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Bevel's Painting is a freeware horror exploration game for PC, made by Maninu in RPG Maker VX.

An artistic young girl named Bevel winds up inside one of her own paintings one day when she discovers the canvas is glowing. Inside, things look magical and fantastical, but things soon turn stranger. Everyone speaks a made-up language called "Bevelese." Bevel meets a girl who looks just like her, but with black hair instead of white; and the Other Bevel is rather insistent on not letting her escape. Memories surface in the form of the rooms that Bevel enters.

An English-translated version can be obtained here


Bevel's Painting contains examples of:

  • Action Survivor: Bevel. She can survive the dangers of the world by running, hiding, and throwing a mirror shard at the Reaper.
  • All Just a Dream: "Long Dream" implies that the adventure in the art world was a dream and nothing meaningful really happened.
  • All of the Other Reindeer: Implied with Bevel, who writes and paints about how others would ruin her art.
  • Ambiguous Clone Ending: Which Bevel is the real Bevel? The viewer will have to decide.
  • Ambiguous Ending: The endings that aren't Downer Endings or Shaggy Dog Stories seem pretty happy, but thinking about them twice raises some unsettling questions given that the endings affect each Bevel differently and that it's unclear which one is the real one.
  • Ambiguous Situation: In a similar vein to Yume Nikki, the story is implied and told through symbolism, with very little dialogue. As such, exactly what’s going on here is left to interpretation.
  • And Now for Someone Completely Different:
    • Played straight in "Bevel's Painting." Once Bevel gives the brush to her other self, you now play as her. She has a different inventory.
    • Subverted in "Dead Inside." When Bevel stabs the heart with scissors, she turns into the other Bevel, but keeps the items in her inventory.
  • Art Game: Bevel is an artist who ends up in the world that she painted. Her deep, dark memories are shown in the form of rooms.
  • Art Initiates Life: The white-haired Bevel is very likely a painting that came to life and wandered in the real world.
  • Awesome Moment of Crowning: In the first world, Bevel gets a coronation. It is soon forgotten unless you get "A Rousing Success."
  • Behind the Black: There's a switch in one room, but it's on the wall you can't see. If it's your first time playing, you're probably going to use the mirror shard to find the switch. Bevel should have seen the switch without having to use the mirror.
  • Big Bad: The other Bevel is Bevel's main obstacle in escaping the painting who seeks to kill her and keep her trapped. Exactly why, and what she is, is unclear.
  • Bittersweet Ending: Almost all of the endings that aren't Downer Endings have some element that prevents them from being truly happy.
  • Blackout Basement: To get the black paint, you have to cross a path full of Spikes of Doom. Once you grab the paint, the lights turn off, and you have to backtrack, only able to see a few steps around you.
  • Chekhov's Gun: Several items that seem to do little but progress the game turn out to affect what endings are available to you.
    • That mirror shard you got less than halfway through the game?
      • You need to throw it at the Reaper in order to have access to the best endings. Turns out you didn't need it to find the button that opened the trapdoor. Oops...
      • Alternately, you could have dropped it in the toy box in place of the scissors to get access to the worst endings.
    • The lit candle should be used in place of the black paint for the best endings. Alternately, you can hang onto it for one of the worst endings.
    • If you hold on to the scissors, you can get one of the worst endings.
    • The cloth can be acquired just a little past halfway. Combined with the cleaning fluid, which you get close to the end, you will have the ability to make a Last-Second Ending Choice that prevents the game from turning into a "Shaggy Dog" Story.
    • The empty bottle can be refilled after watering the plant and should be if you want access to the best endings.
    • Bevel's paintbrush can be given to the other Bevel to get the ending that gives you the code for the Secret Level.
  • Cruelty Is the Only Option:
    • You have to kill the pianist in the blue world to continue. It doesn't matter how.
    • Subverted in the Red World. You have to kill the other Bevel to get the black paint, but you can just use the candle instead of the black paint, so you don't have to kill the other Bevel.
  • Cypher Language: Bevelese uses symbols in place of letters. There's a file included with the download and a guide hidden in the Red World.
  • Dark and Troubled Past: Bevel's world shows what a terrible life she has had. She's implied to be a victim of bullying, and her parents are implied to be dead by her hands.
  • Disguised Horror Story: The game actually starts out rather lighthearted, with the painting world looking like a Sugar Bowl where cute bears serve meals and some invisible guy plays piano. Then you end up killing said guy, and the world turns hostile.
  • Down the Rabbit Hole: Bevel finds herself in her own painted world and must find her way out. Entering each world means no going back until the very end. If she makes it out in the end...
  • Downer Ending: Three of them are unambiguously bad: "And I'm Gone" has Bevel trap herself inside the art world, "Revenge" has her kill the other Bevel and her friends, and "Dead Inside" has her destroy her existence.
  • Earn Your Happy Ending: You have to go out of your way to avoid a "Shaggy Dog" Story because the game leads you to make choices that lead to the "Long Dream" or "Meaningless Illusion" endings.
  • Earn Your Bad Ending: As with Earn Your Happy Ending, you have to go out of your way to make the story turn bad, often by making cruel choices to progress.
  • Eldritch Location: Bevel's painted world doesn't seem so at first, but once Bevel tries to leave the feast, everything starts to chase her. Each new world she enters gets progressively darker.
  • Empty Shell: "Dead Inside," in which Bevel stabs the giant heart and then turns into her counterpart. This implies that black-haired Bevel is the real Bevel, and the white-haired Bevel is her now dead identity.
  • Escape Sequence: Near the end, Bevel has to run and hide from the Reaper a few times. There are several hiding spots, but they stop being effective as the game progresses.
  • Everything Trying to Kill You: Skulls, the other Bevel, and the Reaper will chase Bevel and kill her on touch or trigger traps. Even the bear chef chases her with lethal intent at one point!
  • Evil Laugh: The Reaper sometimes laughs maniacally before he chases you.
  • Evil Twin: Subverted. The other Bevel, while she does try to kill you, is not really evil. She's actually really nice if you talk to her on the way to the best endings. Double subverted in "Revenge," in which white-haired Bevel becomes evil and kills the other Bevel and her friends.
  • Golden Ending: Averted. Word of God says that none of the endings are true. Of course, some endings are obviously better than others.
  • Gory Discretion Shot: When Bevel kills the other Bevel and her friends in "Revenge", the screen fades to black as sound effects play out.
  • Gotta Catch Them All:
    • Several Chekhov's Guns that unlock the good endings.
    • The crayons in the Secret Level.
  • I Just Want to Have Friends: Bevel's writings imply that she has had a lonely past, and she would gladly befriend herself in "First and Last Friend".
  • Improbable Weapon User: Bevel uses a canvas scraper to kill the other Bevel and her friends in "Revenge."
  • Jump Scare: Several appear throughout the game. The Reaper in particular likes to appear out of nowhere before giving chase.
  • Kill It with Fire:
    • A girl is seen hanging over a huge fire.
    • "And I'm Gone" ends with Bevel lighting her painting on fire, forever trapping her in the painted world.
  • Konami Code: A cheat code that resembles the Konami Code can be entered at the title screen to access the secret level.
  • Laser-Guided Karma: Killing the other Bevel to get the black paint locks out the good endings.
  • Let the Past Burn: "And I'm Gone." Bevel burns down her painting, destroying her entire painted world and trapping her in it. It is implied that the Bevel you're playing is actually the representation of her past, as is the world she painted.
  • Living Memory: White-haired Bevel is Implied to be the memories of the black-haired Bevel, and she can interact with other people in the real world besides her.
  • Mood Whiplash: Several; a particularly notable one in "A Rousing Success," in which Bevel is chased by the Reaper, the other Bevel, and the bear chef, and then she finds herself in a white void. Then she gets cornered by the Reaper and the other Bevel, but it turns out that they are the rabbit and fairy from the beginning, and they have prepared a feast for her.
  • Multiple Endings: There are nine of them, and Word of God says none of them are true. There is also a tenth ending, which is achieved in the Secret Level.
    • Long Dream: The easiest ending to get. Achieved by exiting through the shed without the lit candle in possession. Bevel comes out of her painting absolutely exhausted.
    • Meaningless Illusion: The second easiest ending to get. Achieved by exiting through the dirty door (or the clean door if you ignored other Bevel). Bevel enters and exits a locker. She is back in the real world, completely exhausted.
    • A Rousing Success: This and the above endings are the only ones that can be achieved in more than one branch. Achieved by exiting the clean door without ever seeing the other Bevel. Bevel gets chased by various enemies and enters a white door, leading to a blank space. After some time, the Reaper and the other Bevel appear and corner her, but then they lead her to a banquet and turn into the bunny and fairy from the beginning.
    • And I'm Gone: A Downer Ending. Achieved by dropping the mirror shard in the toy box, getting the black paint, exiting through the shed, and burning the painting. Bevel burns away her painting, along with herself and the world she painted. The ending screen shows that the painting Bevel entered has disappeared from the real world.
    • Dead Inside: Another Downer Ending. Achieved by dropping the mirror shard in the toy box, using the candle to get to the Black World, exiting through the fireplace, and stabbing the heart with scissors. Bevel turns into her counterpart and walks away, and the camera pans to the bleeding heart.
    • Revenge: A Downer Ending that is in the same branch as the good endings. Achieved by going through the four doors, ignoring the other Bevel, and leaving through the dirty door. Bevel gets a canvas scraper, returns to the real world, and kills the other Bevel and her friends.
    • First and Last Friend: A good ending. Achieved by going through the four doors and saying "right" when the other Bevel asks if they are friends. The Bevels make a toast to a new painting. Whether they are in the real world or the painting world is left ambiguous.
    • The Real Me: One of the best endings, and one of the two that actually shows the credits. Achieved by going through the four doors, saying "wrong" when the other Bevel asks if they are friends, and leaving through the clean door. White-haired Bevel tells black-haired Bevel that they are one and the same, and they merge. Bevel escapes through the canvas and finds herself in the real world, surrounded by her friends.
    • Bevel's Painting: One of the best endings, and one of two that actually shows the credits. After the credits, you are given the code to begin the Secret Level. Achieved by going through the four doors and giving the other Bevel your brush. Black-haired Bevel returns to the real world and paints a picture of white-haired Bevel.
    • Meeting: The ending of the Secret Level. Clearly a direct continuation of "Bevel's Painting." White-haired Bevel runs out of the painting and into black-haired Bevel's bedroom, while black-haired Bevel is watching.
  • Mystical White Hair: The playable Bevel. It's implied that she's not the real Bevel, but one of Bevel's paintings come to life.
  • Oh, Crap!: Bevel's reaction when the Reaper shows up when she puts the torn picture back together or she leaves after looking in the mirror and finding the shed key. Also in "A Rousing Success," in which Bevel finds herself cornered by the Reaper and the other Bevel. It's shown by her backing away or putting her hands on her head.
  • One-Hit-Point Wonder: Running into Spikes of Doom or being touched in a chase will get you killed immediately.
  • Point of No Return: Every time you go into another world, there is no going back.
  • Portal Picture: The painting that Bevel goes through in the beginning sends her into an art world.
  • Red Eyes, Take Warning: The hostile skull, the other Bevel (sometimes), and the Reaper have red eyes and will try to kill Bevel.
  • Secret Level: After getting "Bevel's Painting", you are given a code that will begin the secret level. It seems to be a direct continuation of the aforementioned ending, and completing it will result in a new ending.
  • Self-Made Orphan: Implied on the path to the good endings. The pianist that had to be killed to progress is implied to be Bevel's mom, and the Reaper is implied to be Bevel's dad, whom Bevel killed by throwing a mirror shard.
  • "Shaggy Dog" Story: "Long Dream" and "Meaningless Illusion," the two endings most likely to be achieved, end with Bevel returning to the real world, completely exhausted. Not much is revealed about her in these playthroughs.
  • Shout-Out: The bonus level has one to Minecraft (Bevel turning into a Creeper) and Touhou Project (Bevel wearing Marisa's dress).
  • Spikes of Doom: Particularly in the Red World, the floor may be made of retractable spikes that go off in intervals or are triggered by buttons.
  • Wham Episode: The end of the second area is when the game starts getting creepy.
  • Too Dumb to Live: In the spiked path to the black paint, there's a cracked section of floor. You're obviously not supposed to go there.

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