Pequeña canción de muerte (2024) is my first iteration into the world of visual novels with Ren’Py. I found in this genre the perfect way to bring to life an idea that I had been thinking about for years. Inspired by works such as True Detective and La isla mínima, Pequeña canción de muerte immerses the player in the inclemency of summer in southern Spain, while investigating an unusual crime in inland Andalusia through the point of view of two characters: Eva Delgado, a National Police Officer, and Víctor Varela, a technical specialist of the Guardia Civil.
The programming, much more complex than in other projects such as Apartment 613, was solved with ChatGPT. It’s the first time I’ve used AI to get code and it really helped me to learn not only about Python’s syntax and functionality but also about advanced prompting.
In addition, all of the game’s art was achieved after a very intensive iteration process with Lexica, one of the many existing AI-driven tools for generating digital images. Likewise, the soundtrack was composed using Suno and Udio, two fundamental applications for AI music generation.
I find the result quite convincing and, although far from perfect, it allows to convey a general idea of the game concept. The prototype was developed in just one month by myself, with the goal of submitting it to the Horror and Folklore game jam at itch.io, where you can currently find it.
You can also play it from my personal itch.io profile, in browser or as a downloadable for Windows and Mac.
As I say, the project is still in the prototype phase. My next goal is to fix some minor design issues and translate it into English and then give it continuity in the form of a more or less polished game. Although, honestly, I don’t know when I’ll be able to get back to it…
The most valuable learning I got from this development is that, if you want to commit to having something finished, there is nothing better than having an external deadline. Having something finished doesn’t mean having something perfect. In fact, the vast majority of the time it’s just the opposite.
Don’t forget the goal is not to start something, but to finish it!
