one-foot-in-if

[one-foot-in-if]

Oh, the demo was so good! Made me cry a little bit at like three in the morning but so worth it, lol. The MC instantly pulled me in with their voice and how they kept trying to rationalize out their situation on my first playthrough (and finding some little characterization changes on my second go from picking different choices was so delightful~). MC’s family felt so alive throughout too, so excited to learn more about them and Nour especially! ^^ Just lovely writing all around, I can’t wait to see where this story goes.

Sorry for making you cry… (or am I? 😈)

I'm so happy you noticed those little characterization shifts! Right now, some of the MC's voice depends on whether the player's choices lean more angry, guilty, or avoidant about the whole situation. I'm still working out the best way to implement personality stats for the MC though, so that'll probably evolve, but I do want the narrative to reflect those choices throughout.

And yes, Nour! They're such a force of nature—I can't wait for you to see more of them and the rest of the family.

Thank you so much for sharing your 3am thoughts! 💜

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Is best friend Senegalese? I saw their sister’s name is Aminata abd a lightbulb (maybe) clicked.

Wow you're so close! Seydou/Safiatou and Aminata are originally from Mali, but part of their family does live in Senegal. I'm so excited you picked that up from just the names!

[one-foot-in-if]

Hello! I wanted to say I LOVED the demo for One Foot In. I am so EXCITED to see what you have cooking up. I love queer IFs and it's kinda hard to find some, so I was so happy that we play as a queer protagonist. As a trans boy, I absolutely loved the signs of a queer protagonist in story from the fact we didn't like the guys/girls that the father brought over to the panic attacks (might not be a sign, but I noticed I had them plenty of times when I was at my emotional stages after being misgendered over and over). I love Nour, despite the rude awakening of them reading MC's private texts. I can UNDERSTAND though, you believe your twin is gone and you want the truth to come out that your only family member that cared was suffering and nobody noticed or maybe didn't care to see it.

Either way, sorry for the little rant, I loved the demo and I would love to see more! Of course, take your time and make sure to get plenty of rest, food, and water when needed. Have a good morning/night/afternoon!

Hi!

Yes, you're absolutely right about those panic attacks. They're 100% a symptom of MC not being able to be their true self—of years of suppressing who they really are. I'm glad that aspect of MC's experience felt real to you (although I am sorry it rings so true).

Also, I love that you understand Nour, too! They're doing something terrible but they don't see it that way—in their mind, the real betrayal is everyone pretending MC was fine (or not noticing something was off). Whether your MC sees it that way or not… that's up to them.

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences, and take good care of yourself too! 💜

[one-foot-in-if]

I got this amazing review of Chapter 1 that absolutely floored me. I'm still not over it. The level of detail and thought that went into this—thank you so much for taking the time to write all this, Anon. 💜

Since it contains massive spoilers, I'm copying it here so I can respond to everything and keep the spoilery parts below the cut.

Anonymous asked: What an excellent demo ! Congratulation, really👏 The setting is original, the writing immersive, the characters believable and touching, and the drama is delicious. I enjoyed learning about Lebanese cuisine (I discovered a lot of new recipes, thanks to you) and getting some knowledge on Lebanese culture and traditions in general. The visual for the arabic calligraphy after choosing MC’s name was a nice touch, as well as an original and immersive idea. As for the rest, many spoilers ahead : It was a touching read. I could feel the sense of community and loss emanating from the gathered characters (as well as the sense of impending drama, that the demo didn’t fail to deliver). You succeeded in making these characters feel alive (yes, even poor ghost MC 😹).

Thank you so much. The fact that you picked up new recipes while reading makes me ridiculously happy! (Also now I'm dying to know which dishes caught your eye!)

And I'm so glad the calligraphy moment worked. I wanted choosing a name to feel meaningful and rooted, not just filling in a blank.

[WARNING: Massive spoilers for Chapter 1 below the cut. Please read the demo on Itch.io or Neocities before proceeding!]

I was particularly moved by grandfather Georges sitting alone at the corner table, looking at the empty chair where his deceased wife and MC used to sit, while holding his prayer beads with trembling hands. It’s a scene that resonated with me and literally brought tears to my eyes. As the MC could probably say, to deflect : who is cutting onions ?

Aww, poor Georges. He really does carry so much weight in this story—more than he lets on. I'm so touched that his moment hit you like that. 💜

The gossip between Aunt Mona and Mrs. Khoury was harsh for MC’s father, but also realistic as people tend to judge those who are less demonstrative in their affection and don’t process grief the ‘expected’ way. MC’s father, Maroun, is obviously torn between his sadness, guilt, and his need to keep up appearances (some would say his pride). His reaction when Mrs. Maalouf compares MC to their mother, the strangled voice and him cutting the conversation short, shows that he isn't as unflappable and cold-hearted as he pretends to be and that he is in fact deeply hurt by the death of his close relatives. I find it fascinating how he only allows himself to show some vulnerability to a six year-old child, how his voice softens and he feels comfortable enough to confess part of his grief. And here I am, hoping for MC to find closure with their father in the course of the game, what will certainly make for a very emotional scene : will we finally see this stoic man ‘break’ ?

Children have a way of slipping past adult defenses, don't they? You've read Maroun perfectly—that moment is central to who he is. As for closure between MC and their father... that's definitely going to be a rocky journey.

Funny you should mention the word "break", though... 😈

It really feels like Seydou/Safiatou can hear MC’s voice, like they are talking with MC and not to them. They are also the only one who seems to be able to feel them. I wonder if they are more sensitive to the spiritual plane than most or if it’s due to the deep bond they share with MC, the kind of bond only shared by soulmates (platonic or romantic). Even ‘just’ the story of their singed eyebrows, and the mention of MC waking up earlier for three weeks to draw them new ones with a marker, gives off the feeling of a shared past. These two feel like best friends, we are not just being told they are.

You're asking all the right questions about S, there! (Also I rewrote that damn eyebrow story like eight times trying to get the friendship/almost-conversation vibes right, so thank you for letting me know it worked as I'd hoped!)

You managed to make me care about all these characters, and that’s why I ended up trying all the options to check on each of them, because I was genuinely curious about how they felt or why they reacted in a particular way to MC’s death. And after reading those scenes, I still find myself wondering what is on the paper MC’s father is constantly looking at (probably something he meant to say or confess but couldn’t get himself to ?), or even what MC’s grandfather means when he says that some ‘bridges’ cost more than expected.

I love that you took the time to explore all the different branches! It's so awesome to hear you were curious enough about each character to see how they were handling everything. 💜

The beginning really surprised me : I chose to help Yasmine, and I didn’t expect for MC to literally go through her. I really thought they were still alive at this point which, I think, was the intended impression for the reader, as it mirrors MC’s own disconcertment at their new state of being.

Yes! I'm so glad that surprise landed! The first draft actually started with MC already knowing they were dead, but it felt so flat. I ended up scrapping everything and rewriting it as this kitchen crisis where you might think you're about to witness their death or something. I'm much happier with this version where you get to realize the truth alongside MC.

I was eagerly waiting for Nour’s arrival and they certainly made an entrance, what a mood shift ! I’ve always loved playing a twin MC but the concept of this story makes it even more riveting. Nour is obviously hurt by their twin’s death and bitter due to the cause for said death : family duty and expectations. I find it fascinating how differently they grieve from most others : no tears, no tender reminiscing, not even cold detachement. In fact, they are like a volcano, their pain is overflowing lava, causing chaos in its wake. The contrast with their father is stark : where Maroun is all controlled grief and guilt, perfect stance and countenance, they storm in like chaos, drunk, disheveled, clothes wrinkled, loud. The embodiment of ‘unstoppable force (Nour) meets immovable object (Maroun)’. From this tense face-off is born an upsetting truth, that is the core conflict of the story : MC lived their life to please their family and make their father proud, they never got to live how they wanted to and died from this.

That "unstoppable force meets immovable object" description is spot on—might have to steal that!

And yes, Nour's volcanic grief! They're the only one who refuses to perform "proper" mourning. Everyone else is going along with the expected rituals, and Nour tries to brace for doing just that, but they can't help it, they take one look at the others and just... explode all over them with the messy truth.

I worried a lot about whether starting with so much family drama was too much, but then I figured—other IFs open in the middle of epic battles... this one just happens to be fought with chickpeas and emotional devastation 😅

On the subject of MC’s cause of death, I found myself holding my breath at the parts mentioning their worsening panic attacks. The countdown of the days since each message was sent really helps creating a sense of tension and impending doom.

Yes, that countdown was meant to be a little anxiety-inducing, to mirror some of what the MC was feeling in those last few weeks. And yes, those panic attacks are definitely a symptom of something wrong, but they're not what ultimately killed MC. We'll get to that soon enough.

Nour’s tirade is touching because it’s a raw and clumsy one. They are well-meaning and genuinely think of restoring the truth as a way to honor their deceased twin. But they are also under the influence of grief, anger and alcohol, and thus don’t realise how disrespectful they are being to their twin, by revealing private messages post mortem without their approval. Yet, in doing so they finally give a voice to MC’s suffering. We witnessed the people gathered here talking highly about MC, praising how dutiful, talented, generous and self-sacrificing they were. These people erected an altar to the perfect image they have of MC, and in doing so they also paradoxically disrespected them. After all, aren’t they paying their respect to the front MC put up, the very same front that was the root of their suffering and led them to an early grave ?

This is such a deep analysis. Yes—Nour thinks they're defending MC, but it's not entirely selfless —that violation is also about their own pain and anger and guilt. And you're right about the mourners, too. They're so busy polishing MC's mask for the memorial that they don't realize they're erasing the real person underneath. Everyone's failing MC, just from different angles.

It should be too late to repair anything. And yet death in this story in only the beginning. From here anything is possible, and I’m really excited to see how everything goes. Best of luck in your writing !

Thank you again for reading so carefully and sharing such a thoughtful analysis. You're absolutely right—MC's got a lot of unfinished business to handle. I can't wait to share more with you! 💜

[one-foot-in-if]

Is our sibling straight or queer? Can we help match make them?

Nour is questioning. College has definitely been eye-opening for them in a lot of ways. They have a lot of stuff to work through—namely being haunted by their dead sibling. But you might eventually notice when someone catches their eye.

And when you do, of course you'll have the option to play supernatural wingperson! Nour certainly won't hesitate to meddle if your MC happens to catch feelings for anyone, so why should you? ;)

[one-foot-in-if]

oh my god this was one of the prettiest things i've ever read....... i'm in love with your writting style and the if <333 lots of love and care

Ahh thank you so much! This is so incredibly sweet, lots of love right back at you 💜

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i can tell already this'll be a spectacular if that i'll love and likely cry over 🥲🥲🥲 i was already getting a bit teary eyed just with the demo,,, ohhh stories about families and grief. i'm so excited!!

Thank you! And welcome to the emotional rollercoaster ride! 💜

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As someone with Lebanese heritage who is (unfortunately) pretty disconnected from the culture, it was so exciting for me to see this IF! Loving it so far. Good luck as you continue writing!

Thank you so much! If this story can help you reconnect with the culture even a little, that would be amazing 💜

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well played this last night (instead of going to bed when I was meant to) and it was so damn good! The story, the writing, I'm someone who can straggle with keeping my attention with stories, letters just are so easy for me to straggle with, but your story had me so enraged with it I was so sad when the demo ended, like what do you mean there's no more? 😭

But also take your time, I'll happily wait forever for an update 🥰

Love seeing IFs about cultures that isn't just the normal idea of the US or Europe.

Anyway loved what I read so far, poor MC dealing with the fact they're dead that can't be easy, but that does make me wonder how MC die, but I'm sure things will come up later in the story. I am looking forward to learning more about all the characters, love the family already.

Ahh! The fact that the chapter 1 hooked you and managed to keep your attention is such a compliment!

I'm thrilled to read that you're already invested in the family! And yes, there's definitely more to uncover about MC's death. :)

Thanks for being so patient about updates, and for sacrificing sleep to read! 💜

[one-foot-in-if]

The description says we can customize appearance. Will any features (e.g. light eyes, blonde hair, pale skin) be unavailable? I don't know much about the Lebanese, hence the question. Forgive my ignorance

But to be clear, I have nothing against MC's set nationality and setting a story in a specific country! In fact, it's so rare compared to stories set in the US (or unspecified place based on the US) that it's very interesting.

Great question! Lebanese people actually have a lot of physical diversity. Lebanon is right at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and has a complex history of population migrations—think Ottoman Empire. So there's quite a range of features to work with.

Hair can be black to various shades of brown—ranging from dark to pretty light—and even reddish hues like auburn in some cases.

Eyes can be shades of brown, hazel, green, blue, or gray, in that order of common-ness.

Skin tones range from fair to dark olive, to various brown tones; all with those warm Mediterranean undertones.

So while your MC won't be able to grow naturally blonde hair, there will still be a lot of customization possible, all within the Lebanese heritage!

Also, to clarify: the story is set in the US. The MC was born and raised in America, within a large and very tight-knit Lebanese-American community with deep roots in Lebanon. (Believe it or not, there are way more Lebanese people living outside of Lebanon than inside the country. We're scattered pretty much everywhere!) You'll see as the story progresses that different characters each have their own relationship with their Lebanese roots—some more connected to their heritage, others more assimilated.

Looking back at the description, I can see that the setting was not obvious at all. Sorry for the confusion, I'll go update it now.

Thank you for your ask! I'm glad to read that you're curious about Lebanese people and I hope this paints a clearer picture of the characters for you!

[one-foot-in-if]

Do I really need to romance anyone? Can't I just focus on loving my brother and make sure he's taking care of himself? Cause I need Nour to know he deserves all the peace and success in the world, I'm absolutely broken rn T-T

This is so sweet! 🥺 No, romance will be optional. You can definitely devote yourself to the sibling relationship and helping Nour heal.

You can also do that while pursuing a romance, but romances do tend to complicate things (especially when you're dead)!

[one-foot-in-if]

Update on this bug report:

Good news! I was able to fix the iOS navigation menu issue much faster than I expected.

The menu should now display correctly on iPhone browsers (Safari, Chrome, etc.).

Thanks again for the detailed bug report. It made all the difference in tracking this down quickly!

Let me know if you run into any other issues.

[one-foot-in-if]

as a twin i must say that this made me sad

Hey, thank you for reading despite the sadness. 💜 Don't worry, I'm not completely heartless—there will be some hope and happiness in there too :)

[one-foot-in-if]

Thank you so much for writing this. IFs with family angst just hit different especially when cultural background gets brought into the mix its too relatable for me as an African 😭 I've never seen myself in an MC as much as I have this one it was like looking in a mirror. And it feels like these characters are people I could know and love in real life and I'm not even Lebanese but I feel like you've written something beautiful that transcends a single culture ❤️

Thank you so much for reading it!

This message made my day! You perfectly captured what I was hoping for with the cultural grounding. I'm so touched that you felt seen in the MC despite different backgrounds.

These family dynamics are so painfully universal; just wrapped up in different languages and traditions. I'm so glad the story found its way to you! 💜

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"Doesn't even look like me anymore," he mumbles. "Dad finally got what he wanted. One perfect child preserved forever."

The way our twin says this but MC's first reaction upon seeing the photos was to think that something happened to THEIR TWIN? Mistaking themself for their twin? I'm not even done reading, I'm still in the passage of that snippet I sent, but on god I'm crying so badly. THIS HURTS SO MUHC. I LOVE IOT SO MUCH. I AM EATING YOUR WALLS WITH FERVOR.

Can't say I've ever had my walls eaten but I'll take that as a compliment!

Ahh, you caught that detail! Nour feels like they've become completely different from MC, while MC still sees them as so identical that they literally mistake their own memorial for Nour's. There's definitely a gap there between how estranged Nour feels vs. how connected MC still sees them.

Keep those tissues handy! 😈💜

[one-foot-in-if]

Just read the demo and wanted to let you know it was awesome! Very rare to read an intro that well-written, really can’t wait for more to come because I’m already gripped by the family dynamics.

Also just nice to see a story focused on this sort of stuff, as a trans person from a conservative family I’m sure it’s gonna be relatable (and make me cry.).

Keep up the good work! I’m already a fan.

Thank you so much!

I'm honored that you're sharing your personal connection to the story. I really hope it does justice to experiences like yours. (Sorry in advance for the inevitable tears though!)

Take care 💜

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Hi!

I've read the demo, and I loved it. It's such an interesting concept. I feel so bad for my MC (whom I named Karam).

I'm so conflicted about Nour. Because I get why he (in my playthrough Karam and Nour are male identical twins) would do what he did. Is the way he found to express his grief, to try to fruitlessly fix or change what ended up causing MC's death. But Nour's actions were also deplorable. He shared things that were private, and didn't let the family to mourn MC in a way MC would've liked.

I'm curious, however, about the possession mechanics. I have always been interested in stories that involve characters being on other people's shoes. So this part intrigues me highly. What can you share about the possessions? If you feel is too much of a spoiler, is okay not to say anything.

Have a nice day!

Hi! I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter!

Yes, Nour is a really complex person—always has been, but now they're a total mess. So much pain and no idea how to channel it, so it ends up coming out in the worst possible ways. There's this bottomless pit of grief now, on top of the usual frustration of always being made to feel like the 'bad' twin, and the guilt over leaving MC behind. Does any of that excuse their destructive behavior? I don't know. That's up to your MC.

As for the possession mechanics, I can share some things!

The key concept is that it only works between the twins because their souls are so connected. Nour's body recognizes MC's soul and accepts it as its own. The MC won't be able to slip into anyone else's shoes. Just Nour's.

And... possession can become pretty addictive. Being able to taste food again, feel warmth, be seen and heard again, be someone else for a while? That's incredibly tempting. The consequences of that temptation... well, that's getting into spoiler territory.

Thank you for such a great ask! 💜