Revision 2

Relationships are central to both the cozy and the sinister sides of Grave Seasons. Getting close to the townsfolk is how the player embeds into Ashenridge, and it is also how the player gets close enough to the truth to find the killer.

Building Trust

Finding a serial killer is no easy task. To do so, the player completes quests for the townsfolk and builds up their trust. Stronger relationships open up the social side of the town and are tied to the investigation, since trusted residents are easier to learn about.

A task board in town also lets the player trade gathered goods for currency, alongside the quests handed out directly by residents. See Characters for the residents the player can get to know.

Gifts

Building friendships uses the familiar farming-sim convention of gift giving. Crops, cooked dishes, and crafted items can all be offered to townsfolk to raise their opinion of the player, with some characters reacting positively to specific items and tastes.

Romance

In classic farming sim fashion, the player can romance townsfolk. The player character is customizable, including choosing their gender, and romance options are part of life in Ashenridge alongside farming and investigating. The named cast has a wide spread of pronouns, with several she/her, he/him, and they/them characters all eligible to be pursued.

Romancing The Killer

Because the killer is one of the townsfolk and is drawn randomly from a subset of the named cast each playthrough, a romance candidate may turn out to be the murderer. The game openly supports this: the player can romance the killer, whether by accident or on purpose. This ties the relationship system directly into The Murder Mystery, since pursuing someone romantically does not put them above suspicion. Romance interests can also be killed during the run if the player fails to protect them.