A Handful of Dust
A downloadable game for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android
A Handful of Dust features mature themes and includes scenes of violence, sex, and gore, along with the sounds of gunfire. Therefore, it is not suitable for all audiences. Please only play if you are 18 years or older.
There is shadow under this red rock,
(Come in under the shadow of this red rock),
And I will show you something different from either
Your shadow at morning striding behind you
Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you;
I will show you fear in a handful of dust.
T.S. Eliot, The Waste Land
Eight years ago, a plague decimated the world, turning all who contracted it into mindless, violent monsters. Now, people remain in walled-off quarantine zones, barely scraping by in the cities where they once thrived. Callum Abernathy, assigned to a wintry perimeter patrol with his old friend Mace Camus, ventures out into the overgrown ruins of Huntington, West Virginia. Together in the wasteland, they reminisce about the past, think about the present, and dream about their future– if it even exists.
A Handful of Dust is a one-off furry visual novel. Please note the content warning above before playing.
Writing, music, and coding by shiroooo.
Art by Harmonious.
Logo and Wordmark by Syktur.
Editing by Kopten, arSyx, and Eymon.
The soundtrack for A Handful of Dust is available for listening and free download on Bandcamp here.
Melbourne Queer Games Festival 2024 Shortlist
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Development log
- AHoD 1.1 Release + Big ThanksAug 26, 2024
Comments
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Short and sweet! I finished this in one sitting, I have to say a bear main character is not something you see a lot, and the romance was super lovely for the short length of the VN
this went so HARD with the visuals <3 10/10 :D
I recently started reading this VN and I absolutely love it! A bear MC is such a fresh choice 10/10!
Hello！I'm coming to ask if I can translate your work into Chinese.It will not be used for commercial purposes.Just to share your fantastic work with more furry-loving people.I'm looking forward to getting a reply from you whether you permit it or not.PLEASE！ ヽ(｡･ω･｡)
Possibly my FVN of the year. The wordplay and structure are amazing. And the touching soundtrack deserves more attention. Don't miss it.
I really like the art style, and thoroughly enjoyed the story. Left me wanting to read more about the guys and wishing them the best
excellent game! posted a review on my website: https://purkka.fi/fvn_recs.html#a-handful-of-dust
is this a finished project? how many words does it have?
this is a finished one-off project; think of it like a short story. There is a continuation in the works, however. It's about 15000 words in length.
thanks!
best new vn this year so far, with a survival love story which is rare
i liked what the character looks like, hope to see more
Sounds fire, i'll play it in a bit.
This was WAY better than sliced bread
Getting a lot of What a Day That Was vibes from this...
Incredible game, great art and story.
That was a very enjoyable read! I was very engrossed in the bits of information going on in the background, such as whatever happened to Layne and what kind of relationship she and Mace had.
(Spoilers)
The one issue I have with it is the pacing of the sex scene between Callum and Mace. They've known each other for years, are close enough that Cal was essentially living with Mace's family at one point after being kicked out, I assume nothing sexual had ever happened between them either, yet there are only two lines acknowledging how monumental this moment will be for their relationship, and Callum's feelings towards it happening.
I assume that's partly due to being a one off, and feeling limited about how much time should be dedicated to that moment between them, which I definitely understand. But given the story is so character driven, I feel like it could've benefited a lot from slowing down and really getting into what that moment means for the two of them.
Mace was a really charming guy! And I loved the art, especially the piece of Mace as he's about to use his shotgun.
I had no idea this visual novel was in the works, from my perspective, it kinda just showed up out of nowhere two hours ago, so I went in with no expectations and it did not disappoint, if anything, it left me wanting more.
Great job, definitely worth a read and a recommendation.
thank you for reading! I'm very glad you enjoyed the VN! And thanks for the critique, I really appreciate that.