History VideoGame / Lorelai

* AnAesop: Everything you've ever wanted is on the other side of fear.

''Lorelai'' is a side-scrolling Horror AdventureGame that was released in April of 2019 by Creator/HarvesterGames, who are also known for ''VideoGame/Downfall2009'' and ''VideoGame/TheCatLady''.

* AlienLunch: Shark stew is not that uncommon, but considering that it's [[WickedWitch The Queen]] of [[SatanicArchetype Maggots]] that is cooking it...

* BalefulPolymorph: [[spoiler: For interfering with Lorelai's ordeal, the Queen of Maggots turns Jimmy into a crow.]]

[[caption-width-right:350: ''Lorelai will never forget that day. The little she had, it was taken away. Her whole world disintegrated. She never really had a chance, but Lorelai refused to give up. She will fight. And not even death will stop her from getting it all back.'']]

* AlienLunch: Shark stew is not that uncommon, but considering that it's [[WickedWitch The Queen]] [[SatanicArchetype of Maggots]] that is cooking it...

* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler: Lorelai finally kills John by slashing his throat with a broken bottle, just like he did the first time he killed her.]]
* KnownOnlyByTheirNickname: Lorelai's real name is Laura. Why she prefers Lorelai is unknown, but only Zoe calls her Laura in the context of the game.

* AdultFear: Plenty, such as [[spoiler: your mother committing suicide, finding the corpse, your stepfather trying to murder you and your baby sister, alcoholism, dementia, depression...]]

** [[spoiler: What differentiates the golden ending and the regular ending from one another is whether Lorelai was able to save Zack and Bethany or not. If Lorelai tells Zack the truth about what's happened to her in the afterlife, he will give her a lighter, which can be used to relight Zack and Bethany's candles later on and bring them back to life. This leads to a happy reunion in the real world and the three of them becoming a little family. If she doesn't take those actions, she won't get the lighter and Zack and Bethany remain dead, resulting in an ending where a devastated but resilient Lorelai ends up alone. It's also possible for the player to get the lighter and then simply not light the candles in the end. This sequence of events ends up as a "regular ending" route too, but the final scene is slightly changed with Lorelai sadly wondering what would have happened if she'd done so.]]

** [[spoiler: What differentiates the golden ending and the regular ending from one another is whether Lorelai was able to save Zack and Bethany or not. If Lorelai admits her love to Zack in the factory and tells him the truth about what's happened to her in the afterlife, he will give her a lighter, which can be used to relight Zack and Bethany's candles later on and bring them back to life. This leads to a happy reunion in the real world and the three of them becoming a little family. If she doesn't take those actions, she won't get the lighter and Zack and Bethany remain dead, resulting in an ending where a devastated but resilient Lorelai ends up alone. It's also possible for the player to get the lighter and then simply NOT light the candles (deliberately or by genuine mistake if they forget about it). This sequence of events ends up as a "regular ending" route too, but the final scene is slightly changed with Lorelai sadly wondering what would have happened if she'd done so.]]

* RealityEnsues: Unusually for a game with so many fantastic elements, the game heavily emphasizes that actions have consequences.
** When Lorelai gets the dog to chase the cat so that she can get out of the alley, the cat and dog run out into the street, causing a car crash. [[spoiler: It ends up being her new boss's car.]]
** Lorelai tries to kill John, and is quickly overpowered and killed. He's bigger than her and ''much'' more capable of violence. [[spoiler: Every time she tries to confront him directly, she dies.]]
** [[spoiler: Al had a tough time at work and turned to drinking, which eventually led to him hitting his pregnant fiancée, who fell and miscarried as a result, leaving him soon after. He tries to clean himself up by admitting he has a problem and going to Alcoholics Anonymous, and with Lorelai's help, he can stay on the path to recovery. His fiancée, while delighted at his gradual recovery, has no intention of getting back together with him, specifically because she cannot forgive the fact that he hit her. If he's on the mend, it's implied that he might be able to start a new relationship with Susan, the Cat Lady, but even his good ending leaves his life ambiguous.]]
** [[spoiler: Even in the good ending where Lorelai has basically gotten everything she wanted (a new life, a family with Zack and Bethany, etc), she still talks about struggling with mental health on a regular basis and often having a hard time with the difficulties of daily life - but she's strong enough to overcome them.]]

''Lorelai'' is a side-scrolling Horror AdventureGame that was released in April of 2019 by Creator/HarvesterGames, who are also known for ''VideoGame/{{Downfall}}'' and ''VideoGame/TheCatLady''.

This is the last game of the ''Devil Came Through Here'' thematic trilogy along with ''VideoGame/{{Downfall}}'' and ''VideoGame/TheCatLady''.

** After Lorelai completes a puzzle in a locked room on The Queen of Maggots' domains, [[Videogame/{{Downfall}} Joe Davis]] can be seen on the other side of a mirror carrying an axe. The axe then appears in the adjacent room, allowing Lorelai to break the lock.

* ContinuityNod: Jimmy the Crow will refuse to eat the pumpkins nearby because he thinks they might be filled with [[Videogame/{{Downfall}} blood]].

* FlowerInHerHair: Lorelai sports a pair of red roses on both sides of her head throughout the game. In a flashback when her father was alive, she still was wearing them back then.

''Lorelai'' is a side-scrolling Horror AdventureGame that was released in April of 2019 by Harvester Games, who are also known for ''VideoGame/{{Downfall}}'' and ''VideoGame/TheCatLady''.

* {{Adorkable}}: Lorelai whenever she can goof off and be herself. Zack is totally this, with his IKnowMortalKombat and his precious Series/BreakingBad beanie.

Laura "Lorelai" Wood is a young woman with a difficult home life, to put it mildly. [[DomesticAbuser Her stepfather John]] is an unemployed and oftentimes violent alcoholic, [[BrokenBird her mother Miranda]] is completely unwilling to stand up to his abuse, and her baby half-sister Bethany is routinely neglected by them. She doesn’t have much support outside of her family, either; the closest thing she has to a friend is Zack, the indie game developer who lives next door. Despite all of her hardships, though, she’s just begun her first job and has dreams of taking Bethany away and starting a new, better life — only for tragedy to strike and steal it all away in one fell swoop. Suddenly, Lorelai finds herself trapped in a surreal afterlife and must somehow return to the real world to save her loved ones with the help (?) of the enigmatic [[HumanoidAbomination Queen of Maggots]]. What comes next is a very dark and poignant ComingOfAgeStory.

* BigBad: [[spoiler:John is established at this pretty early on, but over time, the Queen of Maggots becomes the Bigger Bad who needs to be stopped along with him.]]

* DealWithTheDevil: This trope makes up a huge part of the game and is even directly referenced in dialogue. [[spoiler: It is strongly implied that The Queen of Maggots is the actual Devil.]]

* ChekhovsGun: Zack's lighter. [[spoiler: Lorelai can use that to bring him and Beth back to life.]]
** The three skulls with candles (two lit, one unlit) in the Queen of Maggots' house. They can be interacted with very early on, but it isn't until well into the second half of the game when their significance is even explained. [[spoiler: They end up playing an essential role in determining what ending you get.]]
** In the first chapter, there is a set of knives noticeably hanging in the foreground of the kitchen, although you never see anyone use them. Much later, in the fourth chapter, you reenter the kitchen with the police officer while searching for the 2nd officer...and one of the knives is missing. [[spoiler: John uses it to kill the remaining officer after tricking him into coming closer.]]

* AbusiveParent: John is Bethany's father and it's implied she's the only reason he stays with Miranda. [[FeelingOppressedByTheirExistence He utterly resents her]] and [[spoiler:eventually succeeds in [[OffingTheOffspring killing her by drowning her]] unless Lorelai lights up her candle again.]]
* AlienLunch: Shark stew is not that uncommon, but considering that it's [[WickedWitch The Queen]] [[SatanicArchetype of Maggots]] that is cooking it...

* AuthorAvatar: Possibly Zack for Rem Michalski. He's an indie game developer, [[StarvingArtist not particularly successful]], but with his heart in the right place and more concerned about making art than success. Not that he would mind both.

* InvoluntaryShapeshifting: [[spoiler: For interfering with Lorelai's ordeal, the Queen of Maggots turns Jimmy into a crow.]]

Laura "Lorelai" Wood is a young woman with a difficult home life, to put it mildly. [[DomesticAbuser Her stepfather John]] is an unemployed and oftentimes violent alcoholic, [[BrokenBird her mother Miranda]] is completely unwilling to stand up to his abuse, and her baby half-sister Bethany is routinely neglected by them. She doesn’t have much support outside of her family, either; the closet thing she has to a friend is Zack, the indie game developer who lives next door. Despite all of her hardships, though, she’s just begun her first job and has dreams of taking Bethany away and starting a new, better life — only for tragedy to strike and steal it all away in one fell swoop. Suddenly, Lorelai finds herself trapped in a surreal afterlife and must somehow return to the real world to save her loved ones with the help (?) of the enigmatic [[HumanoidAbomination Queen of Maggots]]. What comes next is a very dark and poignant ComingOfAgeStory.

''Lorelai'' is a side-scrolling Horror AdventureGame by Harvester Games, released April 2019, also known for ''VideoGame/{{Downfall}}'' and ''VideoGame/TheCatLady''.

Laura "Lorelai" Wood is a young woman with a difficult home life, to put it mildly. [[DomesticAbuser Her stepfather John]] is an unemployed and oftentimes violent alcoholic, [[BrokenBird her mother Miranda]] is completely unwilling to stand up to his abuse, and her baby half-sister Bethany is routinely neglected by them. She doesn’t have much support outside of her family, either; her only real friend is Zack, the indie game developer who lives next door. Despite all of her hardships, though, she’s just begun her first job and has dreams of taking Bethany away and starting a new, better life — only for tragedy to strike and steal it all away in one fell swoop. Suddenly, Lorelai finds herself trapped in an unsettling, surreal afterlife and must somehow return to the real world to save her loved ones with the help (?) of the enigmatic [[HumanoidAbomination Queen of Maggots]]. What comes next is a very dark and poignant ComingOfAgeStory.

This is the last game of the ''Devil Came Through Here'' thematic trilogy along with ''VideoGame/{{Downfall}}'' and ''VideoGame/TheCatLady''.

* BigBad: [[spoiler:John is established at this pretty early on, but over time, the Queen of Maggots becomes the Bigger Bad and must also be stopped along with him.]]
* BigDamnReunion: [[spoiler: If Lorelai lights Zack and Bethany's candles before eating the rest of the stew at the end of the game, she will awaken in the factory and walk outside only to find them alive again and waiting for her. She breaks into a run at the sight and happily embraces them. It's a unique example of the trope because they last saw each other only hours ago instead of months/years, but since they were all ''dead'' until just recently, their reunion in the real world is still a very big deal.]]

* BookEnds: The opening scene of the game and the last shot of the regular/bad ending work at this. In both, Lorelai is standing outside in the rain with her umbrella. It seems pretty symbolic, as in the golden/good ending, the weather is very nice and sunny.

* DealWithTheDevil: This trope makes up a huge part of the game and is even directly referenced in dialogue. [[spoiler: It is strongly implied that The Queen of Maggots IS the Devil.]]

* DyingDeclarationOfLove: [[spoiler: After repeatedly failing to express his feelings for Lorelai throughout the game, Zack finally tells her he has always loved her after he's been impaled with a steel bar by John and is on the brink of death. In turn, Lorelai can either confess her love for him as well and kiss him or gently rebuff him, depending on the player's choice.]]

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Even The Queen of Maggots [[spoiler: who the game heavily hints at being the actual Devil]] thinks John is a piece of work. In various dialogue branches, she'll refer to him as "a miserable excuse of a man," "a drunk lowlife," and "a real rat in the cornfield," among other things.

* KnownOnlyByTheirNickname: Lorelai's name is actually "Laura." Why she prefers Lorelai is unknown, but only Zoe calls her Laura in the context of the game.

* MultipleEndings: The game has two main endings (referred to as "the golden ending" and "the regular ending" by the Steam achievements), with variations possible in each one depending on the player's choices.

** [[spoiler: If Lorelai goes along with the Queen of Maggots' orders and drives Al to drink during Chapter 5, he commits suicide and is not seen again. If she refuses to lead him astray and helps him instead, she sees him while waiting in line at Susan's store and notes that he's still fighting every day. While it's not technically the ''ending'', it's also worth noting that these choices also both lead to an entirely unique scene with the Queen of Maggots following Chapter 5. If Al dies as intended, the Queen of Maggots will be pleased and present you with your own dream house; you also find out a lot more about her endgame, including the major reveal that she doesn't intend to let Lorelai return permanently to the real world and instead expects her to become the next Queen of Maggots after killing John. If you save Al, she's furious instead and attacks Lorelai, banishing her from her home. The player wakes up outside of the same house (dark and decayed now instead of beautiful) and is able to proceed through the story in the same way, but they never learn the significance of what it is or what the Queen of Maggots was really planning.]]
** [[spoiler: At the dream house, Lorelai will encounter Jimmy after he's been captured by the Queen of Maggots and transformed into a crow. He will talk about how hungry he is and beg Lorelai to feed him fertilizer. The player can feed him multiple times in a row, or they can walk away at any point, ignoring his cries for help. If you give him fertilizer three times, he will explode...and Lorelai will find his mangled remains in the real world later on when she arrives at his flat. Otherwise, he'll be sleeping and she can wake him up, after which they'll have a conversation about their lives and what comes next. What they discuss will change depending on whether you're in the "golden ending" or "regular ending" as well. In the golden ending, Lorelai tells Jimmy all about her new life with Zack and Bethany, while in the regular ending, her inner monologue reveals that she avoids talking about them because her heart is shattered and she can't bear to.]]
* MutualKill: [[spoiler: Lorelai finally succeeds in killing John with a broken bottle to the neck, but only after he's stabbed her through, which results in her dying shortly after he does. Thankfully, she has a way to return to life and had unfinished business in the afterworld anyway.]]

* SadisticChoice: In Chapter 5, Lorelai is presented with one of these by the Queen of Maggots. She can either follow orders and ensure that a recovering alcoholic who is a virtual stranger to her fails at his efforts and doesn't get a happy ending (the implication being that he will certainly end up dead as a result), or she can defy the orders and try to help the guy instead, but in doing so, will put Zack and Bethany in grave danger, as the Queen of Maggots has threatened to take one of them in his place if Lorelai doesn't go along with her wishes. The decision is entirely left up to the player. [[spoiler: It doesn't change much about the overall trajectory of the story, but you will get a unique scene with the Queen of Maggots afterwards depending on which path you took.]]

* WillTheyOrWontThey: The decision of whether or not Lorelai has the same feelings for Zack as he does for her is entirely left up to the player. Thus, the game can end on either side of the question.

* YearInsideHourOutside: Time clearly moves very differently in the Queen of Maggots' realm, although it's not clear if there's any actual internal logic to it or if it's just her personal whims. The first time she arrives, Lorelai is there for several hours, but when she revives, only minutes have passed in the real world. The second time, Lorelai spends what seems like ''weeks'' helping/hurting Al; when she comes back to life, only a few hours have passed at most. The Queen of Maggots also manipulates Jimmy's mind at one point to make him ''think'' this is happening, as he feels like he's trapped for years while barely any time at all has passed for Lorelai between their encounters.
* YouAreTooLate: [[spoiler: When Lorelai is finally able to return to life a second time, she is determined to kill John once and for all and save Bethany and Zack. Unfortunately, she's a little too late and he's already murdered both of them, drowning Bethany and impaling Zack with a metal rod (although the latter hangs on long enough for them to have a conversation first before succumbing to his injury). She does succeed in killing John, but in the regular ending of the game, she's left all alone and is clearly devastated by how everything played out. Thankfully, it is possible to bring Zack and Bethany back to life if certain choices are made and the player gets the golden ending instead.]]

* BigBad: [[spoiler:John is established at this pretty early on, but over time, the Queen of Maggots becomes the Bigger Bad and must also be stopped along with him.]]]]

* BigBad: [[spoiler:John for the more mundane side of things, and the Queen of Maggots for the supernatural side.]]