My Heart's Desire: The Journey to Find True Love in a World of Magical Cat Boys

You find yourself navigating the long, dimly lit aisles of a local thrift store. Desperately looking for anything of interest. Anything to catch your eye. Nothing sticks out so far. You sigh... feeling defeated at yet another failed thrifting trip. 

If only there had been something special, something unique, something no one else knows about, you think to yourself as you begin to walk away.

But, just then, as you go to round the corner and walk towards the exit, you see it. A glimpse of a DVD case wedged in between a hundred other DVDs. 

On the surface there's nothing special about this DVD. It's black like the others, the title on it's seam is worn and hard to read, yet it calls out to you. 

You slowly approach it, as if you're a wolf stalking your prey. Getting closer and closer, every step feels heavier than the last. 

Why does this DVD have you so nervous? 

Why does it feel like something big is about to happen? 

You reach out and touch the case. A sharp, electric feeling runs up your arm. Your body fills with excitement, this is it. 

This is the one. 

Something no one else has seen.

Something special. 

You pull the DVD towards you brushing off a thin layer of dust before holding it up to the light. 

It simply reads: My Heart's Desire: The Journey to Find True Love in a World of Magical Cat Boys (an Interactive VideoDisk Experience).

Something is telling you to put it back. The voice in the back of your head is screaming "Don't take it. Leave it. RUN AWAY."

But you can't. You can't put it down. You need this. It's calling you.

You take the game, smiling to yourself. This is the break you were looking for. 

A real lost treasure.

You walk up to the cashier, slowly placing the game on the counter. She picks it up, scanning it, barely making eye contact with you.

"$5.23 please" her soft voice breaks through the silent air. 

"Here you go, keep the change." You reply, hardly able to contain your excitement.

She  places the DVD in a bag and hands it to you. You simply nod, and head for the exit. The excitement rises, you can't wait to get home and check out what's on this DVD...

My Heart's Desire: The Journey to Find True Love in a World of Magical Cat Boys

Welcome to Crossroads Academy, a prestigious university for Human-Animal Hybrids that prides itself on inclusivity, diversity, and providing the best education possible.  (We don't allow humans at this school? What do you mean that's not inclusive? Fine, just... I don't know, allow one human girl into school this year and when she fails we can use that as an excuse to never allow it again!)

Before you embark on your first year, perhaps you should get to know your fellow classmates? 

Class 105: The Art Majors

Meet Tora: The fiery student council president with a  love for spicy ramen and a deep seated hatred for those who don't put effort into their school work. Her lion ears may make her appear cuddly, but don't let that fool you--If you dare touch them she will claw your eyes out (I may know from experience).

Meet Tama: The carefree, sporty, athletic, muscular cat-boy who loves sports. Did we mention the fact he loves sports? HE LOVES SPORTS! What sports? ALL SPORTS. JUST SPORTS. PERIOD. 

Meet Momo: Momo is just your average university puppy-girl. She's sweet, caring, shy, and pretty adorable. She's also secretly in love with Tama.  Okay, she's telling me she really loves Tama. Like REALLY REALLY loves Tama. Tama is her everything. Tama is her reason for living. Don't get close to Tama. If you try taking Tama from me I will end your existence. I mean, she likes Tama. Don't worry about it :3

There you have it! Class 105: The Art Majors.

Aren't you forgetting someone...?

What no, that's it. Just 3 students. No one else.

The human girl...?

Oh... Right. Her...

Meet Hana, I guess: Hana is the first human to ever attend our lovely university. We at, Crossroads Academy are super proud and excited to have her attend our lovely school. She is a wholesome, talented, and lovely person. With a heart of gold. (Did I do it? Can i go home now? This is good enough right??)

Ready to enroll?

We promise it's mostly safe... except for, you know, all of it.

Content Warnings:

This game IS a psychological horror game. Please take care of yourself and don't play if you feel any of these topics are too heavy.

Click to show warnings

Psychological Horror - Themes of mental manipulation, fear, and distorted reality.

Yandere Behavior - Obsessive love, possessiveness, and unhealthy romantic dynamics.

Stalking - Characters may exhibit stalking behaviors, both in-game and towards the player.

Murder - Mentions or implications of past murders, as well as violent behavior by characters.

Suicide and Death - References to death, including suicide, related to the backstory of the development team.

Gaslighting - Characters may attempt to manipulate or distort the player’s perception of reality.

Gore/Violence - Some scenes may feature blood, violent imagery, or gore.

Body Horror - Distorted character sprites or glitchy visuals that depict characters in unsettling or unnatural ways.

Depictions of Crunch Time - Stressful, overworking conditions, and burnout experienced by characters.

Themes of Guilt and Trauma - Characters’ motivations may involve guilt, unresolved trauma, and other heavy emotional themes.

Creepy Atmosphere - Eerie visuals, unsettling sound effects, and unexpected jumps in tone or style.

Fourth-Wall Breaking - Direct interactions with the player, including characters becoming obsessive or confrontational.

Self-Harm - References or implications, especially as it relates to the development team backstories.

Drug/Alcohol Use - Possible mentions of caffeine dependence or alcohol in relation to crunch culture

Sensory Warnings:

Currently absent but planned for future builds. This warning is here for consistency and player awareness.

Click to show sensory Warnings:

Flashing Lights or Visual Glitches - For players sensitive to rapidly changing visuals.

Loud/Disturbing Sound Effects - Sudden, jarring sounds that may be disturbing to some players.

Derealization Themes - Characters and scenarios may blur the line between reality and fantasy, which could be triggering for some players.

Please note this is only a prototype that was made in ~7days it is incomplete and you may (probably) encounter bugs. We plan on finishing the game in the coming months. 

Credits

Artists:

BGs + Promo Design: Cess (Abanthsterra) - https://abanthsterra.itch.io/

Character Sprites + Key Art: Foxythemoron (they/them) - https://linktr.ee/FoxyTheMoron

Logo: Janis ☆ (She/Her) - https://woolshark.carrd.co/

Music:

Music: TurtleBox (They/Them) - https://theturtlebox.itch.io/ / https://turtlebox.bandcamp.com/ / https://x.com/TheTurtleBox

Narrative:

Writer + Director: Ashe Lucia (She/They) - https://ashelucia.com