 2, some of my early renders really showed that. Actually I re-rendered practically all of chap 2 because of a few issues that cropped up early on. The first thing I learned was that switching to AMD before starting this was a huge mistake, only when I sold a kidney (just kidding :)) and bought a 4080 Super did rendering times get down to a respectful level.
I understand that, I think that's why I went with the multiple paths route, because some folks want to identify with one role over the other, so you have the choice.
Hi Everyone,
Thanks for visiting my page. Would love to hear your feedback, I will try to answer as much as I possibly can.
I just played the Jon route and want to say I enjoyed the story so far. I'm usually not one for kinetic novels but that story was pretty well done. I really like how supportive the sister and best friend are.
I would love for meaningful choices to be a thing after chapter 2 because I feel like the linear way the story is laid out serves well for an introduction to the side characters and the college story going forward.
Male protagonist games aren't really something I look for in adult visual novels but the friend was done well enough that I might redo the story from his perspective.
Going forward will the focus be on Jon's story? I ask that because it seems like it'll be the most interesting. Will there be meaningful choices once the pair make it to college? What girls will Jon meet in college and will any of them be the online friends that were mentioned?
Thank you so much for the kind words and above all taking the time to download a play through. You've hit on an internal debate I had, had through the initial development in terms of offer player choices. I initially as you rightly observed went for a linear path, similar to VN's like Steins Gate. I am open to change to a more choice based approach as the story develops however, it's really not a lot of extra coding/redering, I just don't want to do it half arsed. Chapter 3 is still very much linear, I'm in the middle of developing Chap 4 (when they eventually get themselves off to Uni :)) and have a few ideas regarding choices, I'm very much leaning towards that approach.
I would totally recommend playing both routes if you have the time, there are different scenes unique to both characters and give you a little more insight into the supporting characters too.
Once again thank you so much for the feedback, you've certainly pushed me further down a course that I agree with you will enhance the story, as long as I can do justice to it.
Edit: Forgot to answer your question on Jon's girls. I have love interests planned for both characters, you'll meet some in Chapter 3 and a lot more in Chapter 4, that's all I can tell you right now :)