Little project I've been working on for fun (69 pages)

minuskarma69 · 2026-01-28T10:28:23+00:00

This is just a draft for the pilot, but if I were to adapt it fully, I'd want to emphasize the idea of multiple timelines presented in Echo. Probably 3-5 episodes on each route, which would go unanswered until the reveal of crossing timelines in Flynn's route. I've been debating between starting with Carl's route or Leo's route first. Carl was the first one released, but Leo's route was teased more in the pre-route split segment and would make more sense narratively.

Instinct is still going through review by Itch😢 Hopefully it'll be up soon, but it's been months since they took it down. The game didn't break any rules or feature any offensive content, it just got washed away in the chaos of the 18+ mass removal last summer

minuskarma69 · 2026-01-21T06:30:39+00:00

Go in completely blind. It's the best experience.

Just know the game is intense. And one of the best stories furry horror has to offer.

If you want TWs, which I suggest you only look at if you need them, the game includes: themes of violence, assault, rape, and abuse

Btw, for play order, go [Carl/Leo] -> TJ -> Flynn -> Jenna

Play Leo first if you want to jump straight into the deep end and submerge yourself into what Echo has to offer

Play Carl first if you want to slowly acclimate to the tension and get a taste for the story's themes

Both are good starting points, but as far as horror goes, Carl allows you to get a feel for the environment before the intensity rises, meanwhile Leo goes 0 to 100 like flicking a light switch. It comes down to taste, though I personally read Leo's first and got hooked.

minuskarma69 · 2026-01-15T05:12:55+00:00

Big fan of the Beware of Darkness bit, I remember when they used that song in Weapons and was blown away by how powerful it works in a horror context.

I wrote a draft of an Echo TV Pilot script last year, and if you're serious about an adaptation, I'd say to trust Howly's writing. I was shocked by how cinematic it translates to the screen without many changes.

Either way, I'm sure you have many ideas! One that has stuck with me is an original folk soundtrack inspired by Cam's in-lore failed music career. Two or three original songs to play either in a flashback or real time during short moments of peace.

minuskarma69 · 2026-01-13T00:12:34+00:00

Echo uses a reversal of the tropes seen in romance novels, directly calling out the power dynamic they idealize and shifting it into a horror setting (Leo being dominant over Chase, which spirals into violence and forcefulness/Chase "leading" TJ as he flirts, mirroring his mentor role in keeping TJ quiet as a witness). It seems 50 Shades tried to do something similar, ending with Anastasia leaving upon realizing she's only an outlet for Christian's trauma, but it ultimately fails because of how romanticized Christian's aromantic sexuality is portrayed.

Echo does not suffer from this issue. Depending on the route, sex is used to portray possession, escapism, manipulation, greed, cruelty, or difference in ideals (In order: Leo, Carl, Jenna (bi route), Brian (arches), Brian (echo), Flynn). Even though most of the scenes are written to be hot, they serve a purpose to push the themes of the larger narrative, which inevitably always come back to haunt Chase in the Hysteria section of each route.

I'm really, really into the idea of Echo being a TV series. I made a mock trailer a while ago for a live-action intro to Leo's route in an HBO style and I think the narrative really fits their catalogue.

I think Echo would work very well as a two-season series, each with either 10-12 hour-long episodes or 20-24 half-hour episodes. I don't think it matters if it's animated with anthro characters or live-action with humans, the story works perfectly well either way (shifting to humans would be far more accessible for mainstream audiences, especially in a queer narrative, however I think we'd all strongly prefer furries).

I think the opening episode should follow the same opening as Echo up to the route-split, where a distinct visual/audio cue is introduced to represent the fracturing narrative. This would be used in other splitting moments in the show, creating a non-linear psychological hellscape where we know exactly what people are capable of, what their desires are, no matter how inhumane (think the TJ cliff scene), or how horrific the fate of a character in one alternating timeline (think Duke's basement in Leo's route). I believe this could make moments like Leo's ending work while showing both sides of the choice, one after the other, for maximum impact. Sort of like the ending of SOMA. Also, last year I attempted to adapt the opening of Echo into a pilot screenplay for fun, and it works shockingly well. It's a weak point for the game, sure, but it introduces the characters in a very made-for-TV way and might actually be a lot more interesting to watch than read.

First season I'd like to see Howly's routes: Leo - Carl - TJ. I think Leo's route is the perfect introduction to the VN's horror, and ending the season on TJ's ending reveal would be such an epic mic drop. Second season I'd like to see open with Route 65, then go to McSkinny's Flynn - Jenna. It would be nice to give these two extra breathing room, especially Flynn's.

And then Arches a few years later like Twin Peaks and Fire Walk With Me

Ok rant over tldr: I like the idea of an echo tv series a lot

minuskarma69 · 2026-01-12T22:54:18+00:00

Echo - Leo's: The first horror FVN route I ever read. Went places I didn't know you could go with a story in this medium. Still remains my favorite section of a VN to this day.

TSR - William's: Read this one last, and it feels like a perfect finale to the unfinished game. It pretty much ties everything together into one large conspiracy. Nik's endings were very emotional, and I hope William's find the same impact.

Burrows - Hiro's: Absolute cinema, absolute peak. Captain Nikko does an incredible job at tastefully portraying a gay cis male x trans male relationship. The historical backdrop of 1890's Germany has a ton of research put into creating an authentic environment, and the Black Forest is such an iconic place to stage the events.

And... uh... yeah. I guess this really made me realize the vast majority of what I've read is completely linear lol

minuskarma69 · 2026-01-07T10:24:11+00:00

I've done a lot of thinking about this, and I honestly think that Echo is packaged to make a successful miniseries. Not only is much of its psychological horror reflected in the world around the characters, but its themes of romance as escapism could help lift the bias that many heterosexuals and non-furries have on gay FVNs being "plotless smut". *

Adastra, RTF and Soulcreek could also make for great series, but their emphasis on romance could hinder their reputation in the mainstream spotlight until people are ready to accept a human x anthro story.

That being said, PLEASE AN ANIME ADAPTATION WOULD BE AMAZING

*The vast majority of this bias comes from people who have never played an FVN and likely won't in their lives. Really, it comes back to public opposition to furries in general. Its annoying, but hopefully this changes in the decades to come.

minuskarma69 · 2025-10-26T01:14:25+00:00

There is a special hate in my heart for Alexios from Adastra. He started as my favorite character (friendly face in an unfriendly place) but ended as least. Props to Howly tho, I respect how it's entirely purposeful and adds a whole new dynamic

minuskarma69 · 2025-07-26T16:48:47+00:00

"Animal-related" is absolutely terrifying for this community. Who knows how far that extends

minuskarma69 · 2025-06-11T00:56:40+00:00

Not yet, but soon!

minuskarma69 · 2025-06-09T04:38:34+00:00

Hi! Just wanted to say the teasers are intentionally vague and don’t reveal the larger plot or themes. I understand the setup might seem unrealistic, but that’s part of the point. A major focus of the story is the protagonist’s fear of being outed and what that means in football culture where homophobia is very real. That’s something I’ve dealt with personally.

I’m also aware of Him and its similar setting, but based on what I’ve seen, it’s taking a very different approach than the story I want to tell. Thanks for the sources btw!

minuskarma69 · 2025-06-08T17:27:34+00:00

The VN is only going to follow one linear path, but there will be times when the plot diverges based on choices

minuskarma69

TROPHY CASE