Burn Ban

Burn Ban is an interactive visual novel with social media simulation mechanics accessed through the in-game character’s cell phone. You assume the role of Twig, a mentally ill queer girl who is sent to Camp Sisquoc, a summer retreat for misguided students. Just as Twig is getting used to camp life, her dead friend’s social media mysteriously starts posting again, and she and friends are set with determining the mystery behind the posts.

Content Warnings: Mental Illness, Depression, Mention/Discussion of Suicide, Characters Coming to terms with a past of Sexual Assault/Rape and a past of survivors being ignored/shamed. Game is optimized for Android phones, and is not officially supported on Android Tablets.

The game’s structure takes place over the course of seven chapters, or “days”. As Twig, you can choose how to respond to the narrative in different ways. You can also choose to spend time with different in-game characters during some segments of the game, furthering your relationships and bonds with said characters. Each time a decision is made, your player’s social media is affected as other characters respond to current events. At any point during the game, the player can pause to check their social media on the in-game character’s cell phone.