Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 1 (click to see context) from:
[[redirect:VisualNovels/ItLives]]
to:
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 1,116 (click to see context) from:
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_8127.PNG]]
-->[[ArcWords ''We all play together.'']]
''It Lives In The Woods'' is one of many stories from Pixelberry’s VisualNovel/ChoicesStoriesYouPlay collection.
In this story, you are Devon and dark secrets come back to haunt you and your friends.
----
!!''It Lives in the Woods'' includes examples of:
* AbusiveParents: Stacy and Connor Green's parents to the point that Connor has cut off communication with them. Noah's mother is also this, even [[YouShouldHaveDiedInstead wishing that Noah had died in the incident with Redfield instead of Jane]].
* AdultsAreUseless: With the exceptions of Connor Green and Cora Pritchard, the adult characters of the story are either absent (Devon's parents) or oblivious to what's really going on (Mayor Green). If Lucas lives, [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Professor Bhatt]] will be another exception to this.
* AerosolFlamethrower: During the spider swarm in Chapter 9, Andy has the premium option to make one of these.
* AnyoneCanDie: [[spoiler:Chapter 15 is where the gang's nerve scores determine whether or not each individual will survive an "Are you scared" game with Jane. In Devon and Noah's cases, however, one or the other will have to replace Jane as the new Redfield. You only get to choose who if both you and Noah have enough nerve scores.]]
* ArbitrarySkepticism: If Ava lives, her epilogue scene has her continuing her research into Westchester's occult history, while simultaneously sneering at the thought that people could believe ''Bigfoot'' lives there.
* ArcWords: "We all play together." First said when the kids were first getting to know Mr. Red, ultimately [[spoiler:the basis for the contract between Jane and her friends, and the only way they can free her spirit.]]
* BadassBoast: Anyone whose Nerve is high enough at the end of the game will give one to Redfield.
* BarredFromTheAfterlife: [[spoiler:The fate of whoever becomes Redfield, until they find someone to take their place.]]
* BatterUp: You can buy a barbwire bat in a premium choice in Chapter 3. Devon then names it whatever the player decides, with the default name being “Candy”.
* BearsAreBadNews: In Chapter 4, bear attacks are warned about in a student assembly. As Andy’s about to confront Ben, he sees him getting mauled by a bear that broke his arm.
* BeautyEqualsGoodness: Averted by Britney and her posse. She is the hottest girl in school along with Jocelyn, but they mercilessly bully other students like Lily, Devon or Stacy. On the other hand, Lily is chubby, average looking, and the nicest person in the school.
* BigBad: Redfield, aka Mr. Red, [[spoiler:revealed to be Jane.]]
* BigDamnKiss: Chapter 7 allows you to have one, more, or all of these with Andy, Lucas, Ava, and Connor or Stacy in premium choices.
* BlackDudeDiesFirst: Downplayed. [[spoiler:In chapter 15, Ava is the first one to play the game with Jane and so is possibly the first one to die out of the gang.]]
* BloodierAndGorier: Way bloodier and gorier than any other book in the Choices catalog.
* BreadEggsBreadedEggs: In Chapter 2 when Devon says Dan could be in trouble, Stacy says he needs help from adults... and professionals... professional adults.
* BreatherEpisode: Chapter 12 has the group going to prom to celebrate sealing Mr. Red...[[spoiler: Until Cora walks in bleeding to death and reveals that the ritual failed, and Mr. Red attacks the school!]]
* BullyingADragon: Jocelyn attacks Ava and says that she knows Ava has real powers. Ava points out that that makes sucker punching her in the stomach a really terrible idea.
* CassandraTruth: Claiming that the deaths were due to supernatural forces while Mayor Green speaks at the memorial will earn you nothing but a lot of mumbling and sideways glances, but that could be due to fear as well as disbelief. [[spoiler:If Noah becomes Redfield, Devon also has the option to promise to try to save him during the eulogy, with a similar non-response.]]
* ChainsawGood: In Chapter 3, you are shown a pole saw at the hardware store by Connor, but the one you see is just a display model while it's on back order. You finally have the opportunity to buy an actual pole saw in Chapter 11.
* CreepyCrows: In Chapter 4, as Cody and Jocelyn are about to beat on Devon and Lily, a murder of crows come out of nowhere and attack the bullies. Devon adopts one of them in Chapter 5 after nursing it back to health.
* ConvenientComa: After some premium choice research, Ava and Devon figure out that most of Redfield's victims have been comatose and the number of patients has increased by the time Redfield returns, including Dan and Mr. Cooper. [[spoiler:Unfortunately for Cody, that’s not the case for him.]]
* CuriosityKilledTheCast: It was Jane and Devon exploring the ruins as children that woke the dormant Redfield's powers.
* CuteKitten: In Chapter 6, you have the premium option to adopt a stray kitten.
* DarkerAndEdgier: This is the darkest and most emotionally draining of the books produced for Choices, since it features character deaths, bullying, psychological disorders, and very graphic content.
* TheDogBitesBack: Britney tries to force Stacy to host a WildTeenParty, only for Stacy to get ahold of her phone. With Britney’s blackmail deleted and plenty of dirt on how she treats her friends behind their backs, Stacy agrees that they’ll have a party after all...[[LaserGuidedKarma at Britney’s house]].
* EpicFail: In a premium choice with Noah in Chapter 7, Devon can reveal s/he got points off his/her Language Arts homework by misspelling “orange”.
* EverybodysDeadDave: If the whole group hits critical Nerve in the final confrontation, [[SoleSurvivor only]] [[spoiler:Devon or Noah]] will stumble out before the cave collapses to tell the search party [[TotalPartyKill what happened to their friends]].
* EveryoneLives: [[spoiler: Whether Devon or Noah becomes the new Mr. Red, the best ending has everyone live if they all have high to maximum Nerve.]]
* EvilDetectingDog:
** The kitten you can adopt in this case. In Chapter 6, if it is brought with you when you visit Dan, it detects Mr. Red’s spirit possessing Dan.
** Played straight in Chapter 8 if you have Hilda with you when you meet Mr. Red, going from friendly dog to snarling.
* FacialHorror: In Chapter 1, you get a very close up detail of Dan’s face melting in front of you.
* TheFellowshipHasEnded: Defied. After the memorial, either Devon or Connor will get the others to promise they'll never leave each other again the way they did after Jane's death.
* {{Foreshadowing}}
** In hindsight, the betrayal in ''In The Dark'' makes a lot of sense. [[spoiler:Noah is always the one agitating to charge straight into dangerous situations. He also gets upset when even a single person refuses, because they all have to play together. Finally, "Redfield" never gives him any gifts, because Jane already knows he'll help her.]]
** Similarly, the fact that [[spoiler:Noah has Andy's phone]] is heavily hinted. If you pay close attention to the phone interface while texting, you'll see that they have totally different typing styles.
** Redfield is a pretty weird demon: malevolent and violent, yet simplistic, out of touch, always wanting to play... [[spoiler:It's because he's actually the twisted spirit of Jane, who died at age eight to be trapped into a shadowy afterlife, frightened, angry, and completely alone.]]
* FramingTheGuiltyParty: [[spoiler:Throwing the focus pills out won't help Lucas avoid suspension, because Redfield will plant way more bottles than he ever actually had in his locker.]]
* {{Golem}}: Speaking with Ava in a premium choice in Chapter 1 lets you learn about golems and that it may be what Dan was when he attacked you. If Devon asks Cora about it in Chapter 11, she’ll say they used to be called “stone horrors” by the townsfolk.
* {{Goth}}: Ava is this big time. Devon also has premium clothes and hairstyles to look like this as well.
* GreenAesop: If Lucas survives, his plotline in [[WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue the last chapter]] features him declaring his desire to enter politics and use his influence to protect the environment. Which makes sense for an [[BourgeoisBohemian Oregon yuppie]] and all, but doesn't ever really come up before that.
* HelloInsertNameHere: Like all Choices games, you get to choose your name, though the default is Devon.
** In Chapter 5, you get a baby crow for a pet with the default name Russell.
** In Chapter 6, you have the premium option of adopting a stray kitten with the default name being Cattywampus.
** Chapter 11 has the premium choice of taking Cora Pritchard’s moss creature to fight against Mr. Red. The default name is Maurice.
* HighSchoolDance: Chapter 12 takes place during Homecoming prom.
* HistoryRepeats: In a premium choice in Chapter 6, the group finds out that there's a pattern to Mr. Red. It starts off with nature going crazy, one or more murders, then it dies down. It's happened in the 1870s, 1973, 2007, and now the present day.
* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: Devon attempts this twice with [[spoiler:Dan. It fails in the hospital, but Devon can reach him in the forest. It's also an option to try this on Tom, as a premium choice]].
* ItsAllMyFault: One of the choices after the SpiderSwarm in Chapter 9 has Devon able to say this because of what happened with Mr. Red.
* JerkJock: According to Ava, Westchester High's basketball team Westchester Wolves enjoys excluding minorities.
* KillEmAll: Depending on the nerve meter of the characters, one of the outcomes of the finale [[spoiler:is that everyone dies.]]
* LeftYourLifesaverBehind: If you're not willing to pay to make premium choices, your character will ''constantly'' pass up weapons, information, and allies for paper-thin reasons (e.g. not taking a domesticated vine monster along to a major fight because you're "[[SkewedPriorities intimidated by it]]") or for no reason at all.
* LetMeGetThisStraight: Ava has this reaction when Devon says his angering Mr. Red is why she lost her powers.
* LoveFloats: In a premium choice in Chapter 7, if Devon confesses to loving Ava, the two of them kiss and end up in this trope [[spoiler: due to Ava's new powers.]]
* ModularEpilogue: You and your friends get these in Chapter 16, depending on who survived. Those who didn't survive are remembered in the memorial, the final non-premium segment.
* MultipleEndings: In the penultimate chapter, the player is presented with two options:
** If the player chooses to have Devon [[spoiler:take Jane's spot as the next Mr. Red]], then at the memorial, Connor will give a speech about your death.
** If the player chooses to have Noah [[spoiler:take Jane's spot as the next Mr. Red]], then at the memorial, Devon will give a speech about Noah's death.
** The ending also varies depending on who survives and who doesn't. Each character that survives unlocks a scene pertaining to them. Each that doesn't unlocks a portion of Devon/Connor's memorial speech dedicated to them.
* NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead / SpeakIllOfTheDead: Depending on what you choose in ''In Memoriam''. If Devon survives, you're given the choice of [[spoiler:whether or not to speak warmly of Noah at the memorial]]. Players who can't forgive the betrayal can publicly refuse forgiveness, and [[PayEvilUntoEvil some may quite enjoy it]].
* OneSteveLimit: Averted in the final chapter if [[spoiler:Noah survives the confrontation with Redfield]] in which case you'll briefly meet a waitress named Jane.
* PaintingTheMedium: Redfield's lines shake and glitch as they appear, unlike the human characters.
* ThePowerOfFriendship: Devon can make a lot of comments about the group loving and supporting each other to cheer the others up. They're usually lampshaded by a snarky friend, but nevertheless will often provided a Nerve boost.
* RealityEnsues: If they survive, many of the characters have an epilogue scene that shows that the events of homecoming night still haunt them. Devon has nightmares and can confess to barely making it through the day a lot of the time. Andy had to repeat senior year due to medical leave while his leg healed, and it still hurts him to the point where he can't play sometimes. [[spoiler:Noah is on the run and can't go back to his old life.]]
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:If Devon agrees to let Noah become Redfield, he atones for betraying his friends with his death.]]
* RousingSpeech: Andy can rally the basketball team as they fall behind in the second game, given the right dialogue options.
* SanityMeter: Nerve, in this case, which is decreased by stressful choices or just life in general. Positive things help increase it.
* ScreenShake: When something especially scary happens, accompanied by a red border.
* SealedEvilInACan: [[spoiler:What Cora Pritchard and her friends did to Redfield, and what the gang has to do to Jane through Noah or Devon's death.]]
* SequelHook: The final premium choice is one of these with a stranger at a lake being possessed by something, then going into the lake.
* ShoutOut:
** One of the lines Devon can shout before charging the vine monsters in Chapter 3 is “[[Film/MadMaxFuryRoad Witness me!]]”
** A barbwire bat with a girl’s name. You sure Devon doesn’t mean [[Franchise/TheWalkingDead Lucille]]?
** The default name of the crow Devon adopts is [[Creator/RussellCrowe Russell]].
** The achievement for taking Connor's boxing lessons in Chapter 9 is “[[UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli Sting Like A Bee]].”
* SignificantAnagram: Goddard E. Filleus is [[spoiler:Douglas Redfield]].
* SpiderSwarm:
** In Chapter 9, the basketball court of Westchester High gets swarmed by spiders during a basketball game, and one of them bites Tom.
** In Chapter 15, Andy is swarmed by spiders during the "Are You Scared?" game. [[spoiler:If his Nerve score isn't high enough, he'll die from it.]]
* StoryBranchFavoritism: The game clearly favors the decision to [[spoiler:let Noah take over as Redfield]] since it requires Noah to have high Nerve score, and because the ending where [[spoiler:Devon makes a HeroicSacrifice]] draws very little reaction from the other characters.
* StraightGay: Principal Flores is married to another woman. Lily is confirmed to be in love with Britney.
* StuffedIntoALocker: In Chapter 2, regardless of whether or not you try to listen to Lucas's conversation with the teacher, Britney and her gang will stuff you into a locker. Lucas lets you out due to a trick that hasn't been corrected in years.
* ThinkInText: Devon's thoughts are shown with parentheses on both sides.
* TimeSkip: Chapter 16 takes place one year after Chapter 15 catching up on the survivors as well as a memorial for Cora and anyone who died in the final confrontation with Mr. Red.
* TitleDrop: In the first Mysterious Letter, which Devon finds in Chapter 5.
* TooDumbToLive: If you don't pay for premium choices, Devon will do this often. For example, turning down the fire ax before [[spoiler:heading into the forest to save Andy]] will result in the absurd response of, "No thanks, I'll just find a stick or something" for no reason other than [[IdiotBall the game says so]].
* TownWithADarkSecret: Westchester is this, with a history of cults, witch trials, massacres, and unexplained coma cases.
* UnexplainedRecovery: [[spoiler:Jocelyn survives disappearing under a pile of snarling vine monsters because...just because.]]
* WhamEpisode:
** At the end of Chapter 7, [[spoiler: Cody is impaled on the tree outside of Devon’s house!]]
** Chapter 14 reveals a big one. [[spoiler: Jane is Redfield and Noah knew!]]
** Chapter 15. [[spoiler:The fate of all of your friends is determined and either Devon or Noah take Jane's spot as Redfield.]]
* WhamShot:
** [[spoiler: Cody impaled on a tree.]]
** The animation of [[spoiler:Redfield's name being crossed out with Jane underneath, signifying Jane took his place.]]
* WhatTheHellHero
** Lily to Ava, when she [[spoiler:nearly strangles Jocelyn in a fight after Cody dies]].
** Stacy and Ava to Devon, when [[spoiler:Devon decides to tell Redfield they're no longer friends and to leave them alone without consulting the others, leading to repercussions against the whole group and the town]].
** Devon can also respond this way [[spoiler:when Noah reveals he's helping Redfield]]. The others, Stacy in particular, will act this way regardless.
* WildTeenParty: Britney has two of them. The first time is in a premium chouce flashback in Chapter 3, then the main focus of Chapter 7.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: Whatever happened between the group and Mr. Red when they were kids forced them all apart until the story starts.
* TheWildcats: In Chapter 5, the Westchester Wolves take on their rivals the Anderton Cougars in a basketball game.
* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: The final chapter rotates between all surviving characters before the memorial, and then remembers each of the fallen during the eulogy.
* YouCantGoHomeAgain: [[spoiler:One way or another, Noah's storyline ends this way. If he takes Jane's place as Redfield, he becomes a monster wandering the forest and trying to remember who he was. If Devon is the one to die, Noah ends up on the run from the police, under suspicion of being involved in the tragedy on homecoming night.]]
-->[[ArcWords ''We all play together.'']]
''It Lives In The Woods'' is one of many stories from Pixelberry’s VisualNovel/ChoicesStoriesYouPlay collection.
In this story, you are Devon and dark secrets come back to haunt you and your friends.
----
!!''It Lives in the Woods'' includes examples of:
* AbusiveParents: Stacy and Connor Green's parents to the point that Connor has cut off communication with them. Noah's mother is also this, even [[YouShouldHaveDiedInstead wishing that Noah had died in the incident with Redfield instead of Jane]].
* AdultsAreUseless: With the exceptions of Connor Green and Cora Pritchard, the adult characters of the story are either absent (Devon's parents) or oblivious to what's really going on (Mayor Green). If Lucas lives, [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Professor Bhatt]] will be another exception to this.
* AerosolFlamethrower: During the spider swarm in Chapter 9, Andy has the premium option to make one of these.
* AnyoneCanDie: [[spoiler:Chapter 15 is where the gang's nerve scores determine whether or not each individual will survive an "Are you scared" game with Jane. In Devon and Noah's cases, however, one or the other will have to replace Jane as the new Redfield. You only get to choose who if both you and Noah have enough nerve scores.]]
* ArbitrarySkepticism: If Ava lives, her epilogue scene has her continuing her research into Westchester's occult history, while simultaneously sneering at the thought that people could believe ''Bigfoot'' lives there.
* ArcWords: "We all play together." First said when the kids were first getting to know Mr. Red, ultimately [[spoiler:the basis for the contract between Jane and her friends, and the only way they can free her spirit.]]
* BadassBoast: Anyone whose Nerve is high enough at the end of the game will give one to Redfield.
* BarredFromTheAfterlife: [[spoiler:The fate of whoever becomes Redfield, until they find someone to take their place.]]
* BatterUp: You can buy a barbwire bat in a premium choice in Chapter 3. Devon then names it whatever the player decides, with the default name being “Candy”.
* BearsAreBadNews: In Chapter 4, bear attacks are warned about in a student assembly. As Andy’s about to confront Ben, he sees him getting mauled by a bear that broke his arm.
* BeautyEqualsGoodness: Averted by Britney and her posse. She is the hottest girl in school along with Jocelyn, but they mercilessly bully other students like Lily, Devon or Stacy. On the other hand, Lily is chubby, average looking, and the nicest person in the school.
* BigBad: Redfield, aka Mr. Red, [[spoiler:revealed to be Jane.]]
* BigDamnKiss: Chapter 7 allows you to have one, more, or all of these with Andy, Lucas, Ava, and Connor or Stacy in premium choices.
* BlackDudeDiesFirst: Downplayed. [[spoiler:In chapter 15, Ava is the first one to play the game with Jane and so is possibly the first one to die out of the gang.]]
* BloodierAndGorier: Way bloodier and gorier than any other book in the Choices catalog.
* BreadEggsBreadedEggs: In Chapter 2 when Devon says Dan could be in trouble, Stacy says he needs help from adults... and professionals... professional adults.
* BreatherEpisode: Chapter 12 has the group going to prom to celebrate sealing Mr. Red...[[spoiler: Until Cora walks in bleeding to death and reveals that the ritual failed, and Mr. Red attacks the school!]]
* BullyingADragon: Jocelyn attacks Ava and says that she knows Ava has real powers. Ava points out that that makes sucker punching her in the stomach a really terrible idea.
* CassandraTruth: Claiming that the deaths were due to supernatural forces while Mayor Green speaks at the memorial will earn you nothing but a lot of mumbling and sideways glances, but that could be due to fear as well as disbelief. [[spoiler:If Noah becomes Redfield, Devon also has the option to promise to try to save him during the eulogy, with a similar non-response.]]
* ChainsawGood: In Chapter 3, you are shown a pole saw at the hardware store by Connor, but the one you see is just a display model while it's on back order. You finally have the opportunity to buy an actual pole saw in Chapter 11.
* CreepyCrows: In Chapter 4, as Cody and Jocelyn are about to beat on Devon and Lily, a murder of crows come out of nowhere and attack the bullies. Devon adopts one of them in Chapter 5 after nursing it back to health.
* ConvenientComa: After some premium choice research, Ava and Devon figure out that most of Redfield's victims have been comatose and the number of patients has increased by the time Redfield returns, including Dan and Mr. Cooper. [[spoiler:Unfortunately for Cody, that’s not the case for him.]]
* CuriosityKilledTheCast: It was Jane and Devon exploring the ruins as children that woke the dormant Redfield's powers.
* CuteKitten: In Chapter 6, you have the premium option to adopt a stray kitten.
* DarkerAndEdgier: This is the darkest and most emotionally draining of the books produced for Choices, since it features character deaths, bullying, psychological disorders, and very graphic content.
* TheDogBitesBack: Britney tries to force Stacy to host a WildTeenParty, only for Stacy to get ahold of her phone. With Britney’s blackmail deleted and plenty of dirt on how she treats her friends behind their backs, Stacy agrees that they’ll have a party after all...[[LaserGuidedKarma at Britney’s house]].
* EpicFail: In a premium choice with Noah in Chapter 7, Devon can reveal s/he got points off his/her Language Arts homework by misspelling “orange”.
* EverybodysDeadDave: If the whole group hits critical Nerve in the final confrontation, [[SoleSurvivor only]] [[spoiler:Devon or Noah]] will stumble out before the cave collapses to tell the search party [[TotalPartyKill what happened to their friends]].
* EveryoneLives: [[spoiler: Whether Devon or Noah becomes the new Mr. Red, the best ending has everyone live if they all have high to maximum Nerve.]]
* EvilDetectingDog:
** The kitten you can adopt in this case. In Chapter 6, if it is brought with you when you visit Dan, it detects Mr. Red’s spirit possessing Dan.
** Played straight in Chapter 8 if you have Hilda with you when you meet Mr. Red, going from friendly dog to snarling.
* FacialHorror: In Chapter 1, you get a very close up detail of Dan’s face melting in front of you.
* TheFellowshipHasEnded: Defied. After the memorial, either Devon or Connor will get the others to promise they'll never leave each other again the way they did after Jane's death.
* {{Foreshadowing}}
** In hindsight, the betrayal in ''In The Dark'' makes a lot of sense. [[spoiler:Noah is always the one agitating to charge straight into dangerous situations. He also gets upset when even a single person refuses, because they all have to play together. Finally, "Redfield" never gives him any gifts, because Jane already knows he'll help her.]]
** Similarly, the fact that [[spoiler:Noah has Andy's phone]] is heavily hinted. If you pay close attention to the phone interface while texting, you'll see that they have totally different typing styles.
** Redfield is a pretty weird demon: malevolent and violent, yet simplistic, out of touch, always wanting to play... [[spoiler:It's because he's actually the twisted spirit of Jane, who died at age eight to be trapped into a shadowy afterlife, frightened, angry, and completely alone.]]
* FramingTheGuiltyParty: [[spoiler:Throwing the focus pills out won't help Lucas avoid suspension, because Redfield will plant way more bottles than he ever actually had in his locker.]]
* {{Golem}}: Speaking with Ava in a premium choice in Chapter 1 lets you learn about golems and that it may be what Dan was when he attacked you. If Devon asks Cora about it in Chapter 11, she’ll say they used to be called “stone horrors” by the townsfolk.
* {{Goth}}: Ava is this big time. Devon also has premium clothes and hairstyles to look like this as well.
* GreenAesop: If Lucas survives, his plotline in [[WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue the last chapter]] features him declaring his desire to enter politics and use his influence to protect the environment. Which makes sense for an [[BourgeoisBohemian Oregon yuppie]] and all, but doesn't ever really come up before that.
* HelloInsertNameHere: Like all Choices games, you get to choose your name, though the default is Devon.
** In Chapter 5, you get a baby crow for a pet with the default name Russell.
** In Chapter 6, you have the premium option of adopting a stray kitten with the default name being Cattywampus.
** Chapter 11 has the premium choice of taking Cora Pritchard’s moss creature to fight against Mr. Red. The default name is Maurice.
* HighSchoolDance: Chapter 12 takes place during Homecoming prom.
* HistoryRepeats: In a premium choice in Chapter 6, the group finds out that there's a pattern to Mr. Red. It starts off with nature going crazy, one or more murders, then it dies down. It's happened in the 1870s, 1973, 2007, and now the present day.
* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: Devon attempts this twice with [[spoiler:Dan. It fails in the hospital, but Devon can reach him in the forest. It's also an option to try this on Tom, as a premium choice]].
* ItsAllMyFault: One of the choices after the SpiderSwarm in Chapter 9 has Devon able to say this because of what happened with Mr. Red.
* JerkJock: According to Ava, Westchester High's basketball team Westchester Wolves enjoys excluding minorities.
* KillEmAll: Depending on the nerve meter of the characters, one of the outcomes of the finale [[spoiler:is that everyone dies.]]
* LeftYourLifesaverBehind: If you're not willing to pay to make premium choices, your character will ''constantly'' pass up weapons, information, and allies for paper-thin reasons (e.g. not taking a domesticated vine monster along to a major fight because you're "[[SkewedPriorities intimidated by it]]") or for no reason at all.
* LetMeGetThisStraight: Ava has this reaction when Devon says his angering Mr. Red is why she lost her powers.
* LoveFloats: In a premium choice in Chapter 7, if Devon confesses to loving Ava, the two of them kiss and end up in this trope [[spoiler: due to Ava's new powers.]]
* ModularEpilogue: You and your friends get these in Chapter 16, depending on who survived. Those who didn't survive are remembered in the memorial, the final non-premium segment.
* MultipleEndings: In the penultimate chapter, the player is presented with two options:
** If the player chooses to have Devon [[spoiler:take Jane's spot as the next Mr. Red]], then at the memorial, Connor will give a speech about your death.
** If the player chooses to have Noah [[spoiler:take Jane's spot as the next Mr. Red]], then at the memorial, Devon will give a speech about Noah's death.
** The ending also varies depending on who survives and who doesn't. Each character that survives unlocks a scene pertaining to them. Each that doesn't unlocks a portion of Devon/Connor's memorial speech dedicated to them.
* NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead / SpeakIllOfTheDead: Depending on what you choose in ''In Memoriam''. If Devon survives, you're given the choice of [[spoiler:whether or not to speak warmly of Noah at the memorial]]. Players who can't forgive the betrayal can publicly refuse forgiveness, and [[PayEvilUntoEvil some may quite enjoy it]].
* OneSteveLimit: Averted in the final chapter if [[spoiler:Noah survives the confrontation with Redfield]] in which case you'll briefly meet a waitress named Jane.
* PaintingTheMedium: Redfield's lines shake and glitch as they appear, unlike the human characters.
* ThePowerOfFriendship: Devon can make a lot of comments about the group loving and supporting each other to cheer the others up. They're usually lampshaded by a snarky friend, but nevertheless will often provided a Nerve boost.
* RealityEnsues: If they survive, many of the characters have an epilogue scene that shows that the events of homecoming night still haunt them. Devon has nightmares and can confess to barely making it through the day a lot of the time. Andy had to repeat senior year due to medical leave while his leg healed, and it still hurts him to the point where he can't play sometimes. [[spoiler:Noah is on the run and can't go back to his old life.]]
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:If Devon agrees to let Noah become Redfield, he atones for betraying his friends with his death.]]
* RousingSpeech: Andy can rally the basketball team as they fall behind in the second game, given the right dialogue options.
* SanityMeter: Nerve, in this case, which is decreased by stressful choices or just life in general. Positive things help increase it.
* ScreenShake: When something especially scary happens, accompanied by a red border.
* SealedEvilInACan: [[spoiler:What Cora Pritchard and her friends did to Redfield, and what the gang has to do to Jane through Noah or Devon's death.]]
* SequelHook: The final premium choice is one of these with a stranger at a lake being possessed by something, then going into the lake.
* ShoutOut:
** One of the lines Devon can shout before charging the vine monsters in Chapter 3 is “[[Film/MadMaxFuryRoad Witness me!]]”
** A barbwire bat with a girl’s name. You sure Devon doesn’t mean [[Franchise/TheWalkingDead Lucille]]?
** The default name of the crow Devon adopts is [[Creator/RussellCrowe Russell]].
** The achievement for taking Connor's boxing lessons in Chapter 9 is “[[UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli Sting Like A Bee]].”
* SignificantAnagram: Goddard E. Filleus is [[spoiler:Douglas Redfield]].
* SpiderSwarm:
** In Chapter 9, the basketball court of Westchester High gets swarmed by spiders during a basketball game, and one of them bites Tom.
** In Chapter 15, Andy is swarmed by spiders during the "Are You Scared?" game. [[spoiler:If his Nerve score isn't high enough, he'll die from it.]]
* StoryBranchFavoritism: The game clearly favors the decision to [[spoiler:let Noah take over as Redfield]] since it requires Noah to have high Nerve score, and because the ending where [[spoiler:Devon makes a HeroicSacrifice]] draws very little reaction from the other characters.
* StraightGay: Principal Flores is married to another woman. Lily is confirmed to be in love with Britney.
* StuffedIntoALocker: In Chapter 2, regardless of whether or not you try to listen to Lucas's conversation with the teacher, Britney and her gang will stuff you into a locker. Lucas lets you out due to a trick that hasn't been corrected in years.
* ThinkInText: Devon's thoughts are shown with parentheses on both sides.
* TimeSkip: Chapter 16 takes place one year after Chapter 15 catching up on the survivors as well as a memorial for Cora and anyone who died in the final confrontation with Mr. Red.
* TitleDrop: In the first Mysterious Letter, which Devon finds in Chapter 5.
* TooDumbToLive: If you don't pay for premium choices, Devon will do this often. For example, turning down the fire ax before [[spoiler:heading into the forest to save Andy]] will result in the absurd response of, "No thanks, I'll just find a stick or something" for no reason other than [[IdiotBall the game says so]].
* TownWithADarkSecret: Westchester is this, with a history of cults, witch trials, massacres, and unexplained coma cases.
* UnexplainedRecovery: [[spoiler:Jocelyn survives disappearing under a pile of snarling vine monsters because...just because.]]
* WhamEpisode:
** At the end of Chapter 7, [[spoiler: Cody is impaled on the tree outside of Devon’s house!]]
** Chapter 14 reveals a big one. [[spoiler: Jane is Redfield and Noah knew!]]
** Chapter 15. [[spoiler:The fate of all of your friends is determined and either Devon or Noah take Jane's spot as Redfield.]]
* WhamShot:
** [[spoiler: Cody impaled on a tree.]]
** The animation of [[spoiler:Redfield's name being crossed out with Jane underneath, signifying Jane took his place.]]
* WhatTheHellHero
** Lily to Ava, when she [[spoiler:nearly strangles Jocelyn in a fight after Cody dies]].
** Stacy and Ava to Devon, when [[spoiler:Devon decides to tell Redfield they're no longer friends and to leave them alone without consulting the others, leading to repercussions against the whole group and the town]].
** Devon can also respond this way [[spoiler:when Noah reveals he's helping Redfield]]. The others, Stacy in particular, will act this way regardless.
* WildTeenParty: Britney has two of them. The first time is in a premium chouce flashback in Chapter 3, then the main focus of Chapter 7.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: Whatever happened between the group and Mr. Red when they were kids forced them all apart until the story starts.
* TheWildcats: In Chapter 5, the Westchester Wolves take on their rivals the Anderton Cougars in a basketball game.
* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: The final chapter rotates between all surviving characters before the memorial, and then remembers each of the fallen during the eulogy.
* YouCantGoHomeAgain: [[spoiler:One way or another, Noah's storyline ends this way. If he takes Jane's place as Redfield, he becomes a monster wandering the forest and trying to remember who he was. If Devon is the one to die, Noah ends up on the run from the police, under suspicion of being involved in the tragedy on homecoming night.]]
to:
-->[[ArcWords ''We all play together.'']]
''It Lives In The Woods'' is one of many stories from Pixelberry’s VisualNovel/ChoicesStoriesYouPlay collection.
In this story, you are Devon and dark secrets come back to haunt you and your friends.
----
!!''It Lives in the Woods'' includes examples of:
* AbusiveParents: Stacy and Connor Green's parents to the point that Connor has cut off communication with them. Noah's mother is also this, even [[YouShouldHaveDiedInstead wishing that Noah had died in the incident with Redfield instead of Jane]].
* AdultsAreUseless: With the exceptions of Connor Green and Cora Pritchard, the adult characters of the story are either absent (Devon's parents) or oblivious to what's really going on (Mayor Green). If Lucas lives, [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Professor Bhatt]] will be another exception to this.
* AerosolFlamethrower: During the spider swarm in Chapter 9, Andy has the premium option to make one of these.
* AnyoneCanDie: [[spoiler:Chapter 15 is where the gang's nerve scores determine whether or not each individual will survive an "Are you scared" game with Jane. In Devon and Noah's cases, however, one or the other will have to replace Jane as the new Redfield. You only get to choose who if both you and Noah have enough nerve scores.]]
* ArbitrarySkepticism: If Ava lives, her epilogue scene has her continuing her research into Westchester's occult history, while simultaneously sneering at the thought that people could believe ''Bigfoot'' lives there.
* ArcWords: "We all play together." First said when the kids were first getting to know Mr. Red, ultimately [[spoiler:the basis for the contract between Jane and her friends, and the only way they can free her spirit.]]
* BadassBoast: Anyone whose Nerve is high enough at the end of the game will give one to Redfield.
* BarredFromTheAfterlife: [[spoiler:The fate of whoever becomes Redfield, until they find someone to take their place.]]
* BatterUp: You can buy a barbwire bat in a premium choice in Chapter 3. Devon then names it whatever the player decides, with the default name being “Candy”.
* BearsAreBadNews: In Chapter 4, bear attacks are warned about in a student assembly. As Andy’s about to confront Ben, he sees him getting mauled by a bear that broke his arm.
* BeautyEqualsGoodness: Averted by Britney and her posse. She is the hottest girl in school along with Jocelyn, but they mercilessly bully other students like Lily, Devon or Stacy. On the other hand, Lily is chubby, average looking, and the nicest person in the school.
* BigBad: Redfield, aka Mr. Red, [[spoiler:revealed to be Jane.]]
* BigDamnKiss: Chapter 7 allows you to have one, more, or all of these with Andy, Lucas, Ava, and Connor or Stacy in premium choices.
* BlackDudeDiesFirst: Downplayed. [[spoiler:In chapter 15, Ava is the first one to play the game with Jane and so is possibly the first one to die out of the gang.]]
* BloodierAndGorier: Way bloodier and gorier than any other book in the Choices catalog.
* BreadEggsBreadedEggs: In Chapter 2 when Devon says Dan could be in trouble, Stacy says he needs help from adults... and professionals... professional adults.
* BreatherEpisode: Chapter 12 has the group going to prom to celebrate sealing Mr. Red...[[spoiler: Until Cora walks in bleeding to death and reveals that the ritual failed, and Mr. Red attacks the school!]]
* BullyingADragon: Jocelyn attacks Ava and says that she knows Ava has real powers. Ava points out that that makes sucker punching her in the stomach a really terrible idea.
* CassandraTruth: Claiming that the deaths were due to supernatural forces while Mayor Green speaks at the memorial will earn you nothing but a lot of mumbling and sideways glances, but that could be due to fear as well as disbelief. [[spoiler:If Noah becomes Redfield, Devon also has the option to promise to try to save him during the eulogy, with a similar non-response.]]
* ChainsawGood: In Chapter 3, you are shown a pole saw at the hardware store by Connor, but the one you see is just a display model while it's on back order. You finally have the opportunity to buy an actual pole saw in Chapter 11.
* CreepyCrows: In Chapter 4, as Cody and Jocelyn are about to beat on Devon and Lily, a murder of crows come out of nowhere and attack the bullies. Devon adopts one of them in Chapter 5 after nursing it back to health.
* ConvenientComa: After some premium choice research, Ava and Devon figure out that most of Redfield's victims have been comatose and the number of patients has increased by the time Redfield returns, including Dan and Mr. Cooper. [[spoiler:Unfortunately for Cody, that’s not the case for him.]]
* CuriosityKilledTheCast: It was Jane and Devon exploring the ruins as children that woke the dormant Redfield's powers.
* CuteKitten: In Chapter 6, you have the premium option to adopt a stray kitten.
* DarkerAndEdgier: This is the darkest and most emotionally draining of the books produced for Choices, since it features character deaths, bullying, psychological disorders, and very graphic content.
* TheDogBitesBack: Britney tries to force Stacy to host a WildTeenParty, only for Stacy to get ahold of her phone. With Britney’s blackmail deleted and plenty of dirt on how she treats her friends behind their backs, Stacy agrees that they’ll have a party after all...[[LaserGuidedKarma at Britney’s house]].
* EpicFail: In a premium choice with Noah in Chapter 7, Devon can reveal s/he got points off his/her Language Arts homework by misspelling “orange”.
* EverybodysDeadDave: If the whole group hits critical Nerve in the final confrontation, [[SoleSurvivor only]] [[spoiler:Devon or Noah]] will stumble out before the cave collapses to tell the search party [[TotalPartyKill what happened to their friends]].
* EveryoneLives: [[spoiler: Whether Devon or Noah becomes the new Mr. Red, the best ending has everyone live if they all have high to maximum Nerve.]]
* EvilDetectingDog:
** The kitten you can adopt in this case. In Chapter 6, if it is brought with you when you visit Dan, it detects Mr. Red’s spirit possessing Dan.
** Played straight in Chapter 8 if you have Hilda with you when you meet Mr. Red, going from friendly dog to snarling.
* FacialHorror: In Chapter 1, you get a very close up detail of Dan’s face melting in front of you.
* TheFellowshipHasEnded: Defied. After the memorial, either Devon or Connor will get the others to promise they'll never leave each other again the way they did after Jane's death.
* {{Foreshadowing}}
** In hindsight, the betrayal in ''In The Dark'' makes a lot of sense. [[spoiler:Noah is always the one agitating to charge straight into dangerous situations. He also gets upset when even a single person refuses, because they all have to play together. Finally, "Redfield" never gives him any gifts, because Jane already knows he'll help her.]]
** Similarly, the fact that [[spoiler:Noah has Andy's phone]] is heavily hinted. If you pay close attention to the phone interface while texting, you'll see that they have totally different typing styles.
** Redfield is a pretty weird demon: malevolent and violent, yet simplistic, out of touch, always wanting to play... [[spoiler:It's because he's actually the twisted spirit of Jane, who died at age eight to be trapped into a shadowy afterlife, frightened, angry, and completely alone.]]
* FramingTheGuiltyParty: [[spoiler:Throwing the focus pills out won't help Lucas avoid suspension, because Redfield will plant way more bottles than he ever actually had in his locker.]]
* {{Golem}}: Speaking with Ava in a premium choice in Chapter 1 lets you learn about golems and that it may be what Dan was when he attacked you. If Devon asks Cora about it in Chapter 11, she’ll say they used to be called “stone horrors” by the townsfolk.
* {{Goth}}: Ava is this big time. Devon also has premium clothes and hairstyles to look like this as well.
* GreenAesop: If Lucas survives, his plotline in [[WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue the last chapter]] features him declaring his desire to enter politics and use his influence to protect the environment. Which makes sense for an [[BourgeoisBohemian Oregon yuppie]] and all, but doesn't ever really come up before that.
* HelloInsertNameHere: Like all Choices games, you get to choose your name, though the default is Devon.
** In Chapter 5, you get a baby crow for a pet with the default name Russell.
** In Chapter 6, you have the premium option of adopting a stray kitten with the default name being Cattywampus.
** Chapter 11 has the premium choice of taking Cora Pritchard’s moss creature to fight against Mr. Red. The default name is Maurice.
* HighSchoolDance: Chapter 12 takes place during Homecoming prom.
* HistoryRepeats: In a premium choice in Chapter 6, the group finds out that there's a pattern to Mr. Red. It starts off with nature going crazy, one or more murders, then it dies down. It's happened in the 1870s, 1973, 2007, and now the present day.
* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: Devon attempts this twice with [[spoiler:Dan. It fails in the hospital, but Devon can reach him in the forest. It's also an option to try this on Tom, as a premium choice]].
* ItsAllMyFault: One of the choices after the SpiderSwarm in Chapter 9 has Devon able to say this because of what happened with Mr. Red.
* JerkJock: According to Ava, Westchester High's basketball team Westchester Wolves enjoys excluding minorities.
* KillEmAll: Depending on the nerve meter of the characters, one of the outcomes of the finale [[spoiler:is that everyone dies.]]
* LeftYourLifesaverBehind: If you're not willing to pay to make premium choices, your character will ''constantly'' pass up weapons, information, and allies for paper-thin reasons (e.g. not taking a domesticated vine monster along to a major fight because you're "[[SkewedPriorities intimidated by it]]") or for no reason at all.
* LetMeGetThisStraight: Ava has this reaction when Devon says his angering Mr. Red is why she lost her powers.
* LoveFloats: In a premium choice in Chapter 7, if Devon confesses to loving Ava, the two of them kiss and end up in this trope [[spoiler: due to Ava's new powers.]]
* ModularEpilogue: You and your friends get these in Chapter 16, depending on who survived. Those who didn't survive are remembered in the memorial, the final non-premium segment.
* MultipleEndings: In the penultimate chapter, the player is presented with two options:
** If the player chooses to have Devon [[spoiler:take Jane's spot as the next Mr. Red]], then at the memorial, Connor will give a speech about your death.
** If the player chooses to have Noah [[spoiler:take Jane's spot as the next Mr. Red]], then at the memorial, Devon will give a speech about Noah's death.
** The ending also varies depending on who survives and who doesn't. Each character that survives unlocks a scene pertaining to them. Each that doesn't unlocks a portion of Devon/Connor's memorial speech dedicated to them.
* NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead / SpeakIllOfTheDead: Depending on what you choose in ''In Memoriam''. If Devon survives, you're given the choice of [[spoiler:whether or not to speak warmly of Noah at the memorial]]. Players who can't forgive the betrayal can publicly refuse forgiveness, and [[PayEvilUntoEvil some may quite enjoy it]].
* OneSteveLimit: Averted in the final chapter if [[spoiler:Noah survives the confrontation with Redfield]] in which case you'll briefly meet a waitress named Jane.
* PaintingTheMedium: Redfield's lines shake and glitch as they appear, unlike the human characters.
* ThePowerOfFriendship: Devon can make a lot of comments about the group loving and supporting each other to cheer the others up. They're usually lampshaded by a snarky friend, but nevertheless will often provided a Nerve boost.
* RealityEnsues: If they survive, many of the characters have an epilogue scene that shows that the events of homecoming night still haunt them. Devon has nightmares and can confess to barely making it through the day a lot of the time. Andy had to repeat senior year due to medical leave while his leg healed, and it still hurts him to the point where he can't play sometimes. [[spoiler:Noah is on the run and can't go back to his old life.]]
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:If Devon agrees to let Noah become Redfield, he atones for betraying his friends with his death.]]
* RousingSpeech: Andy can rally the basketball team as they fall behind in the second game, given the right dialogue options.
* SanityMeter: Nerve, in this case, which is decreased by stressful choices or just life in general. Positive things help increase it.
* ScreenShake: When something especially scary happens, accompanied by a red border.
* SealedEvilInACan: [[spoiler:What Cora Pritchard and her friends did to Redfield, and what the gang has to do to Jane through Noah or Devon's death.]]
* SequelHook: The final premium choice is one of these with a stranger at a lake being possessed by something, then going into the lake.
* ShoutOut:
** One of the lines Devon can shout before charging the vine monsters in Chapter 3 is “[[Film/MadMaxFuryRoad Witness me!]]”
** A barbwire bat with a girl’s name. You sure Devon doesn’t mean [[Franchise/TheWalkingDead Lucille]]?
** The default name of the crow Devon adopts is [[Creator/RussellCrowe Russell]].
** The achievement for taking Connor's boxing lessons in Chapter 9 is “[[UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli Sting Like A Bee]].”
* SignificantAnagram: Goddard E. Filleus is [[spoiler:Douglas Redfield]].
* SpiderSwarm:
** In Chapter 9, the basketball court of Westchester High gets swarmed by spiders during a basketball game, and one of them bites Tom.
** In Chapter 15, Andy is swarmed by spiders during the "Are You Scared?" game. [[spoiler:If his Nerve score isn't high enough, he'll die from it.]]
* StoryBranchFavoritism: The game clearly favors the decision to [[spoiler:let Noah take over as Redfield]] since it requires Noah to have high Nerve score, and because the ending where [[spoiler:Devon makes a HeroicSacrifice]] draws very little reaction from the other characters.
* StraightGay: Principal Flores is married to another woman. Lily is confirmed to be in love with Britney.
* StuffedIntoALocker: In Chapter 2, regardless of whether or not you try to listen to Lucas's conversation with the teacher, Britney and her gang will stuff you into a locker. Lucas lets you out due to a trick that hasn't been corrected in years.
* ThinkInText: Devon's thoughts are shown with parentheses on both sides.
* TimeSkip: Chapter 16 takes place one year after Chapter 15 catching up on the survivors as well as a memorial for Cora and anyone who died in the final confrontation with Mr. Red.
* TitleDrop: In the first Mysterious Letter, which Devon finds in Chapter 5.
* TooDumbToLive: If you don't pay for premium choices, Devon will do this often. For example, turning down the fire ax before [[spoiler:heading into the forest to save Andy]] will result in the absurd response of, "No thanks, I'll just find a stick or something" for no reason other than [[IdiotBall the game says so]].
* TownWithADarkSecret: Westchester is this, with a history of cults, witch trials, massacres, and unexplained coma cases.
* UnexplainedRecovery: [[spoiler:Jocelyn survives disappearing under a pile of snarling vine monsters because...just because.]]
* WhamEpisode:
** At the end of Chapter 7, [[spoiler: Cody is impaled on the tree outside of Devon’s house!]]
** Chapter 14 reveals a big one. [[spoiler: Jane is Redfield and Noah knew!]]
** Chapter 15. [[spoiler:The fate of all of your friends is determined and either Devon or Noah take Jane's spot as Redfield.]]
* WhamShot:
** [[spoiler: Cody impaled on a tree.]]
** The animation of [[spoiler:Redfield's name being crossed out with Jane underneath, signifying Jane took his place.]]
* WhatTheHellHero
** Lily to Ava, when she [[spoiler:nearly strangles Jocelyn in a fight after Cody dies]].
** Stacy and Ava to Devon, when [[spoiler:Devon decides to tell Redfield they're no longer friends and to leave them alone without consulting the others, leading to repercussions against the whole group and the town]].
** Devon can also respond this way [[spoiler:when Noah reveals he's helping Redfield]]. The others, Stacy in particular, will act this way regardless.
* WildTeenParty: Britney has two of them. The first time is in a premium chouce flashback in Chapter 3, then the main focus of Chapter 7.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: Whatever happened between the group and Mr. Red when they were kids forced them all apart until the story starts.
* TheWildcats: In Chapter 5, the Westchester Wolves take on their rivals the Anderton Cougars in a basketball game.
* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: The final chapter rotates between all surviving characters before the memorial, and then remembers each of the fallen during the eulogy.
* YouCantGoHomeAgain: [[spoiler:One way or another, Noah's storyline ends this way. If he takes Jane's place as Redfield, he becomes a monster wandering the forest and trying to remember who he was. If Devon is the one to die, Noah ends up on the run from the police, under suspicion of being involved in the tragedy on homecoming night.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* TitleDrop: In the first Mysterious Letter, which Devon finds in Chapter 5.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 1 (click to see context) from:
[[redirect:VisualNovel/{{ItLives}}]]
to:
-->[[ArcWords ''We all play together.'']]
''It Lives In The Woods'' is one of many stories from Pixelberry’s VisualNovel/ChoicesStoriesYouPlay collection.
In this story, you are Devon and dark secrets come back to haunt you and your friends.
----
!!''It Lives in the Woods'' includes examples of:
* AbusiveParents: Stacy and Connor Green's parents to the point that Connor has cut off communication with them. Noah's mother is also this, even [[YouShouldHaveDiedInstead wishing that Noah had died in the incident with Redfield instead of Jane]].
* AdultsAreUseless: With the exceptions of Connor Green and Cora Pritchard, the adult characters of the story are either absent (Devon's parents) or oblivious to what's really going on (Mayor Green). If Lucas lives, [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Professor Bhatt]] will be another exception to this.
* AerosolFlamethrower: During the spider swarm in Chapter 9, Andy has the premium option to make one of these.
* AnyoneCanDie: [[spoiler:Chapter 15 is where the gang's nerve scores determine whether or not each individual will survive an "Are you scared" game with Jane. In Devon and Noah's cases, however, one or the other will have to replace Jane as the new Redfield. You only get to choose who if both you and Noah have enough nerve scores.]]
* ArbitrarySkepticism: If Ava lives, her epilogue scene has her continuing her research into Westchester's occult history, while simultaneously sneering at the thought that people could believe ''Bigfoot'' lives there.
* ArcWords: "We all play together." First said when the kids were first getting to know Mr. Red, ultimately [[spoiler:the basis for the contract between Jane and her friends, and the only way they can free her spirit.]]
* BadassBoast: Anyone whose Nerve is high enough at the end of the game will give one to Redfield.
* BarredFromTheAfterlife: [[spoiler:The fate of whoever becomes Redfield, until they find someone to take their place.]]
* BatterUp: You can buy a barbwire bat in a premium choice in Chapter 3. Devon then names it whatever the player decides, with the default name being “Candy”.
* BearsAreBadNews: In Chapter 4, bear attacks are warned about in a student assembly. As Andy’s about to confront Ben, he sees him getting mauled by a bear that broke his arm.
* BeautyEqualsGoodness: Averted by Britney and her posse. She is the hottest girl in school along with Jocelyn, but they mercilessly bully other students like Lily, Devon or Stacy. On the other hand, Lily is chubby, average looking, and the nicest person in the school.
* BigBad: Redfield, aka Mr. Red, [[spoiler:revealed to be Jane.]]
* BigDamnKiss: Chapter 7 allows you to have one, more, or all of these with Andy, Lucas, Ava, and Connor or Stacy in premium choices.
* BlackDudeDiesFirst: Downplayed. [[spoiler:In chapter 15, Ava is the first one to play the game with Jane and so is possibly the first one to die out of the gang.]]
* BloodierAndGorier: Way bloodier and gorier than any other book in the Choices catalog.
* BreadEggsBreadedEggs: In Chapter 2 when Devon says Dan could be in trouble, Stacy says he needs help from adults... and professionals... professional adults.
* BreatherEpisode: Chapter 12 has the group going to prom to celebrate sealing Mr. Red...[[spoiler: Until Cora walks in bleeding to death and reveals that the ritual failed, and Mr. Red attacks the school!]]
* BullyingADragon: Jocelyn attacks Ava and says that she knows Ava has real powers. Ava points out that that makes sucker punching her in the stomach a really terrible idea.
* CassandraTruth: Claiming that the deaths were due to supernatural forces while Mayor Green speaks at the memorial will earn you nothing but a lot of mumbling and sideways glances, but that could be due to fear as well as disbelief. [[spoiler:If Noah becomes Redfield, Devon also has the option to promise to try to save him during the eulogy, with a similar non-response.]]
* ChainsawGood: In Chapter 3, you are shown a pole saw at the hardware store by Connor, but the one you see is just a display model while it's on back order. You finally have the opportunity to buy an actual pole saw in Chapter 11.
* CreepyCrows: In Chapter 4, as Cody and Jocelyn are about to beat on Devon and Lily, a murder of crows come out of nowhere and attack the bullies. Devon adopts one of them in Chapter 5 after nursing it back to health.
* ConvenientComa: After some premium choice research, Ava and Devon figure out that most of Redfield's victims have been comatose and the number of patients has increased by the time Redfield returns, including Dan and Mr. Cooper. [[spoiler:Unfortunately for Cody, that’s not the case for him.]]
* CuriosityKilledTheCast: It was Jane and Devon exploring the ruins as children that woke the dormant Redfield's powers.
* CuteKitten: In Chapter 6, you have the premium option to adopt a stray kitten.
* DarkerAndEdgier: This is the darkest and most emotionally draining of the books produced for Choices, since it features character deaths, bullying, psychological disorders, and very graphic content.
* TheDogBitesBack: Britney tries to force Stacy to host a WildTeenParty, only for Stacy to get ahold of her phone. With Britney’s blackmail deleted and plenty of dirt on how she treats her friends behind their backs, Stacy agrees that they’ll have a party after all...[[LaserGuidedKarma at Britney’s house]].
* EpicFail: In a premium choice with Noah in Chapter 7, Devon can reveal s/he got points off his/her Language Arts homework by misspelling “orange”.
* EverybodysDeadDave: If the whole group hits critical Nerve in the final confrontation, [[SoleSurvivor only]] [[spoiler:Devon or Noah]] will stumble out before the cave collapses to tell the search party [[TotalPartyKill what happened to their friends]].
* EveryoneLives: [[spoiler: Whether Devon or Noah becomes the new Mr. Red, the best ending has everyone live if they all have high to maximum Nerve.]]
* EvilDetectingDog:
** The kitten you can adopt in this case. In Chapter 6, if it is brought with you when you visit Dan, it detects Mr. Red’s spirit possessing Dan.
** Played straight in Chapter 8 if you have Hilda with you when you meet Mr. Red, going from friendly dog to snarling.
* FacialHorror: In Chapter 1, you get a very close up detail of Dan’s face melting in front of you.
* TheFellowshipHasEnded: Defied. After the memorial, either Devon or Connor will get the others to promise they'll never leave each other again the way they did after Jane's death.
* {{Foreshadowing}}
** In hindsight, the betrayal in ''In The Dark'' makes a lot of sense. [[spoiler:Noah is always the one agitating to charge straight into dangerous situations. He also gets upset when even a single person refuses, because they all have to play together. Finally, "Redfield" never gives him any gifts, because Jane already knows he'll help her.]]
** Similarly, the fact that [[spoiler:Noah has Andy's phone]] is heavily hinted. If you pay close attention to the phone interface while texting, you'll see that they have totally different typing styles.
** Redfield is a pretty weird demon: malevolent and violent, yet simplistic, out of touch, always wanting to play... [[spoiler:It's because he's actually the twisted spirit of Jane, who died at age eight to be trapped into a shadowy afterlife, frightened, angry, and completely alone.]]
* FramingTheGuiltyParty: [[spoiler:Throwing the focus pills out won't help Lucas avoid suspension, because Redfield will plant way more bottles than he ever actually had in his locker.]]
* {{Golem}}: Speaking with Ava in a premium choice in Chapter 1 lets you learn about golems and that it may be what Dan was when he attacked you. If Devon asks Cora about it in Chapter 11, she’ll say they used to be called “stone horrors” by the townsfolk.
* {{Goth}}: Ava is this big time. Devon also has premium clothes and hairstyles to look like this as well.
* GreenAesop: If Lucas survives, his plotline in [[WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue the last chapter]] features him declaring his desire to enter politics and use his influence to protect the environment. Which makes sense for an [[BourgeoisBohemian Oregon yuppie]] and all, but doesn't ever really come up before that.
* HelloInsertNameHere: Like all Choices games, you get to choose your name, though the default is Devon.
** In Chapter 5, you get a baby crow for a pet with the default name Russell.
** In Chapter 6, you have the premium option of adopting a stray kitten with the default name being Cattywampus.
** Chapter 11 has the premium choice of taking Cora Pritchard’s moss creature to fight against Mr. Red. The default name is Maurice.
* HighSchoolDance: Chapter 12 takes place during Homecoming prom.
* HistoryRepeats: In a premium choice in Chapter 6, the group finds out that there's a pattern to Mr. Red. It starts off with nature going crazy, one or more murders, then it dies down. It's happened in the 1870s, 1973, 2007, and now the present day.
* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: Devon attempts this twice with [[spoiler:Dan. It fails in the hospital, but Devon can reach him in the forest. It's also an option to try this on Tom, as a premium choice]].
* ItsAllMyFault: One of the choices after the SpiderSwarm in Chapter 9 has Devon able to say this because of what happened with Mr. Red.
* JerkJock: According to Ava, Westchester High's basketball team Westchester Wolves enjoys excluding minorities.
* KillEmAll: Depending on the nerve meter of the characters, one of the outcomes of the finale [[spoiler:is that everyone dies.]]
* LeftYourLifesaverBehind: If you're not willing to pay to make premium choices, your character will ''constantly'' pass up weapons, information, and allies for paper-thin reasons (e.g. not taking a domesticated vine monster along to a major fight because you're "[[SkewedPriorities intimidated by it]]") or for no reason at all.
* LetMeGetThisStraight: Ava has this reaction when Devon says his angering Mr. Red is why she lost her powers.
* LoveFloats: In a premium choice in Chapter 7, if Devon confesses to loving Ava, the two of them kiss and end up in this trope [[spoiler: due to Ava's new powers.]]
* ModularEpilogue: You and your friends get these in Chapter 16, depending on who survived. Those who didn't survive are remembered in the memorial, the final non-premium segment.
* MultipleEndings: In the penultimate chapter, the player is presented with two options:
** If the player chooses to have Devon [[spoiler:take Jane's spot as the next Mr. Red]], then at the memorial, Connor will give a speech about your death.
** If the player chooses to have Noah [[spoiler:take Jane's spot as the next Mr. Red]], then at the memorial, Devon will give a speech about Noah's death.
** The ending also varies depending on who survives and who doesn't. Each character that survives unlocks a scene pertaining to them. Each that doesn't unlocks a portion of Devon/Connor's memorial speech dedicated to them.
* NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead / SpeakIllOfTheDead: Depending on what you choose in ''In Memoriam''. If Devon survives, you're given the choice of [[spoiler:whether or not to speak warmly of Noah at the memorial]]. Players who can't forgive the betrayal can publicly refuse forgiveness, and [[PayEvilUntoEvil some may quite enjoy it]].
* OneSteveLimit: Averted in the final chapter if [[spoiler:Noah survives the confrontation with Redfield]] in which case you'll briefly meet a waitress named Jane.
* PaintingTheMedium: Redfield's lines shake and glitch as they appear, unlike the human characters.
* ThePowerOfFriendship: Devon can make a lot of comments about the group loving and supporting each other to cheer the others up. They're usually lampshaded by a snarky friend, but nevertheless will often provided a Nerve boost.
* RealityEnsues: If they survive, many of the characters have an epilogue scene that shows that the events of homecoming night still haunt them. Devon has nightmares and can confess to barely making it through the day a lot of the time. Andy had to repeat senior year due to medical leave while his leg healed, and it still hurts him to the point where he can't play sometimes. [[spoiler:Noah is on the run and can't go back to his old life.]]
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:If Devon agrees to let Noah become Redfield, he atones for betraying his friends with his death.]]
* RousingSpeech: Andy can rally the basketball team as they fall behind in the second game, given the right dialogue options.
* SanityMeter: Nerve, in this case, which is decreased by stressful choices or just life in general. Positive things help increase it.
* ScreenShake: When something especially scary happens, accompanied by a red border.
* SealedEvilInACan: [[spoiler:What Cora Pritchard and her friends did to Redfield, and what the gang has to do to Jane through Noah or Devon's death.]]
* SequelHook: The final premium choice is one of these with a stranger at a lake being possessed by something, then going into the lake.
* ShoutOut:
** One of the lines Devon can shout before charging the vine monsters in Chapter 3 is “[[Film/MadMaxFuryRoad Witness me!]]”
** A barbwire bat with a girl’s name. You sure Devon doesn’t mean [[Franchise/TheWalkingDead Lucille]]?
** The default name of the crow Devon adopts is [[Creator/RussellCrowe Russell]].
** The achievement for taking Connor's boxing lessons in Chapter 9 is “[[UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli Sting Like A Bee]].”
* SignificantAnagram: Goddard E. Filleus is [[spoiler:Douglas Redfield]].
* SpiderSwarm:
** In Chapter 9, the basketball court of Westchester High gets swarmed by spiders during a basketball game, and one of them bites Tom.
** In Chapter 15, Andy is swarmed by spiders during the "Are You Scared?" game. [[spoiler:If his Nerve score isn't high enough, he'll die from it.]]
* StoryBranchFavoritism: The game clearly favors the decision to [[spoiler:let Noah take over as Redfield]] since it requires Noah to have high Nerve score, and because the ending where [[spoiler:Devon makes a HeroicSacrifice]] draws very little reaction from the other characters.
* StraightGay: Principal Flores is married to another woman. Lily is confirmed to be in love with Britney.
* StuffedIntoALocker: In Chapter 2, regardless of whether or not you try to listen to Lucas's conversation with the teacher, Britney and her gang will stuff you into a locker. Lucas lets you out due to a trick that hasn't been corrected in years.
* ThinkInText: Devon's thoughts are shown with parentheses on both sides.
* TimeSkip: Chapter 16 takes place one year after Chapter 15 catching up on the survivors as well as a memorial for Cora and anyone who died in the final confrontation with Mr. Red.
* TooDumbToLive: If you don't pay for premium choices, Devon will do this often. For example, turning down the fire ax before [[spoiler:heading into the forest to save Andy]] will result in the absurd response of, "No thanks, I'll just find a stick or something" for no reason other than [[IdiotBall the game says so]].
* TownWithADarkSecret: Westchester is this, with a history of cults, witch trials, massacres, and unexplained coma cases.
* UnexplainedRecovery: [[spoiler:Jocelyn survives disappearing under a pile of snarling vine monsters because...just because.]]
* WhamEpisode:
** At the end of Chapter 7, [[spoiler: Cody is impaled on the tree outside of Devon’s house!]]
** Chapter 14 reveals a big one. [[spoiler: Jane is Redfield and Noah knew!]]
** Chapter 15. [[spoiler:The fate of all of your friends is determined and either Devon or Noah take Jane's spot as Redfield.]]
* WhamShot:
** [[spoiler: Cody impaled on a tree.]]
** The animation of [[spoiler:Redfield's name being crossed out with Jane underneath, signifying Jane took his place.]]
* WhatTheHellHero
** Lily to Ava, when she [[spoiler:nearly strangles Jocelyn in a fight after Cody dies]].
** Stacy and Ava to Devon, when [[spoiler:Devon decides to tell Redfield they're no longer friends and to leave them alone without consulting the others, leading to repercussions against the whole group and the town]].
** Devon can also respond this way [[spoiler:when Noah reveals he's helping Redfield]]. The others, Stacy in particular, will act this way regardless.
* WildTeenParty: Britney has two of them. The first time is in a premium chouce flashback in Chapter 3, then the main focus of Chapter 7.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: Whatever happened between the group and Mr. Red when they were kids forced them all apart until the story starts.
* TheWildcats: In Chapter 5, the Westchester Wolves take on their rivals the Anderton Cougars in a basketball game.
* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: The final chapter rotates between all surviving characters before the memorial, and then remembers each of the fallen during the eulogy.
* YouCantGoHomeAgain: [[spoiler:One way or another, Noah's storyline ends this way. If he takes Jane's place as Redfield, he becomes a monster wandering the forest and trying to remember who he was. If Devon is the one to die, Noah ends up on the run from the police, under suspicion of being involved in the tragedy on homecoming night.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 1 (click to see context) from:
[[redorect:VisualNovel/{{ItLives}}]]
to:
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 1,115 (click to see context) from:
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_8127.PNG]]
-->[[ArcWords ''We all play together.'']]
''It Lives In The Woods'' is one of many stories from Pixelberry’s VisualNovel/ChoicesStoriesYouPlay collection.
In this story, you are Devon and dark secrets come back to haunt you and your friends.
----
!!''It Lives in the Woods'' includes examples of:
* AbusiveParents: Stacy and Connor Green's parents to the point that Connor has cut off communication with them. Noah's mother is also this, even [[YouShouldHaveDiedInstead wishing that Noah had died in the incident with Redfield instead of Jane]].
* AdultsAreUseless: With the exceptions of Connor Green and Cora Pritchard, the adult characters of the story are either absent (Devon's parents) or oblivious to what's really going on (Mayor Green). If Lucas lives, [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Professor Bhatt]] will be another exception to this.
* AerosolFlamethrower: During the spider swarm in Chapter 9, Andy has the premium option to make one of these.
* AnyoneCanDie: [[spoiler:Chapter 15 is where the gang's nerve scores determine whether or not each individual will survive an "Are you scared" game with Jane. In Devon and Noah's cases, however, one or the other will have to replace Jane as the new Redfield. You only get to choose who if both you and Noah have enough nerve scores.]]
* ArbitrarySkepticism: If Ava lives, her epilogue scene has her continuing her research into Westchester's occult history, while simultaneously sneering at the thought that people could believe ''Bigfoot'' lives there.
* ArcWords: "We all play together." First said when the kids were first getting to know Mr. Red, ultimately [[spoiler:the basis for the contract between Jane and her friends, and the only way they can free her spirit.]]
* BadassBoast: Anyone whose Nerve is high enough at the end of the game will give one to Redfield.
* BarredFromTheAfterlife: [[spoiler:The fate of whoever becomes Redfield, until they find someone to take their place.]]
* BatterUp: You can buy a barbwire bat in a premium choice in Chapter 3. Devon then names it whatever the player decides, with the default name being “Candy”.
* BearsAreBadNews: In Chapter 4, bear attacks are warned about in a student assembly. As Andy’s about to confront Ben, he sees him getting mauled by a bear that broke his arm.
* BeautyEqualsGoodness: Averted by Britney and her posse. She is the hottest girl in school along with Jocelyn, but they mercilessly bully other students like Lily, Devon or Stacy. On the other hand, Lily is chubby, average looking, and the nicest person in the school.
* BigBad: Redfield, aka Mr. Red, [[spoiler:revealed to be Jane.]]
* BigDamnKiss: Chapter 7 allows you to have one, more, or all of these with Andy, Lucas, Ava, and Connor or Stacy in premium choices.
* BlackDudeDiesFirst: Downplayed. [[spoiler:In chapter 15, Ava is the first one to play the game with Jane and so is possibly the first one to die out of the gang.]]
* BloodierAndGorier: Way bloodier and gorier than any other book in the Choices catalog.
* BreadEggsBreadedEggs: In Chapter 2 when Devon says Dan could be in trouble, Stacy says he needs help from adults... and professionals... professional adults.
* BreatherEpisode: Chapter 12 has the group going to prom to celebrate sealing Mr. Red...[[spoiler: Until Cora walks in bleeding to death and reveals that the ritual failed, and Mr. Red attacks the school!]]
* BullyingADragon: Jocelyn attacks Ava and says that she knows Ava has real powers. Ava points out that that makes sucker punching her in the stomach a really terrible idea.
* CassandraTruth: Claiming that the deaths were due to supernatural forces while Mayor Green speaks at the memorial will earn you nothing but a lot of mumbling and sideways glances, but that could be due to fear as well as disbelief. [[spoiler:If Noah becomes Redfield, Devon also has the option to promise to try to save him during the eulogy, with a similar non-response.]]
* ChainsawGood: In Chapter 3, you are shown a pole saw at the hardware store by Connor, but the one you see is just a display model while it's on back order. You finally have the opportunity to buy an actual pole saw in Chapter 11.
* CreepyCrows: In Chapter 4, as Cody and Jocelyn are about to beat on Devon and Lily, a murder of crows come out of nowhere and attack the bullies. Devon adopts one of them in Chapter 5 after nursing it back to health.
* ConvenientComa: After some premium choice research, Ava and Devon figure out that most of Redfield's victims have been comatose and the number of patients has increased by the time Redfield returns, including Dan and Mr. Cooper. [[spoiler:Unfortunately for Cody, that’s not the case for him.]]
* CuriosityKilledTheCast: It was Jane and Devon exploring the ruins as children that woke the dormant Redfield's powers.
* CuteKitten: In Chapter 6, you have the premium option to adopt a stray kitten.
* DarkerAndEdgier: This is the darkest and most emotionally draining of the books produced for Choices, since it features character deaths, bullying, psychological disorders, and very graphic content.
* TheDogBitesBack: Britney tries to force Stacy to host a WildTeenParty, only for Stacy to get ahold of her phone. With Britney’s blackmail deleted and plenty of dirt on how she treats her friends behind their backs, Stacy agrees that they’ll have a party after all...[[LaserGuidedKarma at Britney’s house]].
* EpicFail: In a premium choice with Noah in Chapter 7, Devon can reveal s/he got points off his/her Language Arts homework by misspelling “orange”.
* EverybodysDeadDave: If the whole group hits critical Nerve in the final confrontation, [[SoleSurvivor only]] [[spoiler:Devon or Noah]] will stumble out before the cave collapses to tell the search party [[TotalPartyKill what happened to their friends]].
* EveryoneLives: [[spoiler: Whether Devon or Noah becomes the new Mr. Red, the best ending has everyone live if they all have high to maximum Nerve.]]
* EvilDetectingDog:
** The kitten you can adopt in this case. In Chapter 6, if it is brought with you when you visit Dan, it detects Mr. Red’s spirit possessing Dan.
** Played straight in Chapter 8 if you have Hilda with you when you meet Mr. Red, going from friendly dog to snarling.
* FacialHorror: In Chapter 1, you get a very close up detail of Dan’s face melting in front of you.
* TheFellowshipHasEnded: Defied. After the memorial, either Devon or Connor will get the others to promise they'll never leave each other again the way they did after Jane's death.
* {{Foreshadowing}}
** In hindsight, the betrayal in ''In The Dark'' makes a lot of sense. [[spoiler:Noah is always the one agitating to charge straight into dangerous situations. He also gets upset when even a single person refuses, because they all have to play together. Finally, "Redfield" never gives him any gifts, because Jane already knows he'll help her.]]
** Similarly, the fact that [[spoiler:Noah has Andy's phone]] is heavily hinted. If you pay close attention to the phone interface while texting, you'll see that they have totally different typing styles.
** Redfield is a pretty weird demon: malevolent and violent, yet simplistic, out of touch, always wanting to play... [[spoiler:It's because he's actually the twisted spirit of Jane, who died at age eight to be trapped into a shadowy afterlife, frightened, angry, and completely alone.]]
* FramingTheGuiltyParty: [[spoiler:Throwing the focus pills out won't help Lucas avoid suspension, because Redfield will plant way more bottles than he ever actually had in his locker.]]
* {{Golem}}: Speaking with Ava in a premium choice in Chapter 1 lets you learn about golems and that it may be what Dan was when he attacked you. If Devon asks Cora about it in Chapter 11, she’ll say they used to be called “stone horrors” by the townsfolk.
* {{Goth}}: Ava is this big time. Devon also has premium clothes and hairstyles to look like this as well.
* GreenAesop: If Lucas survives, his plotline in [[WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue the last chapter]] features him declaring his desire to enter politics and use his influence to protect the environment. Which makes sense for an [[BourgeoisBohemian Oregon yuppie]] and all, but doesn't ever really come up before that.
* HelloInsertNameHere: Like all Choices games, you get to choose your name, though the default is Devon.
** In Chapter 5, you get a baby crow for a pet with the default name Russell.
** In Chapter 6, you have the premium option of adopting a stray kitten with the default name being Cattywampus.
** Chapter 11 has the premium choice of taking Cora Pritchard’s moss creature to fight against Mr. Red. The default name is Maurice.
* HighSchoolDance: Chapter 12 takes place during Homecoming prom.
* HistoryRepeats: In a premium choice in Chapter 6, the group finds out that there's a pattern to Mr. Red. It starts off with nature going crazy, one or more murders, then it dies down. It's happened in the 1870s, 1973, 2007, and now the present day.
* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: Devon attempts this twice with [[spoiler:Dan. It fails in the hospital, but Devon can reach him in the forest. It's also an option to try this on Tom, as a premium choice]].
* ItsAllMyFault: One of the choices after the SpiderSwarm in Chapter 9 has Devon able to say this because of what happened with Mr. Red.
* JerkJock: According to Ava, Westchester High's basketball team Westchester Wolves enjoys excluding minorities.
* KillEmAll: Depending on the nerve meter of the characters, one of the outcomes of the finale [[spoiler:is that everyone dies.]]
* LeftYourLifesaverBehind: If you're not willing to pay to make premium choices, your character will ''constantly'' pass up weapons, information, and allies for paper-thin reasons (e.g. not taking a domesticated vine monster along to a major fight because you're "[[SkewedPriorities intimidated by it]]") or for no reason at all.
* LetMeGetThisStraight: Ava has this reaction when Devon says his angering Mr. Red is why she lost her powers.
* LoveFloats: In a premium choice in Chapter 7, if Devon confesses to loving Ava, the two of them kiss and end up in this trope [[spoiler: due to Ava's new powers.]]
* ModularEpilogue: You and your friends get these in Chapter 16, depending on who survived. Those who didn't survive are remembered in the memorial, the final non-premium segment.
* MultipleEndings: In the penultimate chapter, the player is presented with two options:
** If the player chooses to have Devon [[spoiler:take Jane's spot as the next Mr. Red]], then at the memorial, Connor will give a speech about your death.
** If the player chooses to have Noah [[spoiler:take Jane's spot as the next Mr. Red]], then at the memorial, Devon will give a speech about Noah's death.
** The ending also varies depending on who survives and who doesn't. Each character that survives unlocks a scene pertaining to them. Each that doesn't unlocks a portion of Devon/Connor's memorial speech dedicated to them.
* NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead / SpeakIllOfTheDead: Depending on what you choose in ''In Memoriam''. If Devon survives, you're given the choice of [[spoiler:whether or not to speak warmly of Noah at the memorial]]. Players who can't forgive the betrayal can publicly refuse forgiveness, and [[PayEvilUntoEvil some may quite enjoy it]].
* OneSteveLimit: Averted in the final chapter if [[spoiler:Noah survives the confrontation with Redfield]] in which case you'll briefly meet a waitress named Jane.
* PaintingTheMedium: Redfield's lines shake and glitch as they appear, unlike the human characters.
* ThePowerOfFriendship: Devon can make a lot of comments about the group loving and supporting each other to cheer the others up. They're usually lampshaded by a snarky friend, but nevertheless will often provided a Nerve boost.
* RealityEnsues: If they survive, many of the characters have an epilogue scene that shows that the events of homecoming night still haunt them. Devon has nightmares and can confess to barely making it through the day a lot of the time. Andy had to repeat senior year due to medical leave while his leg healed, and it still hurts him to the point where he can't play sometimes. [[spoiler:Noah is on the run and can't go back to his old life.]]
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:If Devon agrees to let Noah become Redfield, he atones for betraying his friends with his death.]]
* RousingSpeech: Andy can rally the basketball team as they fall behind in the second game, given the right dialogue options.
* SanityMeter: Nerve, in this case, which is decreased by stressful choices or just life in general. Positive things help increase it.
* ScreenShake: When something especially scary happens, accompanied by a red border.
* SealedEvilInACan: [[spoiler:What Cora Pritchard and her friends did to Redfield, and what the gang has to do to Jane through Noah or Devon's death.]]
* SequelHook: The final premium choice is one of these with a stranger at a lake being possessed by something, then going into the lake.
* ShoutOut:
** One of the lines Devon can shout before charging the vine monsters in Chapter 3 is “[[Film/MadMaxFuryRoad Witness me!]]”
** A barbwire bat with a girl’s name. You sure Devon doesn’t mean [[Franchise/TheWalkingDead Lucille]]?
** The default name of the crow Devon adopts is [[Creator/RussellCrowe Russell]].
** The achievement for taking Connor's boxing lessons in Chapter 9 is “[[UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli Sting Like A Bee]].”
* SignificantAnagram: Goddard E. Filleus is [[spoiler:Douglas Redfield]].
* SpiderSwarm:
** In Chapter 9, the basketball court of Westchester High gets swarmed by spiders during a basketball game, and one of them bites Tom.
** In Chapter 15, Andy is swarmed by spiders during the "Are You Scared?" game. [[spoiler:If his Nerve score isn't high enough, he'll die from it.]]
* StoryBranchFavoritism: The game clearly favors the decision to [[spoiler:let Noah take over as Redfield]] since it requires Noah to have high Nerve score, and because the ending where [[spoiler:Devon makes a HeroicSacrifice]] draws very little reaction from the other characters.
* StraightGay: Principal Flores is married to another woman. Lily is confirmed to be in love with Britney.
* StuffedIntoALocker: In Chapter 2, regardless of whether or not you try to listen to Lucas's conversation with the teacher, Britney and her gang will stuff you into a locker. Lucas lets you out due to a trick that hasn't been corrected in years.
* ThinkInText: Devon's thoughts are shown with parentheses on both sides.
* TimeSkip: Chapter 16 takes place one year after Chapter 15 catching up on the survivors as well as a memorial for Cora and anyone who died in the final confrontation with Mr. Red.
* TooDumbToLive: If you don't pay for premium choices, Devon will do this often. For example, turning down the fire ax before [[spoiler:heading into the forest to save Andy]] will result in the absurd response of, "No thanks, I'll just find a stick or something" for no reason other than [[IdiotBall the game says so]].
* TownWithADarkSecret: Westchester is this, with a history of cults, witch trials, massacres, and unexplained coma cases.
* UnexplainedRecovery: [[spoiler:Jocelyn survives disappearing under a pile of snarling vine monsters because...just because.]]
* WhamEpisode:
** At the end of Chapter 7, [[spoiler: Cody is impaled on the tree outside of Devon’s house!]]
** Chapter 14 reveals a big one. [[spoiler: Jane is Redfield and Noah knew!]]
** Chapter 15. [[spoiler:The fate of all of your friends is determined and either Devon or Noah take Jane's spot as Redfield.]]
* WhamShot:
** [[spoiler: Cody impaled on a tree.]]
** The animation of [[spoiler:Redfield's name being crossed out with Jane underneath, signifying Jane took his place.]]
* WhatTheHellHero
** Lily to Ava, when she [[spoiler:nearly strangles Jocelyn in a fight after Cody dies]].
** Stacy and Ava to Devon, when [[spoiler:Devon decides to tell Redfield they're no longer friends and to leave them alone without consulting the others, leading to repercussions against the whole group and the town]].
** Devon can also respond this way [[spoiler:when Noah reveals he's helping Redfield]]. The others, Stacy in particular, will act this way regardless.
* WildTeenParty: Britney has two of them. The first time is in a premium chouce flashback in Chapter 3, then the main focus of Chapter 7.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: Whatever happened between the group and Mr. Red when they were kids forced them all apart until the story starts.
* TheWildcats: In Chapter 5, the Westchester Wolves take on their rivals the Anderton Cougars in a basketball game.
* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: The final chapter rotates between all surviving characters before the memorial, and then remembers each of the fallen during the eulogy.
* YouCantGoHomeAgain: [[spoiler:One way or another, Noah's storyline ends this way. If he takes Jane's place as Redfield, he becomes a monster wandering the forest and trying to remember who he was. If Devon is the one to die, Noah ends up on the run from the police, under suspicion of being involved in the tragedy on homecoming night.]]
-->[[ArcWords ''We all play together.'']]
''It Lives In The Woods'' is one of many stories from Pixelberry’s VisualNovel/ChoicesStoriesYouPlay collection.
In this story, you are Devon and dark secrets come back to haunt you and your friends.
----
!!''It Lives in the Woods'' includes examples of:
* AbusiveParents: Stacy and Connor Green's parents to the point that Connor has cut off communication with them. Noah's mother is also this, even [[YouShouldHaveDiedInstead wishing that Noah had died in the incident with Redfield instead of Jane]].
* AdultsAreUseless: With the exceptions of Connor Green and Cora Pritchard, the adult characters of the story are either absent (Devon's parents) or oblivious to what's really going on (Mayor Green). If Lucas lives, [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Professor Bhatt]] will be another exception to this.
* AerosolFlamethrower: During the spider swarm in Chapter 9, Andy has the premium option to make one of these.
* AnyoneCanDie: [[spoiler:Chapter 15 is where the gang's nerve scores determine whether or not each individual will survive an "Are you scared" game with Jane. In Devon and Noah's cases, however, one or the other will have to replace Jane as the new Redfield. You only get to choose who if both you and Noah have enough nerve scores.]]
* ArbitrarySkepticism: If Ava lives, her epilogue scene has her continuing her research into Westchester's occult history, while simultaneously sneering at the thought that people could believe ''Bigfoot'' lives there.
* ArcWords: "We all play together." First said when the kids were first getting to know Mr. Red, ultimately [[spoiler:the basis for the contract between Jane and her friends, and the only way they can free her spirit.]]
* BadassBoast: Anyone whose Nerve is high enough at the end of the game will give one to Redfield.
* BarredFromTheAfterlife: [[spoiler:The fate of whoever becomes Redfield, until they find someone to take their place.]]
* BatterUp: You can buy a barbwire bat in a premium choice in Chapter 3. Devon then names it whatever the player decides, with the default name being “Candy”.
* BearsAreBadNews: In Chapter 4, bear attacks are warned about in a student assembly. As Andy’s about to confront Ben, he sees him getting mauled by a bear that broke his arm.
* BeautyEqualsGoodness: Averted by Britney and her posse. She is the hottest girl in school along with Jocelyn, but they mercilessly bully other students like Lily, Devon or Stacy. On the other hand, Lily is chubby, average looking, and the nicest person in the school.
* BigBad: Redfield, aka Mr. Red, [[spoiler:revealed to be Jane.]]
* BigDamnKiss: Chapter 7 allows you to have one, more, or all of these with Andy, Lucas, Ava, and Connor or Stacy in premium choices.
* BlackDudeDiesFirst: Downplayed. [[spoiler:In chapter 15, Ava is the first one to play the game with Jane and so is possibly the first one to die out of the gang.]]
* BloodierAndGorier: Way bloodier and gorier than any other book in the Choices catalog.
* BreadEggsBreadedEggs: In Chapter 2 when Devon says Dan could be in trouble, Stacy says he needs help from adults... and professionals... professional adults.
* BreatherEpisode: Chapter 12 has the group going to prom to celebrate sealing Mr. Red...[[spoiler: Until Cora walks in bleeding to death and reveals that the ritual failed, and Mr. Red attacks the school!]]
* BullyingADragon: Jocelyn attacks Ava and says that she knows Ava has real powers. Ava points out that that makes sucker punching her in the stomach a really terrible idea.
* CassandraTruth: Claiming that the deaths were due to supernatural forces while Mayor Green speaks at the memorial will earn you nothing but a lot of mumbling and sideways glances, but that could be due to fear as well as disbelief. [[spoiler:If Noah becomes Redfield, Devon also has the option to promise to try to save him during the eulogy, with a similar non-response.]]
* ChainsawGood: In Chapter 3, you are shown a pole saw at the hardware store by Connor, but the one you see is just a display model while it's on back order. You finally have the opportunity to buy an actual pole saw in Chapter 11.
* CreepyCrows: In Chapter 4, as Cody and Jocelyn are about to beat on Devon and Lily, a murder of crows come out of nowhere and attack the bullies. Devon adopts one of them in Chapter 5 after nursing it back to health.
* ConvenientComa: After some premium choice research, Ava and Devon figure out that most of Redfield's victims have been comatose and the number of patients has increased by the time Redfield returns, including Dan and Mr. Cooper. [[spoiler:Unfortunately for Cody, that’s not the case for him.]]
* CuriosityKilledTheCast: It was Jane and Devon exploring the ruins as children that woke the dormant Redfield's powers.
* CuteKitten: In Chapter 6, you have the premium option to adopt a stray kitten.
* DarkerAndEdgier: This is the darkest and most emotionally draining of the books produced for Choices, since it features character deaths, bullying, psychological disorders, and very graphic content.
* TheDogBitesBack: Britney tries to force Stacy to host a WildTeenParty, only for Stacy to get ahold of her phone. With Britney’s blackmail deleted and plenty of dirt on how she treats her friends behind their backs, Stacy agrees that they’ll have a party after all...[[LaserGuidedKarma at Britney’s house]].
* EpicFail: In a premium choice with Noah in Chapter 7, Devon can reveal s/he got points off his/her Language Arts homework by misspelling “orange”.
* EverybodysDeadDave: If the whole group hits critical Nerve in the final confrontation, [[SoleSurvivor only]] [[spoiler:Devon or Noah]] will stumble out before the cave collapses to tell the search party [[TotalPartyKill what happened to their friends]].
* EveryoneLives: [[spoiler: Whether Devon or Noah becomes the new Mr. Red, the best ending has everyone live if they all have high to maximum Nerve.]]
* EvilDetectingDog:
** The kitten you can adopt in this case. In Chapter 6, if it is brought with you when you visit Dan, it detects Mr. Red’s spirit possessing Dan.
** Played straight in Chapter 8 if you have Hilda with you when you meet Mr. Red, going from friendly dog to snarling.
* FacialHorror: In Chapter 1, you get a very close up detail of Dan’s face melting in front of you.
* TheFellowshipHasEnded: Defied. After the memorial, either Devon or Connor will get the others to promise they'll never leave each other again the way they did after Jane's death.
* {{Foreshadowing}}
** In hindsight, the betrayal in ''In The Dark'' makes a lot of sense. [[spoiler:Noah is always the one agitating to charge straight into dangerous situations. He also gets upset when even a single person refuses, because they all have to play together. Finally, "Redfield" never gives him any gifts, because Jane already knows he'll help her.]]
** Similarly, the fact that [[spoiler:Noah has Andy's phone]] is heavily hinted. If you pay close attention to the phone interface while texting, you'll see that they have totally different typing styles.
** Redfield is a pretty weird demon: malevolent and violent, yet simplistic, out of touch, always wanting to play... [[spoiler:It's because he's actually the twisted spirit of Jane, who died at age eight to be trapped into a shadowy afterlife, frightened, angry, and completely alone.]]
* FramingTheGuiltyParty: [[spoiler:Throwing the focus pills out won't help Lucas avoid suspension, because Redfield will plant way more bottles than he ever actually had in his locker.]]
* {{Golem}}: Speaking with Ava in a premium choice in Chapter 1 lets you learn about golems and that it may be what Dan was when he attacked you. If Devon asks Cora about it in Chapter 11, she’ll say they used to be called “stone horrors” by the townsfolk.
* {{Goth}}: Ava is this big time. Devon also has premium clothes and hairstyles to look like this as well.
* GreenAesop: If Lucas survives, his plotline in [[WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue the last chapter]] features him declaring his desire to enter politics and use his influence to protect the environment. Which makes sense for an [[BourgeoisBohemian Oregon yuppie]] and all, but doesn't ever really come up before that.
* HelloInsertNameHere: Like all Choices games, you get to choose your name, though the default is Devon.
** In Chapter 5, you get a baby crow for a pet with the default name Russell.
** In Chapter 6, you have the premium option of adopting a stray kitten with the default name being Cattywampus.
** Chapter 11 has the premium choice of taking Cora Pritchard’s moss creature to fight against Mr. Red. The default name is Maurice.
* HighSchoolDance: Chapter 12 takes place during Homecoming prom.
* HistoryRepeats: In a premium choice in Chapter 6, the group finds out that there's a pattern to Mr. Red. It starts off with nature going crazy, one or more murders, then it dies down. It's happened in the 1870s, 1973, 2007, and now the present day.
* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: Devon attempts this twice with [[spoiler:Dan. It fails in the hospital, but Devon can reach him in the forest. It's also an option to try this on Tom, as a premium choice]].
* ItsAllMyFault: One of the choices after the SpiderSwarm in Chapter 9 has Devon able to say this because of what happened with Mr. Red.
* JerkJock: According to Ava, Westchester High's basketball team Westchester Wolves enjoys excluding minorities.
* KillEmAll: Depending on the nerve meter of the characters, one of the outcomes of the finale [[spoiler:is that everyone dies.]]
* LeftYourLifesaverBehind: If you're not willing to pay to make premium choices, your character will ''constantly'' pass up weapons, information, and allies for paper-thin reasons (e.g. not taking a domesticated vine monster along to a major fight because you're "[[SkewedPriorities intimidated by it]]") or for no reason at all.
* LetMeGetThisStraight: Ava has this reaction when Devon says his angering Mr. Red is why she lost her powers.
* LoveFloats: In a premium choice in Chapter 7, if Devon confesses to loving Ava, the two of them kiss and end up in this trope [[spoiler: due to Ava's new powers.]]
* ModularEpilogue: You and your friends get these in Chapter 16, depending on who survived. Those who didn't survive are remembered in the memorial, the final non-premium segment.
* MultipleEndings: In the penultimate chapter, the player is presented with two options:
** If the player chooses to have Devon [[spoiler:take Jane's spot as the next Mr. Red]], then at the memorial, Connor will give a speech about your death.
** If the player chooses to have Noah [[spoiler:take Jane's spot as the next Mr. Red]], then at the memorial, Devon will give a speech about Noah's death.
** The ending also varies depending on who survives and who doesn't. Each character that survives unlocks a scene pertaining to them. Each that doesn't unlocks a portion of Devon/Connor's memorial speech dedicated to them.
* NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead / SpeakIllOfTheDead: Depending on what you choose in ''In Memoriam''. If Devon survives, you're given the choice of [[spoiler:whether or not to speak warmly of Noah at the memorial]]. Players who can't forgive the betrayal can publicly refuse forgiveness, and [[PayEvilUntoEvil some may quite enjoy it]].
* OneSteveLimit: Averted in the final chapter if [[spoiler:Noah survives the confrontation with Redfield]] in which case you'll briefly meet a waitress named Jane.
* PaintingTheMedium: Redfield's lines shake and glitch as they appear, unlike the human characters.
* ThePowerOfFriendship: Devon can make a lot of comments about the group loving and supporting each other to cheer the others up. They're usually lampshaded by a snarky friend, but nevertheless will often provided a Nerve boost.
* RealityEnsues: If they survive, many of the characters have an epilogue scene that shows that the events of homecoming night still haunt them. Devon has nightmares and can confess to barely making it through the day a lot of the time. Andy had to repeat senior year due to medical leave while his leg healed, and it still hurts him to the point where he can't play sometimes. [[spoiler:Noah is on the run and can't go back to his old life.]]
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:If Devon agrees to let Noah become Redfield, he atones for betraying his friends with his death.]]
* RousingSpeech: Andy can rally the basketball team as they fall behind in the second game, given the right dialogue options.
* SanityMeter: Nerve, in this case, which is decreased by stressful choices or just life in general. Positive things help increase it.
* ScreenShake: When something especially scary happens, accompanied by a red border.
* SealedEvilInACan: [[spoiler:What Cora Pritchard and her friends did to Redfield, and what the gang has to do to Jane through Noah or Devon's death.]]
* SequelHook: The final premium choice is one of these with a stranger at a lake being possessed by something, then going into the lake.
* ShoutOut:
** One of the lines Devon can shout before charging the vine monsters in Chapter 3 is “[[Film/MadMaxFuryRoad Witness me!]]”
** A barbwire bat with a girl’s name. You sure Devon doesn’t mean [[Franchise/TheWalkingDead Lucille]]?
** The default name of the crow Devon adopts is [[Creator/RussellCrowe Russell]].
** The achievement for taking Connor's boxing lessons in Chapter 9 is “[[UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli Sting Like A Bee]].”
* SignificantAnagram: Goddard E. Filleus is [[spoiler:Douglas Redfield]].
* SpiderSwarm:
** In Chapter 9, the basketball court of Westchester High gets swarmed by spiders during a basketball game, and one of them bites Tom.
** In Chapter 15, Andy is swarmed by spiders during the "Are You Scared?" game. [[spoiler:If his Nerve score isn't high enough, he'll die from it.]]
* StoryBranchFavoritism: The game clearly favors the decision to [[spoiler:let Noah take over as Redfield]] since it requires Noah to have high Nerve score, and because the ending where [[spoiler:Devon makes a HeroicSacrifice]] draws very little reaction from the other characters.
* StraightGay: Principal Flores is married to another woman. Lily is confirmed to be in love with Britney.
* StuffedIntoALocker: In Chapter 2, regardless of whether or not you try to listen to Lucas's conversation with the teacher, Britney and her gang will stuff you into a locker. Lucas lets you out due to a trick that hasn't been corrected in years.
* ThinkInText: Devon's thoughts are shown with parentheses on both sides.
* TimeSkip: Chapter 16 takes place one year after Chapter 15 catching up on the survivors as well as a memorial for Cora and anyone who died in the final confrontation with Mr. Red.
* TooDumbToLive: If you don't pay for premium choices, Devon will do this often. For example, turning down the fire ax before [[spoiler:heading into the forest to save Andy]] will result in the absurd response of, "No thanks, I'll just find a stick or something" for no reason other than [[IdiotBall the game says so]].
* TownWithADarkSecret: Westchester is this, with a history of cults, witch trials, massacres, and unexplained coma cases.
* UnexplainedRecovery: [[spoiler:Jocelyn survives disappearing under a pile of snarling vine monsters because...just because.]]
* WhamEpisode:
** At the end of Chapter 7, [[spoiler: Cody is impaled on the tree outside of Devon’s house!]]
** Chapter 14 reveals a big one. [[spoiler: Jane is Redfield and Noah knew!]]
** Chapter 15. [[spoiler:The fate of all of your friends is determined and either Devon or Noah take Jane's spot as Redfield.]]
* WhamShot:
** [[spoiler: Cody impaled on a tree.]]
** The animation of [[spoiler:Redfield's name being crossed out with Jane underneath, signifying Jane took his place.]]
* WhatTheHellHero
** Lily to Ava, when she [[spoiler:nearly strangles Jocelyn in a fight after Cody dies]].
** Stacy and Ava to Devon, when [[spoiler:Devon decides to tell Redfield they're no longer friends and to leave them alone without consulting the others, leading to repercussions against the whole group and the town]].
** Devon can also respond this way [[spoiler:when Noah reveals he's helping Redfield]]. The others, Stacy in particular, will act this way regardless.
* WildTeenParty: Britney has two of them. The first time is in a premium chouce flashback in Chapter 3, then the main focus of Chapter 7.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: Whatever happened between the group and Mr. Red when they were kids forced them all apart until the story starts.
* TheWildcats: In Chapter 5, the Westchester Wolves take on their rivals the Anderton Cougars in a basketball game.
* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: The final chapter rotates between all surviving characters before the memorial, and then remembers each of the fallen during the eulogy.
* YouCantGoHomeAgain: [[spoiler:One way or another, Noah's storyline ends this way. If he takes Jane's place as Redfield, he becomes a monster wandering the forest and trying to remember who he was. If Devon is the one to die, Noah ends up on the run from the police, under suspicion of being involved in the tragedy on homecoming night.]]
to:
-->[[ArcWords ''We all play together.'']]
''It Lives In The Woods'' is one of many stories from Pixelberry’s VisualNovel/ChoicesStoriesYouPlay collection.
In this story, you are Devon and dark secrets come back to haunt you and your friends.
----
!!''It Lives in the Woods'' includes examples of:
* AbusiveParents: Stacy and Connor Green's parents to the point that Connor has cut off communication with them. Noah's mother is also this, even [[YouShouldHaveDiedInstead wishing that Noah had died in the incident with Redfield instead of Jane]].
* AdultsAreUseless: With the exceptions of Connor Green and Cora Pritchard, the adult characters of the story are either absent (Devon's parents) or oblivious to what's really going on (Mayor Green). If Lucas lives, [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Professor Bhatt]] will be another exception to this.
* AerosolFlamethrower: During the spider swarm in Chapter 9, Andy has the premium option to make one of these.
* AnyoneCanDie: [[spoiler:Chapter 15 is where the gang's nerve scores determine whether or not each individual will survive an "Are you scared" game with Jane. In Devon and Noah's cases, however, one or the other will have to replace Jane as the new Redfield. You only get to choose who if both you and Noah have enough nerve scores.]]
* ArbitrarySkepticism: If Ava lives, her epilogue scene has her continuing her research into Westchester's occult history, while simultaneously sneering at the thought that people could believe ''Bigfoot'' lives there.
* ArcWords: "We all play together." First said when the kids were first getting to know Mr. Red, ultimately [[spoiler:the basis for the contract between Jane and her friends, and the only way they can free her spirit.]]
* BadassBoast: Anyone whose Nerve is high enough at the end of the game will give one to Redfield.
* BarredFromTheAfterlife: [[spoiler:The fate of whoever becomes Redfield, until they find someone to take their place.]]
* BatterUp: You can buy a barbwire bat in a premium choice in Chapter 3. Devon then names it whatever the player decides, with the default name being “Candy”.
* BearsAreBadNews: In Chapter 4, bear attacks are warned about in a student assembly. As Andy’s about to confront Ben, he sees him getting mauled by a bear that broke his arm.
* BeautyEqualsGoodness: Averted by Britney and her posse. She is the hottest girl in school along with Jocelyn, but they mercilessly bully other students like Lily, Devon or Stacy. On the other hand, Lily is chubby, average looking, and the nicest person in the school.
* BigBad: Redfield, aka Mr. Red, [[spoiler:revealed to be Jane.]]
* BigDamnKiss: Chapter 7 allows you to have one, more, or all of these with Andy, Lucas, Ava, and Connor or Stacy in premium choices.
* BlackDudeDiesFirst: Downplayed. [[spoiler:In chapter 15, Ava is the first one to play the game with Jane and so is possibly the first one to die out of the gang.]]
* BloodierAndGorier: Way bloodier and gorier than any other book in the Choices catalog.
* BreadEggsBreadedEggs: In Chapter 2 when Devon says Dan could be in trouble, Stacy says he needs help from adults... and professionals... professional adults.
* BreatherEpisode: Chapter 12 has the group going to prom to celebrate sealing Mr. Red...[[spoiler: Until Cora walks in bleeding to death and reveals that the ritual failed, and Mr. Red attacks the school!]]
* BullyingADragon: Jocelyn attacks Ava and says that she knows Ava has real powers. Ava points out that that makes sucker punching her in the stomach a really terrible idea.
* CassandraTruth: Claiming that the deaths were due to supernatural forces while Mayor Green speaks at the memorial will earn you nothing but a lot of mumbling and sideways glances, but that could be due to fear as well as disbelief. [[spoiler:If Noah becomes Redfield, Devon also has the option to promise to try to save him during the eulogy, with a similar non-response.]]
* ChainsawGood: In Chapter 3, you are shown a pole saw at the hardware store by Connor, but the one you see is just a display model while it's on back order. You finally have the opportunity to buy an actual pole saw in Chapter 11.
* CreepyCrows: In Chapter 4, as Cody and Jocelyn are about to beat on Devon and Lily, a murder of crows come out of nowhere and attack the bullies. Devon adopts one of them in Chapter 5 after nursing it back to health.
* ConvenientComa: After some premium choice research, Ava and Devon figure out that most of Redfield's victims have been comatose and the number of patients has increased by the time Redfield returns, including Dan and Mr. Cooper. [[spoiler:Unfortunately for Cody, that’s not the case for him.]]
* CuriosityKilledTheCast: It was Jane and Devon exploring the ruins as children that woke the dormant Redfield's powers.
* CuteKitten: In Chapter 6, you have the premium option to adopt a stray kitten.
* DarkerAndEdgier: This is the darkest and most emotionally draining of the books produced for Choices, since it features character deaths, bullying, psychological disorders, and very graphic content.
* TheDogBitesBack: Britney tries to force Stacy to host a WildTeenParty, only for Stacy to get ahold of her phone. With Britney’s blackmail deleted and plenty of dirt on how she treats her friends behind their backs, Stacy agrees that they’ll have a party after all...[[LaserGuidedKarma at Britney’s house]].
* EpicFail: In a premium choice with Noah in Chapter 7, Devon can reveal s/he got points off his/her Language Arts homework by misspelling “orange”.
* EverybodysDeadDave: If the whole group hits critical Nerve in the final confrontation, [[SoleSurvivor only]] [[spoiler:Devon or Noah]] will stumble out before the cave collapses to tell the search party [[TotalPartyKill what happened to their friends]].
* EveryoneLives: [[spoiler: Whether Devon or Noah becomes the new Mr. Red, the best ending has everyone live if they all have high to maximum Nerve.]]
* EvilDetectingDog:
** The kitten you can adopt in this case. In Chapter 6, if it is brought with you when you visit Dan, it detects Mr. Red’s spirit possessing Dan.
** Played straight in Chapter 8 if you have Hilda with you when you meet Mr. Red, going from friendly dog to snarling.
* FacialHorror: In Chapter 1, you get a very close up detail of Dan’s face melting in front of you.
* TheFellowshipHasEnded: Defied. After the memorial, either Devon or Connor will get the others to promise they'll never leave each other again the way they did after Jane's death.
* {{Foreshadowing}}
** In hindsight, the betrayal in ''In The Dark'' makes a lot of sense. [[spoiler:Noah is always the one agitating to charge straight into dangerous situations. He also gets upset when even a single person refuses, because they all have to play together. Finally, "Redfield" never gives him any gifts, because Jane already knows he'll help her.]]
** Similarly, the fact that [[spoiler:Noah has Andy's phone]] is heavily hinted. If you pay close attention to the phone interface while texting, you'll see that they have totally different typing styles.
** Redfield is a pretty weird demon: malevolent and violent, yet simplistic, out of touch, always wanting to play... [[spoiler:It's because he's actually the twisted spirit of Jane, who died at age eight to be trapped into a shadowy afterlife, frightened, angry, and completely alone.]]
* FramingTheGuiltyParty: [[spoiler:Throwing the focus pills out won't help Lucas avoid suspension, because Redfield will plant way more bottles than he ever actually had in his locker.]]
* {{Golem}}: Speaking with Ava in a premium choice in Chapter 1 lets you learn about golems and that it may be what Dan was when he attacked you. If Devon asks Cora about it in Chapter 11, she’ll say they used to be called “stone horrors” by the townsfolk.
* {{Goth}}: Ava is this big time. Devon also has premium clothes and hairstyles to look like this as well.
* GreenAesop: If Lucas survives, his plotline in [[WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue the last chapter]] features him declaring his desire to enter politics and use his influence to protect the environment. Which makes sense for an [[BourgeoisBohemian Oregon yuppie]] and all, but doesn't ever really come up before that.
* HelloInsertNameHere: Like all Choices games, you get to choose your name, though the default is Devon.
** In Chapter 5, you get a baby crow for a pet with the default name Russell.
** In Chapter 6, you have the premium option of adopting a stray kitten with the default name being Cattywampus.
** Chapter 11 has the premium choice of taking Cora Pritchard’s moss creature to fight against Mr. Red. The default name is Maurice.
* HighSchoolDance: Chapter 12 takes place during Homecoming prom.
* HistoryRepeats: In a premium choice in Chapter 6, the group finds out that there's a pattern to Mr. Red. It starts off with nature going crazy, one or more murders, then it dies down. It's happened in the 1870s, 1973, 2007, and now the present day.
* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: Devon attempts this twice with [[spoiler:Dan. It fails in the hospital, but Devon can reach him in the forest. It's also an option to try this on Tom, as a premium choice]].
* ItsAllMyFault: One of the choices after the SpiderSwarm in Chapter 9 has Devon able to say this because of what happened with Mr. Red.
* JerkJock: According to Ava, Westchester High's basketball team Westchester Wolves enjoys excluding minorities.
* KillEmAll: Depending on the nerve meter of the characters, one of the outcomes of the finale [[spoiler:is that everyone dies.]]
* LeftYourLifesaverBehind: If you're not willing to pay to make premium choices, your character will ''constantly'' pass up weapons, information, and allies for paper-thin reasons (e.g. not taking a domesticated vine monster along to a major fight because you're "[[SkewedPriorities intimidated by it]]") or for no reason at all.
* LetMeGetThisStraight: Ava has this reaction when Devon says his angering Mr. Red is why she lost her powers.
* LoveFloats: In a premium choice in Chapter 7, if Devon confesses to loving Ava, the two of them kiss and end up in this trope [[spoiler: due to Ava's new powers.]]
* ModularEpilogue: You and your friends get these in Chapter 16, depending on who survived. Those who didn't survive are remembered in the memorial, the final non-premium segment.
* MultipleEndings: In the penultimate chapter, the player is presented with two options:
** If the player chooses to have Devon [[spoiler:take Jane's spot as the next Mr. Red]], then at the memorial, Connor will give a speech about your death.
** If the player chooses to have Noah [[spoiler:take Jane's spot as the next Mr. Red]], then at the memorial, Devon will give a speech about Noah's death.
** The ending also varies depending on who survives and who doesn't. Each character that survives unlocks a scene pertaining to them. Each that doesn't unlocks a portion of Devon/Connor's memorial speech dedicated to them.
* NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead / SpeakIllOfTheDead: Depending on what you choose in ''In Memoriam''. If Devon survives, you're given the choice of [[spoiler:whether or not to speak warmly of Noah at the memorial]]. Players who can't forgive the betrayal can publicly refuse forgiveness, and [[PayEvilUntoEvil some may quite enjoy it]].
* OneSteveLimit: Averted in the final chapter if [[spoiler:Noah survives the confrontation with Redfield]] in which case you'll briefly meet a waitress named Jane.
* PaintingTheMedium: Redfield's lines shake and glitch as they appear, unlike the human characters.
* ThePowerOfFriendship: Devon can make a lot of comments about the group loving and supporting each other to cheer the others up. They're usually lampshaded by a snarky friend, but nevertheless will often provided a Nerve boost.
* RealityEnsues: If they survive, many of the characters have an epilogue scene that shows that the events of homecoming night still haunt them. Devon has nightmares and can confess to barely making it through the day a lot of the time. Andy had to repeat senior year due to medical leave while his leg healed, and it still hurts him to the point where he can't play sometimes. [[spoiler:Noah is on the run and can't go back to his old life.]]
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:If Devon agrees to let Noah become Redfield, he atones for betraying his friends with his death.]]
* RousingSpeech: Andy can rally the basketball team as they fall behind in the second game, given the right dialogue options.
* SanityMeter: Nerve, in this case, which is decreased by stressful choices or just life in general. Positive things help increase it.
* ScreenShake: When something especially scary happens, accompanied by a red border.
* SealedEvilInACan: [[spoiler:What Cora Pritchard and her friends did to Redfield, and what the gang has to do to Jane through Noah or Devon's death.]]
* SequelHook: The final premium choice is one of these with a stranger at a lake being possessed by something, then going into the lake.
* ShoutOut:
** One of the lines Devon can shout before charging the vine monsters in Chapter 3 is “[[Film/MadMaxFuryRoad Witness me!]]”
** A barbwire bat with a girl’s name. You sure Devon doesn’t mean [[Franchise/TheWalkingDead Lucille]]?
** The default name of the crow Devon adopts is [[Creator/RussellCrowe Russell]].
** The achievement for taking Connor's boxing lessons in Chapter 9 is “[[UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli Sting Like A Bee]].”
* SignificantAnagram: Goddard E. Filleus is [[spoiler:Douglas Redfield]].
* SpiderSwarm:
** In Chapter 9, the basketball court of Westchester High gets swarmed by spiders during a basketball game, and one of them bites Tom.
** In Chapter 15, Andy is swarmed by spiders during the "Are You Scared?" game. [[spoiler:If his Nerve score isn't high enough, he'll die from it.]]
* StoryBranchFavoritism: The game clearly favors the decision to [[spoiler:let Noah take over as Redfield]] since it requires Noah to have high Nerve score, and because the ending where [[spoiler:Devon makes a HeroicSacrifice]] draws very little reaction from the other characters.
* StraightGay: Principal Flores is married to another woman. Lily is confirmed to be in love with Britney.
* StuffedIntoALocker: In Chapter 2, regardless of whether or not you try to listen to Lucas's conversation with the teacher, Britney and her gang will stuff you into a locker. Lucas lets you out due to a trick that hasn't been corrected in years.
* ThinkInText: Devon's thoughts are shown with parentheses on both sides.
* TimeSkip: Chapter 16 takes place one year after Chapter 15 catching up on the survivors as well as a memorial for Cora and anyone who died in the final confrontation with Mr. Red.
* TooDumbToLive: If you don't pay for premium choices, Devon will do this often. For example, turning down the fire ax before [[spoiler:heading into the forest to save Andy]] will result in the absurd response of, "No thanks, I'll just find a stick or something" for no reason other than [[IdiotBall the game says so]].
* TownWithADarkSecret: Westchester is this, with a history of cults, witch trials, massacres, and unexplained coma cases.
* UnexplainedRecovery: [[spoiler:Jocelyn survives disappearing under a pile of snarling vine monsters because...just because.]]
* WhamEpisode:
** At the end of Chapter 7, [[spoiler: Cody is impaled on the tree outside of Devon’s house!]]
** Chapter 14 reveals a big one. [[spoiler: Jane is Redfield and Noah knew!]]
** Chapter 15. [[spoiler:The fate of all of your friends is determined and either Devon or Noah take Jane's spot as Redfield.]]
* WhamShot:
** [[spoiler: Cody impaled on a tree.]]
** The animation of [[spoiler:Redfield's name being crossed out with Jane underneath, signifying Jane took his place.]]
* WhatTheHellHero
** Lily to Ava, when she [[spoiler:nearly strangles Jocelyn in a fight after Cody dies]].
** Stacy and Ava to Devon, when [[spoiler:Devon decides to tell Redfield they're no longer friends and to leave them alone without consulting the others, leading to repercussions against the whole group and the town]].
** Devon can also respond this way [[spoiler:when Noah reveals he's helping Redfield]]. The others, Stacy in particular, will act this way regardless.
* WildTeenParty: Britney has two of them. The first time is in a premium chouce flashback in Chapter 3, then the main focus of Chapter 7.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: Whatever happened between the group and Mr. Red when they were kids forced them all apart until the story starts.
* TheWildcats: In Chapter 5, the Westchester Wolves take on their rivals the Anderton Cougars in a basketball game.
* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: The final chapter rotates between all surviving characters before the memorial, and then remembers each of the fallen during the eulogy.
* YouCantGoHomeAgain: [[spoiler:One way or another, Noah's storyline ends this way. If he takes Jane's place as Redfield, he becomes a monster wandering the forest and trying to remember who he was. If Devon is the one to die, Noah ends up on the run from the police, under suspicion of being involved in the tragedy on homecoming night.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* TheDogBitesBack: Britney tries to force Stacy to host a WildTeenParty, only for Stacy to get ahold of her phone. With Britney’s blackmail deleted and plenty of dirt on how she treats her friends behind their backs, Stacy agrees that they’ll have a party after all...[[LaserGuidedKarma at Britney’s house]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 15 (click to see context) from:
* AnyoneCanDie: [[spoiler:Chapter 15 is where the gang's nerve scores determine whether or not each individual will survive an "Are you scared" game with Jane. In Devon and Noah's cases, however, one or the other will have to replace Jane as the new Redfield.]]
to:
* AnyoneCanDie: [[spoiler:Chapter 15 is where the gang's nerve scores determine whether or not each individual will survive an "Are you scared" game with Jane. In Devon and Noah's cases, however, one or the other will have to replace Jane as the new Redfield. You only get to choose who if both you and Noah have enough nerve scores.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* OneSteveLimit: Averted in the final chapter if [[spoiler:Noah survives the confrontation with Redfield]] in which case you'll briefly meet a waitress named Jane.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
-->[[ArcWords ''We all play together.'']]
Added DiffLines:
* ArcWords: "We all play together." First said when the kids were first getting to know Mr. Red, ultimately [[spoiler:the basis for the contract between Jane and her friends, and the only way they can free her spirit.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* {{Foreshadowing}}
** In hindsight, the betrayal in ''In The Dark'' makes a lot of sense. [[spoiler:Noah is always the one agitating to charge straight into dangerous situations. He also gets upset when even a single person refuses, because they all have to play together. Finally, "Redfield" never gives him any gifts, because Jane already knows he'll help her.]]
** Similarly, the fact that [[spoiler:Noah has Andy's phone]] is heavily hinted. If you pay close attention to the phone interface while texting, you'll see that they have totally different typing styles.
** Redfield is a pretty weird demon: malevolent and violent, yet simplistic, out of touch, always wanting to play... [[spoiler:It's because he's actually the twisted spirit of Jane, who died at age eight to be trapped into a shadowy afterlife, frightened, angry, and completely alone.]]
** In hindsight, the betrayal in ''In The Dark'' makes a lot of sense. [[spoiler:Noah is always the one agitating to charge straight into dangerous situations. He also gets upset when even a single person refuses, because they all have to play together. Finally, "Redfield" never gives him any gifts, because Jane already knows he'll help her.]]
** Similarly, the fact that [[spoiler:Noah has Andy's phone]] is heavily hinted. If you pay close attention to the phone interface while texting, you'll see that they have totally different typing styles.
** Redfield is a pretty weird demon: malevolent and violent, yet simplistic, out of touch, always wanting to play... [[spoiler:It's because he's actually the twisted spirit of Jane, who died at age eight to be trapped into a shadowy afterlife, frightened, angry, and completely alone.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* TheFellowshipHasEnded: Defied. After the memorial, either Devon or Connor will get the others to promise they'll never leave each other again the way they did after Jane's death.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 35 (click to see context) from:
* EverybodysDeadDave: If the whole group hits critical Nerve in the final confrontation, [[SoleSurvivor only]] [[spoiler:Devon or Noah]] will stumble out before the cave collapses to tell the search party what happened to their friends.
to:
* EverybodysDeadDave: If the whole group hits critical Nerve in the final confrontation, [[SoleSurvivor only]] [[spoiler:Devon or Noah]] will stumble out before the cave collapses to tell the search party [[TotalPartyKill what happened to their friends.friends]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 35 (click to see context) from:
* EverybodysDeadDave: If the whole group hits critical Nerve in the final confrontation, only [[spoiler:Devon or Noah]] will stumble out before the cave collapses to tell the search party what happened to their friends.
to:
* EverybodysDeadDave: If the whole group hits critical Nerve in the final confrontation, only [[SoleSurvivor only]] [[spoiler:Devon or Noah]] will stumble out before the cave collapses to tell the search party what happened to their friends.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* EverybodysDeadDave: If the whole group hits critical Nerve in the final confrontation, only [[spoiler:Devon or Noah]] will stumble out before the cave collapses to tell the search party what happened to their friends.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
* BadassBoast: Anyone whose Nerve is high enough at the end of the game will give one to Redfield.
* BarredFromTheAfterlife: [[spoiler:The fate of whoever becomes Redfield, until they find someone to take their place.]]
* BarredFromTheAfterlife: [[spoiler:The fate of whoever becomes Redfield, until they find someone to take their place.]]
Changed line(s) 101 (click to see context) from:
* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: The final chapter rotates between all surviving characters before the memorial, and then remembers each of the fallen during the eulogy.
to:
* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: The final chapter rotates between all surviving characters before the memorial, and then remembers each of the fallen during the eulogy.eulogy.
* YouCantGoHomeAgain: [[spoiler:One way or another, Noah's storyline ends this way. If he takes Jane's place as Redfield, he becomes a monster wandering the forest and trying to remember who he was. If Devon is the one to die, Noah ends up on the run from the police, under suspicion of being involved in the tragedy on homecoming night.]]
* YouCantGoHomeAgain: [[spoiler:One way or another, Noah's storyline ends this way. If he takes Jane's place as Redfield, he becomes a monster wandering the forest and trying to remember who he was. If Devon is the one to die, Noah ends up on the run from the police, under suspicion of being involved in the tragedy on homecoming night.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* RealityEnsues: If they survive, many of the characters have an epilogue scene that shows that the events of homecoming night still haunt them. Devon has nightmares and can confess to barely making it through the day a lot of the time. Andy had to repeat senior year due to medical leave while his leg healed, and it still hurts him to the point where he can't play sometimes. [[spoiler:Noah is on the run and can't go back to his old life.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* RousingSpeech: Andy can rally the basketball team as they fall behind in the second game, given the right dialogue options.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* ThePowerOfFriendship: Devon can make a lot of comments about the group loving and supporting each other to cheer the others up. They're usually lampshaded by a snarky friend, but nevertheless will often provided a Nerve boost.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* ArbitrarySkepticism: If Ava lives, her epilogue scene has her continuing her research into Westchester's occult history, while simultaneously sneering at the thought that people could believe ''Bigfoot'' lives there.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 24 (click to see context) from:
* CassandraTruth: [[spoiler:If Noah becomes Redfield, Devon has the option to promise to try to save him during the memorial, to the confusion of the audience.]]
to:
* CassandraTruth: Claiming that the deaths were due to supernatural forces while Mayor Green speaks at the memorial will earn you nothing but a lot of mumbling and sideways glances, but that could be due to fear as well as disbelief. [[spoiler:If Noah becomes Redfield, Devon also has the option to promise to try to save him during the memorial, to the confusion of the audience.eulogy, with a similar non-response.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:If Devon agrees to let Noah become Redfield, he atones for betraying his friends with his death.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* GreenAesop: If Lucas survives, his plotline in [[WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue the last chapter]] features him declaring his desire to enter politics and use his influence to protect the environment. Which makes sense for an [[BourgeoisBohemian Oregon yuppie]] and all, but doesn't ever really come up before that.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead / SpeakIllOfTheDead: Depending on what you choose in ''In Memoriam''. If Devon survives, you're given the choice of [[spoiler:whether or not to speak warmly of Noah at the memorial]]. Players who can't forgive the betrayal can publicly refuse forgiveness, and [[PayEvilUntoEvil some may quite enjoy it]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* ThinkInText: Devon's thoughts are shown with parentheses on both sides.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 55,56 (click to see context) from:
** If the player chooses to have Devon take Jane's spot as the next Mr. Red, then at the memorial, Connor will give a speech about your death.
** If the player chooses to have Noah take Jane's spot as the next Mr. Red, then at the memorial, Devon will give a speech about Noah's death.
** If the player chooses to have Noah take Jane's spot as the next Mr. Red, then at the memorial, Devon will give a speech about Noah's death.
to:
** If the player chooses to have Devon take [[spoiler:take Jane's spot as the next Mr. Red, Red]], then at the memorial, Connor will give a speech about your death.
** If the player chooses to have Noahtake [[spoiler:take Jane's spot as the next Mr. Red, Red]], then at the memorial, Devon will give a speech about Noah's death.
** If the player chooses to have Noah
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* ScreenShake: When something especially scary happens, accompanied by a red border.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
* PaintingTheMedium: Redfield's lines shake and glitch as they appear, unlike the human characters.
Changed line(s) 59 (click to see context) from:
* SealedEvilInACan: [[spoiler:What Cora Pritchard and her friends did to Redfield, and what the gang has to do to Jane.]]
to:
* SealedEvilInACan: [[spoiler:What Cora Pritchard and her friends did to Redfield, and what the gang has to do to Jane.Jane through Noah or Devon's death.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 90 (click to see context) from:
* TheWildcats: In Chapter 5, the Westchester Wolves take on their rivals the Anderton Cougars in a basketball game.
to:
* TheWildcats: In Chapter 5, the Westchester Wolves take on their rivals the Anderton Cougars in a basketball game.game.
* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: The final chapter rotates between all surviving characters before the memorial, and then remembers each of the fallen during the eulogy.
* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: The final chapter rotates between all surviving characters before the memorial, and then remembers each of the fallen during the eulogy.
