The biggest thought on my mind since playing is how much the narrative can branch off, how significant decisions will affect the narrative in ways that matter, and how the characters will evolve. Unfortunately, I never got to experience that kind of management during my playtime. I was told before my demo that throughout the story Fang will have to decide how they want to prioritize their time – be it with school, friends, or the band. With that concept in mind, the main character Fang has a primary goal of trying to get their band Worm Drama on the map, which involves a big audition and getting signed with a record company.

Even though I never believed it myself, there was always this looming aura around not just my senior year, but all of high school that the end of the world may be upon us. It might be silly to mention, but what speaks to me about this idea is that I was a senior in high school myself in 2012, back when some people thought that the world was going to end. Goodbye Volcano High stars a cast of dino-humanoid teenagers starting out their last year of high school, figuring out their futures, and dealing with a meteor that will presumably destroy them all. I still have many questions on exactly how much depth we’ll see in the player’s options as well as the consequences that will be given depending on the choices throughout this story, but the setup was interesting enough for me to want to see things through.

After being pitched on what the gameplay experience would be like and playing the first 30 minutes, I got a small taste of what this choose-your-own adventure will provide – including several different gameplay elements surrounding personal choices and rhythmic music sequences.

Goodbye Volcano High is one of my most anticipated indie titles for 2023 thanks to its charming art style and creative premise.

One of the many reasons indie games are so special to me is that we often get something unique that we usually don’t see from a focus-tested AAA game that’s got to recoup its big budget by selling as many copies as humanly possible.

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