nerd: tracing dayline
A communication-themed adventure game starring a self-conscious teenage girl. Set in the quiet after-school hours of an ordinary high school, you’ll collect “topics” and use them to deepen your conversations.
Overview
nerd: tracing dayline is a text-based adventure game about communication, centered on a self-conscious teenage girl. Set in a quiet seaside countryside where only the sound of waves fills the air, you’ll connect with others by collecting and sharing “topics” of conversation.
Story
You’ve just transferred to a rural high school by the sea. Struggling to fit in, you begin jotting down conversation “topics” and approaching classmates who seem easy to talk to. Through a cycle of choices and quiet reflection, you aim to build the kind of communication skills most people take for granted.
Game Cycle
During school hours, you’ll interact with specific classmates each chapter, carefully choosing topics to avoid awkward silences and keep the conversation flowing.
In the afternoon, you’ll hold quiet reflection sessions alone—reviewing how things went without any gameplay elements.
The game is planned across four chapters, each lasting about an hour. Every chapter consists of around four cycles of interaction and reflection.
Each chapter focuses on one key classmate, with a total of four characters including the protagonist.
Features
Dialogue-driven gameplay where you collect and expand on “topics”
Subtle eye movements and natural pauses
A 3D world paired with expressive 2D animated characters
(Currently) a fully solo-developed project